Being ir-rash-ional

I am definitely a first time parent. Every little sneeze, rash, bump or weird fart makes me worry. I call the pediatrician to make sure everything is ok. When the boys had their 2 month well visit, the doc didn't think there was anything to worry about with regards to Sam's red rash, which he diagnosed as infant ezcema, related to cradle cap.

I was not happy with the fact that there wasn't anything I could do. I researched infant eczema and found that it could be an indicator of allergies. I have bad food and environment allergies. I was tested and found to be allergic to every tree, weed and grass there is. I am allergic to walnuts and coconut. I have oral allergies to melons and cucumbers, which give me itchy throat. I had such a reaction with black walnut that I went to the emergency room. I was swelling up and my airway was closing up enough to where I was intubated. That is the most severe reaction I have ever had and thank goodness it only happened once.

With Sam's eye swelling up two separate days and his eczema, I was really worried that he had developed some sort of allergy and I definitely did not want him to have severe allergic reactions like his mama. I took Sam to a pediatric allergist yesterday and I am back to where I started.

Basically, Sam is too young to really have developed allergies. There are common foods that can cause atopic dermatitis (eczema) such as milk, eggs, wheat and soy. About 1/3 of patients with infant eczema are caused by allergies. As for the nasal congestion and gurgly noises, Dr. Tamboli said it was all part of gut maturation. The eye is a sensitive area and Sam's eye swelling could have been caused by a scratch or sleeping on his face on itchy fabric.

I do feel better about Sam's condition. We have to keep an eye on him in case he truly has an allergic reaction to foods. To help control the eczema, I will need to wash him twice a day with a warm, damp towel and then use Aquaphor to keep his skin moisturized. Aquaphor is suped up Vaseline so Sam looks like a grease monkey.

I took Sam to get some blood drawn to test for those common foods and cats. Hopefully, the results will allow me to remove those items from my diet and his diet that are irritating Sam. Seeing him get stuck with that big needle and having almost all his blood removed from his body was heart wrenching. His blood curdling screams didn't help matters either.

Getting Things Done With Baby

3/25/09 - 1 month, 1 week and 1 day old

It has been a rough few weeks for me. The boys are still congested but the cool mist humidifier seems to help. We keep it running all day. You would think we would have the softest, most moisturized skin but that hasn't happened.

We are becoming pros at the S&S move to clear their nasal passages. The saline and suction to get the boogies out is a workout in itself. When an infant has a dried boogie, it takes alot of tries with that blue bulb to extricate the offending blockage. And babies don't like it. At all. Don't waste money on any other kind of bulb, they all stink compared to the one you get from the hospital.

The boy's pediatrician informed me of supplemental newborn screening provided by Baylor. It is not covered by insurance but the cost is $35 per test. My mom and I took the babies to get blood drawn Monday. Even though their standard newborn screen came back with no issues, this is such a minimal charge that I decided to do it for my peace of mind.

I have been dealing with a horrible, itchy, red, splotchy rash. It started on my stomach above my incision. Rod, MD said it itching and red because it was healing. It started spreading to my chest, legs and arms. I did some research online and thought it was either a bacterial or fungal (yeast) infection. I did not know yeast infections were anywhere other than in your 'special purpose." I saw my GP and OB and they each prescribed different topical steroid creams that were ok to use while breastfeeding. I still have not pushed the actual breast feeding on the boys because of the rash, I certainly don't want to spread it to their delicate. I even use gloves when handling the boy's diaper changes and there is no skin to skin contact. I don't know how contagious this rash is. I worry that the breast milk may even be no good and may have to pump and dump.

I interviewed a lady for a nanny position and she said it might be PUPPP. It is exactly what I have been suffering from. It is a rash that can appear around the 35th week of pregnancy, can last up to 6 weeks and resolve 1-2 weeks after delivery. It is common among women with twins and first pregnancies. It says male fetal DNA may be a skin irritant since 70% of women with PUPPP give birth to boys. Well I delivered at 34 weeks with double the male DNA and I have had this rash for 2 weeks. Apparently I am that rare case where it erupts after delivery. I am glad that it poses no risk to mom and baby but my skin is constantly on fire and I cannot scratch. Oh how I want to scratch. And scratch. And scratch. I will be seeing a dermatologist Thursday so hopefully I can start getting some relief.

I am not sleeping as much as I should. Between all the doctors visits, the dealing with the rash, fining childcare and all the things that need to get done in the house, I just cannot sleep. I found this How to Get Things Done When You Have a Baby: The Practical Parent’s Guide. My mom has been a big help with the babies. She is trying to break me of the habit of holding them so much so they don't "expect" it every time they cry. Tough love isn't called tough for nuthin.

Updated pics: March 09

Pour some sugar in me

10/30/08 - 18w2d

I did a 3 hour glucose tolerance test Wednesday. My appointment was in the morning so no food after midnight. To keep myself from starving the next day during the whole test, I had my first dinner at 6:30 and my second dinner at 11:00. It may seem like a lot but I am always hungry and seen to always be eating.

I had to drink the glucola concoction in three minutes. I have had the 1 hour glucose test so I knew how it would taste. When you first take a sip of it, it tastes like a super sweet Sunkist soft drink. And it's really good. Until you look at the clock and realize you have only had 1/4 of the drink and only 1 minute left to finish it. Then it becomes the most vile thing you will ever drink. This is especially true when the stuff sits in your very empty stomach and you cannot eat or drink until the 3 hours are up.

It took every ounce of self control not to throw it all up. Once it comes up you have to go home and schedule it for another day. I did good though. I kept the juice down and even refrained from punching the phlebotomist every time she jabbed my veins to draw blood. She butchered my arms all four times and made me look like a drug addict.

I should get my results in a few days. So here's hoping I don't have gestational diabetes.

The Pressure of High Blood Pressure

05/20/08

The screening process to participate in the study was difficult. I was asked general health questions such as age, weight, recreational habits (drinking, smoking) and any known fertility issues. I passed that and was so excited.

When I went back to the clinic for my blood draw, my blood pressure seemed to be higher than normal. I have not had hypertension before so I attributed the elevated pressure to the stress of driving to the clinic which is about 45 minutes from my house. Waiting in the waiting area also gets me stressed. They seemed to accept that answer. However, the next time I went in for a checkup, my bp was still high.

I saw my family doctor to get on BP meds. She gave me Methyldopa (Aldomet) at a very low dose since I did not have a history of hypertension. I also bought a battery operated BP monitor to check myself at home.

I still seemed to have high blood pressure when I went back to the clinic. They had me lie on my left side for a few minutes to see if it would go down. Nothing doing. At this point I was crying. I was so upset because if I didn't have normal BP, I would be removed from the study. (I think that is the main cause of my elevated pressure, not wanting to get kicked off the island so to speak) The study nurse finally said I needed to try Wellbutrin (for anxiety) and Labetalol (another BP med used during pregnancy)

I decided against Wellbutrin but started taking Labetalol. I was also ordered to see a cardiologist and get an ECG and stress test. Let's just say the treadmill on an incline thing is tough stuff. After all that, I finally got my blood pressure under control. It was nerve wracking going through the tests and taking additional medication but being able to get the BP under control and move forward in the study was such a relief.