Cheddar Cheese

I planned a special trip to take Scarlett to see Cinderella in the movie theater.  She was so excited - all the way to the ticket counter where we learned it was sold out.  Bummer!  Her little eyes were glistening as I explained that there were no more tickets left and we would have to try another day.  I felt for my little 4 year old as we walked to the car.  I called Jake (who was home with napping twirls) to vent my frustrations for not buying tickets beforehand.  He suggested that we go do something else fun.  Duh.  Why didn't I think of that?  

So I took Scarlett to Chuck E Cheese.  She's only been in Utah (and that was like 2 years ago) so she had no idea what was in store for her.  For less money than the movie would have cost she had 2 hours of pure joy!

I ordered a churro while she played on this playset.  The waitress brought me out 2 short little churros and dipping sauce.  She said that they accidentally dropped my 3rd churro so they were frying up another one for me.  I told her that 2 was fine, but she came back with another basket full of 3 hot churros!  I was sugared out.  I should have just stopped eating - but they were free churros!  How was I supposed to say no to that?

We got home and Scarlett told Jake all about her adventure at "Cheddar Cheese" haha!  I found out that Jake has never been (at least not that he can remember!)  I think we'll have to bring the whole family for FHE in the near future!

Anaphylaxis (Again)

Yesterday (Monday) around 5 am I woke up cause my stomach was really hurting.  I ran to the bathroom cause I felt like I was going to have #3 potty issues (think #2, but worse).  Within 10 minutes I had: swollen eyes, rapid onset asthma attack, hives on my thighs, bright red skin on my torso and face, burning red ears, itchiness mostly on my chest, runny nose, cramps in my lower abdomen, more #3 issues, and sinus congestion.  I knew that I was going into Anaphylaxis.  I quickly took a Benadryl and a Zantac (H1 & H2 histamine blockers).  I grabbed my inhaler and sat back on the potty (yes, TMI, I know).  I could tell that the reaction was getting worse, so I tried waking Jake up by yelling his name.  I realized that it wasn't working, so I started banging on the wall (since it's a new sound I figured it would alert his subconscious to wake up).  It worked!  He came in and gave me more Benadryl.  I told him that if I didn't turn the corner in the next 2 min I would have to do my epi pen (and then go to the ER).  Luckily my first dose of Benadryl started kicking in and my inhaler helped my breathing.  In fact, I didn't even have to do my nebulizer like I was planning on.  And within the next half hour my body calmed down and I was able to sleep (the Benadryl probably helped with that too!)  (This photo was taken after things calmed down, so my eyes weren't really swollen anymore and my skin was starting to turn back normal, but you get the idea...)

Jake used one of his personal days to stay home and take care of me.  He had to take Scarlett to her 4 yr physical and immunizations that morning.  He brought the twirls into our room, turned on a show, and gave them chocolate milks to drink.  I remember they kept putting toys on me and climbing on me.  I finally woke up when they started spraying me with a squirt bottle!  haha!  Stinkers!

Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction of rapid onset affecting many body systems.  The most common areas affected include: skin, respiratory, gastrointestinal, heart and vasculature, and central nervous system - with usually two or more being involved.  Since I have been married I've been in Anaphylaxis 3 times.  The first time was right after Scarlett was born and I woke up in the middle of the night having a reaction.  The second time was two months ago right after eating dinner (I don't think I realized what it was at the time cause it wasn't as severe as the first).  And the third time was yesterday.

I was able to get into my allergist Monday afternoon.  Since Jake was home I was able to go alone.  The allergist told me that I probably should have used my epi pen.  I told him I didn't want to have to wake the kids up to go to the ER.  I know it sounds so silly now, but that's really what I was thinking at the time.  He explained that anaphylaxis can cause drops in blood pressure and other scary things as the reaction progresses.  He advised me to use 4 tsp of liquid/children's benadryl cause it works much faster than the tablets.  He also gave me a prescription for liquid prednisone.  He said that I should take these, but if I feel like it's not helping I need to do my epi pen then call 911.  Don't wait for Jake to load the kids up, just get help.  The sooner you can stop a reaction the less severe it will be and the easier it will be to recover from it.

He told me I should be wearing a medical bracelet all the time that says "Severe Asthma & Anaphylaxis."  I used to have one and I keep meaning to buy a new one, I guess I should get on that.

