Allergy Update

Yesterday Gavin and I made the trek to WI to see the allergist once again. I had high hopes, though I must admit I had butterflies in my stomach while I was getting ready in the morning.

Unfortunately we didn't really receive good news, though that is something I've learned to expect since we've had more bad news appointments than good news appointments. I suppose that's just how it goes in the world of allergies.

First, Gavin may have asthma. This is still very uncertain, but he has been waking up in the middle of the night with coughing fits that wake him and everyone else up. Coughing from a cold or congestion usually occurs when a person lies down or gets up in the morning. Apparently when the cough is due to lack of lung function etc., the cough occurs in the middle of the night (studies have been done on this). Well, that's what Gavin is experiencing. The dr. heard fluid in his lungs so he was hooked up to a nebulizer to get a breathing treatment. The dr. does not want to commit us to a machine yet since it would have to be done every day. At this point we are to keep a close eye on him to see if he experiences an wheezing throughout the day and to continue to monitor coughing at night.

Next he was skin tested for milk and a variety of indoor and outdoor allergens. Thankfully there were quite a few negatives! He is allergic to dust mites (we already knew this), two types of mold, and trees. The dr. and I discussed medication and we came to the agreement that I can just monitor the mold and tree counts on a weather web site and medicate as necessary. I am relieved that this dr. is not an advocate of over-medication. Sometimes I think the benefit of having a dr. in his fifties is that he has both wisdom and experience. He's also confident enough about his knowledge and abilities that he doesn't bristle when I ask questions or discuss alternatives.

The milk skin test looked slightly positive even though it was negative three months ago. The dr. said he thinks we can still try a challenge so we will be scheduling an appointment some time this summer. I was really hoping it would be done yesterday, but for some reason he wants to do it on a day when he can be more present in the exam room. We are hopeful that we will be able to get in soon.

Thank you for your prayers and please continue to pray!