Rowans allergy test came back all negative for food and respiratory allergies, which is good AND not so good news. It's good because that means that he doesn't have any bad allergies. It's bad because I know that he has food sensitivities and now I dont know how to find out which ones. I was hoping they'd show up on this test. I know this because when we took away milk, his rosy cheeks went away and he started napping better, and his eye contact actually improved too. But milk didnt come up positive on the test, so I am skeptical. Might see an allergist to see if they can do anything more comprehensive. Food sensitivities can affect sleep, poop, behavior, attention, pretty much everything, and is magnified in an autistic child. So we're hoping to learn more about this when we see our doc in Lynchburg next month!
I am really blessed to live where I live. The people around me are the most supportive group I've ever known. These people are believing that Rowan can be healed and are really praying with us. Just the other day, my sweet friend Lora brought over someone she knows from her church who has been burdened to pray for my Ro. I love my friends and I am so glad I'm not alone in this.
A very bright thing in my life lately is my new little neice, hannah! Here is a picture of this little miracle baby:
She's amazing! Congratulations to Mark and Lauren! I love you guys and your family!
5 comments:
Jenn, you probably already know this (you hinted at it) but sensitivities and allergies are two completely different problems. All allergy tests can find out is if a person has developed antibodies against a substance. A true allergy is the immune system out of whack, attacking something as a danger that is not really a danger at all.
Sensitivities, on the other hand, could be any sort of problem along the grand route of digestion, absorbtion and utilization of an enzyme or protein. The only way to test for this is to record symptoms when a food is given, then remove that food from the diet for a season and keep daily records. If you see improvement, then great!
To double-check, you could reintroduce the food and keep recording symptoms. If problems again worsen, then you will know you are on to something!
And really, it will not take so much time as you think. Remember, marathon not sprint. You have five thousand plus days left before Ro turns eighteen. If you spend one month testing out each food you are suspicious of, you can will have tested over 1500 different foods, just in the course of daily living! That would only require that you pay attention and live you life every day- two things you are already doing! ;-)
So please don't be discouraged that the allergy tests didn't show an immune response to the suspicious foods. Trust your own eyes and your own brain and the work of the Holy Spirit.
An allergist may be an expert on allergies, but you are the expert on Rowan!
Hi Jenn - hope you and Bella are feeling better soon! I'm not sure if you have heard of Doris Rapp, but her book, "Is This Your Child?" really helped me when Eme was little and we were dealing with her issues with food coloring and milk. She didn't test as allergic to milk, but she is definitely intolerant of it. Maybe it will help. The elimination diet is probably a good thing for you to continue to do. ~Jess
LaDonna: yes we've been doing the elimination diet for quite some time! i was just hoping to see more conclusive results with the IGG. We are currently working on eggs. thanks for the tip and the encouraging words. :-)
jess: thanks too! I will keep you guys updated on the diet as we learn more!
On the opposite end, Tim had allergy tests done and tested allergic to pretty much every food except nuts (who tests allergic to beef? apparently Tim). However, he had never had a problem eating them. The doctor had us do an elimination diet (let me tell you, there is only so much you can do with chicken, rice and nuts) and nothing changed. The doc said food allergies are weird. You can have trouble with a food and not be allergic or be allergic and not have trouble with it. He said go by symptoms, not by the test. I'm sorry the test didn't give you answers. My mom said she always wanted the strep test to come back positive when we had a sore throat; then she would know what to do. You're doing an awesome job. I'll be praying for more conclusive tests and answers!
so sorry you're not feeling well still. please let me know if i can help in any way. love you! lora
ps- ignore my txt about the chicken - i don't need it anymore. thanks!lora
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