So... what would cause me to wake up 7 hours after eating and have an anaphylaxis reaction?  Good question.  The first time it happened after Scarlett was born we decided that it was most likely due to NSAIDs, but I haven't taken them since.  So they are not a factor here.  I asked the allergist (hopefully) if I would be able to take them again, since they may not be the original cause like we thought.  He said no.  NSAIDs might not have caused my reaction, but they make anaphylaxis more severe.  That's probably why I looked like that scene from Hitch.  Darn it!

Was it food?  Probably not.  Most food reactions occur with 4 hours of ingestion.  But there is a rare mammalian protein allergy that takes longer to present itself that he wants to test.  It could be an auto-immune disease, mastocytosis, thyroid, temperature, stress, and a bunch of other frightening things... Scarlett thinks I'm "allergic to green grapes for like ten years."  haha!  But in about 32–50% of all anaphylaxis cases the root cause is never found - it's referred to as "idiopathic anaphylaxis."

Idiopathic Anaphylaxis!!!  That's so scary!  I hope that we can find a cause for these reactions!  To begin figuring it out we need to test for everything.  Dr. Song grabbed a lab script and while we were talking he just kept circling different things.  Most of the tests I was able to do right after my appointment.   I have to do some follow up blood work in a month, but only a few of them.  I went down the hall to the blood place.  The phlebotomist took me back to the room and said "ok honey, I'm so sorry, I have to do 13 vials on you today."  She made me drink some orange juice and she used a heat pad to bring the veins up to the surface.  I have tiny veins and she kept going back and forth between my arms trying to find a place to poke me that looked like it could handle all 13 vials without clotting the tiny butterfly needle or collapsing the vein.  I finally told her to just use the vein on the side of my wrist.  I know that it's more painful, but that's often the best place to poke me.  Luckily it lasted all 13 and I didn't have to sacrifice another vein.  I felt fine after (thankfully I've been taking iron the past few months!)

And now we wait.  Some of the tests are quick.  Some are unique and have to be shipped out of state.  It will probably be expensive and inconclusive.  But hopefully in learning what did NOT cause the reaction we can narrow down possible triggers and hopefully avoid future problems.  Statistically though, it will happen again.  And again.  The more anaphylactic reactions you have, the more likely you are to have them again. ;'(

I am so frustrated!!!  I'm very careful.  I am very mindful of the food I eat, the medications I take, the environments I'm in, the way my body is handling life (stress, allergens, etc).  Very. Careful.  I think sometimes I'm being overly cautious.  But this still happened.  And I don't know why.  I'm grateful that I never had a reaction when Jake was in Chicago or while I was on a plane or something like that... but still...  I'm scared of my own body.  When I was looking in the mirror after my reaction was settling down, I felt like I didn't know my own body and I couldn't trust it anymore.  I can't explain the feeling.  I usually feel so aware of my body and so connected with my skin but now it's like I'm a stranger to myself.  

I'll keep being careful while we wait for results.  Mostly though, I'm just going to try and forget about it so I can fall asleep without this looming fear.  If you have a second tonight, please pray that we can find a cause and get me out of this "idopathic" nightmare.

My Little Puppies Have a New Leash on Life

Despite my severe animal allergy we decided to welcome three little puppies to our home.  We love our little puppies - even though they're not house-trained, they make loud noises in the middle of the night, and they still need obedience lessons.  They bring us a lot of joy.

My puppies like to eat whatever food scraps they can find....

 

This video shows when Scarlett decided to feed her animals.  Sometimes she tells me that she's "training them" haha!

My puppies like lapping water.

My puppies like to go on walks.

We keep our puppies on a short leash.  Lately there have been many times when the twirls have run in opposite directions away from me.  It's frustrating when we're inside but it's frightening when we're outside.  They're so fast!!!  I never thought I would be a parent who leashed her kids, but it was the only way I could figure out how to take them outside.  When we first opened the Amazon package with their new Skip Hop backpacks they immediately loved them.  They grabbed them and kissed them!!!

My puppies get so excited when I open the closet and pull out their backpacks and leashes!  They love being outside.  Plus I think they like their arms free instead of me yanking on their hands to keep them next to me.

