Conference moira::parenting

    
    Hi,
    
    	Yep, been there and my heart goes out to you!!
    
    My first (but my wife's third) child went through exactly the same.
    He's now five and half and seems to be through the worst of it. It
    seemed never ending for the first three years. He's an extremely
    healthy little chap but seemed to get everything going and go down bad
    with it. Very high fevers, sometimes for as long as a week. When he was
    just three, he had real flu which landed him in hospital with
    pneumonia for a week.
    
    	We had loads of tests and the long and the short of it was that
    some kids are more prone to bugs than others. Something to do with the
    blood. Jamie compliated matters by having to have his tonsils and
    adenoids removed at age three and a half. At the time, this seemed to
    be the main cause for all the infections. Even now, he has to have his
    adenoids shaved again as they have grown back and are hell when he has
    a cold. This did help partially.
    
    	As to advice? Well, there's not really much you can do. We found
    the best things to do were to make sure he ate healthily - loads of
    fruit and vegetables, slept regularly and enough and vitamin C drink
    with cod liver oil during the winter. As a ray of hope, we were advised
    that once past the age of five or so, he would probably be less often
    ill as he would have built up a lot of immunity to all these viruses.
    This was certainly true with us and since his fourth birthday I think 
    we are about average with some sort of bug every three months or so.
    
    Hang in there, I know it seems forever and any sick child is totally
    distressing. If his ears are causing grief, then they should really be
    checked out by your doctor - he may need tubes. 
    
    Best of luck: Dave
    

    Patty,
    
    With Carrie, I think we lived in the DO's office for the first two
    years.  She did grtow out of it, but I  swear I  might as well have
    owned stock in all the "pink medicine" companies.  
    
    All i can recommend is to hang in there.
    
    meg

    Perhaps the September "sickness" is really allergies.  My daughter
    for the first time ever, was sick the entire month of September, with
    runny, stuffy nose, ear infections, etc.  The doctor diagnosed
    allergies.
    
    She's cleared up a lot in the last week or so, but it was a miserable
    month for her.
    
    Maybe this September bout isn't really an omen of the winter to come.
    Hopefully, anyway.
    
    Diana

    
    I don't think that it's allergies .... we went through a few falls with
    Jason and runny nose and puffy eyes assuming he had a cold, and it
    turns out he quite clearly has hay fever, and a little antihistamine,
    and he's fine.  Without it the poor guy can barely see his eyes get so
    puffy.
    
    Jonathan's really been getting all the stomach bugs and that sort of
    stuff.  he had a bug that gave him AWFUL diarrhea, got over that and a
    day later had one that made him throw up and diarrhea, and then
    roseola, and now he has this *AWFUL* cough that sounds like croup, but
    until yesterday had no other symptoms with it.  Now he's added a
    running nose and ear-tugging to his cough.  Sigh.  
    
    We're currently trying to decide whether or not to go with tubes ....
    if he has an ear infection now, it's almost a certain "Yes" on the
    tubes.  Maybe that'll somehow help other things, but he had PERFECT
    looking ears the last few times he was sick, so I don't hold a lot of
    faith in that )-:  
    
    He's still on formula, so I'm debating whether or not he needs a
    vitamin supplement.  The Dr usually asks not to, but it seems like it
    might actually help (could it REALLY hurt?!).
    
    I haven't ruled out that some type of food allergy may just be
    weakening his whole system ...
    
    Please, keep the ideas/support coming!  He's normally such a happy guy
    - I feel so guilty I can't just keep him HEALTHY for a little while!
    
    Thanks,
    Patty

    I have three kids, The 1st 17, has a Dr's file the thickness of 2
    sheets of paper, my 2nd 15, could be War & Peace chapter 2, and
    the 3rd 2 yrs old, is now in tight running with the 15 yr old. 
    Colds & Asthma, ear infections & asthma, every virus & asthma, etc.
    It does get better, but MAN what a trip! I too feel so guilty when I 
    have to bring the little one to daycare when he does not feel good,
    but whats a mom to do?? Its even harder when you are a single parent.
    
