The $70 Shampoo.

I took Owen for his allergy test on Wednesday and wouldn't you know it, his skin is in such poor condition the doctor didn't want to do any testing on it.  So he looked him over and sent us home with a handful of prescriptions, a page full of directions and a follow up appointment to come back in one month to do the testing then.  The allergist is giving Owen a hardcore 1 month treatment to hopefully knock this all out of his system.  I'm missing that beautiful baby soft skin that we should be snuggling on right now!   Aw, my sweet angel.

So off we went to our Pharmacy for the 500th time this year- seriously at this rate we will be making our deductible by June.  Well after a little gasp and an "Oh Boy"from Larry the Pharmacist, he gave me a slight heads up that Owen's shampoo was pretty expensive.  By that comment I was guessing it was at least $25- maybe as high as $40.  Never in a million years would I expect $70.90!  And that was with insurance.  If we weren't insured this would have cost us $287.  For shampoo!!  CRAZY.  All of this stuff better work. Total pharmacy bill= $89.70.

Oh, and did I mention that we also need to give Owen a bath twice a day so we can butter him up with his steroid lotion at every bath.  Use his shampoo 3x a week and then give him an oral steroid for the next 20 days.  It is going to be a long 30 days.  But we will get through it.

It is just too bad it costs so much for a baby to feel better.  But you know what, I would go to the moon and back for him if it meant healing.

Whenever I begin to feel overwhelmed I try to remind myself that things could be so much worse.  Through it all he is so happy.  Itchy and scaly- but happy.

Day by day.

My baby just can't catch a break.

The poor little guy.  Thank goodness he is the happiest little kid, because for some this crap could really get you down in the dumps!  Over a month ago Owen had a virus and broke out in a tiny bumpy little rash.  It wasn't too big of a deal, but what the rash did was.  It gave him a full on excema flare up.  He had big dry, itchy patches of it all over his body. I did everything I could to get ride of it.  We tried the prescribed steroid cream, which helped for a while but the itchy excema would come right back. I would try the cream again and again it would work for a few days and then come right back.  I couldn't keep using the steroids on his little 15 month old body so lotion and lots of it was our next course of action.

Everyone in this house has sensitive skin so nothing but Cetephil for lotions and body washes and for laundry detergents it was free and clear all the way.  No pretty lavenders or fresh mountian air in our house...  It couldn't possibly be topical- but then again who knows.

Owen was happy, just super duper dry and itchy.

And then yesterday came.  I got him out of his crib to start the day, lay him down to change his diaper and Holy Moly! My boy was covered in bright red spots!  It looked like measles, but of course I knew it wasn't that.  It looked similar to when he had an allergic reaction to the flu shot, only this time the bumps were raised.  They were very itchy and you could tell he was just uncomfortable.  They were mostly on his belly and moving up his chest.  By the afternoon his entire truck was covered and they were moving around to his back.  By this morning his whole head, face, neck, belly, back and arms are covered in these itchy, raised red bumps.

Back to the doctors office we go.  Yes, they ALL know us by name now.  This is getting ridiculous.

Dr. Drazdik believes that he has a food allergy.  This was something I suspected but really, really hoped wasn't the case.  But add in him being affected by the flu shot.  Then the case of excema flare up that wouldn't go away and now this head to toe rash. The location of the rash indicates that it is most likely something he ate, not topical.  So guess what.  Owen is now off milk (and dairy), eggs, peanuts and strawberries until he visits an allergist.  The poor little guy needs to get an allergy test done.  I am so sad.  I know how uncomfortable those can be.

He also has a yeast infection, and is teething.  All in all he isn't a happy camper.

So much has been happening to my little boy in his short life already!  Thank you Lord that none of it has been life threatening, or all that serious.  But it still puts stress on his body and on his worrisome parents.

So now I ask all of you out there that deal with these particular allergies, any suggestions for alternative food products (so far he has taken to Soy Milk in place of the Whole Cows Milk).  Places for good, and yummy recipes, etc?  This will be a whole new way of me cooking for him so any advice will be helpful!  What are some good dairy free  substitutions that still taste good?  He LOVES his yogurt, I feel so bad that he can't have it anymore.  Or are there soy or dairy free ones?  Blah.  None of this is for sure until his allergy test, but I figure it won't hurt for me to start looking around.

The Sick.

What in the world? I thought we all shook this thing a week ago, but it is back. I have had a horrible stomach ache and nausea since yesterday afternoon, but had to quickly forget about it so I could take care Jackson. The poor little guy has been throwing up all night long- just about every hour or if lucky, two. This was the first time I ever had to spend the night sleeping on his floor so I could help him. Watching my baby wreathe in pain with dry heaves is not something I ever want to see again. His tiny little body shaking from the violent heaves his stomach was throwing on him. And each time, in a little voice he would say to me "Mommy, I don't like this. Why do I have to be sick?"  I wish I had a good enough answer for you my sweet boy.  Instead I would rub his back, kiss his forehead, and give him sips of water.

It was a night of constant bedding changes....over and over and over- unfortunately the bathroom is so far away from his bedroom he would never make it in time.  So puking on his bed was the best option.  Yuck, I know.  But I got a system of towels, that made it not nearly as bad.

And after the hard work his body put him through, he was back to sleep in minutes.  I on the other hand laid on the floor, in my makeshift bed and tried to quiet the thoughts in my head.  I would pray, sing praise songs, and just try and get my eyes to sleep for I knew in just a short time we would be doing it all over again.  19 times to be exact.  Wow, what a long night and now a long day for a mommy needing to care for a sick little boy, myself and a baby.

At 6 am it seemed impossible. I am embarrassed that I was crying to Scott about him leaving me for work.  I asked (ok, maybe begged for him to stay home).  At that hour after being up all night, I couldn't imagine being able to care for my Littles, plus do all the cleaning and disinfecting my household needed, and get the sleep my body desperately craved.  But of course it was an important work day full of meetings for the hubby, so I was on my own.  Jackson was already in a deep sleep so I moved to my own bed and luckily was able to get another hour and a half of hard, hard sleep before everyone awoke.

And surprisingly Jackson seems to be doing much better.  The worst seems to be past him and I am feeling brighter and more positive.  I still have a yucky stomach, but I pray that it doesn't get any worse- and most importantly, that little Owen doesn't get it.

This is the song that kept me company last night.  I heard it last week and now can't seem to get it out of my head.  I have already ordered it from the library so I can listen to it on repeat as often as I like :)  I have a strong feeling this is an album I will be purchasing for sure.  LOVE.