It's hard to imagine life without it being the way it is now.

The changes we've made, and the sacrifices we choose to have as a family, to make things easier for Callum.

With allergies, you find out what the problem is (eventually, and after a long battle!) figure out a way to some how live with them, or at least try to, and start to get a balance to your life again.

Every day life becomes a new routine with a way of overcoming the big obstacles you face all the time with allergies, and also asthma and eczema in Callum's case.

During this time, there are days punctured with appointments. Times which you dread a bit, because you know you have to re-live the horror of what you go through constantly, to see if there's any improvement, however small.

Sometimes you have appointments that you'd really rather not have to go through, and these usually involve repeat allergy testing - and there is nothing else you can feel other than dread!

You will be knowingly taking your little one, to a hospital (which more often than not they hate), to see someone who is going to cause them extreme pain and discomfort.

We're in the process of this at the moment.

Yesterday, Callum had the first of 2 appointments regarding his allergies, eczema and asthma. He sees the same consultant now for all 3, which really does help with continuity of care.

It's not always been like this, so when this does happen, the poor guy gets a bombardment of questions from me!!

After the long battle of the past few months (pneumonia, broken thumb, recurrent chest infection, nasty asthma attack, bad eczema, awful reactions to foods) we finally got some good news at the appointment.

Callum's asthma is confirmed as being 'as under control as it can be', which is wonderful news! His skin also seems to be doing ok, he still has bad flare up patches but the majority of his skin is showing an improvement. Yay!

(I'm under no illusion, the amount of steroids he requires to keep him well, has meant his body has had to admit defeat!)

BUT!

Following the food trial of strawberries, there is no question that he still has a major issue with them, and likewise with tree nuts.

So, the next stage....

Come early September, Callum will undergo a repeat round of allergy tests to see if things have got better/ worse with everything else.

In addition, he will need to have a number of blood tests done, which will include testing his tolerance to soya, of which there is a concern that he is allergic again, despite trialling him very slowly on a 'soya ladder' for the past year with little improvement. He will also have blood tests for wheat/ gluten/ coeliac as he is showing signs of stomach/ bowel issues.

In order for all these tests to work and actually show up any 'true' results, we will need to take Callum off his medication a week before. The very medication that keeps him comfortable 24/7 from the eczema and allergies.

It'll most likely mean no sleep for the week in the lead up to the appointment, and let's be honest, I won't sleep anyway as I always worry at these appointments because of what they put him through!

The poor boy, it just doesn't seem to ever end for him!!!

And throughout all of this, he still remains happy, upbeat and giggly - a true little star, and a brave little soldier!!

(I love that as I'm typing this, Jon is in the garden tickling Callum, and he's giggling so hard! It's the most magical sound in the world, hearing your little ones giggle like that! It should be bottled up and used for medicine, if only it were possible!)

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