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Janeen
  • 39, Female
  • United States
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WEGO Health webinar tomorrow: Join us

Join us on Wednesday, November 4th for an exclusive, Health Activist-only event: "When to See a Reproductive Endocrinologist: 7 Key Factors".

Our speaker, Dr. Glenn Schatmman of Cornell University, is one of the country's leading reproductive endocrinologists.

Health Activist participants will gain:
  • Valuable insight to help women online to make informed decisions
  • In-depth medical updates - usually reserved for physicians - about the factors that all TTC women should consider
  • Exclusive direct access to Dr. Schattman during our live Q&A session
This event is free and made possible by one of WEGO Health's sponsors.

We'll be offering this one-hour webinar at four different times on Wednesday, November 4th: Noon, 4PM, 6PM and 9PM (please note: all times are Eastern Standard Time)

Earn $5 for RESOLVE:
WEGO Health is always looking to improve the quality of our Health Activist events. To help us incorporate your ideas and feedback into later programs, WEGO Health will invite all webinar attendees to participate in a brief follow-up survey.

For every attendee who completes this short survey, WEGO Health will make a $5 donation to RESOLVE: The National Infertility Association. Your time helps us learn where we can improve and helps RESOLVE reach more families coping with infertility.

To receive your invite to this exclusive event, please complete this brief survey: Fertility Webinar Survey.

A member of the WEGO Health team will email you if you qualify for this event.

Please contact us at community@wegohealth.com if you have any questions about attending "When to See a Reproductive Endocrinologist: 7 Key Factors".

A quick update

I took the Little Man to the pediatrician today. He woke up screaming last night because his throat hurt and he had hives on his hand again:(
They did a strep test and he's positive. And as they put it, "He's not a little positive, it came back full blown".

I asked that ER doc on Saturday to do a strep test and he said "Nope, no need to. He's fine". This was after a 2 second peek in his throat. Now I wish I would have demanded one. He could have been on antibiotics for 24 hours already.

The pediatrician said her first thought on the hives is that they were caused by the strep. That was my first thought when it happened (viral hives)because he hadn't been feeling well but he did eat the candy and then they just appeared. Also, he was sneezing more and lots and lots of "stuff" was coming out of his nose that wasn't coming out before. Maybe a combo of both? I don't think we'll ever really know what caused the reaction. Lynda from Kids with Food Allergies was kind enough to send me information on where I can send the candy to have it tested for allergens. I think I'll be doing that.... just to see.

But he's better now. He's on antibiotics and Orapred (oh why oh why the steroids??? He's like the energizer bunny on speed...) and Zyrtec.

Now I'm just waiting for the older one to fall. You know it's coming...
I'm cleaning the whole house with hydrogen peroxide trying to stave off the inevitable.

Halloween in the ER

Ah Halloween, Thank Goodness It's Over! What a nightmare.

Like I said in the previous post, the Little Man hasn't been feeling 100%. We let him Trick or Treat at just a few houses and really *most* of the candy he got was safe. I gave him all safe candy [or so I assumed] and so did one other neighbor who has a child with a peanut allergy.

He's not allowed to eat anything until he gets home and we check it. My candy and the neighbors candy are in "gift bags" so it doesn't touch anything else. Because he wasn't feeling well, we told him he could eat ONE thing and he picked Starburst Gummibursts from my bag. He had these once before and I double checked the ingredients with the company.

But things started to go down hill. His nose got clogged even more than it was. And he became very itchy. I checked his skin and it looked really dry (not unusual for him) so I put on some Vanicream. Then I noticed that some of the dry skin started to look raised. In a matter of minutes he was covered in full body hives (neck to toes). I gave him 2 tsp. of Benadryl but after a minute or two it didn't seem to be working. Things weren't escalating, but they weren't getting any better either. So off to the ER we went.

