Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Allergy Tests Are Not for the Weak

The boys did their allergy testing this morning. It was the skin prick one. They did really well with it! As well as could be expected anyway... They both showed allergies to dust mites (who doesn't?) and had very minor reactions to pollens. Ethan reacted pretty strongly to peanuts. No big surprise there!

I requested an extra group of foods to test for both of them. So they each ended up with 7 trays of 8 needles in each. Each tray was done all at once. So they had 8 pricks at once, 7 times. I read that they only go into the first layer of skin but it seemed like it was deeper :( I also read that it was not painful. Even before today I could've told you that was a load of, well, let's put it nicely. That's an utter lie. All the people who wrote that have obviously never had it done!

For anyone who is curious what it actually looks like, here are a few pictures...

Ethan, 10 minutes after the pricks.



See that huge welt on the right side? That's the peanut test.

Gabriel, ten minutes after.



Gabriel, a few hours later.



Ethan complained of itching during the 15-20 minute wait for the results. The doctor came ten minutes in to check on them, saw the peanut reaction, and wiped it off his skin best he could. He still was itchy but it would've been worse if the doctor had left it. Gabriel looked like he was a little itchy but not bad. Then again, he didn't have a big reaction like Ethan did!

The doctor prescribed them each 3 meds every day, and one as needed. Do you think I'm filling them?! Not unless I absolutely have to! At this point, there is nothing serious enough to put them on medicine every day.

I have an appointment tomorrow with the owner of our natural health place. I want him to look at the results and give his recommendations. There are ways to treat allergies naturally and I am willing to try them.

The main reason I wanted allergy testing done was for foods. I knew that if they had nasal allergies, they weren't bad. That was confirmed by the testing. If they were miserable with them, I might be willing to try the meds temporarily. But there is no reason to do it right now. I will hold on to the prescriptions just in case though.

The one thing that still bothers me is the dark circles under Gabriel's eyes. Dark circles in a child are usually a sign of allergies. Food or environmental. He's had them for 6-8 months now and he complains sometimes of his eyes hurting. I'm hoping to find out something tomorrow that will help!

For tonight, I gave them each a dose of Motrin. Hopefully it helps them be more comfortable so they can sleep. Ethan has complained off and on all day that his back hurts from the sticks. I don't know if Gabriel isn't complaining because it doesn't bother him or if it bothers him and he just isn't saying anything about it.

They both have been whiny and fussy and clingy today. I know it had to be pretty traumatic :( Right now I'm just REALLY glad it's over...

Friday, March 16, 2012

BBQ Turkey and Rice

BBQ TURKEY AND RICE

18 oz BBQ sauce
19 oz bag SteamFresh green beans, cooked (I chopped fine)
20 oz can pineapple in juice
12 oz cooked turkey, cut in bite-size pieces
2 c. hot cooked rice

Heat BBQ sauce, green beans, and pineapple. Add turkey and rice. Heat through.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Unstuffed Bell Peppers

UNSTUFFED BELL PEPPERS

6 bell peppers, chopped coarse
Olive oil
2 onions, chopped fine
1 lb lean ground beef
2 c. hot, cooked rice
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
Salt and pepper
1 tomato, seeded and pureed
Parmesan cheese

Saute bell peppers in OO until tender. Remove and set aside. Brown meat and onions. Add bell peppers, rice, and seasonings. Mix well. Stir in tomato. Grate parmesan cheese over individual servings.

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Broccoli Rice

BROCCOLI RICE

2 bags SteamFresh broccoli florets
1 bag SteamFresh brown rice
7 oz 2% cheddar, shredded
Salt and pepper
Cream
1 tbsp. butter

Cook rice according to package directions. Put in a bowl. Mix in salt and pepper, half the cheddar, and a little cream. Microwave about 1 minute or until the cheese is melted. (Take out 1/4 of the mixture and set aside for Jesse who doesn't like broccoli LOL).

Cook 1 bag broccoli according to package directions. Dump into a bowl. Top with salt and pepper, butter, and the other half of the cheese. Cook the other bag of broccoli. Dump in the bowl. Mix together until cheese is melted, microwaving if needed.

