At age six months, my daughter Savannah was diagnosed with severe food allergies to milk, eggs and peanuts. Since then, we have strictly avoided all of those foods. Through the years, we have had few accidental exposures, and to my knowledge, she had never consumed an egg product.

Life Without Eggs

Savannah has never eaten mayonnaise or marshmallow fluff. We are often asked, “Can she eat egg substitute, like Egg Beaters?” The answer is a firm, “No, that’s still actually eggs.” She can have egg replacers, such as Ener-G Egg Replacer, but those of us in the egg-allergy world know that is not something you would eat for breakfast. In a controlled environment, Savannah has successfully received flu shots (some egg-allergic patients do not tolerate flu vaccines, which use eggs in the manufacturing process).

Getting Ready for the Challenge

When Savannah turned six last year, our allergist told us that she had reached the age that we could try a baked egg challenge. If she passed the food challenge, she would be able to eat fully baked or processed eggs in the form of most baked goods, such as bread, cakes, muffins and brownies. Baked goods that wouldn’t be considered safe are quiche, angel food cake, breads that are brushed with egg-white (so they look shiny and pretty in the display case), meringues, egg custards (such as flan and crème brulee), or anything else that might have a high concentration of eggs. She would also be able to eat egg noodles.

I’ve met other allergy moms whose kids have had successful baked egg challenges, and that was encouraging. Some of them went on to have successful scrambled egg challenges. Even more encouraging. Risky? Yes, but we felt comfortable that Savannah was in good hands in the controlled doctor’s office environment, so we decided to move forward this week with the baked egg challenge.

Savannah seemed very excited about our appointment, probably because she loves to watch Youtube videos of people making baked goods, many which contain eggs. But, she has never been able to eat those same recipes. If she passed the baked egg challenge, it could open up some new options that she couldn’t have before. Additionally, it could lower her risk of accidental exposure to the allergen.

For our appointment, I made a 9” round chocolate cake that contained one small egg.  Knowing the process would last a few hours, I came prepared with magazines, a coloring book, and an iPad. When we arrived, our doctor spoke to us about what to expect, the stats, and the risks. We were told that 70% of egg-allergic patients can tolerate baked egg.  For the test, Savannah would consume precisely measured amounts of the cake every 15 minutes, six times, increasing the amount of cake each time. She would be closely monitored for any allergic reactions. The staff would be coming in and out of the office throughout the process, checking her skin, breathing, heart rate, blood pressure and her mouth (for any swelling). In between each round, if we needed help, I could push the nurse’s call button on the wall.

We were ready.

Let Her Eat Cake!

The first serving was a few itty bitty crumbs of cake. No reaction. Yay! Second serving, no reaction. Yay! Third serving, no reaction. Yay! By now she had watched one episode of Fresh Beat Band and played several rounds of Temple Run. Fourth serving, no reaction. Savannah says, “Mmmm, this cake is so yummy!” Yay! But, she was really bored and wanted to go home (Sorry, not yet Sweetie).

Fifth serving, no reaction. Yay! By then I was thinking about baking her a dairy-free gooey butter cake (one recipe that I still hadn’t mastered egg-free).

While we were waiting, my hubby had called to ask how it was going. I told him very well, so far no reactions. I then told him I would call him back later, as they were getting ready to give her the sixth serving of cake.

This last serving was the size of one small bite of cake. Like the previous doses, the nurse fed Savannah the cake on a tongue depressor, then left the room. I then turned to go back to reading my Better Homes and Gardens magazine. But before I sat down, I said, “Savannah, do you want me to call Daddy back?” She looked at me and said, “No.” And that’s when I saw the fear in her eyes. I had seen that look once before, at age 4, when she had an accidental exposure to milk in a supposedly vegan cookie. Not good.

Checking the Signs and Symptoms

I said, “Do you feel sick?” She said, “Yes.” I called the nurse into our room. Savannah was nauseous and had chills. Her mouth was salivating and she thought she was going to vomit. She wanted to go home. She wanted me to hug her tight. She started to cry, which brought tears to my eyes as well. She was scared, and so was I.

The doctor came in and looked at her skin and mouth, both fine. Her blood pressure was still normal. All good signs that she was not experiencing anaphylaxis. But the nausea and other GI symptoms were definitely the indicator: she would not pass the baked egg challenge today.

What Happened Next?

The nurse administered a dose of Benedryl, and Savannah immediately felt better. Thank God! But we had to wait another hour to make sure the worst had passed. During that time, I think she felt the same thing I did…relieved she was going to be okay, but disappointed that she didn’t pass.

Before we left the doctor’s office, he gave us a prescription for an anti-nausea medication in case she needed it that evening (she didn’t). His last instructions were to give her another dose of Benedryl when we got home, to watch her the rest of the evening, and to call back in the morning to give him an update. That was it. The entire process took four hours.

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da!

While it is disappointing that it didn’t work out, we are all okay with it. Savannah has lived without eggs her entire life. We’ve become experts at replacing eggs in our baked goods. To accommodate people with egg allergies, several products are available, including Veganaise, Ricemellow, Oreos and Whole Foods 365 brand frozen waffles. Instead of decorating Easter eggs, we decorate dairy-free, egg-free and nut-free Easter cookies.

Life is still sweet, and we’re going to enjoy each and every blessed moment.

About Sheila Ray

I've been a full-time creative communications professional since college, and my work includes art direction, graphic design, writing and photography. I run a freelance creative marketing strategy business from my home office. I'm also a mom of two children, one of which has life-threatening food allergies. I experience, learn, and discover more about myself and God's plan for me everyday. As I share my stories, I share my faith. I hope you find my blog informational and inspirational.

View all posts by Sheila Ray →