I rode in the backseat of the car sandwiched between 2 booster seats with EPI Pen in hand just in case his breathing became affected, but his breathing was fine and we kept telling stories on the way there to keep him talking so we could gauge his voice and breathing.

The first thing they did was check oxygen levels and his oxygen levels were perfect so thankfully his breathing wasn't affected. The ER didn't give him a shot either. But they did give him Orapred (steroid) to help the Benadryl along. And he and his brother got cherry Popsicles as a treat for being in the ER on Halloween (and surprisingly it was quiet for Halloween and a Saturday night).

So we are home. And he's much better hive-wise. He still isn't feeling well. He's got a virus that is messing with his digestive system. I asked the ER doc if he thought the hives could have been viral hives, but he said no. We had him check his throat and it doesn't look like strep. And his ears did look red, but that could have been from the reaction and not an ear infection so we have a script for antibiotics "just in case" he starts complaining of ear pain.

He keeps asking for candy this morning, but the answer there is NO WAY!! I'm terrified to give him anything. The candy he ate should have been safe. I checked it out and the ingredients appear to be safe (the ER doc read it and thought so too). So what caused this? Mystery ingredient? Even though he washed his hands after Trick or Treating was there a residue that got on the candy and cross contaminated it when he ate it? Next year's Halloween will have to be handled differently for sure. I'm thinking that he's going to wear gloves (because he doesn't listen when we tell him not to touch anything), and the candy he gets goes right in the trash and I'll swap it out for money. Then he can go to the store and buy something. Maybe Older Boy will like that idea too and that will cut down on the candy we have in the house.

Before ER:

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ER on Halloween:

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(he's trying to wave but is exhausted)

Hope your Halloween was less eventful~

This past week has been a blur

I can't believe it's Saturday and the week is behind us. I have no idea what I actually got done this past week but I know it was a lot and I went through it all at about 70 MPH with no rear view mirror. I had projects at the school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. That really threw me off and left me with little time for anything else. Throw in work, kids activities, getting ready for Halloween, a smidgen of laundry (I'm so behind!), cooking and I guess that was my week. I logged into bloglines yesterday for the first time since last week and had 576 feeds. I may not have commented, but I did skim/read all of you (call it speed reading and cherry picking).

Yesterday around 11:30 am I was baking cookies so that the Little Man would have a treat at his school Halloween party, putting together the Boo BINGO game that I was in charge of for his class, getting the prizes in bags, and trying to get the candy ready for trick or treating in our neighborhood when I got the call that the Little Man vomited in school again and I had to go get him. I hadn't even showered yet (Nice! The song "I feel pretty, oh so pretty..." kept going through my head"). So I packed up the Halloween game and gifts to leave for the class, picked up the Little Man and came home to frantically dial for back up for the Halloween party. Luckily I found a mom that was able to fill in for me.
So I guess that means I really only worked at the school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday (I feel like I should be on the payroll - lol).

Tonight is Trick or Treating in our neighborhood. The Little Man is hoping he feels better enough to go. I hope so too but I'm trying to convince him that it's "totally cool" to stay home with mom and hand out candy. I'm not sure he's buying it, but he still looks like he might be swayed. It's great when they are little enough to still think that you know everything. He's 5 and he still thinks I know everything. His Older Brother is 7 and he looks at me like I have 3 heads and am the dumbest woman on the planet. Believe me... I don't have 3 heads.

Oh I also forgot to mention that I'm planning a corporate Christmas party for 35 at our house. Yes, AT.OUR.HOUSE. Can you say "Highly Stressed"? So I'll take any tips or suggestions you might have on party planning too. Anything. Throw me a bone, won't you?