My puppies like to stop and stare at real doggies.  Scarlett's pretty good at barking.  The other day our friend Jordan asked if we had a dog in the house - it was just Scarlett!  haha!

My puppies like to walk on all fours, but mostly on their hind legs.

This video show my littlest puppies crawling while Scarlett performed her new skipping skills:

We upgraded the leashes to legit retractable dog leashes so they can run in a 16' radius around me.  I clipped them both on a huge carabiner so I can hold them with one hand.  We look pretty ridiculous.  But we have lots of fun outside now!  They like to explore the ponds by our house.  The other day both twirls were just enamoured with the moon.  It was a crescent high in the sky and they had to stop every few steps to point and talk to it then wave "bye bye" before taking a few more steps and repeating the whole process.  For like 15 min.  I think it was the first time that they noticed the real moon - not just a picture in their books.

This video is when the twirls learned a new trick:

We love our little puppies!

March: In like a lion, out like a smaller lion

March began with an ice storm.  I was sitting in the kitchen and heard a light "click click click" sound.  I started walking around trying to figure out what is was.  I finally realized it was the sound of the freezing rain hitting our windows.  It was beautiful.  It looked like the sky was filled with glitter.  Sparkles everywhere!  It turned the top layer of the snow into a smooth sheet of ice.  Seriously majestic looking.  I was driving and thought to myself: "I am going to get into a car accident cause I keep staring at the snow instead of the road!"  These pictures don't do it justice.

Luckily it was a bit warmer so the girls enjoyed playing outside.  

Scarlett calls this dog on her scarf a "chilala" [chihuahua] Why? "Cause it's a small puppy." And I can't correct her cause I really only know two breeds of dogs: dogs I'm allergic to and cartoon dogs.

The twirls are in a new phase where they are testing their limits.  But what's unique is they are testing to see if the same limits apply to them as their twin.  For example: if Jaide hits Scarlett I'll say "Jaide!  No hitting Scarlett!  That's a bad choice.  Now we have to go to time-out."  Then while we are sitting in time-out (I say "we" cause I have to sit there and hold her in place) Siena will go over to Scarlett and hit her just like Jaide did.  What stinkers!  They want to see if the same rules apply to them.  Often they are in time-out together.  Here I found them ripping Scarlett's Rainbow from her bday party.  Luckily Scarlett thought it was funny and went and joined them.

Indoor kite flying.  We also spend a lot of our day fish-gazing.  Poor Rainbow Dash probably has high blood pressure from all the little fingers touching her tank all day.

Grocery shopping only really works at Target and Sam's Club.  And only if I buy food.  And only if they are rested.  And only if my cart is empty.  Once we have a full cart I usually end up waiting in line for 90 min while they scream (I doubt it's 90 min, but that's what it feels like).

The twirls love playing with Scarlett's bday presents.  She's sweet and likes to share (most of the time).  Jaide got to try on her goggles.  And they LOVE the lite brite.

Jake and I had to get our blood drawn for our insurance's annual physical.  We were waiting at the blood place for THREE HOURS.  The girls were champs.  We took them to Burger King after.

The girls love any opportunity they can get to sit on mom.  Seriously?!?  Haha!

But they also like to climb on dad - especially while he's trying to work out.

I found Jake "playing" with Scarlett in her tent.  He was sound asleep!

My girls love to play with Scarlett's fake makeup.  I had to take away the lip gloss thought cause they just sit and eat it.

One time when we were driving Scarlett asked me "Mom, is nothing that starts with the letter P can be outside?"  Confused at this random question, I told her there are many things that start with P: poles, pine trees, parks, etc.  She was quiet for a minute then pointed outside and said "But look at the sign with the red line through the letter P."  Oh my goodness!  She's so observant.  The street we were on had these "No Parking" signs every 20 feet or so.  I love her little mind and how she's always trying to figure stuff out.

Scarlett and Lyla playing doctor.  And then decorating cookies with left over rainbow frosting.

On our way inside the church for playgroup.

