Peyton's Final (hopefully!) Update

I know I haven't posted in a month - I guess I've just not taken the time! Peyton and I went to the specialist today, so I have great news to share!!

First of all, the appointment got moved up by 2 months, which was a complete blessing. I'm telling you what - you have to get just a little bit psycho (well, politely psycho) to get your voice heard! My friend's dad is a doctor, and he really gave me some excellent advice. Thanks Lloyd!

Second of all, there are two of these specialists in the state of Oklahoma, and I was so thrilled to be 15 minutes away from one of them. I love how God works - even in the small things!

Over the past few weeks, we have done an intensive/extensive elimination diet. No soy, gluten, eggs, casein (protein from dairy), or nuts. Let me tell you that I thought we might not have much to eat! Basically, if it came in a box or bag, we didn't eat it. After several days, we began to add in 1 possible allergen at a time. We were to watch for reaction(s) and then re-eliminate the food for 2-3 days, followed by another re-introduction.

I won't bore you with every single detail, but when we got to the casein, things went downhill BIG TIME. Since you probably don't care to know the consistency, color, smell, etc. of my child's poop, I'll spare you the nitty-gritty. I will say that he had a large amount of blood though, and that's definitely a problem.

We pulled casein back out and he did great. We felt like we probably had our answer, but we had to go to the specialist anyway. There was still a chance he had other problems (disease, disorder, etc.) . Jason and I firmly believe that this is where our prayers and the prayers of all our friends and family were answered. Peyton was supposed to have a scope done to find the rest of the problem.

Well, as of today, there is no need for a scope. After much discussion (and the fact that Peyton gained 2 whole pounds!), the doctor diagnosed Peyton with casein allergy. That's it!!! In fact, if he has another flare-up, he'll undergo more extensive allergy testing - nothing very invasive. We are SO thankful. Yes, having a child with a food allergy will involve more diligence and proactive care on our part, but who cares? In the grand scheme of life, it's just so minor.

One more thing - our nutritionist is the BEST. I love her so much. We really hit it off from the beginning, and she is incredibly knowledgeable. If you're in the Tulsa area and need a good one, her name is Amy Puls.

Again, thank you for praying for Peyton. Those prayers were answered today.