31 Days... Maybe Next Year?!

If you are an avid blog reader you probably know of the 31 Day Challenge over at The Nesting Place.  The challenge is to post daily the 31 days of October on one topic.  For several months now my oldest sister has encouraged me to take the challenge and blog our allergy and food journey for the 31 day challenge.  I have stashed several drafts along this allergy road  as we have traveled it.  There have also been several posts narrated  in my mind that never made it even to draft form.  In my last post I mentioned the degree to which I have been overwhelmed with life and needed an abrupt halt and reset.  Well, we did get a lot done on yesterday, laundry, bills, general cleaning and just a smidge of school... But the reality is I just can't post for 31 days regarding our Allergy Road, mostly because we are on a crazy allergy road that honesty consumes a LOT of my time.  However, I do want to get the updates and info blogged for a few reasons.  I need it all logged because in the daily grind of it I tend to forget why we are taking on this challenge of eating this new way.  Another reason is because it all happens so quickly I can't remember when we have challenged what foods or seen which doctors.  Also, it helps me see real progress when I hit a time of discouragement.  And maybe, just maybe it could help someone who may be in a similar whirlwind.
It won't be every day and every post post won't be about our Allergy Road (I still have to capture more sweet moments from of our fabulous beach trip, but you can get a fantastic sneak peak from my oldest sister's point of view at The Wright Place.  She has an amazing way with words!!)
 So let's go...
As I started to type this post I searched to see just when the beginning of this journey took place exactly.  May 1 was Haleigh's first allergy appointment.   I actually cried as I read the post.  I'm not sure exactly why, perhaps the wave of fear and unknown I felt at that time rushed back and surprised me.  Maybe mixed in there were tears from this weekend, one of the most challenging we have had due to allergies in several months.  Or could it just be I didn't expect to still be struggling with many parts of this going into our sixth month, shouldn't it be old hat by now!? 

Here is where it all began....

Friday, May 4, 2012

Detour On Our Journey!! Allergies!!

I have several pictures flagged in my photo suite just waiting to have captions added so they can be part of our sweet memory treasure box.  However, this week has caused us to pause and do a bit of regrouping.  
Over the past two years Haleigh has been sick more often than not.  Nothing too serious except for one or two specific episodes that were pretty severe, one requiring a 4 day hospital stay.  We have been uneasy with the amount of sinus infections, walking pneumonias, simple strep turning into more serious lymph infection, it just seemed to go on and on.  We have taken many steps of "medical digging" to find answers, lots of blood work, boosting vaccines, switching up allergy medicines...

In the midst of this time span I had made the decision to start taking steps to move our family toward a more whole foods diet and diving in to find out how to lessen the toxins Haleigh's body was (in my mind) obviously not handling well.  As my pile of books about whole food diets, herbs, essential oils, and even one on ancient breads grew I stole moments to read snippets whenever I could.  (I even caught my own microbes and made sour dough bread from scratch!  That's another post entirely.)  As this information intrigued me we continue to reach for answers and direction medically too.  About a month ago Haleigh saw a Pediatric Infectious Disease doctor who spent a great deal of time with us, ordered, and scoured lots of labs to check on Haleigh's immune system.  It was all surprising right on track.  She was anxious to see what our next appointment would show us.  That appointment was with the allergy doctor.
 This week, after a few rescheduling hurdles were jumped, we set out for allergy testing.  We were scheduled for "patch" allergy testing that would require patching on Tuesday, a recheck on Thursday, and another full appointment on Friday.  I expected we would go for this testing have confirmation that Haleigh did indeed really struggle with outside, environmental allergies.  I expected we would juggle some medicines around and see how much improvement that would bring to her health.  As we began talking with the allergy doctor, she was certain we were about to get some direction based on Haleigh's history, records, labs and physical exam.
We started with a "scratch" allergy test.  My baby lit up like a Christmas tree.  She did great during the "scratches" and although her little back began to show welt after welt she didn't try to scratch once.  She just held onto my phone and peered at the Wild Krats show determined not to move.
After the 15 minutes of waiting it out, the doctor and nurse came in to read the results.  Out of 24 pricks with different test solutions about 18 were strong positives.  The environmental ones were much like we expected, trees, grasses, dogs, cats, but then dust mites were added to the list. The food portion completely UNEXPECTED.  It shocked me when the doctor listed them and said the nurse will be in with more instructions.  

When the nurse came back in to discuss further details she placed a stack of papers in front of me and gently said, "Life in your home is going to change.  Along with environmental allergens that span the seasons of the entire year, she is allergic to wheat, soy, eggs, milk, and maybe peanuts.  So you need to get educated on what she can eat, next take her off all the allergens for two weeks.  After those two weeks reintroduce them one at a time and see if her body will tolerate them if it can't you will clearly know.   Also, there are lots of changes to make in her bedroom for this dust mites allergy."  The nurse stepped out to get a few more papers and I could feel the color in my face drain.  Seriously?!? what foods are left?
So another adventure begins.  (Please know that I know it could be SO much worse!! These are allergies, and we can deal with them, but it is a LOT of allergies.)  I have spent most nights since Tuesday, once everyone else is in bed, searching out the resource sites the nurse told me about, looking for recipes and recipe books.  I think plain meats, and vegetables will be the staple for her two weeks without any of these allergens.  (If I stick with vegan and gluten free recipes that seems to keep all our unwanted ingredients out.) A sweet friend who has traveled a much harder, more intense road with these foods has offered to go with me to whole foods and teach me the label reading, as well as, point out their tried and true "go to"s.  Tomorrow and the weekend will bring the purging of Haleigh's bedroom "stuff," only things used daily are to stay in there.  We have bagged her mattress and pillow in the special allergen bags, picked out one stuffed animal that gets to be in her bed after a cycle in the washing machine on hot.  
My sister has encouraged me to track our "allergy journey" on a side blog.  I'm not sure it will be too exciting.  Therapeutic for me maybe, and it has to be logged somewhere.  Perhaps some things I learn along the way could help another overwhelmed mom when she feels she's the one standing in front of a wide open fire hydrant. (For example, did you know some Asian restaurants mold wheat flour into shapes to look like pork, beef, or shrimp!?)  I don't know, we'll see how that works out.  
BUT here is what I do know...
I know God started us on this path before we knew we needed to really be here.  
I know His timing is amazing as there is really no better month for us to go through our trial of limited food and re-introducing the allergens, all of the "end of the year" parties have been celebrated with goodies and treats we'll have to step away from now.  And most of our scheduled events are on summer break.  
I know God has been faithful to walk our family through other really tough stuff.  Through Mackenzie's food and health struggles as an infant He pulled us closer to Him and closer to each other, and showed Himself in mighty ways.
I know He is going to strengthen and walk with us on the tough road again.  We have just finished a series at church on "His strength in our weakness."  As a friend replied when I sent out a "distress text" to our small group, "He has prepared you for this."  
I know He has, and is, and will continue to!