Update:  I cleaned the heck out fo dd's room, bed, put on a ne barriet cover on her pillow and mattress, and nothing seems better.  Made an appt with the allergist, and got one in a month.  She said no antihistamine for a week before.  I forgot to calrify.  Does that mean any type?  No benadryl either if she is feeling desperate some night?  None of those short acting cold medicine ones, like dimetapp?  Nada?  That will be a long week. 

But, she dis say the testing can be done that very day after he takes her history, even though we have not been in for 5-6 years.  So, at least all in one appt.  I hope I don't get lectured for feeding her baked eggs.  I am just going to gloss over that one, lol.  She *never* reacted to baked sweets, or panacakes.  He just took her off of all eggs of any kind when he did her testing, and based on her one contact reaction with a meregue powder in an icing.  She is not eating eggs regulalry enough for me to think that is her issue wuth the congestion either.  That is sporadic, if I happen to bake.

I am lucky to have understanding relatives who will shut their doors and windows before we arrive to help "decontaminate" the house.

becca, would it be reasonable to tell her to vacuum the stuffed animals if she wants to keep them?  I vacuum stuffed animals once per month, and that seems to control the dust problem.  You can put them through the washing machine, but they probably wouldn't hold up to many washings.

Quote from: becca on October 01, 2014, 04:39:13 PM
Keeping windows closed will be a HUGE issue with dh.  OMG.  He will come home from work, turn off the AC and throw open all the windows on many summer nights.  Just because he thinks it is cool enough to do so.  We will need a Dr. to tell him before he will keep the house closed off.  I will keep windows closed if I must, but would run the ac much more if we do so. 

Yes!  This!  It took the allergist saying so for my DH to get the windows down and AC on.....yes even at night when it's "cool" outside. 


I feel your pain.  Oh I could have written that one!


but...... it does not stop the comments when windows are down about how nice it is outside (well go outside then!), or when there is a day I can open them and I have to hear how much better the air smells!  And how we need fresh air!  Even though about every other day that isn't windy, while DD is at school, I open the house for a couple hours in the am and then get the AC going a few hours before she comes home to filter the air again.

Yeah, my DS does a little better without stuffed animals.  I ended up putting them in a big plastic bag (the kind you squeeze the air out of) and then letting him take them out every once in a while to play with.  I also have an air purifier (not the ionic kind, but the filter kind) that I run whenever I think an allergen has been kicked up.

Yeah, we do not do that.  I really think it is connected to the hamster.  She has had a very red eye a few times of late.  relieved by antihistamine drops.  He is out of her room officially today.  Need to clean deeply there as well.  Bedding is done.  She has oo much junk in there, esp. stuffed animals.  She will not want to get rid of them.

Yeah, do test.

Oh wow. Yeah, windows not open very often for us. I remember in college one Summer I lived in the garage apartment of my minister in Fort Worth. This was actually grad school the summer before we married. My host (the wide of our minister)was so happy. She said she had dried my sheets on the line outside. I must have had a look of terror on my face, because she asked me what was wrong. Sheets filled with pollen is what was wrong. 

They are about as bad as sheets or towels folded on the bed of an indoor cat owner. There's just no way I can be near them.

Keeping windows closed will be a HUGE issue with dh.  OMG.  He will come home from work, turn off the AC and throw open all the windows on many summer nights.  Just because he thinks it is cool enough to do so.  We will need a Dr. to tell him before he will keep the house closed off.  I will keep windows closed if I must, but would run the ac much more if we do so.  Anothr issue with him... 

Of course, if we find she needs this, we will do it.  But right now we need testing to hone in on possible triggers.  If I were to take a guess at any changes in the past year, it would be the hamster in her bedroom.  I have told her a few times to take him out.  Sigh.  Just did it right now again.  We have a spot for him in the "music room."  It is a space where she could avoid being in frequently. 

We can't open windows either during tree pollen season and when a neighbor or DH cut the lawn.  DD at this older age does not want her window open at night, ever.  She will always ask me if she can have it closed, the night air bothers her.

becca, if you suspect severe allergies to tree pollen, ragweed, mold, grasses, or other outdoor allergens, then opening windows or even screen doors isn't an option at the problematic times.  We never open house windows or even car windows since we're allergic to all environmental allergies.  It's not ideal, but you get used to it.

Bedding, feed, hamster dander -- there could be numerous triggers there.  Would she be open to doing a trial of the cage in a different room and seeing if her allergies improve?  If they do, then you could try changing the type of bedding and see if she can tolerate having the hamster back in her room, and then try changing feed etc.

I honestly cannot imagine never opening windows. The only EAs she was ever officially diagnosed with were cat and dust mites.  And we owned a cat at the time to which she was non-reactive.

Interesting...I believe the allergist said at one of our visits that there were to be no pets in DS's room.  She also said no open windows in his room either which works for his room since he only has a window in the slanted ceiling that only opens part way anyway.  Thankfully we didn't have a too many really hot days this summer.

YKW, I am thinking that could be an issue.  She spends increasing amounts of time in her room, and he has only been in there for a year.  She has been bad for about 9 months. 

Becca is dad's hamster in her room?  The boys were initially fine with the gerbils until they magically multiplied.  It was all downhill from there.  Also wondering if the bedding for the hamster is causing an issue for her.  Chips were bad for DS1 but the recycled paper didn't cause an issue beyond our initial bluffing.

The better question is how many DOG TOYS it will hold...  (auuuuughhh)

Ha, not sure so far it hasn't been an issue, the threat of losing electronic time is enough motivation to clean up his floor so "fido" can vacuum.