And it just keeps coming. What is the deal? I mean, can't a family get a break!? "Looking on the bright side" is becoming a common phrase in this household over the past month, because so many crummy things have been going on, that we have to keep reminding ourselves that life could be so much worse! So let's count our blessings and move on.
So what are we talking about? Well, we took Zachary in for allergy testing. We were suspicious that he had allergies because during the spring and fall he could get a dry cough that would last forever, and he would be stuffy at nights. Very reminiscent actually of Amy last summer when she would cough like crazy at night and eventually figured out that she had a dust mite allergy that we were dealing with. Plus, he's been having more headaches lately, so we decided to figure out what he was allergic to and see if we could ease his symptoms. After reading online and asking for referrals, Amy went with a doctor seemed to be good on the surface (even though she ignored a bad review that had been put online....surely sour grapes!). But, when she got home that night and Karis was upset about the doctor experience that day, she realized that perhaps it wasn't sour grapes at all..... Anyway, he was tested for allergies and came back allergic to the outdoors......just great for a child who loves to be outdoors! :) He's allergic to dust (Amy), pollen (Karis), grass (Karis), molds (Amy), and trees (Karis). Hmm, guess he takes after his parents..... But the real kicker of the doctor's appointment was that they gave him a breathing test. He didn't really know what he was doing in the beginning so wasn't closing his mouth properly on the tube. The first time he had a ~60%, then ~80%, then 97%. At this point, Karis realizes that they have him in the computer as an 8 year old...not a 6 year old. So, he tells them this. Then, they give him a broncho-dialator (spelling???) and have him blow again and he gets 116%. The doctor then says to Karis "he may have a little asthma" and walks out of the room and sends the nurse back in with a list of 6 different medications, of which one is a DAILY medication that has some serious (although not commonly) side effects in children including hallucinations, depression and behavior problems. Hmm. So, we had a child who had 97% when you thought he was EIGHT, and just because he did better with a broncho-dilator (which, as Karis points out, that is WHY ATHLETES want to take a broncho-dilator, because we all would do better with a broncho-dilator!!!), you want to immediately diagnose him with asthma and stick him on a daily medication????
No thanks. So, we're going to switch him to another doctor and get him re-tested. Perhaps he does have a very mild case of asthma, but we'd like to have a doctor who will do a valid test and who will bother to sit down with us and have a rational conversation about what level of medication we should pursue with a child whose only symptom is a seasonal cough and stuffiness at night before we jump into the world of daily medications....So stay tuned, we'll let you know what happens.
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| Getting the skin prick allergy test completed, followed by shots in his arm |
Addison has hit the 5 month mark! She was 14 lbs 0 ounces at her doctor's office - sticking right at the 25th percentile the whole time for weight and about 75th percentile for height. She has started to stick her tongue in and out this week, just like a little gecko....(we could say snake, but Amy hates snakes so bad that she can't even use that analogy for her baby girl!!!). She likes to grab her feet and will stand up on your legs if you hold her hands. She doesn't show any signs yet of wanting to jump like her brothers did, so we'll see as she gets a little older and stronger.
One other picture this week - it is Zachary's kindergarten picture. Whoops, it is apparent in this picture that he needed a bit of a haircut (thanks to his mother!) but we're at least happy that he has a normal teeth smile (he had gotten into a habit of putting his bottom teeth out in front of his top teeth, which was driving his Mom crazy!)
Phrase of the week: Zachary informed Amy "Kaleb is pretty cute in those glasses!" - And after the shock of the change has worn off, we have to agree - he is pretty cute in his glasses! And the other phrase "Mom, I got an 84 point word!" Zachary continues to play "Words with Friends" and tries all kinds of words and what-do-ya know, but some of them are actually words (that his parents don't even know!) and he gets huge points for them! Crazy!
2 comments:
You sound like me! I've always stood firm that I hate Indian food but I came to the realization that lentils are Indian food and I love lentils. It's a whole new world!
That stinks with the allergy testing. You know, I'm allergic to something at my parents house and so one year I finally went to an allergist to see if you they figure it out. Well, the results showed that I was allergic to everything under the sun from mold to like 8 kinds of trees to dogs (never had a problem), etc. So really, I just don't put a lot of weight into those tests. I only ever have a problem in my parents house. Not outside with all the trees. Good luck!
I hope things improve for you. We're also having a bit of difficulty--look on the bright side, we're still breathing--Craig is out of work and looking for a job.
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