Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

This week has been a wild ride for us in the HinJew household. Aside from the bottom dropping out of the economy and the gobs of "ripples" felt from that, aside from the fear of "what in the world is going to happen next", we're "enjoying" our own spinning teacups and bottomless free-fall that comes with Asher's disease.

On Monday, Asher's kindergarten class drew letters using corn grits. About two hours after the fact, Asher's teacher thought, hmmnnn...perhaps that's not such a good thing for Asher to be doing and called me. I wished she had called earlier.

Corn is like touching Drano for Asher. It really is like a chemical burn on his skin and it makes him horrifically sick. In the past, touching corn has caused Asher about two solid weeks of sickness and vomiting and a loss of several pounds of body weight. So I'm thrilled to report that he suffered no/little ill effects from the corn. This is HUGE! It's really amazing and is proof that we're on the right track. I really and truly can't believe that he didn't get sick, particularly after taking that huge allergen hit by rolling down the hill at the company picnic. Amazing.

That was Monday.

Tuesday was gymnastics. The kid was a disaster. They worked on the balance beam, which is Asher's worst area. He was particularly congested on Tuesday. He couldn't do a doggone thing on the balance beam. He even struggled with things that he's been able to do in the past. I am beginning to see a correlation between Asher's congestion and his balance/coordination.

Asher's gymnastics teacher got really frustrated with Asher. She's clearly never had a student like Asher before. She let her frustration get the best of her and, well, almost crossed the line of being hurtful to Asher. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt. Frankly, I've been in that state before and I can understand being that frustrated. But then again, I'm not a teacher.

On Tuesday, Asher brought home his progress report. In short, he's failing kindergarten. He got nearly all check minuses. We've said that we wanted him to repeat kindergarten but we didn't want him to FLUNK OUT of kindergarten! That's a different story.

Back to gymnastics: After his class, Asher came upstairs to where I was sitting and saw the jigsaw puzzle left behind by Simi (who just started his class) and excitedly started to do the puzzle. This particular puzzle is for age 2 - it's very simple. Asher quickly put three pieces together and excitedly looked to me for praise and I just died inside. None of the pieces even remotely matched and he really had to force the pieces together to "fit". They were a VERY obvious mismatch. After seeing his horrendous report card, watching this particularly atrocious gym class and now seeing this pathetic puzzle effort - I had to really struggle to keep my composure. It took everything I had not to bawl my eyes out in front of him.

Tuesday was not a good day for Asher.

So now he does jigsaw puzzles every day after school. I quiz him on simple math in the car on the way to school. And I'm feeling a small bit more optimistic about his intellectual capability.

We've been working incredibly hard to clear his congestion. Clearing his congestions helps him - a lot - or so it seems.

On Wednesday, I had a talk with the exception children's coordinator at Asher's school. I've been bugging him since this summer about Asher. Hopefully he'll start giving us some help. Asher needs it.

Now, toward the end of the week, Asher's energy level is rising to amazingly high levels. Raj even used the word "hyper-active" to describe Asher today. It's hard to believe, but Raj is right. I never thought we'd ever use that word to describe Asher. It truly was just a few months ago when I, literally, had to drag Asher out of bed in the morning. And now here he is unable to sit still for a minute. Unbelievable.

As you can see, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride is taking us for quite the spin.

Asher Update

Asher has been taking oregano oil for nearly a month now and the results have been astounding. It's absolutely amazing. The most obvious ways: he seems so much healthier now. The puffiness and allergic shiners are gone (with the exception of today - more details to follow) and his sinus congestion is almost gone - still a bit of trace of that. The congestion really wants to hang on. The patch of eczema is gone from under his eye. We've been able to stop giving him two of his medicines - Prevacid and Ketotifen - which is a REALLY big deal. He has more energy - but that's probably from the B12 spray we're also giving him.

So here are the real interesting ways he's improved: he has more balance and coordination. I don't understand the connection between gastro-intestinal distress and balance and coordination, but there certainly seems to be in Asher's case. In Saturday's soccer game, a boy on the other team pushed Asher and he didn't fall down! He kept his balance. He kept his balance and I cried.

You should see him in gymnastics. He can follow directions, he can stay on task, and he can do what all the other children do in the class. He's been taking gymnastics for a year now. Every week, I watch him in the class and silently beg for him to pay attention, go through each of the stations, and do as well as the other children. I've tried bribing him. I tell him I'm watching - and I do. And no matter how hard he worked, nothing changed until we killed the MRSA. Now, I watch Asher and tears of extreme happiness run down my face. He looks just like all the other children. OK, so he's probably the worst in the class, but at least he doesn't look out of place now. Now when I watch him, tears of joy stream down my face and I say silent thank you's. It's amazing.

His running seems better too, although there's still a lot of room for progress. But, heck, I'll take what I can get.

His brain seems to have unfogged a bit, too, although, again, there's still room for improvement.

