Hazel Update

This is just some more stuff about Hazel, if you're interested. She's been on the formula for 13 days and her eczema is really clearing up. She still scratches like crazy so I know she's still itchy. Her skin is so beautiful. Her eyes look so blue. I can't believe the difference.

We go in each Tuesday for a weight check and a blood test to check for more allergies. Last week she had gained 13 oz!! Almost a pound. Amazing!

Through some more testing, we found out that she's also allergic to almonds and oats. She's NOT allergic to walnuts, pecans and rice.

I found some rice rusks that she absolutely loves to nibble. She also likes dried apples and bananas.

Can I just say that invisible specks of food on the floor are the bane of my existence? Seriously, I have a panic attack every time she reaches for something and sticks it in her mouth, which is like 56,000 times a day. Maybe someday I will chill out - but images of my little swollen Hazelnut make me shiver each time it happens.

I am so thankful for my network of support. I have talked to so many people who have similar experiences with allergies and dietary issues. It's hard, but so much easier with people who care and have "been there".

Last week we had an anonymous case of Neocate show up on our porch. I have no idea who it's from, but THANK YOU if it was you. You made me smile and cry at the same time. It baffles my mind that someone spent $150 or more to send our sweet Hazie love-in-a-box. Seriously, you rock, whoever you are.

Also, just a huge thanks to everyone who has commented, called, prayed, and sent cards. We are blessed to have you in our lives. I finally feel like my life is getting back to 'normal'. I might even do some laundry to prove it.

So remember how I have this blog? Oh, yeah. Me too. Apparently when there is stress in my life the blog is the first thing to go.

This is probably going to be a wordy post. I’m hoping to explain in a nutshell (ok, like an elephant sized nutshell) what’s been going on.

You see, my darlin’, sweet Hazel has always had really really bad eczema. Like, it’s bad. She scratches and bleeds and it’s all over her body. Ever since she was 2 weeks old I’ve always known there was something wrong but couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I’ve asked since she was about 4 months old to have her tested for allergies. I even tried going without dairy for a few months and it didn’t really help a whole lot.

About 2 weeks ago, she was quite sick so I cancelled preschool and took her in to see the doctor. Luckily, it was just a cold along with some respiratory stuff and asthma. But something that struck me was her weight. She was 15 lbs even. I remembered that she had only weighed 15 lbs at her last checkup in December and the PA confirmed that she’s actually been 15 lbs since a sick visit at the beginning of November. For an infant, 4 months is a long time to go without any weight gain. She has plummeted from the 95^th percentile to the 5^th. Scary.

A week ago at her 9 month checkup, we brought up the weight thing with the Dr. He was concerned and gave us a few options. We could stop breastfeeding for 3 days and go with a high calorie/hypoallergenic formula to get some weight on her or see if it helped (my last choice); have her allergy tested; see an allergy specialist; or a combination of all of these things. We opted to have her RAST tested. RAST is a blood test where they mix blood with a number of allergens to see if the body retains necessary antibodies to guard against anaphylaxis aka an allergic reaction. We also took home a sample of some hypoallergenic formula.

So, we went to the hospital for the test, dropped Jarom back at work and I took the kids home. I put Cannon in bed and made Hazel a bottle. I sat with her while she guzzled down 2 oz. of the formula. After a minute, she wasn’t interested in the formula anymore so I put her down on the floor and noticed she was scratching her head like it was on fire. Not 30 seconds later I noticed a patch of raised skin on her forehead, then her lip, then her arms, legs and pretty much covering her body. I frantically called the nurse and Jarom simultaneously with one phone to each ear trying to explain the reaction. I noticed Hazel was slightly wheezing. Not good. I hurriedly put both kids back in the car. I stopped at a neighbor’s for some Benadryl. The nurse told me to go to either the ER or Doctors office (whichever was closest). I told Jarom to meet me there. He did and we were met by two Doctors and a nurse as they quickly checked her breathing and oxygen levels. Luckily, the reaction began to subside as the Benadryl kicked in. The Doctors seemed befuddled that she had this type of reaction to a “hypoallergenic” formula. They decided to put her on some steroids for the weekend and wait for the results of the RAST before taking any more action.

Fast forward to Monday. We got the results back from the RAST and were shocked to learn that Hazel has severe food allergies to: milk, eggs, wheat, peanuts and soy. She has a slight allergy to corn. The “hypoallergenic” formula is made from a soy and corn base.

Tuesday we met again with her pediatrician and an allergy specialist to confirm the results of the test. They jointly decided that breastfeeding is not an option since there is no way for me to eliminate that many foods and still make an adequate amount of milk for her. She was immediately put on an amino acid based formula containing no allergens. Basically that means it’s nasty tasting and freaking expensive. We were ordered to the hospital for further allergy testing for tree nuts, rice, potatoes and oats.

We learned that food allergies are not necessarily genetic and there was nothing we could have done to prevent them. She is one of the worst cases the allergist has seen in his 30 year career. Each time a person is exposed to an allergen, the anaphylactic reaction gets worse. Even a small amount can be deadly.

Currently, she is thriving on the new formula. She has already gained 3 oz. and her eczema is fading. I’ve never seen her sit contently in her high chair without scratching her scalp wildly until yesterday. We are supplementing with a number of fruits and vegetables that we know she can eat.

Our first priority is the help her gain some weight while avoiding any more potentially fatal anaphylactic reactions. We were provided an epi-pen in case of a reaction. I have joined a support group for families in Utah dealing with severe food allergies. We are trying to learn as much as we can about dealing with a new way of eating and living. I’m comforted by the fact that most people outgrow at least a few allergies by the age of 4 (milk and eggs). We know that soy and peanuts will be lifelong allergies.

