Thread by @AllergyKidsDoc

I taught a teenage patient how to shave.

You should be asking why or how this would ever come up during a visit for food allergies.

This one may surprise you. A little thread ⬇️
#SundayThoughts
1/9

This was a brand new patient to me. I started as I always do:
"I'm so glad you're here. How can I help you today?"

Then I heard about prior suspected food allergy reactions & avoidance of certain foods.

I also observed. There was tension between this mother and her son.
2/9

Then I asked the most important question of the visit. I looked him in the eye and asked:

"What's your favorite video game?"

He was surprised but started engaging. But his mother was annoyed.

I asked her why. She felt he spent too much time on video games.
3/9

Then I asked him to name his favorite thing to learn about in school.

He became more withdrawn. Turns out he wasn't doing very well in school.

Mom works 2 jobs and has no other support. He's often alone after school with no supervision. Focus suffers. School work suffers.
4/9

After some dialogue and discussion about ways for them both to find support, I brought it back to food allergies.

He had never had testing but was avoiding for years.

I remarked how glad I was they were here as things can change over time, particularly during adolescence.
5/9

I made an attempt at humor & stated how he likely noticed hair growing in new places.

His mother quickly looked at me.

She asked if I would talk to him about puberty as he has no male influence in his life.

We placed the skin tests & I came back to chat. His mother left.
6/9

He was on the exam table. I sat down, lower than him to try & comfort him.

I asked if they talked about puberty in school. He was surprisingly engaged & we chatted about everything he learned. He seemed to have a good grasp.

I joked about needing to shave soon. He got quiet
7/9

He told me that he shaved. Once. But was afraid to again.

Then we spent 5 min talking about shaving, particularly what NOT to do.

Mom came back in & I reassured her that her son was doing just fine.

Oh...he also wasn't allergic to any foods.

Pretty good visit in my book.
8/9

I'm sharing this for 2 reasons:

1. This was a remarkable experience for me.
2. We can learn so much about one another simply by listening and observing.

I doubt they were as impacted by our interaction as I was, but I'll never forget...and will try my best to pay it forward
9/9

I suppose I should also emphasize how important it is to have an accurate diagnosis if you suspect you have food allergies.

There are many symptoms or situations that mimic food allergies and allergists LOVE helping people find out if they are truly allergic. 🙌