Just yesterday we went to a company picnic. The grass on campus is absolutely gorgeous. It's thick and lush and there are lots of fun places to roll down the hills. The grass is also full of chemicals and the blades of grass are so thick and sharp that it cuts you. Rolling on that grass is like giving yourself a bazillion paper cuts and getting tons of chemicals in your skin in the process. I've rolled down the hill on that grass and suffered skin rashes and itchiness so severe it lasted for weeks. When Lula, one of our dogs, was a puppy, I'd take her for walks on campus and she'd get red, patchy, itchy welts from the chemicals on the grass. So, when I saw Asher and Simi and a good friend of theirs rolling down the hill, I cringed. I wondered just how long he'd suffer a reaction. I wondered if we'd have to hospitalize him. And I wondered how long it would take until we'd see the inevitable reaction.

I'm thrilled to report that, so far, aside from a bad case of hay fever, he seems to be OK. The dark circles returned under his eyes and he's sneezing and has a runny nose. But that's it! No hospitalization. No skin problems. I consider that an amazing improvement in his health. And yes, I was dancing the jig that my son has "merely" a case of environmental allergies.

My goal is to take the oregano oil for six weeks total, then after a month being off the oregano oil we'll test to see if the MRSA is gone. But it's really hard to take the oregano oil. I take it with him because it's really nasty stuff. And it makes my stomach hurt. I can only imagine how it makes his stomach feel. So, I'll be happy if we get to five weeks. Heck, we may have to stop at four weeks- it's that bad. I'd really like Leila to take it too. Her congestion returned after she stopped taking it. Truthfully, it's really hard to get a 2 year-old to take this incredibly nasty stuff. They just don't understand. So, we may be battling MRSA for awhile.

Well, there's a lot more, but I'm really tired. Julie, my apologies for the delayed update.

Until soon..

Day Six - Oregano Oil

We are one day past the "Dreaded Day Five" of Oregano Oil and all's well. Asher's dragon breath is gone, is congestion is improved (but not completely gone), and the allergic shiners under his eyes are gone. The kid has so much energy he doesn't know what to do with himself. He's getting into all sorts of trouble.

Asher had a soccer game on Saturday and did his best ever. And at today's soccer practise, he broke a sweat. He NEVER runs hard enough to break a sweat - so it's a VERY big deal!

Another milestone: On Saturday, Asher was able to sit down and put together a Lego Knight by himself (with a little guidance from me, but mainly by himself). He's never been able to focus that much before. I'm certain it's because his body feels SOOO much better.

It obviously seems like we're going down the right path. Even if this doesn't improve his EE, it certainly is helping his overall health. Raj made a comment yesterday that when we do the follow-up lab tests, he suspects we'll find a/some parasites (there seems to be some sort of relationship between parasites and bad bacteria). When the body has parasites, the eosinophils attack them, which causes eosinophilic esophagitis. Interestingly, even though parasites are one of the known causes of EE, Asher has never been tested for parasites before.

If the follow-up lab results show parasites, removing them will DEFINITELY help cure Asher's EE.

Oil of Oregano

Now that Asher has recovered from his allergic reaction to the Bactrim, it's time to stir things up again. His dragon breath and constant congestion returned once he stopped taking the Bactrim, which indicates that the MRSA has returned. Good golly, it feels sooo good to know what's been causing these two things!

So here's the deal: we have a pretty good clue that the MRSA has returned. We also know that Asher cannot tolerate Bactrim. Our only other antibiotic option is Vancomycin, which can cause permanent kidney damage and/or permanent deafness. Hmmmnnn...

When the lab identified the MRSA, they also did sensitivity tests. That's when they found it sensitive to Bactrim and Vancomycin. They also found it sensitive to some herbal options - about ten of them. I googled each option, read about it, and chose Oregano Oil. I read about some startling antibacterial qualities of oregano oil and decided it to be worth a try. And yes, it's true, I have officially crossed the line to "crazy mum". But perhaps we can find a safe way to get rid of the MRSA.

We're all taking it. And interestingly, after a mere day - one teeny tiny drop of oil - and our congestion is nearly gone. All three of the children were rather congested. Their congestion has diminished considerably. Go figure.

This stuff is tough to take. I'm glad I'm taking it along with the children, because it's incredibly mean to impose on someone. I think the children get a kick out of seeing me hate it just as much as they do. Heck, if it helps Asher, I'd do a whole lot worse than take some icky burning nasty oil.

Information on oregano oil can be found here and here. You can find a million more sites by simply typing in those two words into Google.

So, stay tuned to find out if Oregano Oil helps cure Asher of his MRSA....

Asher Update

It's time for a quite unusual Asher update:

I think someone flipped a switch on Asher or gave us a different kid who looks like Asher. This kid has more energy then he - and we - know what to do with. Physically, he's doing things with ease that he found impossible to do - ever. For example, Asher has physical therapy homework. Among the routine of things he is supposed to do, he is supposed to do ten sit-ups with knees bent and hands behind the head. We've been helping Asher do these sit-ups for nearly a year now. He needs a pillow for support and we have to use our hands to help him do the sit-up. Yet today he did those ten sit-ups by himself - no help at all - with ease. Huh???

