From that initial helpline conversation the AUK team made a telephone appointment for us to discuss Ollie’s symptoms with a Pediatric Dietician
Several trips to the doctor later and following tests to rule out any gastric illness, it was suggested he may be lactose intolerant. As weaning began we followed a lactose free diet but started to notice skin reactions to certain foods. We started a food diary and it proved to be a really useful tool throughout the lead up to his diagnosis, as it allowed us to monitor what he had eaten and any reactions that may have occurred. Our advice to any parents who find themselves in a similar situation, would be to do the same.
It was at this point that we began to research further and came across the Allergy UK helpline. The helpline advisor recognised his symptoms and advised us that it was unlikely to be lactose intolerance and quite possibly a cows milk protein allergy. From that initial helpline conversation the AUK team made a telephone appointment for us to discuss Ollie’s symptoms with a Pediatric Dietician. Following the dietician’s advice together with help from our doctor and a team of local healthcare professionals, we were able to establish Ollie’s allergens and his health began to improve.
The journey to Ollie’s diagnosis was not without it’s challenges and we had a very poorly baby at times, but he is now a strong healthy five year old and we have learnt to manage his diet to ensure that his allergies don’t get in the way.
We want to say a huge thank you to Allergy UK for the amazing work that they do and hope that our funds raised go some way to ensuring others living with allergy can access the helpline when they need it most.