Update: Need prayers, toy/activity advice for hospital stay. Good allergy update

[ilovetivo]

Update: Got the toys (huge list below), now I need the prayers. TIA! The nerves are setting in.

Time sensitive, please don't move thread. We have a 10 hour in hospital food challenge on 10/22. Need toy/activity ideas for 3 year old, please! (she'll be 3 in a couple months)

We had Zoey's annual allergy appt yesterday. We combined it with the Chicago Children's Memorial FA study, so the appt was 3 1/2 hrs total. She did great emotionally and physically!! Cried in the car on the way, but not a drop at the appointment until the blood draw at the end.

All her skin tests were negative except dairy, which was a small positive. The negatives were fish mix, peanut, almond, black walnut, filbert/hazelnut, flaxseed, sesame seed, ragweed, mold, & dust mites.

So we can trial at home, seeds/flax and fish (since those have never had positive tests and no previous reactions). We can also stop avoiding cross contamination (shared lines, shared facility, may contain) with peanuts and nuts. We'll start on all those after we settle the dairy issue, 1 at a time of course. Woo hoo!

We got our RAST back today for dairy. It was .55 (1.26 last year). We can now do our in-hospital dairy allergy and FPIES (Food Protein Enduced Enterocolitis) food challenge on Oct 22 !!! I'm thrilled and so scared! If you have prayers to spare, can you include dd in them?

We need to be there and ready to start at 10 am. The doc said to expect to be there until 8pm. She can only eat 1/2 of her breakfast at home. She'll need and IV in place before we start the challengs (because FPIES results in non-stop vomiting, and EpiPens wouldn't work).

How do I keep her happy and occupied? What toys/activities should I bring? I have Wikki Stix, Hidden Pictures sticker books, Whiffy Bean Bag (like Find It), Brain Quest, movies, play dough, books. What would be really cool to show her the first time?

Thanks for your prayers, thoughts and advice!

eta: Whiffy toy and title typo

[Jen841]

My kids just got those water marker sets as a gift. They love them.

With our two a package of markers and papers could take care of them for hours. They also love looking at pictures... my guess is you have 3 years of pictures you could look at.

I hope all goes well. Treat Mom and Dad to a Potbelly sandwich across the street if you can.

[LarsMal]

Wow! What great news! You must feel so relieved to not have to worry about cross contamination now. Zoey's results give me hope that Landon will get there someday, too!

Good luck with the hospital testing. One thing that keeps Landon occupied for a long time is the Doodle Pro. We draw letters and numbers as well as pictures on it. It has kept him occupied at many doctor's visits.

Keep us posted on her results. I'll keep my fingers crossed that all goes well.

[ilovetivo]

good idea w/ the pictures! We can make it into a dvd. It also made me think about putting her home movies on dvd. Funny i didn't think abt it. That's dh's business - making special home movies w/ peoples existing movies, film and pics.

thanks!

[ilovetivo]

Thanks! We we can't not worry abt xcont until she passes the xcont home challenge, as well as the fish and seeds home challenges :) I'm not sure about shellfish though, since we won't be intro-ing that yet.

The peanut, tree nut, fish, shellfish, seeds have all be strict avoidance. She hasn't had positive tests or clear cut reactions before to those. (well she did have positive fish mix skin at 11 months, but 1st allergist tested her too early for that). She did have mysterious reactions i assumed was pn/tn cross contamination because of new manufacturing processes etc. It still could have been and she grew out of it. I'm hoping it's not the case where people pass the skin and blood tests but still fail the challenges (which happens unfortunately).

Thanks for the doodle pro idea!

[LarsMal]

I forgot to mention it's a mini one. It fits right in my diaper bag so it travels really well.

Good luck!

Oh...did you happen to find out from your allergist if there are any new studies/findings on *when* to intro peanuts to an FA kid (w/o pn/tn allergies)? Just curious!

[tiapam]

If she is anything like DD she would probably love Candyland. DH and I are sick of it after just one week. I took out the single color cards to make the game go faster but DD still manages to slow it down. Try to get the old fashioned version. The newfangled one we have (not Dora) has illustrations that kind of creep me out. I have seen a classic edition in a tin box.

This sounds like an endurance test for all of you. Good luck!

