New update on Reagan

We went for allergy testing on Thursday and guess what? She has allergies! I'm the most ecstatic mom in the world to find out her child has allergies..because at last I know why my poor child has been sick for the last six months.

She was tested for 40 allergens and reacted to almost every one except the foods (thank goodness!). Her allergist says that she is probably allergic to much more but at the moment he wasn't going to continue testing her because she is so young, she will probably develop more allergies the older she gets, and for now, the fact that she has allergies, is enough for him, so he can begin to treat them.

Currently our treatment plan includes two medications for her allergies, an additional one if she becomes sick, one medication for her asthma, an additional one if she gets worse with that and treating her environment.

At the moment, we are working on a plan to keep the cats. We are planning on buying gates to contain them to the non-carpeted area of the house. We are getting our ducts cleaned (tomorrow), carpet cleaning, major dusting and we have gotten rid of all our commercial cleaners (almost all) and have switched to dye and frangrance free detergent and fabric softeners. We can't have candles; I can't wear perfume or scented deoderant and we can't use nice smelly lotions, shampoos, soaps and conditioners--everything has to be hypoallergenic.

We're in the process of purchasing a steammop so we can clean without chemicals, a hepa air cleaner for her room and some 'healthy' cleaning products--like electrostatic mitts for dusting instead of using Pledge; and baking soda and vinegar instead of Clorox and Windex.

We're also working on making her room a safe haven for any episodes..a 'clean' room for her to go to when she has an attack. This includes encasing everything from dust mites and even keeping the majority of her books contained in tupperware containers--as ink is a major source of allergies for most people and it also attracts A LOT of dust! Who knew??!

It's a process that is taking some time, but we're working towards making our home a little better for Reagan to breathe and live in. Any suggestions related to making our home more of a safe place for her are welcome!