He ate a cheese stick

He's allergic to milk protein. 

It was so bad he was put on NeoCate formula as a baby.

We had to check every label.

Every box.

He couldn't eat anywhere but at home.

It just wasn't safe.

We took food and snacks everywhere.

We avoided church because the nursery staff couldn't understand that milk protein was in everything.

And yesterday, he ate a whole cheese stick. 

And nothing happened. 

No hives.

No eczema.

No rash.

Not even a shade of pink over his whole body.

For the past 5 1/2 years we have avoided milk protein like it was the plague. 

Brennon once got ahold of a cookie and broke out in hives, swelling, and within a few minutes a full on asthma attack. 

It took 7.5ML of oral prednisolone, 7.5ML of benedryl, a breathing treatment and an entire tube of steroid cream for eczema he broke out in afterwards to "fix" him.

We have endured 2 week long hospital stays in The Children's Hospital for staph infections (MRSA) because he had scratched so badly he ripped his skin off and it got infected. At different points in his life his thin skin would just fall off his body. 

(Even with avoiding everything he was allergic too)

He's had a rough life. A life that was unfairly dealt to him.

But recently (over the course of a couple of years) we were told by his asthma and allergist to try giving Brennon very small amounts milk protein. We started with one day every 2 weeks. We started out with a piece of bread that contained milk in it's ingredients. 

Nothing happened except a little redness around his mouth and a bit of itching at the corners of his lips.

We did this for half a year or so and when we noticed he wasn't getting itchy around his mouth and we stopped seeing any redness we increased his intake. 

Eventually we were able to allow him foods with milk cooked in them on occasion. 

And then last night came. We had a gift card given to Josh and I from my wonderful grandmother Mema this past Christmas. We loaded the kids up and we headed to Applebee's. 

For our 2 for $20 meal we were given a free appetizer. 

Both Josh and I love cheese sticks so naturally we chose them. 

And with much hesitation but armed with all the medicine we needed just in case, we allowed a very eager Brennon 1 cheese stick. 

I watched in fear as my child devoured a single cheese stick. 

His first ever cheese stick.

And we waited. 

I searched his mouth over and over looking for any signs of a reaction. 

Nothing. 

No hives.

No eczema.

No rash.

Not even a shade of pink over his whole body.

My heart sings a tune of pure bliss for this incredible milestone. 

I will be honest. I had just assumed that Brennon would have to battle this allergy his whole life. 

It broke my heart but I knew if any child could go through life with this, it was Brennon. 

As I write this, I think of the mama's who are currently having the same fear and hope that I had a few years ago. 

I give you hope. Hope that one day the children affected by severe food allergies will outgrow theirs like Brennon seems to have outgrown his. 

I know that Brennon's allergy is probably not completely gone. We are still giving small doses of milk to him until he is truly able to eat whatever he wants, whenever he wants. 

But please keep faith that there are possibilities for your children too. 

It has been a prayer of mine for 5 years and as God promised me...

1 John 5:14-15

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.