The chicks in the mail.

 

patch testing

 

Today we started our first round of skin patch allergy testing.  I'm thankful to report it went better than I expected!  We just had to prove to him that it wouldn't hurt. :)

The night before, I stayed up late cooking/pureeing/smashing 26 different foods and supplements to take in for the tests. 

They put a tiny amount of the food/supplement under those tiny disks.  We return to the doctor's on Wednesday to remove them and do the first read, on Thursday to check it again, and again the next Wednesday for another consultation.  So far he's tolerating the patch testing very well. 

I am very thankful to Wendy, who I met through on online group for families dealing with EGID.  She talked me through the prep work, and helped me feel like this is doable, and the testing and elimination diet will be worth it!  She lives here in the valley, and her little guy, J, has the same condition.  (Please pray for healing for him as well!  He had his second endoscopy at a local children's hospital today.)

Truly Pure & Natural

 

If you've been considering the purchase of some of those awesome Lifefactory glass water bottles I talked about a while back, or some of the other TPN products I reviewed here, this is your chance! 

TPN is offering free shipping the rest of the month on every order over $25. 

If you use the button on the right side of our blog to get to the Truly Pure and Natural website, 15% of your purchase goes toward our adoption fund.  Then enter the code EARTHDAY when you check out to get free shipping. 

Happy Shopping! :)

diving in

We dove in today, cutting out all fifteen of the foods we just found out Keandre is allergic to, as well as the four foods we already knew about.  It's too early to know for sure if this is the difference, but Keandre had a really good day!  He was more relaxed and happy than usual, he listened and obeyed with far fewer tantrums, and he didn't throw up at all.

He's a little surprised by the fact that he can't eat a lot of his favorite foods anymore, like pears and oatmeal, but so far he is taking it in stride.  We were too wiped out last night to go shopping, so when breakfast rolled around, my question was, "Keandre, would you like turkey, avocado, and corn chips for breakfast?"  Oh, my.  You would think I asked him if he wanted ice cream!  He was ecstatic. LOL

This evening we went to Trader Joe's for a 'safe foods' shopping spree.  Keandre hugged his bag of chips tight and shouted at the top of his lungs, "I LOVE you, veggie chips!"  Shoppers 20 feet away turned and laughed. 

in other news....

- our rabbits are almost named.
- we are getting 3 - 4 eggs daily -- blue/grey, tan, and brown.
- the kids and I are slowly working through a list of important life skills that will take years and years to teach. (oh, wait -- isn't that the point of parenting?)
- the chapsticks we make have stylish new labels.
- we're trying something new in our house, and it has to do with little glass marbles.
- we had family in town recently, and we missed them the day they left!
- we're in a hair rut, but I have a new idea to try out.
- March kids' quotes are way overdue.

So....lots of posts in the works.  Someday soon, I hope! :)

15 more

 

My mind is so busy tonight.  Keandre's allergy testing earlier today showed that he has become allergic to fifteen new foods in the last ten months.  (I didn't even know that was possible!)

Here are the foods Keandre is allergic to:
dairy/milk, chicken, salmon, eggs, almonds, walnuts, sesame seeds, oats, buckwheat, lima beans, celery, squash, cabbage, coconut, oranges, pears, cantaloupe, watermelon, cinnamon

We started to tell Keandre about it at dinner tonight.  Lucas and Destany were concerned and sad for Keandre.  Thankfully, that was easily remedied by the approach I took.  I give God the credit for helping me think on my feet!!!

Here is how it went....

Mom: "Sorry, honey....the test said no to chicken."
Destany:  "Oh, no!"
Mom: "But....YES to ground beef and turkey!"
Keandre, glowing: "Yeah!"

Mom: "No to pears and watermelon."
siblings: "Oh...."  (frowning)
Mom: "But....YES to grapes and apples!"
Keandre, smiling: "Hooray!"

I'll admit....this news is a little overwhelming.  I teared up a few times during dinner tonight, thinking of how our sweetie will miss eating some of his favorite foods. I am also a little concerned about making sure he has a balanced diet!  But it was a sweet time, eating out together to celebrate Keandre's bravery.  I only slipped out once, taking Brooklyn in the Ergo to walk around and get some fresh air and think and pray.  Then I was back, ready to jump in again. 

