Changing privacy settings

I decided to change this blog to invited readers only, for a few reasons. I have a lot to say, so check back soon.

Seriously?!?!?

So we're having a bit of a rough start to 2013. Where shall I begin? :)

New Year's Eve. My sweet little 2 1/2 year-old boy woke up early and irritable. Began complaining of groin pain and continued to complain about every 10 minutes, all day. The area he would complain about varied from time-to-time.... would kind of stop him in his tracks for a few seconds and he would grab at himself down there, or behind, and sometimes his lower tummy area. Eventually I called the doctor, as it wasn't letting up and I could see no evidence of irritation or swelling, etc. She wanted us to go to Children's Hospital ER to have him evaluated for testicular torsion, hernia, UTI, and the like. He and my husband were there from 5-10 p.m. They ruled out the super-serious stuff mentioned above, thank goodness. The next morning, New Year's Day, he awoke with a new cold (he is just getting over a 4-week one!!) and seemed a little warm. Still complaining about the same pain.

January 2- he awoke with crusted eyelids on top of everything else. Follow-up with the pediatrician doesn't reveal what is causing him discomfort, and they ruled out a UTI. She sees an ear infection in one ear and fluid in the other, and takes a look at the eye infection and thinks it's probably viral.

So while we were at the doctor's office, my dad was watching Olivia, and he brought her cousin over to play. Around the time they were getting ready to leave, I noticed a red, swollen mark on Olivia's cheek. Asked what happened... she didn't know. About 10 minutes later, I notice a cluster of what I think are some sort of bites on her cheek, and they are itching her. I notice another area on her jaw below there. Within another 10-15 minutes this same pattern appears on her other cheek. I then see her itching her arm- a big cluster there, too. I begin to realize these are hives and all of a sudden it dawns on me that she is having an allergic reaction... and immediately I remember my dad mentioning she tried a cashew with snack. One cashew. I can't remember her ever having a cashew before, and the only tree nut I know she's had is almond with no problems. She has also had peanut butter and peanuts with no problems. The hives continue to move and spread around her body, and I monitored her closely for any facial swelling or breathing problems. My husband was on his way home and picked up some Benadryl, which within an hour of giving her a dose, the hives were gone.

So my sweet girl who HATES being GFCF and dealing with all of that food-avoidance now has a potentially life-threatening allergy to cashews (probably also pistachios from what I'm reading). Obviously taking her to the allergist to confirm, but it is pretty apparent what happened. This puts a whole other level of pressure on the food-avoidance issue, for obvious reasons. I just feel so, so bad for her, and now am really scared about it. Before... gluten and dairy... I do everything in my power to make sure she doesn't consume one bite of these things, but things happen. And she doesn't get physically ill and we deal with it. Now... well, this is a whole different story. I am reading that subsequent reactions are typically worse, and that she will most likely always need to have an Epi-Pen and Benadryl with her... which could get interesting for a 5 year-old with impulse-control problems. But... we'll figure all of that out.

So that was yesterday.

Today my sweet boy wakes up with two eyes completely swollen shut, FULL of fluid all around the eyelid and the whole orbital area, not to mention completely crusted over with yellow discharge. It looks so, so terrible. Thankfully the Omnicef he was prescribed should cover the eye infection... but if it's viral like the pediatrician believes it may be, it's just going to need to run its course. And it's very contagious. So this should be fun.

Happy freakin' New Year.

I have to laugh... seriously. We're falling apart here!!! You know that saying about the month of March... if it comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb... or something like that? Well, let's hope the same goes for the start to a new year!!!!

Still counting my blessings as we begin this new year... just a crazy, crazy start, in typical fashion for us! :)

Happy New Year!

2013 is going to be the Year of Olivia! (Funny little inside joke with the hubs and some of our friends... think "Summer of George" from Seinfeld) I just know it!!!

Let's see... where are we? Well, we moved to a different homeopathic remedy and it didn't go well, so I think we're just staying away from homeopathy for now, until we can see accurately how all of these other things are affecting her. It kind of confuses things for me a bit. For instance, the week before Christmas, Olivia accidentally had a cookie that she wasn't supposed to have, (read: gluten and dairy) and I will say you could definitely see a difference within the next day or two (even her teachers noticed). Well, we had also just started the new homeopathic remedy. Within a week, things were better, but again- we also stopped the remedy... so was it dairy and gluten, or was it the homeopathy? I don't know for sure.

The doctor also stopped the Sacchromyces Boulardii for now and is giving her a one-month treatment of Nystatin, 3x a day. It is my hope that after this treatment, a diet low in refined carbs and sugars, along with Sacchromyces Boulardii, will keep the yeast at bay. I have to say that I think I've seen the biggest improvement thus far after her being on the Nystatin for a couple of weeks. Things aren't perfect by any means, but things are greatly improved. More than one person has noticed.

Coming up next week is a big team meeting with her teachers, preschool director, and behavioral specialist for all of us to discuss implementing the behavior plan in school. We also have a county meeting next week to see if they will approve TSS in school. :( The sad face is there because I just really didn't want it to come to this. The school requested this twice now, the last time being a couple of weeks before the Christmas holiday. Then the last week of school before Christmas, she had a FABULOUS week (until that damn cookie). So I'm very curious to see how next week will go for her at school. Either way, the school psychologist at her Wraparound agency is recommending 13 hours/wk for 2 months, (this is every hour she is at school) then tapering to 10 hours per week, then 7.5, etc.  I am very concerned with how Olivia is going to react to this, as she HATES being "different." Her BSC and I discussed it, and we will probably have the school and TSS take the approach that the TSS is there to help everyone, so as not to single-out Olivia, but certainly she will be the one to intervene when necessary and teach the teachers to implement the strategies they need.

We also had an evaluation with the Intermediate Unit to see if she would qualify for an IEP, (I REALLY wanted to get this in place before kindergarten) but she did not even come close to qualifying. The way it was explained to me is that things have to be affecting her educationally to the point where she is delayed. Well, she is certainly not delayed, but is in fact ahead, so that didn't pan out. I will be contacting the school district and we will at least try to get a 504 in place for some accommodations in the classroom. It is my hope and prayer that she will not need a paraprofessional by her side in school, that she can be successful in her regular classroom with her regular teacher! But... I will help her to get whatever she needs. I will just need to let go of my fears of social stigma for her. The I.U. teacher and her BSC have both mentioned that she may potentially need a gifted IEP as well, so that certainly made me smile. :)

So, that's where we are at this point. I have to say, my sweet girl is really doing so well. We had a wonderful Christmas and just a great time being together with our families. Little things here and there, but overall everything went very well. She is certainly still high-maintenance- LOL- but wow, what a difference! She is redirected SO much easier, for one, and that is HUGE. We have been keeping her pretty busy, and that is what she needs. She needs to be stimulated all the time! We are learning that anything art-related has a very calming effect on her, as does calming music (the two together are fabulous). She is reading so well, and I love her invented spelling! She often gets it right, though, and if you tell her once, she remembers how to spell it the next time. She amazes me sometimes with her complex thought-processes, her vocabulary is so mature, and she just says and does the sweetest things. It is these things that I want everyone to see, all the time! I think it's so easy for us- all of us- to focus on the things she struggles with. My goal for this new year is to focus even more on the positive... all of the life and love this little girl brings to us!!

So this is the first time I am posting a picture or video... check out my big girl reading! :) Such expression! She cracks me up!! :)