hope for things not yet seen

I took Miss C to a new allergist today. . .

I love:
the time he took
the answers he gave
the questions he asked
the open-minded attitude he had
the appreciation for our holistic efforts he showed

We did the traditional allergy skin test.  And yes, she still has her allergies.  But I came away with a new understanding and insights of some recent changes in her reactions.  It's possible she is developing a tolerance to milk baked into products and some of her tree nut allergies didn't show up.  That said, there is at least one new nut, but he said those can cycle a bit, so we're just biding our time with it.  We have to avoid them all still anyway.  The milk one we can test further some day, but she didn't want to do that yet.  I decided that since it's her body and her blood we'd have to draw, she got to make the call.  She didn't want to be messed with any more than she had been - roughly 60 skin pricks on her arms.

We did discover a multitude of seasonal allergies, which the previous doctor never took the time to ask about or test for, passing them off as not bad enough to check.  Knowing this will help me to stay on top of her sniffly, red nose and the circles under her eyes.

Her saddest moment came when they told her she is allergic to horses.  On the way home she suddenly blurted out that she was so sad because she wanted to have horses when she grows up.  Then she promptly burst into tears.  I almost pulled off the highway to hug on her, but traffic was pretty heavy.  I made up for it later.

The most reassuring part of my visit is that I have been praying for a doctor who would dig deeper and help me find ways to help her - not just be passive.  This is that doctor.  He has been pursuing Integrative Medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil.  I am in awe.  We conversed for much longer than any doctor visit I've been to.  His staff and the other doctor in his practice do not yet know, so it's hush-hush for now.  I came away with armed with information on natural supplements to try for my migraines, detoxing my daughter's liver, my husband's chronic hives (as well as an anti-inflammatory diet for the same thing), and more.  I need to dig through the notes and remember which thing is for which family member.  We were cared for.  And given hope.