Friday, September 5, 2014

Closing Out The Summer

Each summer seems to go more quickly than the last.  It's hard to believe those of us here in the northeast will be pulling out our parkas and snow boots in just about a month and a half.

Our summer was busy.  We spent time in Michigan with family in late June and then in early August our Michigan family visited us here and we spent a week at a cottage on the beach.  Jack loved it! He ran in the sand, jumped in and out of the ocean and slept well to the sound of the waves crashing on the shoreline.

There was little food trialling this summer as we seemed to go from seasonal allergies into an upper respiratory infection to vacation then hand, foot and mouth disease to another vacation.  We were all set to restart out organic grape trial this week when he ended up with a terrible bum rash and sleepless nights, the first signs he's been "corned."  We have no idea what he got.  He's been in feeding therapy all summer which is awesome, he's made wonderful progress, however, he will now pick things up off the floor and eat them which he wasn't doing before.  He seems to prefer, lint and dust bunnies, ugh! As careful as we are though with the foods that Sean is eating, it is quite possible Jack got a Cheerio or something of the like.  Overall this would be considered a mild reaction, but a reaction nonetheless. So now we wait for his symptoms to disappear before trialing a new food.  It has to be a "clean" trial so we know if the new food is a true pass or fail. Oh the joys of FPIES...sigh.

In exciting autumn news, our family is participating in the FARE Walk on Sunday October 15, 2014 to support the Food Allergy Resource Exchange and we are on Team FPIES! There are 15 Million reasons to walk in the FARE Walk and Jackson is ours. We are all committed to finding a cure for FPIES and so many other life threatening allergies that our children (and adults) face. Please consider making a tax deductible donation in honor or in support of our beautiful boy.  Please see the information below and use that link (or copy and paste into your browser) to Jack's fund raising page and make that ever important and deeply appreciated financial contribution to our efforts to find a cure for FPIES! Thank you so much and Jack especially thanks you from the bottom of his heart. *:x lovestruck
 
Welcome! Thank you for supporting the FARE Walk for Food Allergies.

FPIES - "Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) is a type of food allergy affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Classic symptoms of FPIES include profound vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. These symptoms can lead to severe lethargy, change in body temperature and blood pressure. Unlike typical food allergies, symptoms may not be immediate and do not show up on standard allergy tests. Furthermore, the negative allergy evaluation may delay the diagnosis and take the focus off the causative food. Nonetheless, FPIES can present with severe symptoms following ingestion of a food trigger." Written in collaboration by: The FPIES Foundation Board of Directors and Medical Advisory Board

Food allergy is a life-altering and potentially life-threatening disease that sends someone to the emergency room every 3 minutes. With 15 million Americans affected, there are 15 million reasons to support this important cause.

Please join me in my efforts to create a safer world for those living with food allergies and to find a cure. I am participating in the 2014 FARE Walk for Food Allergies to help raise critical funds and awareness.

I need your support. You can join my team or make a donation to support my team, The FPIES Foundation team.

• To make a donation to my team, click the GIVE NOW button on the top right.

• To join my team, click the JOIN MY TEAM button at the top of the page.

By making a donation on my behalf, you will be helping FARE to fund food allergy education programs, advocacy and awareness initiatives, and world-class research.

It's time to Say FAREwell to Food Allergies, especially FPIES!

Thank you,
Kate, Heather, Jackson and Sean - See more at: http://www.foodallergywalk.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=1102230&lis=1&kntae1102230=E9C2A997AF0046629D09532EE697073B&supId=410271346#sthash.GPhG38x8.HVSv0XLp.dpuf