So with all that updating, I'll leave you some photos. The photos from Thursday's field trip of the Halloween program at the Alzheimer's care facility are still in my camera but I'll bore you with these instead:

IMG_9078

Corn maze at the pumpkin/apple farm

IMG_9079

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Children of the corn

Device_MemoryhomeuserpicturesIMG00049

The Halloween parade that the Little Man should have been in too (if not for the whole up-chucking thing). Sent from Hubs Blackberry. Mine is technically the 3rd child in the pic although it looks like the 2nd (looks like he's behind the lady bug but someone else is hidden behind her or she has 3 legs). He's the scary gray dude, AKA bloody zombie.

And lastly, Commander Fox and bloody zombie from last weeks Halloween party

IMG_9062

If you made it this far, thanks for still reading.

Happy Halloween!!!

Wheat Allergy Alert from FAAN

WHEAT ALLERGY ALERT

October 29, 2009

Pinnacle Foods Group LLC is recalling “ARMOUR Chili with Beans, Original” due to undeclared wheat.

The product was distributed to retail stores in Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The 15-oz. cans come in a case of six with a plastic over-wrap that incorrectly states the product is "Gluten Free," while the product actually contains wheat. The label bears an “EST. 2AD” number inside the USDA mark of inspection with dates ranging from August 26, 2009 to October 28, 2009.

Consumers with questions may call (800) 253-5882.
 

Janeen's Page

Latest Activity

Check out http://www.allergysense.com for great information about daily living with food allergies including special events, promotions, coupons, recipes and more.
yesterday
Janeen added a discussion to the group Asthma & Allergy
This article from Yahoo News talks about a study done at Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland that shows that some people with stubborn asthma aren't using their medication as prescribed by their doctors. You can read my entire blog pos...
on Wednesday
Janeen added 2 blog posts
on Wednesday
Janeen is attending Marie's event
November 4, 2009 from 9pm to 10pm
This is an exclusive event for Health Activists. If you have not received an email invitation to join this web event, please take our short survey to see if you qualify: http://bit.ly/FsoPe A member of the WEGO Health team will email you if you ...
on Wednesday
Janeen added a discussion to the group Diabetes - Type 1
Because my son has food allergies, I understand about celebrating holidays with limitations. I understand how if you do not monitor what food/candy your child is eating, it can have serious consequenses. Our son ended up in the ER this Halloween e...
on Tuesday
Thanks Kerri!! Your perspective from working with kids is invaluable! Keep the ideas coming. Using cookie cutters is a great idea! I sometimes do that with his lunch (when he ATE a lunch which he hasn't been doing lately...sigh). There is a great ...
on Tuesday
Hi Janeen, I'm disappointed that there aren't any answers here! :( This is a really interesting thread, and a great topic of discussion for parents and caregivers of children with food allergies. One suggestion I do have is cutting foods that ar...
on Tuesday
Janeen and Susan M. are now friends
November 2

Profile Information

In the online health communities I participate in, I'm:
a Broadcaster (Getting the word out)
The online health resource I contribute to most frequently is:
http://www.wegohealth.com
This site is:
a community I manage/moderate
Another place where I contribute is:
http://www.zumfamily.blogspot.com
Which is:
my blog
I’m also on:
http://www.foodallergycooking.blogspot.com
It's:
my blog
You can also find me at:
http://twitter.com/chupieandjsmama
This is:
my twitter
More about me (my health interests and reasons for joining WEGO Health)
I'm the happily married mother of 2 young boys. I'm currently a WAH/SAHM who in a prior life worked in inside sales and marketing.

My Favorites

Janeen's Blog

Janeen

Suffering from difficult to control asthma? Are you taking your medication as prescribed?

This article from Yahoo News talks about a study done at Queen's University of Belfast, Northern Ireland that shows that some people with stubborn asthma aren't using their medication as prescribed by their doctors. I don't think this study is earth shattering, but I think that it sheds a light on an important issue. Your doctor prescribes your medication for a reason and it can't help you if you don't tak… Continue

Posted on November 4, 2009 at 10:00am —

Janeen

Juvenile Diabetes: How did you handle Halloween?

