Testing for Food Allergies

My poor son's lips started looking like this shortly after he turned one. They started out as just little cracks on one corner of his mouth and shortly thereafter it spread along half of his bottom lip. A few months later it affected his entire bottom lip. Shortly after that it spread to half of his upper lip. We took him to the doctor who thought it was because he licked his lips. We saw multiple dermatologists who said the same thing. They gave us creams, ointments, pills, chapsticks, antibiotics, steroids, anti-fungals, anti-bacterials, prescriptions, over the counters. Everything. Nothing helped and they only seemed to get worse.

After battling it for a year and a half and seeing countless doctors who basically said they had no clue, he was put on a dose of prednisone for asthma difficulties. A few weeks later it cleared up and remained clear for 8 months.

Then in August of 2010 it started coming back. A few weeks later he became very ill with mono and I wondered if the two were related. We went back to the doctor, were assured that it was unlikely they were related and got referred to four different dermatologists who each proved to be less helpful than the last. Our son has battled asthma and seasonal allergy issues for years and as a result also has super sensitive skin. So, I started doing my own research and suspected it may be eczema, triggered by some type of allergy, be it something he comes into contact with regularly or food. So I started making my own laundry detergent, removed the likely environmental culprits, changed his toothpaste.

Around the same time a friend contacted her brother in law (a doctor in another state) on my behalf who took a look at his medical history and the pictures of his lips. He kindly called me and offered some helpful suggestions, one of them being changing his toothpaste, which we had already done, and told us to avoid a few other things he was likely to come into contact with. He mentioned that if none of that helped then it could be a food allergy. When I mentioned this to the four dermatologists here they were quick to dismiss this as a possibility. They assured me this wouldn't be likely all the while I had this nagging feeling that it was related to food. The last dermatologist we saw I asked if he would allergy test him for the most common allergens and he said he did not feel it was necessary. I insisted; he declined.

Occurring concurrently with this was increased sensitivity to so many things he was coming into contact with. The underwear band was causing horrible rashes and hives around his waste. We spent weeks trying to track down underwear that didn't have a rubber band exposed (Thank you H and M). He was having horrible reactions every time we went to visit his great-grandmother. She has an inside dog and his face would break out into hives and swell until his eyes were mere slits each time we'd visit. We knew a dog allergy was unlikely since we have an outside dog at home, but suspected environmental allergies that the dog tracked in along with dog dander. Then, we went to the store to try on bicycle helmets. A few of the ones he tried on had rubber pads inside. A few hours later his head had a horrible rash in the pattern of the way the pads were placed on his head. A few hours after that his face was swollen.

I called his doctor who ordered an epi-pen over the phone and who then called in a referral to an Allergy specialist for the next day. Monday he was tested for 20 different allergens. We go back in six weeks for a more expanded panel. The allergist took one look at his lips and is fairly confident it is a result of a food allergy. The results came back showing he was allergic to a host of environmental things as well as Cow's milk, soybean, and tree nuts.

Our plan is that for the next 4 weeks he can have nothing that contains or has been in contact with any of those items. And let me tell you it was SHOCKING how many food items contain those things. It took us 3 hours at some specialized stores to find him alternatives to regularly consumed foods. Soy or soybean oil is seemingly in everything! After those 4 weeks we should see improvement in his mouth, if in fact a food allergy is causing it. At that point we have to start adding the known allergens back to see if we can figure out which group of foods in triggering the reaction.

Truthfully, it was incredibly disappointing to know that he is allergic to so many things, but it was also a great relief to finally have some type of answer. It seems like I had tried everything with no results and was at whits end. To finally have a glimmer of hope that we might be able to heal and then control this is a huge weight off my shoulders.

So far he is doing well. We replaced his milk with Rice Milk, which he likes. I have made my own bread for him to use with sandwiches. I had to also make my own mayonnaise. He eats a lot of fruit for snacks and as parts of meals so that was good. Many of the Boulder and Kettle chips don't contain allergens so that was also a "treat" for him. There's not a good cheese alternative so for now it has just been eliminated from his diet. We've had luck with the Enjoy Life brand in finding him some snacking food and my husband actually found non-dairy, non-soy, non-tree nuts chocolate chips and I made cookies (using canola oil in place of butter) as a treat that were actually delicious. Better than the regular chocolate chip cookies I usually make actually.

