Allergic like me, the first reaction

This is the first part of my story of my food allergy journey with my allergic child.  I took my daughter to the doctor for her 9 month check up.  The doctor said she was in perfect health and growing and thriving.  She was a breast fed baby and I had introduced basic foods like cereal and fruits and vegetables at 6 months old.  She did develop some rashes and eczema from certain foods (mostly peaches).  I went home after the check up and my husband called saying he was on his way home from work and he was would be home soon.    I told him I would feed Julia and we would sit outside while he cut the lawn.  She loved watching daddy mow!

I was feeding Julia an organic baby food, of which one of the ingredients was dairy.  As she ate, she was happy and loved the new food.  I called my mom and while talking with her Julia started coughing.  My mom said, "you should call the doctor since the food was new. "  I hung up with mom and called the doctors office.  When the nurse heard her coughing she said the most frightening words I had ever heard.

"I don't want to alarm you, but you need to hang up with me and dial 911"     As a new mom I asked what I should tell the 911 operator, and she said that she thought the baby was having an allergic reaction and that we needed an ambulance right away.  By this time Julia as turning red and had white bumps around her mouth.  

While on with the 911 operator, Julia started to cry, still coughing.  The operator said, "let he cry, if she is coughing she is breathing!"

I picked her up from the high chair and luckily, Julia vomited up the food.   Thank goodness.  My husband arrived home a few minutes after the police and ambulance arrived.  Between the time he left work and got home (about 20 minutes) our whole world was turned upside down.

We were transported to the hospital; poor Julia looked so tiny in the big chair, in her little diaper, swollen lips and hives all over he body.  I was heartbroken.  Luckily, because she had thrown up the allergen was expelled from he body.

She was given Benedryl at the hospital and her symptoms went away.  We stayed over night and were told to get he to an allergist for confirmation of an dairy based food allergy.

Julia's numbers were off the charts!  Blood antibodies to allergens are considered allergic if your level is above 700.  Julia's were 19,600 after the anaphylactic incident.   Were were given Epipen's and told she should never have dairy based foods.  She was also allergic to eggs, tree nuts and peanuts.