-Pam

DD - 3 YO

[ilovetivo]

oh, we have one of those :)

Yes, i did ask about what the new info is on when to reintroduce pn/tn, 3 or 5. And she said there's no new info.

[Tondi G]

Color wonder markers, finger paint etc. It is great stuff and you won't have to worry about her making a mess!

How about a Memory game... ya know the cards you flip over and try to make matches! Or Hi Ho Cherry-O

maybe a baby doll she can get wet. She can give the baby a bath etc. Corolle makes one called Tidoo that seems to get good reviews... might be worth checking out!

Is she interrested in puzzles yet? I am thinking YOU would do a lot of the puzzle but it's always fun to watch and see the picture come together. My older DS loved watching me put them together and helping here and there and always clapped when we were done and then wanted to rip it all up and start over! Sure killed time for us though!

do you have a leappad?

[randomkid]

Do you have a play doctor's kit? I always take ours with us when DD goes to the doctor. Having her play with the instruments in her kit seems to put her a little more at ease when we are there.

I second the Doodle Pro. We have a generic brand, but works just as well and that keeps DD occupied quite a bit when we have to wait. She tells us what to draw (and we do our best) and she likes for us to trace her hand, then her foot, etc.

You already have other things I thought of or somebody else already suggested it. I think you have a lot of good things in your arsenal :-)

Good luck and hope all goes well. Sending a prayer and hugs to you and your DD.

[ilovetivo]

Thanks Pam, Tondi and Kim -

We have a dr's kit, doodle pro (got the big one just now), memory game, color wonders and puzzles. Good ideas.

Pam - i looked at Candyland (they have a new classic version in a book like box) but didn't get it. Supposedly SIL has one for us, but we dont' want to ask b/c we don't want dh's family to know about the test until after it.

This is what i'm bringing now:
- tissue paper art http://www.alextoys.us/catalog/productdetail.asp?t_dept_id=1000&dept_id=1003&pfid=521W&large_image=1000_large.gif&small_image=1000_small.gif&tiny_image=1000_tiny.gif
- mosaic magnet set
- magnet cinderella board (like colorforms)
- abby cadabby doll - for before the iv (like in the car when we tell her where we're going)
- backyardigan circus figures
-wikki stix
-hidden pictures stickers books
- fisher price camera (updated and great price of $49 at target) for as soon as the iv's in
- fairy princess fabric tiara/head dress circle thing
- mood ring
- Parents pop beads http://www.amazon.com/Parents-Pop-Beads-Snap/dp/B000UEJ8XG
- doodle pro
- whiffy see it bean bag (i had them make a larger one) http://whiffybeanbags.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=91&products_id=206&zenid=57c286415bf597b28da89028c17bd08d
- lauri puzzles
- cards
- post its
- paper strips and glue stick (they sell them but i'm making my own) for chain links
- movies,
- computer (to play them)
- home movies of zoey and iphoto slide show of her
- small aquadoodles
- color wonder book and pens
- brain quest
- her lovies (stuffed animals in her crib)
- coloring book/crayons
- Namits
- tool kit that she loves
- maybe the dr kit

i think that's all in the toy/activity department

Less than 3 days now and I'm getting nervous!

[tiapam]

It sounds like you are well prepared. Don't forget a giant suitcase for all those toys! We'll be thinking of you and hoping for a good outcome.

-Pam

DD - 3 YO

[Corie]

I'm not sure how I missed your thread!!

What a huge day! Good Luck on Monday! I'll be thinking
of you guys.

[ett]

That's a great list! Thinking of you here and hoping for good results.

[jamsmu]

Just came over to wish you and Z well, Julie!! Thinking of you all weekend.

J

[ilovetivo]

:( I don't understand why this got moved. I even asked that it not be moved. It's the prayers that i really need. Yes there's info on activities and toys for hospital stuff, but i was needing prayers. In my last update at the top and in the title), i said I have the toys now, and now really need the prayers.

thank you to everyone that sent us the prayers and good thoughts!

ETA: How many times can i say "prayers" in a post :)

[ilovetivo]

totally! a couple suitcases :)

[andie16]

I will be thinking of you and Zoey. I hope everything goes well at your appointment.

[ilovetivo]

We had a failed challenge. more later