    Hang in there, it WILL get better. 
    
    Sherry :) Who is trying to get over the flu right now.

    My friend's daughter is just like that, she is always sick.  From 2
    weeks of age, when she came down with an upper respiratory infection, to
    now, at almost 2 1/2, she has had it all: pneumonia, strep, ear
    infections.  She is constantly on ventolin.  My friend's really worried
    about this winter since Gabi will be attending daycare (they used to
    have someone come to their home).  There really isn't anything that
    they can do except try to make sure she eats a good diet.
    
    FWIW, there is something going around, my daughter, who rarely gets
    sick, was feverish Sunday night and Monday and has developed a nice
    little cough, her teachers at daycare say it's making the rounds.
    
    Susan
    
    

    This describes my childhood.  From the beginning til I was around 8 or
    9 years old, I was always sick.  I can remember being out of school for
    weeks at a time, being in the hospital for every major holiday, and
    Mom and Dad screening visitors so that I didn't go near anyone who was
    already sick.  Basically, I just caught everything, and it always
    skyrocketed into something serious.  I did eventually outgrow it, and
    now I'm rarely sick.
    
    I'm not sure what you can do, really, except keep him comfortable when
    he's sick and try to keep him away from people who may be sick so he
    doesn't catch whatever. Some children, like me, are just more prone to
    getting things and have a much lower resistance.

    
    re. .4
    
    If you child is on formula, do not give him vitamin supplements
    without doctor's consent. Yes, it could hurt. The formula has
    everything your child needs in it. High dosages of certain vitamins
    are toxic.
    
    Eva

    For my third the Pedi put him on a maintenance dose of Amoxycillin for
    the fall/winter.  It was just a low dose and it helped keep him from
    developing secondary infections (he still got colds though).  We only
    had to do that for the one winter when he was between one and two.  Now
    he hardly ever gets sick (he's 5 1/2).  (He does have diabetes but that
    came along when he was 4 1/2 and has nothing to do with the "regular"
    stuff).
    
    Linda

    
    
    Well, we went to the Dr Friday.  He has a very SLIGHT ear infection. 
    She listened to his cough, and while his lungs didn't sound wheezy, she
    didn't like the sound of his cough, and so if he doesn't get better he
    needs to go back today or tomorrow, and they'll think about giving him
    some ventolin or something.  This to me, seems like overkill, since
    he's only wheezing when he first wakes up or after a warm bottle.
    
    I asked about the vitamins, and she said if I want to try it, go ahead,
    but we're pretty much grasping at straws.  Sigh.  Her feeling was that
    if he's getting 'some' formula (he gets about 16 oz/day) then he's not
    at a point where he's lacking any vitamin enough to cause a nutritional
    deficiency.  She did, however, wonder if he had other, undetected
    allergies, that were weakening him, so that he was just more
    susceptible to whatever's going around.
    
    So when I complained about him being sick all the time, she said;
    
    About all you can do is take him out of daycare, put him in a plastic
    bubble, and don't let him come in contact with anyone.  So, where do
    we get a plastic bubble?! (-:
    
    At this point I'm kind of torn .... I'm considering moving him from his
    daycare center, to an in-home daycare.  It seems like he would be
    exposed to less things there.  My reluctance, of course, is if he's
    just as sick anyway, then that provider might be less willing to
    tolerate a runny nose, and I could end up worse off work-wise.
    
    Has anyone in here switched from a daycare center to home care and
    noticed any difference in your child's health?  Or vice versa?  The
    'being sick' wouldn't even be so bad if it seemed like at least he was
    making progress .... he just doesn't seem to be getting any better.
    
    Maybe this latest bout really is just hayfever, and some congestion is
    causing the cough.  How do you differentiate between a cold and
    hayfever in a kid that can't communicate?
    
    Thanks!
    Patty

    Patty,
    
    Allergies typically aren't accompanied by fevers, and this may seem
    gross but the snot is usually pretty clear and runny, as opposed to
    thick and green.  However allergies can weaken the body enough to toss
    in a cold or other infection.
    