Mix rice and broccoli together, adding cream if needed.

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Hmmm...

I noticed something tonight... Ethan's lips aren't staying chapped anymore! I was having to put lip balm on them every day or they would get really dry and sometimes crack open and bleed. Now that the wheat is getting out of his system, his lips are better.

And know what? Mine are a bit better too...

Friday, March 9, 2012

Feeling Bad, But Why?

I'm shaky, lightheaded, weak. Have been for days now. I felt better Tuesday and Wednesday, then it's been bad again yesterday and today...

It could be that I'm getting sick. It could be allergies. It could be detox from the wheat. It could be that I'm not on all my supplements. It could be that I am way behind on sleep. It could be some other unknown reason. But every time I stand up and move around, I get out of breath and feel like my heart is racing.

I started taking Allegra today. If it's my allergies, that should help. I'll go back to my normal dosage of iron too. I have a feeling that may be what's going on. If not, it probably isn't helping any.

I hate this. I'm barely functional. I'm managing to get everyone fed but that's it :( The kitchen is full of dirty dishes. So many other things that need to be done...

Jesse can't help much because, well, he ended up in the ER this week with what turned out to be a kidney stone. OUCH. He's waiting to pass it. In the meantime, he's fine and then it moves and he's in excruciating pain. And his pain tolerance isn't very good. I feel so bad for him :(

The meal plan has kinda gone out the window. I need to cook the turkey still. We've eaten ground beef out of the freezer (I had a couple lbs in there). I can't cook the turkey until I can clear the stove of dirty dishes. I can't clear the stove of dirty dishes until I wash some. I can't wash them (unload and load the dishwasher) until I feel better. Hopefully that's REALLY soon...

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Meal Plan 03-07 to 03-13 (Wheat-free)

Breakfast (see previous post):
Cottage cheese, peaches x 2
Smoked sausage, waffles
Scrambled cheese eggs, cereal x 2
Breakfast sausage (homemade), hash browns, cheese

Lunch (some of these didn't get made last week):
Leftover turkey loaded potatoes
Turkey, cream spinach, creamed carrots - again, this turkey will be the base of a lot of our meals
Stuffed bell peppers (ground beef)
Turkey parmesan
Roasted red bell pepper alfredo w/turkey
BBQ turkey and pineapple over rice, veggies
Mexican w/turkey

Supper (a couple of these are repeats of last week):
Ground beef and gravy over rice, veggies
Leftovers x 2
Salad with turkey and Craisins
Tarragon turkey salad
Turkey sandwich
Tuna salad

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Meal Plan 03-01-12 to 03-07-12 (Wheat-free)

So here's what our wheat-free meal plan for this week looks like...

Breakfast (no eggs for me, leftover or canned meat for protein those mornings):
Scrambled cheese eggs, cereal
Oatmeal w/bananas/cinnamon/drizzle of honey, cottage cheese w/peaches
Oatmeal w/bananas/cinnamon/drizzle of honey, scrambled cheese eggs
Turkey sausage, GF frozen waffles
Homemade sausage crumbles w/red bell peppers/onions, blueberry muffins (wheat-free)
Cottage cheese, peaches
Turkey and rice w/butter, parsley

Lunch:
Leftovers
Turkey, cranberry sauce, homemade macaroni and cheese, green beans (DH), roasted asparagus (boys and me) - the turkey will be used for most meals for the rest of the week
Mexican rice (leftover) w/ground beef and cheese
Turkey w/pineapple gravy over brown rice, veggies
Turkey, cranberry sauce, macaroni and cheese (all leftovers), veggies
Roasted red bell pepper alfredo over brown rice pasta
Loaded mashed potatoes - turkey, cheese, veggies, sour cream

Supper:
Salad w/(leftover) chicken
Tarragon turkey salad w/rice crackers
Turkey w/cheesy baked potatoes
Lemon pepper fish, (leftover) macaroni and cheese, veggies
Stuffed bell peppers
Turkey chili cheese fries
Leftovers