Updates.....

I was gently reminded by a dear friend that I hadn't updated on Colby and was just checking to see if I was still blogging. :0)!!! I am still blogging but the homeschooling thing has really taken over some of my time (along with Facebook Mafia Wars, thanks a lot Jason) plus work, and oh yeah.....LIFE!!!!! Here is where we are at.
We are 1 week into our "strict" diet with Colby (we also put Mikayla on it, because of her headache frequency, which is more than I care to have any 8 1/2 year old experience). This is now week 2 of it. We are tracking daily whether they have headaches or not, we also know every ounce of food that those two eat on a daily basis. Overwhelming???? You bet! Well worth it, MOST DEFINITELY!!!! I am happy to report that we have see HUGE improvement in both, and as of this writing Colby has been 1 whole week HEADACHE FREE!!! Praise God! Mikayla has had only 1 headache and we figured out it was something she ate, she hasn't eaten it since and hasn't had a headache. Colby's teacher last week at conferences said that she noticed an improvement in him during the week. He was able to stay on task better and didn't have to be pressed to continue working on his writing. That was huge for me to hear. We will continue the strict diet until April 13th, on that day, we will talk with the doctor and if there has been a decrease in headaches we will not have to see the pediatric neurologist (which is what we are praying for) then we will start slowly re-introducing items back into both of their diets a week at a time and see if anything happens until he is back eating all the things that we had to restrict from him during this time. It is amazing to see him be active and himself again. Not complaining or looking so run down. I myself am prone to headaches also so I decided to help the kids along in the process and do it myself. WOW!!! I am starting to feel better and have been headache free for a week also. I lost 4 1/2 pounds last week just by altering my diet, stop drinking pop (I haven't had a pop or coffee in almost 2 weeks) and lowering my consumption of bread. I am looking forward to what this week will bring for me. So we are still moving forward, as hard as it is some days but the benefits sure out weigh anything else. So there you have it,that is the update on Colby.
I told my boss last Thursday that I would not be renewing my contract for next year at the school. She was very understanding, hated to see me go but totally understood. I am not cut out to be a 1 on 1 aide for a child with disabilities. I am not sure why God put me in these positions at school but there is a reason why He did, it is not for me to understand at this time. I am just moving forward in His direction and where He is leading me at this time in my life. I am still teaching piano lessons and lovin' every minute of it. I have been at it for a month now and will be returning to it in the Fall. I will be taking the summer off to enjoy my kids and their activities. When I start in the Fall, I will have to potential to have 3 more students on top of the 3 that I already have along with their sibilings. I could possibly have 8 students next Fall. That would be AWESOME, but am trusting God to provide me with the correct number of students next Fall so that I will be able to contribute to the family income without having to get an evening job and homeschool my kiddos. It will be an interesting start to our new adventure but that is okay I am ready for anything.
I am going to end this post now, I need to have some down time for myself now that the kids are in bed (except one who is sitting by me working on her science project for school, I am so ready for that part of school to be over with-homework)!!!! Have a wonderful evening!

Cathi

Colby

Today was his doctor's appointment with the allergist. They decided to not run more testing on him because of what has already been done in December. He took Colby's family history and made his recommendations to me. For the next week I have "get ready", prepare and plan and then starting next Monday for 4 weeks, we will have Colby on a VERY STRICT DIET. Due to the fact that migraines run in Jason's family and in my family and yes I am prone to them often enough to be annoyed, and the fact that our little boy has some mild food allergies and doesn't show signs of airborn allergens, the doctor is thinking that Colby is starting to experience migraines, in a mild sense of the word. So we are going to do a strict religious diet for 4 weeks and they will call after that and see if his headaches have improved any, if not then he will refer us to the pediatric neourologist. I am hoping that the diet will work so we don't have to go to yet another doctor. He gave me 2 big packets for soybean allergies and peanut allergies and also a list of food that are migraine triggers. OH MY there are a ton of foods that I wouldn't think could trigger migraines but they do, and some of which Colby eats. YIKES!!! So we are literally back to the drawing board and will start this whole process over again. Good thing that we don't have the "easter bunny" visit us anymore, that could be hard on our little boy. I just for prayers for Colby over the next several weeks as we try to get to the bottom of this problem and get his headaches under control. I just can't wait for the school year to be over with and he will finally be in a controlled environment. I know what is in my house, my food, outside, etc. I really thing something is lurking in that school that could possibly be triggering his headaches also. Why else would they only start after he started school full time, hmmmm......makes a person wonder! Please also continue to pray for my friend "T", she will be leaving for the Mayo clinic on Wednesday and will see several doctors before she sees the surgeon on Monday. It is cancer, but they can't seem to find the primary tumor, this type of cancer is very rare, and right now they do know that it is her liver, so we are praying that the primary is in her liver. Please pray as you feel the Spirit lead. Thanks!

Cathi

Back to the drawing board....

Colby has been experiencing headaches and fatigue more recently and after he found me before lunch yesterday complaining of another headache (he had one the day before). I decided it was time to contact the allergy doctor that Dr. Rector recommended. Thankfully she had a cancellation for next Monday afternoon, so I scooped it up and am praying that this appointment will get to the bottom of his symptoms. I am sure that we will have more extensive testing done on his little body, and am praying that it won't hurt him, he doesn't do well with pain on his body. She did inform me that we should plan on being at the office for 2 - 2 1/2 hours that day. YIKES!!!! Thankfully I have a comp day at work due me so I am going to take my comp day and see this doctor myself and let him know my concerns. Something needs to be done. We have already modified his diet extensively and that helped tremendously but he is starting to revert back again. So I am not sure if there is something else that he is allergic to that didn't show up on the first test. So be thinking of Colby on Monday and praying that God will guide the doctor to get to the bottom of this problem so that he can go back to being a happy healthy 6 year old boy! I will keep you posted and let you know next week as soon as we know anything. Have a wonderful evening!!

Cathi