    Carrie was in home daycare from six weeks on.  She did fair better than
    some friends' kids in a center environment, but we still virtually
    lived on pink medicine the first year.  (So did a batch of the kids she
    was in care with.)  After the first year she did better.
    
    Have you thought about looking into a low-level milk allergy?  Lolita
    had no problems as long as I was nursing her, but as soon as I tried
    switching her to milk we started in with continual upper respriratory
    infections.  I would take her off milk and she would clear up, only to
    get sick again as soon as I tried to wean her.  We gave up all milk
    products for a month and gradually phased in a little cheese and
    yogurt, and just put a virtual ban on any milk that wasn't cultured and
    she stayed healthy, even in a center environment.  Our problems came
    after that when people who weren't familiar with her allergy would push
    milk on her, and being an obliging child whe would drink it.  She
    eventually outgrew this when she was about 12.
    
    Just a thought.
    Meg

    
    Last winter we really struggled whether to keep Alex in his day care
    center (and he only went 12 hours a week.)  He is 15 months now so last 
    year was his first winter.  He was sick ALL the time.  He had either a 
    cold, fever, diarrhea, or vomiting all the time - tho no ear aches.
    From three-six months he had a chronic urinary infection and over the
    summer he had a case of cocksackie virus. If he isn't raging with one thing
    he sees to have low grade something else and always a cough.  We talked 
    with several parents whose kids go to the day care and their kids 
    were sick all the time also.  Over the summer he was sick less often but 
    still had several bugs.  He does have environmental allergies as do I.  
    Some days I was dying with hay fever he would also be affected.  Also
    when I was a kid I was sick all the time. All my brothers and sisters
    have allergies tho mine are the most troublesome. Out of my 4 other
    siblings, it seems I, the youngest, have the worst immune system with
    the next in line not far behind me.  We get healthier as we go up in
    family placement  (this is probably coincidence.) and I have been
    healthier as an adult.
    
    Anyway, when we were out of our minds about the illnesses last winter and
    wondering if we should keep him home, I talked with my family asking about 
    my nieces and nephews who are now in their teens and 20's.  My sister's 
    kids never went to day care and my brother's kids were only had in home 
    care.  They said their kids were also sick all the time especially during 
    the winter.  They lived on antibiotics. They feel their kids were sick
    til around school age. I do recall most holidays and family functions had 
    niece/nephew sick or a family not showing up because of a kid's illness.  
    After thinking about all that, talking with my pediatrician and my own 
    internist (whose daughters also go to my son's day care and were also sick 
    all the time) who feel if we avoid it now he will just pay when he
    goes to school later, we decided to keep him as is.    
    
    
    This morning we had him to the doctors for his 15 month checkup. In
    addition to his cold he has his first ear ache!  By the way, we tried
    the whole milk at 12 months and he was so phlemy he would cough and
    choke at night, also had loose stools. So we put him on soy formula.
    At doctor's suggestion we'll try whole milk again to see if he can now
    tolerate it but if he isn't any better we'll probably eliminate all dairy 
    and find another way to get his calcium.
    
    
    Kathy
    

    Thank you for the replies both here and in mail!
    
    We're already on the no-milk bit because it seems to contribute to his
    ear infections.  With my other two, their father worked 2nd shift, so
    when they were small, they were never in daycare more than a couple
    hours a day, and they were always pretty healthy.  
    
