Hello to everyone! I have decided to do this so everyone can check in and see what's going on in our world. Seems like something new everyday! Hopefully I can share the joys that these three kiddos give to us AND keep you up to date on all things!
I will use this first post to tell you all about our latest medical scare with Elizabeth. It seems that Elizabeth has a peanut allergy. We were at a store and she ate a cookie and some of her brother's cookie and before we we even at the checkout lane, her lips were swollen(really swollen!), she was coughing and she was pointing to her mouth. She seemed to be breathing ok so I went to the bakery and asked what kind of cookies were the samples. They said chocolate and peanut butter. Elizabeth ate the chocolate one and maybe a small bite of the peanut butter one but the chocolate one was in the same box as the peanut butter one. As soon as I heard that I knew that those swollen lips meant an allergic reaction.
I quickly got her to the ER and she progressively got worse. Hives, wheezing, the whole nine yards. They finally gave her lots of meds and she responded well. We were sent home but I watched her like a hawk. It was a very scary incident!
Today we saw an allergist. He did some testing and we will know more when the results come back. He did say that she had an anaphlyactic reaction. This is very dangerous:
What is anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction - the extreme end of the allergic spectrum. The whole body is affected, often within minutes of exposure to the allergen but sometimes after hours. Peanut allergy and nut allergy are frequently severe and for that reason have received widespread publicity. Causes of anaphylaxis also include other foods, insect stings, latex and drugs, but on rare occasions there may be no obvious trigger. (from http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/)
An anaphylactic reaction may begin with a tingling sensation, itching, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms can include hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing or other difficulty breathing, coughing, swelling of the mouth and throat area, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may begin within several minutes to two hours after exposure to the allergen, but life-threatening reactions may get worse over a period of several hours. (from http://www.foodallergy.org/ )
I will use this first post to tell you all about our latest medical scare with Elizabeth. It seems that Elizabeth has a peanut allergy. We were at a store and she ate a cookie and some of her brother's cookie and before we we even at the checkout lane, her lips were swollen(really swollen!), she was coughing and she was pointing to her mouth. She seemed to be breathing ok so I went to the bakery and asked what kind of cookies were the samples. They said chocolate and peanut butter. Elizabeth ate the chocolate one and maybe a small bite of the peanut butter one but the chocolate one was in the same box as the peanut butter one. As soon as I heard that I knew that those swollen lips meant an allergic reaction.
I quickly got her to the ER and she progressively got worse. Hives, wheezing, the whole nine yards. They finally gave her lots of meds and she responded well. We were sent home but I watched her like a hawk. It was a very scary incident!
Today we saw an allergist. He did some testing and we will know more when the results come back. He did say that she had an anaphlyactic reaction. This is very dangerous:
What is anaphylaxis?
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction - the extreme end of the allergic spectrum. The whole body is affected, often within minutes of exposure to the allergen but sometimes after hours. Peanut allergy and nut allergy are frequently severe and for that reason have received widespread publicity. Causes of anaphylaxis also include other foods, insect stings, latex and drugs, but on rare occasions there may be no obvious trigger. (from http://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/)
An anaphylactic reaction may begin with a tingling sensation, itching, or a metallic taste in the mouth. Other symptoms can include hives, a sensation of warmth, wheezing or other difficulty breathing, coughing, swelling of the mouth and throat area, vomiting, diarrhea, cramping, a drop in blood pressure, and loss of consciousness. These symptoms may begin within several minutes to two hours after exposure to the allergen, but life-threatening reactions may get worse over a period of several hours. (from http://www.foodallergy.org/ )
You can google peanut allergies in toddlers and also the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN).
We will now have to carry an epipen (a dose of epinephrine in a shot), Benadryl and prednisolone (a steroid) everywhere we go. This is just in case she has a reaction. Because she has had recurrent wheezing episodes, the doctor also put her on an allergy med and an asthma med. Most often, severe allergic reactions ( anaphylaxis) are exacerbated by asthma. That's what we don't want!! We will know more when her test results come back but I am wondering if her eczema and her wheezing issues aren't all related to food allergies. Hmmmmmm...
So, if Elizabeth is ever at your house or in your care, please take special precautions. Not peanuts, peanut butter or peanut products. Don't feed her anything unless you ask me, especially not bakery products and desserts. Many fast food restaurants make their food in peanut oil - don't give her any fast food unless you ask me. I hate to be such a mama bear but I think that most of you would be too. Anaphlylaxis is very scary! If for any reason you think she has eaten peanuts, call 911. If you have the epipen and meds give those too. This is what the ER docs and the allergist told us.
Obviously, I still need to do some more research and get more info with her blood work. Many kids outgrow these allergies so keep your fingers crossed!
I have to admit, I felt a bit sucker-punched! Just when I think that I have all of her diet and meds all worked out, we have to tweak it a bit! But, it is what it is!!!
Elizabeth's other medical issues seem to be in check right now. We are following a diet for that too wouldn't you know! The kid will definitely have to know her food!!! As you all know, she had her surgery to correct her birth defect more than a year ago! Time flies right?!! Her surgeon, Dr. Marc Levitt, did a beautiful job and Elizabeth is pretty darn close to normal! Woohoo!!
Elizabeth is such a sweetheart and loves playing mommy with her dolls. She also loves music and is a very good dancer!!
Benjamin is about to be 4 years old and is into all things fire truck!!! Oh, and he will start judo next month! He is so excited! Well, Daddy might be more excited! And he is talking about soccer too. We still are thinking about that one.
Jordan is really turning into a nice young man!! Can you believe he's almost 12?? He is enjoying playing the trombone at school and he likes to read.
This is a really long post for the first time but hopefully I can keep it updated so they will be just small writings!
Take care everyone!!
XOXO,
Mindy
3 comments:
Pretty Cool! You are a great mom and wife :)
Me
What a great blog! We'll be checking in on you all regularly.
- becca & Ben
Thanks for sharing with us! It sounds like you all had a crazy week! I'm glad Elizabeth is doing okay! I loved the possum story and my brother running out with a broom. We have one that comes to visit us occasionally and he is big and ugly!
Love to all,
Donna
ps. Jakob (my grandson) will be joining Benjamin in judo very soon. Pretty Cool!
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