I know. He's so darling. The bib says "I am a Joy to the World", and the bloomers say "I made a Joyful noise". He got them for Christmas, but they didn't fit, then, and I figured it would be more fun to wait until he could sit up for a photo op. And the robot stuffed 'animal' in the background is the one I made for him.
He has food on his face in this one, but the food isn't red. That is his rash after over a week off of dairy. It has not made a dent. In fact, the rash is really bad around his eyes and has even gotten worse. The allergy test came back negative, which doesn't mean he isn't allergic to milk (or the other half-dozen things for which they tested), but may just mean he's too young to tell by testing. The real test is experience, and in my experience over the past week, going off dairy hasn't changed anything for him. I'm staying dairy-free until we resolve this, but I don't think that's the problem.I've been doing some reading and I'm feeling more and more confident he has Celiacs Disease. Here's why: The Boy is generally constipated. For months now, I've been massaging his belly to help him empty his bowels. It's rare to have a surprise in his diaper. He's been eating less and less lately, almost measurable by the day. His mood is different. He used to smile at everyone who gave him the time of day. He is still a calm child, but he doesn't seem as happy as he used to be. He puked all over my hair and down my shirt the other day (during a special pre-op prayer for Turtar, as luck would have it). He has this horrible rash (as you can see). I thought it looked a little zitty, but as I started reading about Celiacs, I read the term 'blistering rash' and immediately recognized that was a better description for what he has. And get this: there is a link between Celiacs and chromosome 6. So my criss-crossed, translocated chromosomes have impeded my baby once again. The translocation in my family that causes our miscarriages and increases our chances for Trisomy 21 is between chromosomes 6 and 21. 6 and 21. I'm sold. I took The Boy in today to be screened for Celiacs (or gluten intolerance). We won't have the results for a week, but I don't want to wait that long to see an improvement in my son. I read that it wasn't good to go gluten-free before the screening test, but now that we've done it, I'm off it all!
Thank goodness for hummus. And almond crackers. And quinoa pasta. and Gerber Graduates apple wagon wheels Finger Foods, which are now the only finger food the boy can have at all. Until maybe I make a trip to Earth Fare.
I never liked gluten anyway. Cookies are completely over-rated.
4 comments:
Way to go, Mom! You're figuring out what your kid needs and taking care of it! I'm really proud of you. Gluten free is tough to do the best I can tell, but it'll be nice to have your happy boy back again. He is such a cutie. And the robot you made is the bomb.
I know you don't know me... I know your NY sister. But, my nephew has serious allergies including food. Dairy is on his list but so also is Soy. Soy is in EVERYTHING and it is a highly allergenic food. He also has serious allergies to animals. He gets blisters rashes hives. You name it. His parents have struggled a lot with his poor little skin. I am sure you get tons of advice... but who knows this may help.
You don't know me at all either, but I know your sister in NY. My nephew has downs and for a LONG time they dealt with the blistery rash on his face, eyes, ears, and everywhere else. They also dealt with a million doctos in an attempt to find the cause. Finally, they narrowed it down to the red coloring, red dyes, and red foods like berries. Once they both avoided, like the plague, all things red, the rash cleared up. I know that everyone is different but maybe this will help.
Wow. It's so depressing, especially as an artist, to think of someone being allergic to a color. I had started to think I'd put a hold on everything until I got the celiac test results, but you've both inspired me to pursue other solutions simultaneously. I lost the numbers for the dermatologist and allergist, but I called The Boy's pediatrician again this morning to get them, again.
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