    I'm not sure what to try eliminating as the potential for a food
    allergy (or if this is just wishful thinking!).  He's actually been
    getting fussier about eating, so has a fairly limited menu anyway.
    Things he likes a lot are;
    
    lunch meats - mostly chicken roll or bologna
    peanut butter and jelly (grape or raspberry)
    apple juice (though clearly not as much recently)
    bananas (in spurts - loves 'em, hates 'em etc)
    pasta w/ sauce
    pasta w/ sauce
    pasta w/ lotsa sauce! (yes, I did that 3 times on purpose!)
    hot dogs
    toast
    yogurt (when he feels like it - hates it/loves it).
    eggs
    mac & chz
    
    And now writing this, I realize that there's a lot of foods that he'll
    only eat if he's particularly 'in the mood'.  So, is there anything
    there that jumps out as a food that's more frequently allergic to?  I
    don't feel that he has a BAD allergy to anything necessarily, just
    enough to weaken him so he gets sick easier.  I'm really having a hard
    time believing or just 'accepting' that this is normal, and there's
    nothing more to be done.  He has also developed this 'skin condition'
    over the past month or so, that I just attributed to dry skin (my
    sister has a similar condition).  It's mostly on the outside of his
    upper arms, but also occassionally migrates to his cheeks (face (-;),
    and feels like tiny pimples.  My sister was told it's from dry skin - I
    wonder if it's that or in reaction to something else?
    
    I think it may be time to see an allergist and see if I'm making myself
    nuts for no reason, or if there might be something to this.  What do
    you think??
    
    THANKS!
    Patty

    
    Patty,
    	
    	Skin conditions, such as eczema and such, are brought on by 
    allergies, to FOODS and things in contact, like lotion, wool, etc.
    
    	If you suspect any food allergy, trying getting rid of foods
    with additives, like the lunch meats and hot dogs (they are not 
    very healthy aways). Tomato, orange and peanuts are common foods that 
    may bring on allergic reactions. 
    
    	Talking to an allergist is probably a good thing to do. 
    
    
    Eva
    
    	
    

    
    Patty,
    
    Your son will hate me for this, but have you considered trying
    wheatless pasta's and breads?  I know wheat is an allergin for some
    people and my mother's asthma is better when she cuts back on it.
    Your mileage may vary.
    
    meg

    Have you thought of trying homeopathy? My daughter was pretty sickly
    during her first winter and we have had very good luck with it. I still
    go to my "standard" doctor because he is physically closer and have on
    occasion given her an antibiotic but for the past 4 years (she is 5
    now) she only get sick occassionally and 99% of it we treated without
    antibiotics. I use a homeopath who is a pediatrician and can give you
    her name if you are interested. 
    
    Ania
    

    
    
    Sure - pass the name along!  
    
    re - back a few - Jonathan doesn't usually have a fever (Actually when
    he had roseola, I was all freaked out because he NEVER gets a fever,
    even w/ his ear infections - neither do I or his brothers), and now
    that you mention it, when his nose is runny, it's usually clear - I
    never knew the difference might be important.
    
    RE: Homeopathy - I'm curious what they use for treatment?  Is it "Here
    take these 2 herbs, and you'll feel better?"  Is there really much
    science to it?  It's intriguing to me that a pediatrician would
    practice homeopathy.  How does insurance feel about this?  At the rate
    that he's sick, I couldn't dream of paying every time he goes to the
    Dr!
    
    RE: Wheatless pasta .... that sounds pretty awful - is it really any
    good?  
    
    Additives - I'll try that - I'm having a REAL hard time getting my
    daycare to L-I-S-T-E-N to what I tell them, and he gets a Lot of
    processed foods there, so it'll be harder to control that.  They're
    already frustrated with not being able to give him milk (and I really
    wonder if maybe they give him some anyway).
    
    Hmmmmmm .... maybe he'd enjoy some tofu for dinner (-;  
    
    Well, if anyone has a magic wand, I'd like to buy one "Wave" off of you
    ... it'll only take a second! (-;
    
    THANKS for the help!  I should be talking to his Dr tomorrow, and we'll
    see what she thinks about an allergist.  She's new from med school, so
    perhaps she'll be a little more open to some of the homeopathic ideas.?
    
    Thanks again!
    Patty

    
    Here's a good tip. When Jamie is really snotty, we put two halves of
    an onion on a saucer next to his head in bed. The aroma seems to help
    keep the airways clear. Don't ask me how it works - old Dutch remedy!
    
    Another one is steaming. I know its difficult with small ones but
    sitting under a towel with a pan of boiling water four times a day for
    5 minutes really helps.
    
