No, I'm not pregnant. I'll let you know what it is at the end...
Two weeks ago Hazel lost an ounce and it was discouraging but we didn't dwell on it too much. We decided to have faith and move forward. There was a UFAN (Utah Food Allergy Network) support group meeting in Salt Lake that Jarom and I attended. It was awesome! An allergiest presented some of the latest research and information for allergies and we learned a lot. He was great, detailed, caring and knowledgeable. After the meeting I looked up our insurance providers and found that he's on our list! We made an appointment with him and I'm counting down the days until May 25th for our appointment. We'll hopefully learn more about how to help Hazel.
Last Sunday was a chaotic morning and I gave Cannon a sippy full of milk to distract him so I could get my hair done. Hazel was playing on the floor and Cannon decided to dump the entire cup on the floor in the kitchen. Hazel splashed in it and then rubbed her eyes. I quickly picked her up, flushed her mouth with water and checked her body for hives. I didn't find anything so I got both kids in the car and headed to church. When we got there I was in such a hurry that I didn't even look at Hazel when I got her out. I didn't think about it until I was walking the halls and heard a few people gasp. Hazel's eyes had completely swollen shut. It was horrible! I didn't have the epi-pen with me so I ran home for Benadryl and called her Dr. Luckily since it was just her eyes we didn't need the epi. She looked pretty miserable for a while but ended up being just fine.
It's impossible not to be hard on myself - I feel so guilty about it. If there is anything I've learned through this, it's not to dwell on the bad stuff. My focus is on Hazel and the amazing people that are helping us out and donating money for formula, formula, time and genuine love and concern. I've said it before and I'll say it again: You are all amazing and are literally saving Hazel's life!
Needless to say, rules about milk have changed. Cannon only drinks it at the table and puts it in the sink when he's done. I mop the kitchen twice a day and we had our carpets cleaned by zerorez. They just use water so we don't have to worry about reactions to harsh shampoos and detergents. My carpets look amazing and we are relieved that we don't have to worry about her crawling all over the place.
This last Tuesday, Hazel gained a whopping 4 ounces! She's hit the 4th percentile. We could not have been happier! After her weight check, I took her to Jarom's office to tell him the happy news and the little show-off crawled on her hands and knees across his office floor for the first time! It was the most amazing thing! I cried and clapped for her as if she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. In that moment all the stress, worry, Dr. appointments, physical therapy and tears were worth it. She's gone from being a miserable little blob to a happy and feisty little cruiser in a few short months.
We are hoping that she continues to grow and learn. She's hit so many little milestones in the past few weeks. It's like she's making up for lost time. I know she'll be okay and it's such a relief. It's not going to be easy, but at least we have the assurance that with a lot of hard work and prayers we'll be able to provide what she needs. Food allergies are a daily battle.
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Last Sunday was a chaotic morning and I gave Cannon a sippy full of milk to distract him so I could get my hair done. Hazel was playing on the floor and Cannon decided to dump the entire cup on the floor in the kitchen. Hazel splashed in it and then rubbed her eyes. I quickly picked her up, flushed her mouth with water and checked her body for hives. I didn't find anything so I got both kids in the car and headed to church. When we got there I was in such a hurry that I didn't even look at Hazel when I got her out. I didn't think about it until I was walking the halls and heard a few people gasp. Hazel's eyes had completely swollen shut. It was horrible! I didn't have the epi-pen with me so I ran home for Benadryl and called her Dr. Luckily since it was just her eyes we didn't need the epi. She looked pretty miserable for a while but ended up being just fine.
It's impossible not to be hard on myself - I feel so guilty about it. If there is anything I've learned through this, it's not to dwell on the bad stuff. My focus is on Hazel and the amazing people that are helping us out and donating money for formula, formula, time and genuine love and concern. I've said it before and I'll say it again: You are all amazing and are literally saving Hazel's life!
Needless to say, rules about milk have changed. Cannon only drinks it at the table and puts it in the sink when he's done. I mop the kitchen twice a day and we had our carpets cleaned by zerorez. They just use water so we don't have to worry about reactions to harsh shampoos and detergents. My carpets look amazing and we are relieved that we don't have to worry about her crawling all over the place.
This last Tuesday, Hazel gained a whopping 4 ounces! She's hit the 4th percentile. We could not have been happier! After her weight check, I took her to Jarom's office to tell him the happy news and the little show-off crawled on her hands and knees across his office floor for the first time! It was the most amazing thing! I cried and clapped for her as if she had won the Nobel Peace Prize. In that moment all the stress, worry, Dr. appointments, physical therapy and tears were worth it. She's gone from being a miserable little blob to a happy and feisty little cruiser in a few short months.
We are hoping that she continues to grow and learn. She's hit so many little milestones in the past few weeks. It's like she's making up for lost time. I know she'll be okay and it's such a relief. It's not going to be easy, but at least we have the assurance that with a lot of hard work and prayers we'll be able to provide what she needs. Food allergies are a daily battle.
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Now for the announcement! Next week (May 9-15) is National Food Allergy Awareness Week. In order to celebrate I'll be doing my very first blog GIVEAWAY! I have gathered an awesome prize basket to give to one lucky winner. Trust me, it's good. You'll have the opportunity to enter all week by answering questions and creating awareness in your online networks. There will be something new each day. Then on Saturday (May 15th) I'll announce the winner. Stay tuned for a peek at the prize basket and I'll start the contest on Monday, (May 10)! I'm so excited for this opportunity to bring awareness to something so near and dear to my heart. The more that participate, the better. You really won't want to miss this. Stay tuned!
Kate's allergies are a much lesser problem than poor Hazel's but I am jealous of your appointment on the 25th. We JUST found an allergist who can supposedly help Kate and they're booking into 2011 - a long wait. And out of pocket, but if he can help her I'd wait even longer and pay even more!
ReplyDeleteWow, the milk in the eyes sounds brutal! That poor little girl. You're amazing for all you're doing to help her and I love to hear your updates. So glad she's getting bigger and better. Hurray for Hazel!
ReplyDeleteYay Hazel! Atta girl. And yay for giveaways. Way to make the most out of awareness week.
ReplyDeletewow, just goes to show you have to see the negative to celebrate the positive. This gives me so much perspective. I'm so happy for your little victories!
ReplyDeleteThats so awesome Ash! I am so happy for your little family. Your doing great. Your a great mom.
ReplyDelete