Oatmeal........ Really??

Hello again! We've been busy not only with catching up with everyone we can, but also getting all our yearly doctor appointments taken care of. Earlier this year, my nephew was diagnosed with a Peanut allergy. Needless to say, it has caused many changes in their lives and added a lot of research to the agenda. In the process, Amy and I talked about the high incidence of food sensitivities that go with eczema and asthma (both of which Samantha has). We, in turn, decided to have Samantha tested for food allergies to see if there is anything we can do for her constant itching and scratching.

We took Samantha this past Tuesday to be tested, and after 3 hours with the doctor and nurse, we find that she is VERY allergic to dust mites. Horses and oatmeal also showed up as milder irritants. Not too bad.....until you realize that we have been bathing her for 6 years in aveeno fragrance free, dye free, colloidal OATMEAL body wash (supposed to be soothing...way to go mom and dad!)--to keep her from itching, of course.

Talk about guilt. So obviously, our first step is to STOP bathing her IN one of her allergens. :) Otherwise, she is still allowed to horseback ride, but only in jeans and she must bathe immediately following the lesson and her clothes must go directly into the wash and not with her other clothes in the laundry basket. Then we will be encasing her mattress, box spring and pillow and washing all bedding and stuffed animals weekly in hot water. She also needs soaking baths each night of a minimum of 15 minutes with wet towels on her torso to rehydrate her skin. Each bath is followed by aquaphor and then aquaphor again each morning. In addition, she is to be covered in aquaphor on top of her sunscreen whenever going swimming to protect her skin from the chorline.

So, we are very thankful not to have to deal with any major food allergies and are hopeful for some major improvements in her itching and skin condition with the above changes partnered with some new meds. Samantha is thrilled with her soaking baths...it's the next best thing to swimming. :) We are scheduled to return to see her allergist our next trip home. So we'd appreciated any prayers sent this way that she is able to experience some relief with our new knowledge and practices.

Here's hoping you have a great day! Much love to you all.

Zookeeper