More funny Scarlett quotes:

• "Mom I will find the trash can, cause Scarletts are excellent finders."
• I walked in the bathroom to wipe Scarlett's bum one morning.  I was still in my underwear and had my bite guard in my mouth and very groggy.  I opened the door and *whack* something soft smacked my head.  I opened my eyes and saw Scarlett's pull up from the night before landing on the ground while Scarlett yelled "ha! nailed ya!"  haha!  Not the ideal way to start the day.  Thank goodness she usually doesn't pee in them!
• I asked Scarlett who her best friend is - that's a kid (cause otherwise she would answer "Aunt Jami").  She told me "umm, it's Kaylie *sideways glance to the twirls with a little shoulder shrug* and these twins."
• "Mom, I'm not tall as you... cause my legs are closer to my bum."

Siena and Siena just hanging out in the hallway.

Finally the snow melted and the sun started to shine. It was 44 deg outside and Scarlett asked "Is it summer now?" That's our little Michigander!

Even though March was still cold, the girls - all three - would throw HUGE tantrums when we finally dragged them back inside the house.  Hysterical crying like we were physically torturing them.  Ugh.  I know that the more often we play outside the crying will get less, but the tantrums make me want to keep them locked in the house all day.  It's a vicious cycle.  Finally I decided to only take them outside when Jake was going to be home in time to help me corral them up to the shower where they could cry their eyes out until they were distracted by their bath toys.  It's getting better, but still some days ... ugh.  Poor little girls just want some fresh air!

Some random thoughts/stories from the month of March:

If I say "I'm allergic to all type of nuts."  I've had - several times - someone ask "Are you allergic to tree nuts AND peanuts?  Cause Peanuts are not really a nut, you know.  They are a legume."  Umm, thanks.  What would I do without you?  Now that I know the proper classification of a peanut I'm magically healed from my allergy!  Thank you!  Ok, I'm not always that sassy (out loud) but don't you think that the girl living with the life-threatening reactions would know this information?  Nutheads. ;-)

I made enchiladas for dinner one night.  I was packing the leftovers into small tupperwares for Jake to take to work that week.  While I was dishing them up I asked him sincerely "Do you want the whole enchilada?" haha I heard it after I said it!

I was sitting next to a friend in RS.  She said her tummy wasn't feeling well.  I reached in my purse, opened my pill organizer and pulled out 2 chewable pepto tabs.  She couldn't open them, so I reached back in my purse and pulled out my pocket knife scissors.  She looked at me and asked "What else is in there!?!"  haha!  A few weeks later she told me that I inspired her to go through her purse and stock up on supplies.  Got to be prepared!  :-)

Jake spoke in Sacrament Meeting one Sunday.  He did a fantastic job.  At the beginning of his talk he very briefly introduced our family.  I was in the back wrestling our girls and trying to listen (thank goodness Abby and Gina were sitting with me!)  Jake gestured to me and said "My wife is the one with the funky hair."  I felt like a million faces turned around to look at me.  The rest of that day all sorts of people kept commenting on my "funky hair" and how they liked it (maybe they were just being nice but I'll take it!)  I told Jake he made me a ward celebrity that day!  But Jake really did a great job.  He told a story about how he was dirt biking in Moab and he and my dad went off the trail.  Then Jake's bike wouldn't start and they were stranded in the hot sun for hours.  He talked about we can't leave the marked trail to find an easier path in life.  While he was talking, all the girls at different times pointed to him and yelled "dad dad dad dad!!!"  They sure do love their dad!

And finally, I was talking with my friend Ashley.  She was a teacher and she was telling me a story about some of her fellow teachers who were inappropriate with their students in different ways and how she was always sooo stressed to be very professional in her relationships with her students.  I told her that I had a Junior High teacher who left me a very personal and (I feel) inappropriate note in my yearbook.  I started off that school year really liking him as a teacher.  I probably acted flirty (I was 14 and liked to joke around).  But during the year he started flirting back.  By the end of the year I hated him.  I really got a gross feeling around him and I didn't appreciate the way he was acting to me.  I was just a kid for goodness sake!  Ashley wanted to see the note.  I haven't looked at it in years.  I had never told Jake this story (I didn't really remember it til Ashley and I were chatting that day).  I read it to Jake and he asked if I told the principal.  I remember showing this to my mom but I don't remember what ever came of it.  I think I was too embarrassed to show it to anyone else.  I heard though that years later he got into trouble with the law and got fired from the school.  I don't know, maybe I am overreacting... here's the letter if you're curious and want to read it.  I blurred out some of his personal information...