    Also, I've heard, although never tried it, that a humidifier in the
    bedroom at night really helps. Especially in a centrally heated house.
    
    All this however just treats the symtoms and what you really need to do
    is treat the cause.
    
    Back to your previous note and the lack of fever. This could mean an
    allergy. It could also indicate adenoids. In my experience, an adenoid
    infection rarely brings on a fever. Does he snore? It would also
    explain the seemingly never-ending illness. If my understanding is
    right, bacteria 'hides' very easily in adenoids and tonsils. The
    anti-biotics cannot totally eliminate the bacteria and they rear up
    again as soon as anti-biotics are stopped. This is a downward spiral as
    the kid just gets weaker and weaker with each bout. I know he's rather
    young, but I would get him checked out by an Ear Nose and Throat
    specialist. If it is adenoids, you may have to be prepared to have
    them shaved more than once during his childhood. It does really help
    though and the operation these days is very minor.
    
    Hope all this helps.
    
    Dave
    
    
     

    I can really relate to the base noter's problem.  Not only are my
    youngest two kids (18 months and 3 years old) constantly sick with
    chronic ear infections, bouts of strep, colds, and flu, but so am I!
    
    My doctor says I have "chronically infected tonsils" -- probably due
    to caring for my constantly sick kids.  I will probably have to have my
    tonsils removed this winter.
    
    Has anyone else seen an increase in the number of illnesses you have as
    a caregiver for your kids?  Anyone have any strategies for minimizing
    your own illness (besides good hygiene -- I already practice this!)
    
    Lesley
                                                                       

>    Has anyone else seen an increase in the number of illnesses you have as
>    a caregiver for your kids?  

Didn't notice this particularly, but I did once get a mild case of coxsackie, 
even though neither of them did.  On the other hand, they both got chicken 
pox from my case of shingles.  

>    Anyone have any strategies for minimizing
>    your own illness (besides good hygiene -- I already practice this!)

Also stating the obvious, try to get adequate sleep.

Clay 

    
    re: Adenoids .... well, Jonathan's being seeing an ENT for several
    months.  We were about to have tubes put in his ears, when everything
    suddenly cleared up completely (first time in ~6 months), so we decided
    to put it all on hold.  He had an infection about a month ago, and
    that's when we decided to eliminate milk.  That infection healed
    completely, and his ears looked better than they had in a LONG time
    (probably since he was 2 mos old).  Maybe coincidence, maybe not,  but
    either way, we're avoiding milk now.  
    
    The end of last week he got another ear infection, but it's so minor,
    (especially compared to what he usually does) that I'm reluctant to
    group it in with all his others "He always gets ear infections". 
    Anyway, when discussing the surgery, we discussed the possibility of
    adenoids as well, and the Dr explained that usually if adenoids are a
    problem (and they usually aren't this young - he's 12 mos old), that
    there are other more obvious symptoms, such as snoring, runny/stuffy
    noses, runny eyes, sore throats etc.  He is usually free of those
    symptoms (most of 'em anyway (-;).  I forget why else, but there was
    another reason that adenoids weren't a concern for him, which made
    sense at the time.
    
    I'm waiting to hear back from his Dr. (pedi) today, and will discuss
    all the rest with the ENT next week when we go back for his ear-check.  
    
    And the other thing I keep forgetting to enter in here is that last
    week he just got another tooth ... no WONDER he's got an ear infection,
    between all that goop and a new tooth! (-:
    
    Hmmmmm ... a "chronic infection" .... seems like a possibility - of
    course I'm about willing to accept any "answer" these days! (-:  The
    weird thing about Jonathan's stuff that he gets sick with is that he
    hardly EVER passes it on to anyone else - seems like he's manufacturing
    his own little diseases that no one else is susceptible to (-:
    
    I have decided to take him out of his daycare center, and am now looking
    for a home-care situation.  His current center is pretty small, so they
    all breathe in each other's faces all day long, and even a few of the
    providers seem to be constantly sick, so it can't just be that "he's a
    kid".  Plus they pretty much ignore him most of the time ... but that's
    another story!
    
