We've had a lot going on lately with a diagnosis of gestational diabetes and possibly an outbreak of swine flu, too.

I have never had gestational diabetes before.  The docs are requiring me to finger-stick and test my blood sugar four times per day.  I also have to follow a detailed diet plan (so many carbs per meal) and am required to have three snacks per day.  I hate needles, but aside from that it's been very interesting to record what I eat (content and amount).  And boy, that 1/2 cup of REQUIRED ice cream each night at 8p is tough to swallow.  :o)

On another note, we believe the kids have come down with the 2009 H1N1 (swine flu).   They have the exact same symptoms as several kids from church (one of whom was diagnosed).  It has been an extremely mild case.  They have had sore throats, 103 fever for a day or two (along with the accompanying fatigue and lack of appetite), then the fever goes down and they've been fine.  Six kids have had it thus far, still waiting on the seventh.  Hubby and I have not gotten it yet and hope not to as it can be dangerous in pregnancy!

So we are now playing catch-up on school lessons.  We are also baking and freezing goodies in preparation for the upcoming family Christmas parties.  I won't be eating nearly as many holiday treats as I would have before the diagnosis.  And honestly, that's a good thing, too.

We attended the second (ever) overnight camp for children with severe food allergies this past weekend at the Center for Courageous Kids in Scottsville, KY.   www.courageouskids.org

The kids had "the most fun they ever had in their whole lives" and we parents got to relax and be encouraged while talking to other parents who understand what life is like with children who have serious medical conditions. 

If you know anyone with a child with a serious medical condition including diabetes, arthritis, spine problems, heart conditions, Down's Syndrome, autism, food allergy, or other (see website schedule for the full list), please tell them about this camp.  It is staffed 24/7 with medical personnel and is 100% FREE for families to attend.  This is a truly amazing place!  www.courageouskids.org

We have recently discovered that we have Asperger's Syndrome in our family history.  Though I don't want to reveal too many personal details, I believe it's important to share some of the information I've learned about this autism spectrum disorder as it may be helpful to someone else.  I don't plan to post on this topic again, but if you have any questions you can email me.

Asperger's Syndrome, or "AS", is the highest functioning end of the autism spectrum.  It has been around for centuries but was not given a name until the 1980s.  So there are many undiagnosed adults walking around with AS.  You probably know a few!  They may simply seem quirky or they may come across as rude, insensitive, egotistical, or uncaring.  But these can be unfair labels because adults with AS may have no idea how they come across to others.  They have a neurological disorder that prevents them from naturally being able to pick up on social cues and nonverbal language, and prevents them from understanding another person's perspective.

Some symptoms that may be present:

1.  Talk on and on about a particular subject without realizing others are yawning, trying to walk away, or are not interested.

2.  Are 'brutally' honest and say what they think without regard for others'  feelings.

3.  Cannot take criticism well and cannot agree to disagree.  They often feel attacked in conversations.

4.  May not give praise or compliments and may have trouble receiving compliments, too.

5.  Have a lack of empathic response--may show little concern when someone is ill or distressed.  May walk right past someone who is crying.

6.  May not have close relationships with friends or family members and may have a hard time keeping friends.

7.  Have intense interests (or obsessions) with particular topics or hobbies, and those interests may change over time.

These are just a few of the signs of AS and not everyone with AS has all the symptoms (google Asperger's Syndrome to read more).  This is a developmental disorder, so as a person ages they often adapt and learn/memorize proper social behavior.

AS is hereditary.  If one person in a family has it you shouldn't have to look far in the family tree to find others with characteristics of it.  It is diagnosed in children best between the ages of 6-11.  The child will not fit in with peers.  They may be bullied and teased or may be the aggressor/bully because they don't understand the unwritten social rules of behavior and conversations that most (neuro-typical) people naturally understand.

I have read nearly a dozen books on AS and there are a few I highly recommend if you want to learn more.

Best General Overview:  "The Complete Guide to Asperger's Syndrome" by Tony Attwood (the leading expert in this field)

Best Parenting Book:  "Finding Your Child's Way on the Autism Spectrum" by Dr. Laura Hendrickson (a Biblical counselor and mom to an autistic son)

Best Relationships Book: "Asperger's Syndrome and Long Term Relationships" by Ashley Stanford (an NT wife of an Asperger's man)

And the online newsletter for Nouthetic (Biblical) Counseling published an article on the legitimacy of autism as a neurological disorder in January:  http://www.christiancounseling.com/en/art/544/ 

We had a follow-up visit with our allergist this week.  It was the first visit since the latest Anaphylaxis episode.  He skin tested my son and the results were not pretty.  Huge "wheals" showed up at the test sites to every componet of dairy and egg.  Over and over again the doctor's eyes grew wide as he stressed how serious my son's allergies are.  He told me his allergies are so serious that even skin contact with residue from an allergen could cause anaphylaxis. 

