Thursday, February 24

a detective game

hi.  i have mentioned that lola has eczema, right?  it's annoying.  sooo annoying.  i have this problem where when i or one of my offspring have a health problem i tend to obsess over it.  and i am doing just that right now over lola's poor skin.  i have come to the conclusion (and the doc thinks so too) that it's a food allergy setting the eczema off.
last week- all week- she had the prettyist clear smooth baby skin.  it was beautiful.  there was no bumps, scales, rashes, cuts on her cheeks from scratching... just pretty baby skin.  i loved it.  i was thinking we may be in the clear!  and then she woke up from her nap on sunday with some bumps, which spread to more bumps.  this morning when she woke up her cheeks and neck were bright red, with lots of bumps and some scaly dry parts and you could tell it hurt.  and it is so so so sad.
then i get obsessed with trying to figure out what is going on and how i can get rid of it.  i have spent the last few hours reading up on baby allergies and trying to figure out what it is that i am eating that is effecting her so badly.  it's really quite sad. it makes me feel bad that what i am feeding her (milk from my chichi's as ivy puts it and a little bit of poi) is making her feel and look all nasty.  but i must say, the internet is home to tons of really interesting information that has helped me a lot and given me hope that i can help lil lola. it's weird though, cause she is getting whatever is making her sick from me but breast milk is still the best thing to give her cause it helps her little body in so many different ways.  there are just so many different food things that could be setting off her flare ups.  so we are onto the great detective game- is it dairy?  is it wheat? is it citrus? tomatoes? onions? berries? potatoes? coconut?.... what is strange to me is that i didn't watch what i ate at all last week and yet her skin was just fine.  it's so frustrating.  i know this is not the end of the world, it's just so sad to see her face and neck all red and flared up and to watch her try to scratch at it.
anyways, just wanted to take a minute away from my research and say hi to the blogging world.  if you need me i will be standing in front of my fridge trying to find something to eat that does not have any possible allergens in it.
and it is good to know that i was eating massive amounts of jelly bellies last week when her skin was clear so the 73 jelly bellies that i have consumed in the last hour or so will not be harming lola's at all.   lucky me.

9 comments:

nancy said...

oh ash, so sad! i agree that this diet will def eat away at those pesty love handles, cause you pretty much will be eating.....nothing. haha, kidding. but i SERIOUSLY feel for you on obsessing over your kids especially when what is wrong with them has to do with what you're eating. and it is SO frustrating that breast milk is the best thing for them but then it also can make them have funny reactions. arg. good luck bf...i got advise from you only a short few months ago to eat basically chicken and tortillas. haha...i think it worked with van's fussiness but really his first 3 months of life are a big blur. are you keeping a journal then? see what you ate and how she reacts? I kept a food journal for 6 months with van...just recently stopped. it helped to see how well he slept with how long his naps were and stuff and how he reacted to the kim chi i ate the night before. yikes....i know you can do it though, good luck Ace!

and, yes i do enjoy these blog "chats" we have. its almost like i we're really talking. i miss your face, and speaking of "our" face, yes you would look awesome with bangs. i do think they're a pretty rad change, but also think it might be tough in HI cause its so humid...they might bug. but sweepy bags would be cool! i hear ya about the long hair...i'm sure i'll go back to it in a few months, and then cut it again. okay, longest comment ever. love you!

mahina said...

i have the same thing going on! i had to skip dairy and chocolate with nani and kawena b/c it made then super fussy and uncomfortable. now, with the twins one of them has the same problem with dairy. so i am of the dairy, but there is something that i am eating that makes them spit up more and i mean LOTS more! i can't figure out if it is tomatoes or onions or what! it is so hard to know! i feel your pain! poor baby girl, though! hope you find the culprit soon and can clear up her skin!

heidi said...

kids + rashes=major frustration and unknowns
I feel you. Pray about it--nobody else knows better than the Big Guy.

Stephanie said...

jelly bean diet it is!!!!! that's awesome.

but poor lola and poor you!!! i didn't dairy for four months for poor amby and then one day it just wasn't an issue anymore, but his was more of a colic issue. but still, eating a super plain diet in hopes that it will cause your baby less pain is tricky so i feel you. i hope you can figure out something that brings you both peace! good luck!

The Trotter Family said...

Have you thought about keeping a food journal? I know with three kids that is the last thing you have time to do, but if you can figure out what is causing this, then why not? The hard part is trying to figure out how long it takes the food you eat to process and get to her and then how long it takes her body to break out. On the bright side, eczema is probably the mildest of allergic reactions. Thank goodness she doesn't have a full blown allergy!

Missy said...

answer: eat jelly beans for breakfast lunch and dinner. and dessert!

that stinks ash, I'm so sorry. hoping breast continues to be best (it is!) and beats those itchies for Lola.

Smiths said...

You can put diets and limiting my eating on my list of hates. Good luck. Hope you get this on lock soon.

liko said...

ok, well, i think she should get an allergy test. my nephew was having really bad eczema flare-ups and so they had him tested. come to find out he's allergic to eggs, dairy, gluten AND nuts. poor kid. my sister breast-fed and she modified her diet. his eczema cleared up and now he's eating only solid foods now (he'll be 2 tomorrow) but the bugger is a great eater and thick, all from healthy foods. it's totally doable especially considering how healthy you are to begin with. i know he drinks lots of soymilk, LOVES fruits, and eats tofu. it's only sad when he sees everyone else eating a cookie or cake and can't have any :-( hope you figure it out soon!

Melissa said...

oh bummer! I hope it's getting figured out!? have you had any new discoveries, on what it is that is bugging her?