It's been a while

It's been a while...and quite a bit has changed since then.

We went to Istanbul for three weeks. Bebis' eczema had drastically improved while we were there. The strict diet (elimination of all known allergens) had helped a great deal. I also lost quite a bit of weight, which was a fortunate side effect of the unfortunate situation. Not only did I not fit into the pants that I brought, I also had trouble hanging on to the new ones that I bought while there! :)

We did a trial with soft cheese. Didn't work...with minor flare up. So we had to abort, and his skin was back to baby soft.

The flight back was interesting. Since we were back to family of three (instead of traveling with my parents), we didn't have as much help. And since it was a morning flight, bebis was so full of energy that he barely slept. Oh well, at least he was not cranky or crying...guess it could have been worse?

Did more research and found more recipes and ingredients that we could try. Ordered some more products online. Let's see how that goes.

One really good thing coming out from this trip was that bebis became more sociable (or is that just a coincidence with the timing of the development?). He smiles more at strangers (before he used to frown or cry every single time). He even reaches out to people that he does not know. And he is developing quite a character. Strong willed, and vocal. Wonder where he gets that from?

*GRIN*

Our First Steroid Free Day

Finally...bebis' skin is almost back to normal and we have our first steroid free day. Diapering has been much easier since I only need to apply moisturizer and bebis is not scratching himself silly. What a difference!

Hoping and praying that this is going to be the norm going forward...

Our First Picnic!

Beautiful weather...mid 70s with low humidity and ample of sunshine. Took bebis to Meadowlark Gardens and he had a great time rolling on the blanket. Did we say photo op? :)

And the best news of all...his flare up is gone and his beautiful soft skin is back. Needless to say, he is in a great mood!!

Perfect day.

9-month visit

So we are doing the 9-month wellness visit a bit earlier this time due to bebis' first upcoming international travel (yay)! All seems well, except he is a bit anemic (could it be due to the two rounds of blood test? Poor guy also had his first MMR shot. He was a trooper though. I am proud of him.

Now we need to get his iron supplements...uhmm, perhaps we should add meat to his diet! :) Did we say moooooo?

What about work?

So a decision will need to be made soon in terms of work arrangement. Would I continue to stay at home and take care of bebis? Or would I return to work and get someone to take care of him? Should we take him to day care? Or should we hire a nanny (we know how "great" the last one worked out...)?

Apparently, taking a year break does not make the decision any easier. If anything, having more understanding (and still not coming to terms with his condition) makes it even harder. Would I ever trust anyone else to take care of my child? Knowing how picky I am...probably not. If we send him to day care, would he get the same amount of attention as he would 1:1? Probably not. Would someone be able to watch him like a hawk to make sure he would not scratch himself silly and make the eczema worse? (See...I have no hope of the condition improving in three months...and it doesn't take much to crack his skin and make it bleed)

But then if we continue to keep him at home, would he be able to develop the necessary social skills? I know mine suck; according to my mom, I refused to share any toys with anybody else when I was little...and I didn't particularly like interacting with anyone either. See, I developed an attitude way back when I was young. And I don't want bebis to be like me.

I know parenthood is not easy. And I know there are going to be many more obstacle courses that we would need to overcome in the years to come. I'd just tackle one at a time...I just don't know what to do with the one in front of me.

Spoke too soon!

Of course as luck would have it, the little guy is flaring up again. Could it be the food from Cosi (hummus?), or Mon Ami Gabi (but then it was just salmon and I thought I ordered it w/o all the known allergens already)? Or is it just...nature of the beast? (Hate that)

Just right when we thought we were on the right track...it started w/ the legs three days ago, and it is slowly spreading its way. Though not as much as it were last time around.

We are now using a more potent steroid with Vanicream. I don't like either of this, but it doesn't seem like we have any other options. We are going to follow the doctor's recommendations, for a change.

Poor guy...let's hope we made the right decision for him. I am still hanging onto the hope that one day, we will see light at the end of the tunnel.

Meanwhile, we are taking him in for the 9-month wellness visit tomorrow. And he will be getting the MMR shot ahead of schedule due to our travel in two weeks. From everything I have read, he would likely have a flare up again due to the vaccine.

Great...

Journey to recovery?

So after the visits to peds and allergist, we have finally identified the major culprits. This is now day 4 of my elimination diet - free of soy, wheat, eggs, peanuts, and tree nuts. The results are showing...Kutay's eczema has drastically reduced and his baby soft skin is slowly coming back. There is only minor rash left behind his legs. Compared to how it has been for the last few months, there is night and day difference.

It is a bit challenging in terms of diet, as we now have to study the food labels very carefully. Eating out is a bit difficult as well...though a few restaurants offer ingredients information on their website, and the places that we have been to have been accommodating as well. I just start with the gluten free menu, then work my way down to remove the items that contain the remaining offenders. Granted, this doesn't leave me with much choice to choose from, but if this is what it takes for Kutay's eczema to subside and we can have a more fun time together free of hydrocortisone and other harmful chemicals, then so be it. :)

Come to think of it, isn't it a bit ironic (in a funny sort of way) that Kutay (being asisan) is allergic to soy, and (being turkish) is allergic to wheat?

Visit to Allergist

So we went to the allergist today. Did skin test to confirm the results w/ the blood test. Yup, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, and wheat are officially off limits, so is soy for a limited amount of time. Good news is, both tests confirm that we are ok with dairy. So perhaps after his flare up subsides, we can start feeding him yogurt and cheese...slowly.

Another blood test scheduled for tomorrow to investigate some additional potential culprits, including avocado (could the latest flare up be due to the avocado that I have been eating?). Poor guy, he was wailing for the entire time during and after skin test. Big tear drops...break my heart. :(

Just hope that he will outgrow this soon.

For now, sweet dream little one.

Another Flare Up?

Thought it was going in the right direction until Monday...was it the egg that I ate on Sunday (before I knew bebis is allergic to eggs)? Or is it the apples that we have been feeding him since Monday night? :(

Apple Cider Vinegar

Previously bought some organic ACV from Whole Foods...was told it could help clear up bebis' skin inflammation. Tried for two days and didn't work; inflammation got worse and had to use hydrocortizone. So what am I going to do with a whole bottle of ACV? Well, turns out, mixing it with olive oil, honey, and parsley makes some delicious and light salad dressing. Might as well since I can't use most of the commercial dressing anyway.

The verdict is in

So the verdict is in. The little guy has been tested positive for wheat, peanut, egg, and soy allergies. So the quest is on to find friendly food without the allergens.

I never realized how many different ingredients are mixed into one seemingly simple food item. Let's take chocolate for example. Who knew there is soy in that?! Not just one or two bars/brands. After looking through more than 20 different bars in various different brands, they all contain soy! Same goes for all of the asian marinades in our fridge...there is soy in everything.

Guess it's time to clean up our pantry....

Can it be shrimp?

We have been battling his eczema lately; it almost consumed me. Been on a seemingly never-ending quest to find the magic potion. Breaks my heart to see the flare ups. Even my mother has much better skin than the baby; what gives?!

Been tracking his daily food intake and trying to find a correlation. Tried encasing the crib mattress, changed the diaper brands, changed the laundry detergent, and changed numerous creams and oils. Nothing seems to work.

Now we suspect he may be allergic to shrimp (amongst potentially other things); would make sense since I have been eating quite a bit of shrimp dishes lately. Will wait and see what the test results say.

Meanwhile, the 2.5% HC seems to be doing the trick. Hate to put it on him; but can't bear to see him being miserable.