I can't help you.

I called the allergist Dr O's office today. I told the nurse about the not-so-successful trial with apples, and asked about the possibility of patch testing.

She said that Dr. O felt Baby E's reactions are not allergies, and recommended that we see a GI specialist as he didn't deal with these kinds of issues. He recommended the GI specialist we're already seeing, and the testing we've already done that came back negative. Meanwhile, she said, continue to avoid apples and the other foods that cause adverse reactions. Of course.

I asked whether patch testing might be helpful at all in identifying some of the foods that cause reactions. The nurse said that might be useful but we'd have to see a dermatologist for that, as Dr. O doesn't do it.

Finally, I asked if, when it came time to trial corn and soy, we could do an in-office food challenge. With immediate, severe symptoms including itching, rashes, GI symptoms and facial swelling to the smallest traces of refined corn and soy derivatives, I don't want to take a chance on doing those ones at home.

She said that, with the "true" serious food allergies, usually Dr. O. recommends that people do that type of testing themselves by parking in the emergency room parking lot to feed the food to their child. That way if the child goes into anaphylaxis, medical help will be right there.

Alrighty then.