It is definitely an adjustment and may prove to be for life, but it is doable and necessary and he has been great about it. I'm definitely hopeful that his lips will improve and we'll be able to identify the trigger and know to avoid it in the future.

Interestingly, many of the creams I had been rubbing on his lips contained soybean oil. So, all this time while I have been trying to help him I could have inadvertently been causing more problems. My heart is crushed with this realization.

Coming Soon: Version 3.0

I have been sitting on some news for the past few months and that is we are expecting baby number three in a handful of months. We are obviously very excited and so far our other two children have reacted wonderfully to the news. I have been incredibly ill this pregnancy, but the baby is healthy so that is really all that matters.

Yesterday I went in for a second ultrasound (the first ultrasound 4 weeks ago had a weird fuzzy line across the screen that prevented the doctor from getting a measurement of the head so he wanted to redo it just to make sure). The baby was crazy active: punching, kicking, flipping around all over the place. It was awesome. Everything looked perfect, which I thought was the case, but it is always nice to have that confirmed.

The bad news was that for the second month in a row my blood pressure has been high and yesterday's was really high. This is not normal for me at all. My blood pressure is usually in the ball park of 116/65 to 120/72. I have not had any history of high blood pressure in either of my other pregnancies. A month ago, since it was the first high reading they weren't really that concerned. This week they were. So, I have to go back on Monday and if it is still high they'll have to decide what to do with me (at home bed-rest vs. admitting me to the hospital, both of which will be a disaster).

So, I'm incredibly worried now, which obviously isn't good for my blood pressure. The doctor tells me to go home, rest, take it easy, etc. Uh hello....I have two young kids and my husband works 80 hours a week. Take it easy? Rest? Yeah, right! Nevertheless, I am trying to do just that, knowing that if I can't get my blood pressure down on my own the alternative is not going to be something I like.

On that note, any prayers, good vibes, etc. you can send my way would be appreciated.

Medical Expenses and Tax Deductions....All the Fun Stuff

When we set up our Flexible Spending Account this year with our health insurance we put aside an average of the medical expenses we have had for the past few years. In each of the past three years I have either had a child or our son has been hospitalized, thus increasing our expenses. While I knew we wouldn't be having a child this year I did figure on our son being hospitalized for more than a day or two just in case.

Fast forward to December 15, 2009. While our son was kept over night they never actually admitted him which meant we got away with just a co-pay instead of the hospital bills. I've been healthier this year as has the rest of the family. All of this is great news, except now we have more than half of the money we set aside currently unspent.

Since I predicted some of this I started having some dental work done that I've put off for the past year (I need crown on two teeth). Two months ago I had the first crown done. The crown prep was fine, the temporary was incredibly comfortable and I've had no problems with the permanent crown. Then two weeks ago I had the crown prep done for the second crown. It was a little achy at first, which I expected but then the pain wouldn't go away. Add to that the fact I can't chew AT ALL on that entire side of my mouth and now I'm a bit concerned. I kept telling myself to give it a couple more days to see, but it's at the point where it throbs and aches so badly that it's keeping me up at night, the pain has radiated into my jaw and behind my ear and is causing (I think) horrible headaches.

So, I've told myself that I HAVE to call today. I have to have it looked at. (I won't get my permanent crown until 12/28). Yet, here I sit hesitating. I think I dread the possibility of a root canal. The only consolation is I have plenty of money left in our FSA account to pay for it, something that wouldn't have been likely a year ago.

I bet December is a big month for dentists and maybe optometrists too. People having dental work they've put off done or getting contacts and eye glasses just to meet the end of year deadline for tax deductible expenses. While that's usually not the case for us, this year it seems to be, in part due to the overestimation of our medical expenses and the surplus of cash we have to spend on medical treatment/supplies.

How about you? Do you make the rounds with your doctors in December?

Death to Insurance Companies

I am tired of insurance companies. Really, if there was a legitimate and cost effective way to do without them I am all for it. There are actually a few doctors in our town that don't take insurance at all. It's a cash business for the wealthy and if I were among the wealthy I think I'd take advantage.