Our Halloween with food allergies was not the best. In fact, my son ended up in the ER. We tried to be as careful as we possibly could be. But there are no guarantees.

This morning while perusing a few blogs I came across this post from Barb. It's mostly a sweet post from a mom and grandma talking about her… Continue

Posted on November 3, 2009 at 11:30am —

Janeen

Pregnancy: Are you gaining too much weight?

I've always struggled with my weight. I was the chubby kid, chubby teen, and then in college, the weight just magically came off. I was so happy. Then in my 20's the struggle was back on but I had a better handle on it. When I got married at age 30 I looked like this:

scan0005Continue

Posted on October 29, 2009 at 10:00am — 1 Comment

Janeen

Experiencing an asthma attack - Do you blog about it?

My son has asthma. I do not. So if you ask me to describe asthma I can only do it with an outsiders eyes. I can only tell you about the body retching coughing, the whistling intake of air that should be breathing but hardly resembles the deep influx of air that normal lungs accept. I can describe to you the pale listless boy that lays in my arms at 3 am while we listen to the drone of the nebulizer and watch the puffs of the albutrol steam hoping that it all brings relief. But I can't tel… Continue

Posted on October 27, 2009 at 7:00pm —

Janeen

My opinion on the H1N1 vaccine and "crisis": To blog or not to blog that is the question

Someone said to me last week "There are too many bloggers and too many opinions. Everyone has a voice and a place to put it. It's just causing too much confusion". The comment caught me off guard because A. This person is someone that I'm very close to and they obviously know that I'm a blogger and B. Could they right? (Ok, even if it's just a little right).

I have not blogged about my opinion on H1N1or the H1N1 vaccine on my blog.… Continue

Posted on October 26, 2009 at 5:30pm —

Comment Wall (39 comments)

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At 9:41pm on September 23, 2009, dk said…
Thanks for the comment! I'm sorry to say I haven't been keeping up with Wego as much as I would like; HealthCare PSI seems to be gaining momentum and taking on a life of its own and I'm running as fast as I can just to keep up!

The survey was interesting, wasn't it. Confirmed my suspicions about confusing media coverage. I don't know if the message is muddy on purpose, or just from a lack of planning, but it certainly has been confusing!

Have a grand week -
DK
At 11:26am on September 15, 2009, Jill Knapp said…
Thank you for your sweet comment!!
At 9:29am on September 15, 2009, ImmuneDude said…
Thanks for the welcome, Janeen. I'll take that quiz. Appreciate your outreach.
At 6:55pm on September 14, 2009, kerri said…
Hi Janeen
Thanks for your comment! Actually, I took the quiz a few minutes ago, and am not sure if I wanna be an health activist community "Mom" at 18! :)

Thanks for checking out my blog, too!
At 11:09am on August 12, 2009, Jill Knapp said…
thank you! It's been a blessing to have so many doors open up. I will post as they happen but I have a few interviews in sept.

thanks again!! Jill
At 7:34pm on June 24, 2009, Jenn C said…
Hi Janeen, I just wanted to stop by and say hello and thank you for the reply on my blog....I sent you a friend request too. Thank You for the links, and the kind words of support! Just poking around checking out your blogs and all, and wanted to say HI, SO HIiiiiiii!! = )))
Thanks again
Jenn
At 5:02pm on June 22, 2009, belgiumite said…
I was going to do it til I realized I have swimming lessons til noon central time- and baseball at 6 pm- see why I identify so well with your blog? They're going to try to get me in next time, though.
At 1:36pm on June 22, 2009, belgiumite said…
Hey Janeen! I actually found this site through your blog! (I am a faithful reader- you crack me up!)

Thanks!!
At 12:51pm on June 15, 2009, Breathinstephen said…
Thanks for the kind words. On April 20th, I achieved my goal and finished the Boston marathon.
At 4:30pm on April 19, 2009, mary molloy said…
Hi Janeen
 
 
 

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