    Thanks for the support!!  It helps a Lot!
    
    Patty
    
    

RE: 829.19

    
   > Has anyone else seen an increase in the number of illnesses you have as
   > a caregiver for your kids?  Anyone have any strategies for minimizing
   > your own illness (besides good hygiene -- I already practice this!)

     I can definitely relate to this.  My daughter was born in early December
  and we also had a one year old son.  We were all sick from her birth right
  through until spring.  And my kids were not in daycare at that time.
     The next winter the kids were in daycare and sick quite often.  But
  for some reason I was much better.  It was just that first winter that I
  caught everything.

     I don't have any coping strategies but it does get better.


   Elizabeth

    RE: steaming ...
    
    Instead of the towel over the head over a bowl of boiling water, it's
    much easier to put the child into the bathroom and run the shower on
    HOT.  I have asthma, and if I don't have an inhaler around, this works
    wonders.  We also used to do this with my nephew who has SEVERE asthma.
    
    Holly
    

Homeopathic medicine is more commonly used in Europe and India as a less
expensive alternative to western medicine.

The idea is that the patient takes extremely small amounts of a
substance that causes a similar set of symptoms to what the patient
is experiencing.  This can be so dilute that statistically you might
be getting a molecule.  The idea is to cause your body's natural
defenses to take charge.  Two people with the same problem -- eg. an
earache -- might get different treatments, because the totality of
symptoms is looked at.  I went on Friday about morning sickness and
we spent more than an hour talking about my symptoms before settling
on a treatment.  My OB doesn't care about the details of my symptoms;
"throwing up a lot" and "can't ingest much liquid" is all he needs to
know for the treatments he prescribes.  The difference in how much detail
is very evident.  We found something that matched a lot of my symptoms --
don't like any pressure on waist; need to be propped up at night; bad taste in
mouth, etc.  It takes time to match all this up.

The pharmacist that sold me the homeopathic treatment assured me that
the homeopathic treatment I was starting was much safer for the baby
than what my OB suggested, so I'm happy about that.

When my husband went to the homeopathic doctor for allergies, the first
treatment they tried didn't work out well, but the second did.

Our homeopathic doctor is an MD, so any normal insurance plan pays
for her like "normal".  There is a pharmacy in Acton, Mass that sells
homeopathic treatments; they aren't by prescription and aren't expensive.
My HMO doesn't pay for visits to the homeopathic doctor, as she isn't
in the plan, but I could send claims like normal to John Hancock with
the digital medical plans if I had that.

It doesn't stand out in her statements that she practices homeopathy
rather than any other kind of medicine.

Beryl

    
    Patty,
    
    	I am a bit surprised that the daycare center has not
    been more helpful with your son's diet. A lot of daycare 
    center around here requires the kids to bring lunch. I
    wonder if it helps to bring your own food to daycare.
    I had complete control over what my daughter ate at daycare,
    well, except when she trades her food for someone else ;-)
    
    	I wonder if your son would eat rice or potato or sweet potato,
    chickpeas or kidney beans (from cans) in place of pasta. Most kids 
    don't care for tofu as is. But, there are some tofu burger or tofu 
    hot dogs that could be interesting. My daughter loved fish sticks 
    and chicken meat balls at that age. I know it is hard, they are so
    picky sometimes. 
    
    	Oh, btw, try cashew butter, I am not sure if cashews are allergen
    thoug.
    
    Eva
    

   Having read all these notes I would like to add a few comments.  Perhaps
your son simply catches more rhino viruses than most kids, however this
is not allways a bad thing.  There are over 160 known rhino viruses, in
any given human population area there are about 30-40 active with new ones
replacing old ones at about 3-5 per year.  Each time your son catches a
virus he is immune to it forever, since he is going thru a great number
when young he should have many less later when he is in school.