My son has had this lip condition for over a year now. We have seen doctor after doctor and no one yet has been able to diagnose or effectively treat it. Meanwhile it's getting worse and I am worried about scarring or disfigurement. I am trying to get our son into a specialized facility to be seen by one of their world class doctors. To do this, it has required a lot of research and investigation on my part, which is fine. All I ask in return is that our insurance company demonstrate the slightest bit of competence. Oh yeah, and that those that interface with customers actually speak the English language.

I can get most of the information I need via the Internet. I can log into our insurance account, find doctors, look at the status of claims, etc. When I set the account up I put it in my husband's name since he is the primary on the insurance. However, he has never once logged into it. A month ago I went to log on and it said my password was incorrect and it locked me out. I called and they said they'd send reset instructions in seven to ten days. Problem number one. I am supposed to wait seven to ten days to be able to access anything? Ten, eleven, twelve days pass and I receive nothing in the mail. So, I call back and they supposedly are going to send it out again. So now my seven to ten days has turned into at least fourteen to twenty. A full month passes and I receive nothing.

I called back yesterday as I was still locked out of our online account. The guy was a total douche and said he basically can't tell me anything since I set up the online account in my husband's name. We went round and round with me trying to explain that I set the account up, that I have permission to access the account, and that I need to know how to access our benefits. He tells me that he needs to speak with my husband. So, I have my husband call and he's pissed because a)he was in a meeting and b)he's already on two separate occasions given my "permission" for full access to the account. He then says he wants to reset the account to which they tell him they will mail him something in seven to ten days, but that if I want to set up my own online log in I would have to call back myself.

I call back and am again told that i don't have any permission to access the account. It is at this point that I lost it. I am usually pretty calm on the phone even when dealing with incompetent idiots. This was it, though. I flipped. I told them that my husband had just called in, that I was sick of being given the run around, that they were the most incompetent bunch of idiots I have ever dealt with and that's saying a lot considering I taught in a public school for six years (not a knock on the students). I told her I have called twice before, it's now been 30 days and we still don't have the reset. She then looks it up, verifies that I have called twice, and then admits that the paperwork has never been sent out. Surprise, they really are incompetent.

There may have been vague threats about what would happen if another ten days passes without getting this paperwork...something about contacting every governing board and agency that oversees them, there may also have been the suggestion that they don't hire idiot douche bags or people that can't speak English in any recognizable dialect. And possibly there was something about why people become so frustrated, freak out and open fire. I know I probably sounded like a lunatic, but honestly after trying to handle it in a mature fashion and getting nowhere because the combined IQ of those working for the insurance company is 0 I just couldn't take it and simply flipped out.

Past Her Prime

I read today that the world's oldest woman at the time she gave birth (at 65 years of age) died today at age 68. She leaves behind twin toddlers. I could write an entire post about what I feel is the obligation and responsibility of these fertility doctors or whether or not women should be able to give birth past a certain age.

I will simply say two things: 1) just because you CAN do something doesn't always necessarily mean you SHOULD and 2) maybe more people should consider what would be in the best interest of their children verses what is in their best interest.

While I am sure this woman may have expected to live longer the fact remains that she could reasonably assume that she would die fairly soon and leave behind young children. I personally just find that selfish. There are two children now who will most likely end up in foster care, or best case scenario with other family members if they exist, because there was no father.

It bothers me because I think so many do what they want, what they think is best for them, with little consideration as to how that will affect others. I wonder how much this woman really thought about all the ramifications of being so old and giving birth. She obviously knew there were risks involved as she lied to the fertility doctor about her age, telling him she was ten years younger. (And shame on the doctor for a)not checking and b) helping her get pregnant).

Negotiation 101

My daughter had her four year check up today. Everything went fine and she did great. Watching her interact with the doctor is always so entertaining for me because our doctor has a great relationship with us and gets a kick out of my kids. Today they asked my daughter to take off her clothes except for her underwear. She turns and looks at the nurse and says, "I'm going to need a robe, please." How she even knew that was an option is beyond me, but they gave her one of those paper gowns. Then the doctor comes in and starts asking her questions about always riding in a car seat, always wearing a bicycle helmet, and a variety of other safety questions. Then she says, "Now, when you go swimming who do you want to make sure is always with you?" My daughter replies "Emily**". The doctor looks at me and says, "Is that an adult?" Nope, her three year old cousin. We then started talking about preschool a little and the doctor was trying to encourage my daughter to give it a try. Sure as can be she stood her ground and insisted she did not want to go, did not want to try it, would not like it, and didn't think it was a good idea to "try it out." Watching an educated professional (who we adore) try to negotiate with my four year old was worth the $15 copay.

