Food Challenge

Rapunzel had another appointment with the Immunologist yesterday.  I took all the kids with me on this trip.

It was a LONG day.  We left home at 7:15am and got home at 11:05pm.

The first thing they did when we got to the appt. was a breathing test.

Rapunzel had to blow into this machine, and try to get the bowling ball in the picture down the lane, and to hit all the pins.  She did it 4 times, then took some puffs from an inhaler, and then did it again a few minutes later.

After that, they took us to the exam room.  They collected the food we brought in for the allergy testing (corn, peas, and orange again) and we waited.  There was lots of waiting.

They finally came in and did the skin test.

The last skin test they did, orange and corn were both kind of inconclusive.  This time, she tested negative to both of them!  She tested more negative to them, than she did to the negative control!

She's still highly allergic to peas.  No peas for Rapunzel!

Since she tested negative to the corn (and corn syrup, which they included on the skin test), we did a food challenge with the corn.

They started by having her eat one kernel.  And then we waited.

Then she ate several bites and waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.

She felt great!  No tingling, no stomach ache, no rash.  She passed the food challenge!

She's no longer allergic to corn!!!

After being at the doctor's office for 6 hours, we left just in time to sit in Houston rush hour traffic.

So, it was a very exciting day, with some very exciting results for Rapunzel.  At our next appointment, in six months, we're going to test her soy allergy and possibly do a food challenge with that!

Eczema Strikes Belle

Belle has always suffered from eczema, right along with Rapunzel.  The difference is, Belle's was never severe, and always easily controlled.  Not sure what's going on here, but now Belle's eczema is really flared up.  Luckily, it just seems to be on her arms right now.  Her legs and trunk are dry, but not flared yet.  I actually took her to the pediatrician today to make sure it was indeed eczema, and not something else, just to be sure.  She agreed that it appeared to be eczema, and that it didn't seem to be infected at this point.  So, now we move to more rigorous skincare for Belle.  She's not too excited about twice daily tub soaks, switching to cotton clothing, and adding in bleach baths.  But I explained to her, that these are the things we need to do to help her skin get better.  She's really uncomfortable from it.  Her skin is really itchy and burning.  So hopefully kicking her skincare into high gear will be enough to help her!

Allergy Testing 2013

Well, Rapunzel has been on her Immunotherapy (allergy shots) for a year now.  So it was time to do another round of allergy testing to see how she's responding.

She was so excited about it.

Not.

It took 3 of us to hold her down so that the nurse could administer the test.  But once that part was done, she was fine. She sat up and her tears dried, and she didn't bad another eye.  Trooper!

 

So, the results...  First the dr came in and went over the numbers.  The reactions were substantially smaller for almost all of the pricks.  She still tested moderate or high for most things, but overall, the results were still better than before.  Some even went away completely!  Which means that the shots are working.  Hallelujah!

 

So we'll keep on keeping on with the weekly injections.  Funny enough, she doesn't mind those at all.

 

Belle, on the other hand...

 

She hates the shots!  But she doesn't have to have her testing done until March.  I already know hers are helping her tons.  She only seems to be really miserable lately when she gets around cats (which she's highly allergic to).

Rapunzel will be seeing the Immunologist again in 2 weeks.

Costumes!

I was worried about trying to find a Halloween Costume for Rapunzel this year that was cotton.  Most (if not all) of the packaged costumes are polyester, and I wasn't sure what Rapunzel had her heart set on being.

Belle bought some fake glasses at Claire's in August with some of her birthday money, and she was so excited about them.  She decided afterward that she wanted to use them and be Velma, from Scooby Doo for Halloween this year.  A girl after my own heart.

(This is from Halloween 2010)



 

Hercules wanted to be The Hulk.  That was easy.  We bought him a costume and also some Hulk fists as an early birthday present.

 

 

Aurora wanted to be Dora at first.  I had started buying bits and pieces of thing to put together as a costume, when she changed her mind and wanted a packaged costume like Hercules.  So Izzy from Jake and the Neverland Pirates it was.

 

 

Rapunzel wasn't sure what she wanted to be.  She does use some dress up clothes that are polyester, just around the house to play in sometimes.  But I didn't want to get her something like that to wear all night, in and outdoors, so I was excited when she decided to be Daphne from Scooby Doo!  I was able to find her some cotton separates to wear and with a wig, it was perfect!

 

 

 

 

We teamed up with the same friends we dressed as the Scooby gang with and were characters from The Big Bang Theory.  Can you guess who we were??