Despite the recent diagnosis and these new food allergies, we have much to be thankful for. Keandre is growing well, and is the perfect weight for his age and size. He is physically able to eat, and just as important, he loves to eat. (Many kids with EGID refuse to eat, due to the pain, and have to be taught how to eat once they are stable.) If we stay on this path, we will avoid a feeding tube with elemental/hypoallergenic formula, and we can continue to feed him healthy, organic foods that will hopefully help his body heal.

Hope is good. We are determined to make the most of this opportunity to learn, grow, and help Keandre thrive. And of course we will continue to pray for healing, too.

And from now on.....we are going to have fun with this! We plan to celebrate his list of foods, and help him eat a wide variety of foods.  I will be making a word document listing all the foods he CAN eat, plus pictures, so he can help me plan meals that are safe for him. We're also planning to make him a couple goofy t-shirts. (More on that later!)

So.....are you wondering how you can help us? 
(I know....I'm reading your thoughts! :)

In order to fully eliminate these 19 foods, I need to make an extensive list of the foods Keandre CAN eat. 

You can help by filling up the comments with all your ideas on simple, healthy foods that are NOT on the list above.  Fruits, veggies, meat, grains, etc.  It's all fair game!  I'd love your ideas and encouragement.   Keandre will love it, too. :)

ps - Just in case you are wondering....I was so tired last night I miscounted.  15 new foods, so I had to change the title!

a new allergist

Today was an eventful day.  We met with a new allergist who is somewhat familiar with Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGID).  EGID is pretty rare, and as a newly identified disease (1970s), we are learning that it is not easy to find medical professionals who are familiar with the unique issues inherent in this condition, or the treatment options.  It is estimated that approximately 4 in 10,000 children, and and 1 in 10,000 adults suffer from EGID.  Treatment is complicated and often only somewhat successful, so many families choose to travel to a specialized hospital in Denver, Chicago, or Cinncinati for treatment.

I was nervous about this appointment.  There was a lot to cover, and so much we are still trying to understand.  I didn't want to miss something important.  But the doctor and his staff were wonderful.  They explained everything well, and gave Andy and I plenty of time to ask questions.  And despite my fatigue, a case of bronchitis, and a mind overwhelmed with all the research I've been doing, God blessed me with the ability to think clearly and ask a lot of important questions.  We were there for three hours! 

The skin prick test (SPT) identified fifteen new foods that Keandre is allergic to, up from the four foods that he was allergic to when we did the SPT in June of 2010.  Oh, my.  Still trying to wrap my mind around that!  And unfortunately, the SPT is only 30% effective -- meaning it may catch only 30% of Keandre's allergies, and definitely only the ones he is hypersensitive to and reacts to immediately.  Next week, we will start patch testing, which checks for delayed reactions.  We are likely to identify even more foods that way.

Despite this bad news, we are hopeful.  God is in this with us.  He is answering our prayers!  We prayed for answers, and a next step in this journey, and He we are well on our way.

My next post will be list of the foods Keandre can no longer eat.  And a chance for you, our family and friends, to help me come up with a list of foods he CAN eat. :)

BOHO - pics from farmer's market

 

Three weeks ago we committed at the last minute to participate in our first farmers' market at the Boho Farm + Home.  It was a success!  I sold several tubs of body butter, and a number of chapsticks.  Even better, I met some lovely and talented people from our community.

The just-harvested organic produce, homemade jam and muffins, and peppermint lemonade were absolutely delicious.  I slipped away from our booth as often as possible to check out the crafts, jewelry, beautiful headbands (picture coming soon), and more.  I left with more ideas than I have time to try out! 

Caroline did an amazing job organizing this event, and I hope that once she recovers from the craziness she plans another one. :)  You can check out Caroline's blog post about it all here.  Jill, from Sweet Life Garden and Neighborhood Garden Party, also posted pictures here.

One unexpected twist....it was a hot day!  The temperature hit the low 90s, and that is not helpful when selling body butter.  The ones in the ice chest were fine.  But my samples slowly changed from the texture of fresh whipped cream to melted ice cream.  Ha!  Next time I will have them sitting on ice packs.  (Ironically, it was rainy and in the mid-50s today!)