Summer Update

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I've last updated. We had VBS at our church and then we went to Florida for 3 weeks. Then I sent Belle off to church camp and the rest of us went to a homeschool convention. We're finally back home and getting back into routine. 

A few things that I wanted to post about:

In my last post, I mentioned Rapunzel being put on antibiotics for her staph infection. Turns out it was a really good thing that they did a culture because she had a strain that was resistant to the original antibiotic she was put on. They called her in a new rx and she was good as new!

On our way to Florida, we stopped in Houston for her 2nd appt with the immunologist. Here's the basics of what I found out:

Her total IgE was still outrageously high, but her specific IgE for the foods she tested positive for last year, we're low.  Which means she's either outgrown her food allergies, which would be great. Or that she never had true allergies, but rather sensitivities to these foods, but treated positive on a skin test because of her eczema. 

So, when we go back in September, they are going to skin test her on those foods, and depending on how she reacts, we will attempt a food challenge on the corn.  

None of her other test results led the dr to think we needed to do any further testing. 

So I left feeling confused and overwhelmed again.

While we were in Florida, Rapunzel's skin did so great!  She didn't get a single flare while we were there. At all. We spent days at the beach, at the park, and just hanging out in the hotel room.  We continued with her daily soaks and moisturizing and her three times a week bleach baths and her skin was just beautiful. In fact, I had packed leggings to go with every outfit i packed for her, and I don't think she even wore them at all after the first few days there.  Amazing!

The room we had on base only had a shower, so here's how we pulled off bleach baths:

Then we came home.  And she started itching. And itching. And itching. And then she got another staph infection.  Then after being home only a few days, we went to Houston and spent 5 days there. She was absolutely miserable the entire time we were there. She didn't sleep well and she was so itchy. Once we got back home, her skin slowly calmed down and I'd say she's in a good place now.

We're continuing her daily skin care and she seems to be over whatever hump she had. Now we're just looking forward to starting our new school year!

Here's some photos from our travels.