Bal'more.

Yesterday we headed to Baltimore for our annual allergy appointment with amazing Dr. Robert Wood. We got there a bit early so we could enjoy some of the city's tourist attractions. Normally we do something like the Aquarium, or the MD Science Center, or Port Discovery but because our appointment was right in the middle of the day we opted for some less time consuming activities.

First stop: ESPN Zone. This is the first time Alec has been in a big arcade like this and his reaction did not disappoint.

It was all about the driving... the carsand trucks

the raftsand golf.

There were horses to ride, wave runners, snow mobiles, hang gliders, street luges and so much more. We all had a great time. Unfortunately our time (and tokens) was running out so we left and headed over to Hopkins.

What to report about this trip? The bad news first... he is rx'ed with Oral Allergy Syndrome which is a fancy way to say that his pollen allergy is now bad enough to cross react into certain foods like apples, pears, and watermelon. So, when he eats these foods he has a reaction. So far, a non severe reaction with only a slim chance at a big, anaphylactic reaction. Here is the list of the pollen/food cross reactivity.

• Alder pollen: almonds, apples, celery, cherries, hazel nuts, peaches, pears, parsley
• Birch pollen: almonds, apples, apricots, avocados, bananas,^[5] carrots, celery, cherries, chicory,^[6] coriander, fennel, fig,^[7] hazelnuts, kiwifruit, nectarines, parsley, parsnips, peaches, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat; Potential: walnuts
• Grass pollen: fig,^[7] melons, tomatoes, oranges
• Mugwort pollen : carrots, celery, coriander, fennel, parsley, peppers, sunflower
• Ragweed pollen : banana, cantaloupe, cucumber, honey dew, watermelon, zucchini, echinacea, artichoke, dandelions, hibiscus or chamomile tea
• Possible cross-reactions (to any of the above): berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, etc), citrus (oranges, lemons, etc), grapes, mango, figs, peanut, pineapple, pomegranates, watermelon

He is in at least three of the above categories. Pollen allergies get worse until about puberty so eventually he will get to a point where many fruits and veggies will be (at a minimum) uncomfortable enough not to eat. Huge bummer, yes. There is no news on the nut front... all is status and tests all about the same as last year.

After Hopkins we headed back down to the inner harbor for lunch at our favorite - Chipotle. Look at the size of that burrito, it really must weigh close to 5 lbs!

Then a wander around sightseeing, taking photos, shopping, and generally enjoying a HOT (94 deg) day in Baltimore.

All-in-all, it was just like most of our trips to Hopkins. A pathetic attempt to mask the underlying malaise, annoyance, and general hatred of food allergies. With a bit of fun sprinkled on top :)