It has been a while since I posted as we were waiting until we went to the doctor to let you all know what has been going on with Alexander. We saw the doctor 3 weeks ago after two urgent care visits in one week for his asthma and he suggested doing some allergy testing. He did the testing and it came back positive for dog, dust, dairy, egg, soy and peanut allergies. He then suggested seeing an allergist to try and get everything figured out.
I wasn't too concerned about the food allergies until I started trying to find things for him to eat! No more cottage cheese (his favorite) or milk and since he is allergic to soy as well, no soy milk either! But I did find some rice milk and he really seems to like it. And speaking of the soy, its in EVERYTHING, so that has been our real challenge. On the positive side though, Joe and I will be eating better as a result because we are doing more shopping in the health food section. It took a couple of weeks, but I think we finally have a handle on the things he can eat. The allergy we were really concerned about is the dog. He is such a part of our lives, we were really worried we would have to give him up. And it would have been hard on all of us, even AJ. He loves his doggie!
We saw the allergist on Wednesday and are as happy with the prognosis as we can be. The bad news, no dairy, soy, eggs or peanut products for at least 2 years, until we do more testing. The good news, we can keep the dog. The doctor feels the dog allergy is really mild and it was the food he was reacting too. He says he thinks his asthma will be much more manageable now that we know what he can't eat! And knock on wood, we haven't had an attack in a month!
Everyone asks, "Well what CAN he eat?" All the fruit and veggies he wants, meat and we found crackers that are safe and Joe is going to try making some bread with egg substitutes and rice milk, so hopefully that will be another to add. The rice milk has added calcium and eating the fruits and veggies will give him the rest of what he needs. We go back to the pediatrician in a month and will talk with him more about vitamins. We were also given an Epi Pen just in case he does come in contact with something he shouldn't. The allergist says that a lot of kids outgrow these allergies around 5 years old, so that is a possibly too. All and all not as bad as it could have been!
Other then that, he is doing amazing! He is really starting to talk up a storm. He can say about 15 words and is learning new ones very fast (Daddy has to learn to be careful of what he says around him). No walking yet, but boy can he crawl fast! He is such a joy and we are so lucky to have been blessed with a really good kid!
We have some big things going on in the next few weeks, the biggest being Joe graduates this Sunday! And his graduation party is on the 17th. We also have our nephew Benjamin's first birthday in a few weeks and will be spending some time in Rochester with them. Jen and AJ are headed to the cabin with her family to celebrate the 4th of July and Joe is off on his usual canoe trip that weekend. We hope you are doing well and enjoying this wonderful summer!
(I have also updated our pictures, so check that link out at the right)