Even in Food Allergy Support groups, we dance around the scary words.  We say "serious" instead of "life-threatening"and stick to the term "anaphylaxis" rather than saying "he could DIE".  This can be dangerous, though, because most people outside the food allergy community do not understand anaphylaxis.  Most people don't realize how quickly anaphylaxis can occur and how quickly it can lead to death.

It is psychologically traumatic to deal with life with a child who has a life-threatening medical condition.   Adding to the trauma is the fact that food allergies are one of the least understood medical conditions but most dependent on the understanding and help from others to keep a child safe and well.  So part of the trauma is how very alone you feel in dealing with this condition and how frustrating it is to know how to appropriately handle 'educating' others.  Just when you think others understand how dangerous the cheese crackers and ice cream are, you see them feeding their toddlers such foods right next to your allergic child!  Just when you think someone understands that skin contact to an allergen can kill, they are shocked that you can't take your child to play at Chuck E Cheese's.  All sense of composure fades away as you feel overwhelmed, alone, and like you can never safely leave your house.

(from a Time magazine article called "Allergies at the Dinner Table":  http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1562596,00.html#

"Several hospitals around the country are in the process of developing psychiatric programs specifically for families with food allergies. According to Anaphylaxis: How Do You Live With It?, a 2005 article in Health and Social Work, coping with a child who has a severe allergy is similar to dealing with a chronic disease. In a study of 17 families with children with anaphylaxis, the authors describe the profound psychosocial impact on parents of knowing an illness can cause death." 

I am a Christian who trusts in a loving and Sovereign God.  I believe the Bible says that each day is ordained, so I know that my child will live all the days the Lord has planned for him.  But there is, at the exact same time, a responsibility to exercise great care and caution.  This experience of life with food allergies is a serious test of my faith.  I am still struggling to work it all out.  Reasonable caution without overwhelming fear.   Wisdom and faith without carelessness or worry.   I don't want psychiatric counseling.  But I don't have it all figured out yet, either. 

The Junior Mints labels says "Milk and Egg May Be Present".  Well, they obviously are present in the
box we have in our cabinet.  My five year old son ate seven junior mints candies this
afternoon and within minutes he began to have an anaphylactic
reaction. He is severely allergic to both milk and egg and has asthma.

It began with hives that got worse, trouble breathing that got worse,
and then he began to get very sluggish and unresponsive. Just before
the shot, hives were all over his torso, his eyes were
rolling/closing, his breathing was very raspy and short, he couldn't
breathe through his nose at all, he was slumping over, and he was not
answering questions or talking.

I was not home at the time. During all this (which was just over the
course of thirty minutes), my husband gave him Benadryl (no response);
albuterol (no response); and then called 911 and they said to give him
epinephrine. He was immediately better after the epi-pen, jr. shot. The
paramedics came and we followed up at the ER where they watched him
for a couple of hours and gave him steroids which he'll be on for a
few days.

Our allergist said that this was a clinical anaphylactic reaction.  The sluggishness/unresponsiveness was his neurological system shutting down.  It happened so quickly and so quietly that I can see how a parent or caregiver might not recognize the gravity of the situation.  One might think the child was just going to sleep.  But the child is actually losing consciousness as multiple body systems are being affected.  Our doctor's advice, along with STRICTLY AVOIDING all traces of allergens, was that if we ever see two body systems affected--any two systems from the list of:  Skin: (hives/swelling); Respiratory (breathing trouble/coughing/wheezing); Stomach (vomiting, pain, diarrhea); Neurological (sluggishness, not responding normally, eye rolling) to give epinephrine IMMEDIATELY.

We are thanking God for getting our son through this and bringing him back
home safe and well!  I am still going through a sort of post traumatic stress/ post allergic reaction stress.  I keep replaying the events over and over in my mind, losing sleep, dealing with constant headache and I am cleaning out food cabinets, posting lists of safe foods on the cabinets, refilling my Epi-pen jr. prescriptions, and using a permanent marker to write warnings on foods that my husband and I eat that are not safe for the children.

It's so hard to mentally and emotionally process what it's like to have a child with a life-threatening food allergy, realizing that a tiny sip or bite of (or possibly even skin contact with) an allergen could kill them within minutes . . . knowing that these tiny potential killers are everywhere you go, often unseen and unknown . . . wanting to keep them in a safe bubble but knowing God does not mean for us to live in fear . . .