Lobster!

Last week, our son had his allergies retested. He is on a two-year schedule, so this was the third time he had a skin-prick test. His allergist informed us he is no longer allergic to shellfish and, despite never having eaten shellfish, he was very excited.

When we asked him what shellfish he would like to try, he definitively answered, “Lobster!” “Couldn’t he have chosen a less expensive shellfish?” I grumbled to my husband. I opted for a three-dollar tin of lobster pâté.

I spread it thinly on some Wheat Thins. I sampled some of the pâté, and found the flavour really strong. It contained not just meat, but tomalley and roe as well. I was expecting that my son wouldn’t like it.

But, he said that he did, and he asked for four more “crackers with lobster.”

I tried to act pretty blasé about his eating food he was previously considered allergic to. I didn’t want him to be fearful. All went well: there was no reaction; and both my son and I were glad he had experienced a new food. It was an especially big event for me, despite my calm exterior. I had never had a nightmare about my son’s allergies, but the night after the lobster experiment, I dreamt he was covered in hives and his eyes were swollen shut. I woke up to the sound of him softly crying, thankfully not from an allergic reaction, but from sleeping on his ear the wrong way.

Next time I’ll buy him a whole lobster.