The only "bad" part of the visit was that three shots were required, a tetanus being one of them so by tonight her arms was really swollen and sore. The plus side to that is a little Tylenol and TLC and she went right to bed.

** name changed for privacy

Super Bug that's Super Freaky

Almost a year ago my son developed really chapped lips along half of his bottom lip. The lip cracked in multiple places and then crusted over and spread down toward his chin. It looked awful and painful. We took him to the doctor where they started treating it just with aquafor, which did nothing. They then suspected impetigo and treated him for that, then a yeast infection, and after months of different treatment options we were referred to a dermatologist who put him on a steroid cream for two weeks. It cleared up the symptoms for the most part, yet returned within three days of stopping the cream. She put him back on the cream, which this time did nothing.

So, we go back to the doctor tomorrow as they are now suspicious that he may have MRSA (a bacterial super bug). They'll take a culture and we'll know for sure. At this point I just want to know what the heck it is and what treatment options will actually correct and fix the problem and not merely mask the symptoms. There has been talk of putting him on antibiotics for 40 days if it is in fact MRSA, which makes me nervous. He's been on antibiotics twice for pneumonia and both times it tore his stomach up. I try to avoid antibiotics at all cost so they don't build up an immunity (like declining it for ear infections that can clear on their own), but I know at this point he needs something and while I appreciate the doctors erring on the side of caution in his treatment, it seems like after 11 months of dealing with this they'd give him whatever it took to kill whatever he has.

I am tempted to just say, "I know you don't know what it is so just treat him for EVERYTHING you think it COULD be and hopefully one of your guesses will be right."

Mommy's Gone Catatonic

I hurt my neck, shoulders, and upper back two weeks ago. Not really sure how but it feels like a combination of extreme whiplash, stiff neck, and pinched nerve. I have been very uncomfortable to say the least.

I was given muscle relaxers, despite my hesitation to use them. (I'm pretty anti-medication; unless absolutely vital I'd rather just tough it out instead of depending on medicine for relief). I was in so much pain last night that I broke down and took one. It helped a little in that my husband was able to rub my neck and shoulders very lightly without me crying out in excruciating pain. However, all day today I was in a fog. Beyond tired, barely functioning. Just wiped out. At one point I closed me and the kids in a bedroom and layed on the bed as they played, barely able to keep my eyes open. It was awful.

What I learned is that I can never take this particular muscle relaxer again if I want to be able to function at all the next day. It's strange too because I usually have a very high tolerance with medication. When I go to the dentist, no lie, they give me a minimum of 10 shots before I am numb. They've never seen anything like it. When I had a cap put on my tooth I received 16 shots. It was excruciating the next day when the numbness wore off. So, it's a little strange that one pill, in a low dose, had such an effect on me.

So, I am fairly certain that the next time I am prescribed a muscle relaxer I'll politely decline and just find a way to live with the pain. I think a chiropractor may be my next stop.

The Dental Deception

When I was pregnant with my daughter and through the first three years of her life I read anything and everything I could about raising children. I wanted to know about developments and milestones, things I should be concerned about and things that were normal. Through the course of my reading I noticed that almost every piece of literature recommended that a child see a dentist before his/her first birthday. So, when I took my daughter and then later my son in for their 1 year well visit I asked our pediatrician. She said that unless there was a concern there was no need to see a dentist and that most dentists didn't want to see them until they were older (3-5 years) anyway.

Because I completely trust our pediatrician I followed that advice despite continuing to read that kids need to see a dentist at one. Well, this week (my daughter is 3 1/2) I started calling Pediatric Dentists to find one I liked for my children, my daughter specifically who I wanted to make an appointment for. Every single dentist said the same thing: that a child does not need to see a dentist until they are at least three years old and that most won't see them before that.

So, it got me thinking. Who is it that is recommending that children see a dentist at 1? If it's not the pediatricians and not the pediatric dentists who is perpetuating this myth? Any thoughts? At what age did your children first see a dentist?