Hopefully by the time she turns 1, she will no longer be on the “diamond dust” formula and she can enjoy some healthy almond or rice milk in her sippy cup. I’m overwhelmed but happy that this is something we can control and I know it will get easier as we go. I feel like in many ways, we have seen the amount of love and support from many family and friends. I’m looking forward to educating myself on preparing nutritious, allergy free foods for my sweet Hazie girl.

So, if you fasted, prayed, thought about or inquired about Hazel these past few months… THANK YOU. You will never know how your support helps. We have been humbled to know that Hazel is loved. I will try to keep more updated from now on. I can’t promise anything, but I will try.

Pardon my month-long blogging hiatus. What can I say? We've been busy...

• Eating Turkey
  
• Turning 6 months oldI made this 'half' cookies n' cream cake for Hazel's half-birthday and my mouth is watering just looking at it. It was SOOOO yummy!

• Taking Stewart Family Pictures
• Traveling to Las Vegas for the BYU game with the Becars
• Traveling to California for Christmas
• Opening presents
• Taking Becar Family Pictures
• Enjoying the SUNSHINE!
• Hanging out with cousins
• Traveling to Portland, OR for a family wedding (and eating, shopping (NIKE!) and sleeping)I totally stole this picture of the happy couple from my aunt's blog (sorry!)
• Ringing in the new year (0ver the phone with Jarom while he was still in CA)

Turning 7 months old

• Traveling home and getting back to real life (aka cleaning, laundry and lots of naps)
  
• Finally Blogging about it all.

Until next time...
Ashley

Turkey Trot

hanksgiving morning we woke up bright and early to meet up with my parents for a 5k turkey trot in American Fork. I was super nervous having never participated in any type of running event before. We bundled up both kiddos and put them in the stroller so that Jarom could act as cheerleader/photographer. Me and my parents were the only runners but my three sisters came as well to cheer us on.

Runners & Cheer Squad:

It was freezing cold and my lungs were burning by the end but I felt awesome afterward. My dad finished in around 28 minutes and my mom and I finished at about 40. It was a fun way to start out our Thanksgiving. Hopefully there will be many more in our future.

My dad at halfway and my mom and I at the beginning:
My mom and I halfway:
The dude in front of us wearing jeans? Yeah, he walked the whole way and my mom and I were behind him almost the whole time. Dang short legs!

After most of the runners had finished they held a kids race. When they started Cannon was standing on the side eating a granola bar. We yelled at him to start running and he ran the wrong way. Then Jarom g0t him turned the right way and he ended up winning. It was absolutely hysterical and he got a little medal and turkey cookie. He pretty much schooled us all in running a race. I guess he'll do anything for a cookie...

Sharing

e are trying to teach Cannon the concept of sharing. He doesn't quite get it yet, but, I thought I'd give it a shot. Here are 3 of my favorite blogs. I'm sharing them because I enjoy them and I think others might also. So click these links and thank me later...

1. Sheye Rosemeyer Her story is painfully sad. Her photos are strikingly beautiful. She has a unique flair with words and always seems to find a beautiful way to express how she is feeling. One thing I love about her is that she started out in photography much the way I did and she gives me hope. She's from 'down under' and I love some of the expressions she uses. I have no idea how I happened upon her blog, but I'm glad I did. She is amazing.

2. Emily's Something
Unlike the other two, I know Emily personally. Kind of. Jarom met her during his Freshman year at BYU and they were friends. I'd like to think we would have been friends had I known her then. She's hilarious. She's lucky. She keeps it real. She has great taste. I always look forward to a new post from her. Oh, and her boys are adorable. Click here and here to read two of my favorites.

3. Marta Writes
This blog is a newer find. I've been reading Marta's posts for a month or two. I love her writing. She's got some great ideas and a fabulous eye for design. I LOVE that her photos are from a point-and-shoot. She does give-aways (who doesn't love those?). I'd love to jot my ideas in one of her fabulous mini diaries. She inspires me to bust out my craft supplies and do it the handmade way.

There you have it. Are there any that you LOVE that you feel like sharing? I'm always game for a blog well done.

A Tag {Fives}

Katy tagged me. I realize this blog has been awfully Cannon and Hazel-centered lately. So, here's a bit about me... well and still a bit about them...


5 Things I Don’t Leave The House Without

1. Phone
2. Purse
3. Wallet
4. Camera
5. Hazel's Binkie

5 Cartoons I Watched When I Was Younger

1. Rainbow Brite
2. My Little Pony
3. Jem
4. Strawberry Shortcake
5. Smurfs

5 Things That Terrify Me

1. Spiders
2. Public Speaking
3. Driving
4. Death or injury of family members
5. Germs

5 Things I Hate/Dislike That Everyone Else Seems To Like

1. Malted Milk Balls
2. Mushrooms
3. Black Friday
4. Gladiator Sandals
5. Halloween (I have to defend this by saying that I LOVE dressing up and trick-or-treating, but hate the gory/scary/gross decorations, movies, and haunted houses that come along with it.)

5 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. Go visit Jarom's mission (Montreal, Canada)
2. Take more pictures
3. Sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
4. Train for and run some sort of race
5. Watch my kids grow up and be happy

5 Friends/Family I Tag

1. Emily (now you'll have something to post if you run out of ideas)
2. Jenny
3. Emity
4. Rashel
5. Kelly

One More