We have been dealing with Allergies this week. I am ill equipped in terms of medication or anything of that nature, but we have been praying a lot and the boys are showing great attitudes despite their discomfort.
Owen was the first to show symptoms. His red puffy eyes were heartbreaking. We had seen this in him before but it wasn’t common and usually involved him playing around old mulch.
Then it was Aron’s turn. With him it was just a constant runny nose and a cough. Until Monday when it turned into an all out assault on every area of his little face.
That picture is from last night after church. We had taken him to his class and he didn’t look quite this bad. I asked them to please keep him inside, which they did, but he still got worse. The air is just BAD in Tennessee right now.
Ivan has had his own share of allergic reactions but his were different. He was attacked by a large mosquito that left him with a good size welt on his forehead. The offending mosquito must have been killed moments after the affront because when he came to me the “poor” creature was still sticking to his cheek where he had swatted it. His own blood still smeared under his eye made his battle look even more severe. Typically an insect bite will swell a bit and then go down overnight but this time Ivan’s forehead swelled about a half inch out from it’s normal position. He looked a little deformed that next morning. I kept an eye on it and got a little worried when the next morning (yesterday) it was still quite large, possibly larger. By yesterday afternoon it was starting to lessen and by evening it was almost unnoticeable. Of course we can’t be done with things though. He woke up with red itchy eyes this morning. His don’t seem nearly as bad as his brothers and I’m counting on this being isolated for him.
So…I’m learning some things…and praying for weather changes. I heard that our very cold winter is at fault. Apparently it encouraged everything to bloom at the same time concentrating all the pollen and allergens as they meet our innocent faces.
This too shall pass.
I am just so thankful. Thankful that my boys don’t complain a lot. Thankful that I can be encouraged that this is temporary. Thankful that my God whispers things to me in the middle of the night when all I want to do is cry over my pitiful little boys and says, “I’ve got this.”
Sigh. I’m so glad He has this. I’m so glad He has it all.
Awww, poor little guys! I know how they feel. It has hit us hard down here as well. Every night I go to bed with runny eyes, a runny nose, and a terrible headache. It’s no fun! Kids seem to handle stuff like this better than we do, and I’m thankful for that as well.
I have heard everyone complain about how much worse the allergies are this year than they have been in the past. Little Aron just looks pathetic 🙁 Poor Madison struggled with them terribly when she was little; it was a never ending, frustrating battle, but it’s like she outgrew them because she hardly presents allergic symptoms at all anymore. I’m the one that’s usually a mess with allergies. Nothing worse than sick babies 🙁 If you can get them to Howard Daly in Gallatin, he was a huge help with Madison when I was at my rope’s end with her allergies. My chiropractor also has all natural allergy diagnosis and treatment that he’s had great success with (but I think it’s expensive). It actually CURES you of your allergies. Pretty fascinating stuff really . . . even allergies to immunizations you may have had as a kid and didn’t know you were responding to them all these years adversely. The human body just amazes me 🙂 So complex!
As Jessica said, we are dealing with the same stuff down here. I had a terrible time with it last night and Caleb has been sneezing a good bit. But we haven’t had anything that compares with what you guys are going through. I have found that a little saline solution at night and elevating the head can give some much needed relief to stuffy noses so that they can get some rest. Little Noses brand makes some really good, medicine free, products for allergies. I used to get really bad reactions to mosquitoes too. My mom would put Accent meat tenderizer on it with just a drop of water so that it would stick and put a band aid over that. It would take the swelling down and reduce itchiness so that little hands don’t bother it. Hope this helps! And yes, this too shall pass!
I made the mistake last week of saying, “Wow! Look at how coated our cars are [in the yellow/ green pollen]! I can see why people get allergies”. I don’t know as I was trying to be prideful, but I certainly had a “thank goodness that doesn’t happen to me” attitude. Serves me right that I’m itchy, sneezy, and runny this week. Boo.
Poor little guys. Aron does look terrible, doesn’t he?
Poor guys! That’s so awful for all of you. I read that this is the worst allergy season in 10 years. Mine don’t start until the middle of May and it’s 10 days of complete and utter misery. I’m trying to figure out some way to go out of town then, either north or south of here doesn’t matter…
My face doesn’t look like that, but a couple days ago it felt like it looked like that when I woke up. I hope the boys feel better soon!
Oh no! Poor, poor boys 🙁