Day 3...Allergy Results and a Fever

And the whelps begin. If you look closely you will be able to see the whelps form from his skin prick testing.




Here is a list of foods that Ross has tested positive for: milk, wheat, peanut, soy, apple, banana, blueberry, cantaloupe, coconut, lemon, orange, strawberry, watermelon, barley, corn, oat, rice, rye, sesame, sunflower, all tree nuts, all fish, all seafood, green bean, broccoli, carrot, celery, lettuce, onion, pea, tomato, molds, ragweed, grass, trees, weeds, mites, cockroach, and cat. Basically, he is going to be a meat and potatoes kind of guy. It could always be worse. We will have to wait to see what his scopes show tomorrow before the doctors will be able to make a plan of action for his treatment. Poor guy is doing his prep for his upper and lower endoscopy that he will have at 8:00 in the morning. As soon as we have results, we will let everyone know.

Wow! Abigail has grown up so much from the last time we were in this allergy waiting room. What happened to my little baby? She is really beginning to turn into a little girl.


Now for the fever part...Abigail started running a temp. of 101.2 degrees. We are assuming that she has picked up a virus from spending the past three days in and out of doctor's offices. We are praying that she doesn't have the flu! The hospital has a strict visitation policy in place during flu season where children under 12 aren't allowed to visit and all of the "community toys" are locked away, but she still managed to pick up something. I guess we should feel fortunate that this is the first time that she has gotten sick from one of our many visits to the doctor.

Snow, GI Visit, and a Little Fun

Ross' appointment with the GI went well today. Dr. Kushner was very nice and more importantly, he was well educated in EE. He asked a lot of questions about Ross' previous history and prepared us for the scope on Thursday. Tomorrow's appointment with the allergist will be more eventful I'm sure. That appointment will be at 11:30 am.

On another note, it snowed here a little today. Unlike Arkansas, they know how to treat and scrap the roads here. However, if you ask people that live here, they say they don't know what they are doing...obviously they haven't been to Arkansas when it snows! :)

We have been able to have some fun while we were here this time. We went to dinner with our friends that we met the first trip we came to Cincinnati. Poor Conner wanted to get down and play like any normal 18 month old, so he ended up with Grandpa for a while. Next time Conner, we will have to go somewhere that will allow you and Abbz to run around and play! Thanks guys for working us into your busy schedule and for a wonderful dinner.

Monday, Dec. 14, 2008

Our sweet baby had her 7th scope on Monday. Abigail did very well, and Dr. Putnum said that her esophagus looked normal. He also said that when they look that good most of the time the results come back clean. That is what we have been praying for. If that is the case, it will be her first clean scope she has had since she was diagnosed a year ago. We will hopefully have the results before we head back home on Friday. All in all today was a quiet day. Tomorrow, Ross has his consultation visit with the GI at 8 am.

Yummy Recipe!!

Grilled Parmesan-Crusted Chicken with Alfredo Sauce and Quinoa:
3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cups heavy whipping creme
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tsp. tapioca starch (opt.)
1/2 tsp. salt

Coat chicken breast with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese to taste. Grill chicken on prepared outdoor grill and cook until done (or until no longer pink inside). While the chicken is cooking pour whipping creme and tapioca starch (if using) into a sauce pan and mix together with a whisk. When well blended, add all of the other ingredients minus two crumbled bacon slices to the whip creme mixture. Heat until just boiling. Once the chicken is done slice on a diagonal.

To serve:
Prepare Quinoa as directed on box. Scoop as much Quinoa as is desired onto plate. Pour Alfredo mixture on top. Top this with grilled chicken slice, and a drizzle of Alfredo sauce. Garnish with crumbled bacon from reserved bacon and shredded Parmesan cheese. Can serve with bacon-wrapped asparagus on the side.

Although this recipe is "allergen-free" for us, it is really very delicious. Let me know if anyone tries it. Oh, and by the way, Quinoa is a grain much like rice, but packed with much more protein. I actually like it better than rice and I think it is much more flavorful.

100 Top Pediatric Health Blogs

Ross and I are proud and honored to announce that Mothers Encouraging Mothers of Eosinophilic Children has been reconized on 100 Top Pediatric Health Blogs. You can view this site by clicking on the link labeled "Top 100 Pediatric Health Blogs" on the top right-hand side of this page. There are many pedicatric related issues ranging from health and wellness to rare childhood diseases. I encourage you all to check it out; it is really very informative and can hopefully connect families dealing with the same issues.

Joy and Patience

"Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." -James 1:2-3

I have known this verse since I was a child, but came across it again in my reading last night. This verse and this verse alone may be the single most important verse for my family and the trails we are facing together. "Count it all joy..." I can honestly say that I see the joy in this disease called Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Yes my daughter and my husband both have this disease, but I see that my God has a bigger plan. A plan bigger than the disease, bigger than not being able to eat, bigger than the strange and confused looks, and much bigger than the tears. I know that this is for HIS glory. I am honored and blessed to be the wife of an incredibly strong man that restricts his foods so that he can be healthier, and so that someday he can tell his baby girl that he made sacrifices that paid off so they can both be well. A man who is willing to face this disease knowing that God is standing there with him through it all. Ross and I are equally as blessed to know that our Heavenly Father entrusted us to provide for such a sweet and beautiful little girl. Although Abigail isn't able to eat the foods we eat, she has brought us joy beyond words. Her name has truly brought meaning to our lives; even more so than we could have ever imagined. Abigail means "My father's joy," and she is just that. Not only has EE brought us joy, but it has also brought us patience. Patience in waiting for doctor's appointments, money to provide the medical care needed, test results, and the unknown. Through this trial we have met amazing people with children that posses unexplainable strength. We have seen doctors with passion like nothing I have ever seen before. We have become a part of a church family that many do not find in their lifetime, and relied on family and friends for the support they have promised to show. So, if asked, yes I have found divine joy and patience during this trial, and thank God that He knew that with Him we could handle it. This trial is a process, but someday I know there will be healing, and we will give Him and Him alone all of the glory!

Cicninnati Follow-Up

After much anticipation, we have our next trip to Cincinnati planned out. We will be leaving December 14th and returning December 19. Abigail will be scoped on Monday, and the rest of the week will be dedicated to finding out more about the severity of Ross' case of EE. He will have his consultaion with the GI on Tuesday, allergy tested on Wednesday, and scoped on Thursday. We sent Ross' initial pathology reports and slides to Cincinnati, and the results were more shocking than we had expected. His highest eosinophil count was 169 eos/hpf. Needless to say, we are anxious to hear what Cincy has to say about his treatment options!