  On a seperate note, does the day care have drop ceilings?  A recent 
study has shown that drop ceilings made of metal oxide are the leading
cause of sick building syndrome which has all the symptomes you describe.
Young children may be highly succeptable because of less than sanitary
habits of the young.

  Don't ignore the possibility of industrial allergys.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Harry

    
    About all I've noticed with the daycare ceilings is I don't think
    they're bright pink! (-;  I'll have to check tonight.  It's an older
    industrial-type building (maybe it used to be a warehouse or garage or
    something).
    
    If there's only 30-40 viruses, and they hang out for years at a time,
    then by rights he should be getting healthy soon! (-;
    
    Thank you for you the description of homeopathy - that certainly sounds
    interesting and like a definite alternative!  Now to find someone
    local, and hopefully not too expensive (since I'm sure Matthew Thornton
    won't cover it)
    
    Still waiting to talk to the Dr. (tap, tap, tap, tap!)
    
    Thanks!
    Patty

    Patty,
    
    I just found your note - I 've been through this with my oldest
    now age 11 - and I have to agree with the notes that suggest
    "allergies" as the underlying cause. 
    
    Two great books to read are "Is this Your Child" by Dr. Doris Rapp
    and "The Yeast Connection" by Dr. Robert Crook. 
    
    I found that I needed to put my son on a "ROTATION" diet as well as
    totally eliminate MILK, EGGS, SOY, and ***** CORN ****, since almost
    all packaged foods contain a corn product - I finally stopped all
    processed foods altogether. I also boosted his immune system with 
    vitamins and exercise (he's a hockey player).
    
    He's now thriving - he usually only needs to pay more attention to his
    diet during "hayfever" and "ragweed" seasons. He has not (knock on
    wood) been sick in over 3 years - (he had constant ear infections,
    strep, tubes 3 times etc for the first 3 years of his life). 
    
    I also found that most doctors did not support the "food allergy" 
    bit - but I tried it and it worked - trust your instincts and do 
    what you need to do.
    
    					Andi

    
    Well .... it's been about a year, and this year he's been 100 times
    healthier than he was last!  He's now just past 2, and aside from a
    sniffle and regular cold stuff here and there, he's doing great.  We
    did avoid milk and tomatoes for many months, but now it doesn't seem to
    be a problem for him - which is a great thing since his favorite foods
    are chocolate milk, and ANYTHING with tomato sauce (or ketchup!) on it.
    
    So, I'm convinced that it WAS some sort of allergy/intolerance, and
    he's simply grown out of it.  AND the one pedi that was willing to
    listen to me is convinced too! (-:
    
    Phew!  Now we're just struggling through the "No!"s ... (-:
    

    Ho boy!  I just called the billing department for Angeline's 
    pediatrician.  I'm gathering up all the expenses, etc.. for her
    for an accounting to her father's lawyer, and blah blah blah.
    
    Anyways..From Jan 17 until now there were 13 visits.  I had to
    laugh because I call 13 Angeline's lucky number because she's
    the 13th in her generation.
    
    Then I asked for the number from Sept of 94 to Jan 17, 1995 because
    she was born in September.  It was 13 again!  Huh???? 26 visits in
    14 months.    And I'm not a big panicky, race her to the doctor's
    type person!  And I don't consider her a real sickly child.  
    
    How do people manage???? Those with no insurance?   or a real sick
    kid?  I mean, the co-pays on mine add up to $130.00.  Imagine having
    to have paid the full price????  
    
    It's staggering!
    						cj *->

    CJ
    
    You can imagine my shock last year when I had the pharmacy pull up a
    copy of all the money we spent on Nicholas for prescriptions...
    it was $550, from June - December, and most of those were just the
    Co-pays! the total would have been something like 1,300. Ouch!
    
    
    I am thankful we have insurance, and they finally diagnosed his Asthma,
    and got his ears taken care of. This year it has been a lot better, but
    winter is coming.
    
    Hang in there....
    
    Anne Marie

    re -31
    
    WOW!!!!!!!!!!!  YOu don't notice it quite as much until you go back
    and add it up!
    
    					cj *->