Well, I am long overdue on this AGAIN. Life just always gets in the way. I will bring you up to speed though.
We saw the new allergist and he almost immediately said he knew exactly what was going on. He grabbed a cotton swab and "drew" on her back. He made an imaginary tic-tac-toe box. He rubbed his hand on it a couple times and she had instant linear hives in the shape of a tic-tac-toe box. Strange. Go figure, we got another diagnosis--Mast Cell Activation Disorder (MCAD). Mast cells release histamine. So just like the other allergy cells in her body--the T-cells, eosinophils etc, the mast cells over-react and try to fight off the food, or other allergen. This can also affect her GI tract. Now, of course, I'm questioning all the other diagnosis. What is causing what? It's kind of like the chicken and the egg, what came first? We are doing a daily dose of Zyrtec, and Benedryl as needed.
Brynn is doing well. She doesn't want to try any new foods and we are ok with that. She knows that whatever she tries might make her sick, so she chooses not to. The new allergist is very pleased with her weight, height, and diet. Yes, it is a limited diet (about 20 foods now), but we chose these foods carefully, making sure she has the nutrition she needs. She had her preschool screening in March and did fabulous, she had all the teachers cracking up. They asked what we thought about her starting a 3 day a week preschool class because they thought she would be a great addition to the class because of her leadership skills. We loved the idea and she started up right away! So far, she seems to be enjoying it. Cody is there with her most of the day and when the do split up, they are in classrooms right next to each other. She is wearing her allergy bracelet every day (she won't let me forget about it) and we pack breakfast, lunch and snacks for her to take each day. Cody has been a great big brother and reminds me often that he will keep her safe. So sweet.
Brynn had her 4th birthday in March. I can't believe my BABY is FOUR. I have no idea where all the time has gone! She enjoyed her Sophia party and her purple princess cake and, of course, all the gifts! She also started Dance this past week and she loves it. We are now patiently awaiting Spring..........