The kid has SO MUCH energy - he's literally jumping all over the place. Poor kid is getting into quite a bit of trouble. I know what's going on, but it's still not OK to punch your brother in the stomach.

It's so nice to have this kind of problem.

Leila and the Leapster

Several years ago, Aunt Karen and Uncle Peter gave Simi a Leapster as a present. Simi loves his Leapster. Over the years, we have added game cartridges and the Leapster is still one of Simi's favorite things to play. Which is why Leila had to pick it up and give it a try.

Admittedly, I found it amusing watching Leila attempt the Leapster. It's for ages four to eight and she's two. She's a little young to master the Leapster. But it kept her amused even if she couldn't get the thing to work.

To my surprise, as I was listening to her playing the Leapster yesterday, she was answering all the questions correctly. She got her colors, shapes, and letters correct. She even logged on under her name and managed to collect 343 seeds - which means she's been doing some serious winning on the thing. She's two!

That'll teach me to under-estimate my girl...

Dragon Breath Returns

In other news, Asher's dragon breath, stuffy nose, puffy eyes, and dark circles under the eyes have returned.

Size Does Matter

Although Leila absolutely adores Simi, she chooses to play with Asher. The other day, we learned why. "Simi is a big kid", says Leila. "Asher is a little kid, like me", she continues. OK, then. Now we know.

For the record, although Asher is four years old and Simi is six years old, Asher is almost as tall as Simi.

Leili's Hair

Me: Come here, Leila, let's fix your hair.

Leila: But it's not broken.

One More Thing....

In different news, since we stopped the antibiotic, Asher's congestion has returned. It increased each day until now it's nearly back to what it used to be. Harumpf!

Kindergarten Asher

Asher started Kindergarten on Monday. In his typical "go with the flow" attitude, he just went along with everything. He got to his room and found his seat and began playing with the blocks at his space. I didn't cry. It was a good start to a new year.

When I picked him up from school at the end of each day, Asher told me about what he did that day at school. He got really animated when talking about the puzzles he did and the gym time he had. Puzzles and physical activity are two of the most difficult things for Asher, so it surprised me that he highlighted those activities.

Asher's new school is really amazing. Every single thing about this school is exceptional. If it were closer to our home, it would be perfect.

At dinner last night, Asher asked if the next day (Saturday) was a school day. Since Asher is always asking for "stay-home days" (week-ends), I thought he'd be happy to hear that the next day was a stay-home day. Instead, he was sad. He wanted to go back to school.

Some Noteworthy Observations

Since Asher started the antibiotic to kill the MRSA in his gut, we noticed some interesting items.

1. His dragon breath is gone. For as long as he's been on this planet, Asher has had the absolute WORST breath on the planet. No amount of tooth-brushing, dental flossing, or mouth-rinsing reduces the smell. But now it's gone. Completely gone. No more dragon breath for Asher.
2. Interestingly, even though we're in the height of allergy season for grasses (8 on a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 the highest) and even though this allergy season normally kicks his butt and HAS kicked his butt recently, today I noticed that Asher's nose is completely clear. No congestion. No dark circles or puffiness under his eyes. Asher ALWAYS has congestion and dark circles under his eyes, by the way. Today it's completely gone.

I can figure out some logic for the breath, but the lack of congestion baffles me. I'm incredibly grateful and thankful for the two changes.

Kindergarten Asher

Yesterday, Asher attended his kindergarten orientation. My "life of the party" child gets amazingly shy when introduced to new people and places. He was stuck on me so strongly, I firmly believe he would have crawled back into the womb if he could have.

The school is absolutely beautiful. The school's brand-new building was completed just a few weeks ago. They are still working on a few areas outside the building. The design is practical and breath-taking. The main doors open to a large 2-story meeting room with lots of big windows, which display the foliage of the trees outside. Everyone walking in utters an involuntary "WOW!" while they walk inside. It's gorgeous.

Asher's kindergarten teacher is the kind of teacher one wishes for all children. She has white hair and knows exactly what to say in every situation and promises a year of adventure and exploration. Her wish list includes bird food, empty coffee cans, and butterfly nets. Class size is limited to 15.

Of the two kindergarten classes, one is nut-free and the other isn't. Naturally, Asher was placed in the room which isn't nut-free. Yeah, that makes sense. Yes, we're talking about it and making a plan to keep him safe. This teacher, even when I talked to her about Asher's allergies, she didn't blink an eye and said, "We'll do everything we need to do to keep him safe. Let's you and I talk about what we need to do." A parent's dream.

The biggest problem with this school is that it's perfect. We needed a place where Asher could attend for just a year, then repeat kindergarten next year at the same school Simi attends. As good as this school is, we're not going to want to leave it. Ah, the best-laid plans...we'll see how it goes...

In other Asher news, he's slowly recovering from this latest allergic reaction. This latest reaction took it all from Asher and left him completely annihilated. Today was the first day in over a week that he ate solid food. Yesterday was his first good sleep and today he showed a bit of energy. Signs of recovery - phew!

Speaking of Crashes

We identified the cause of Asher's most recent allergic reaction. He suffered an allergic reaction from the Bactrim that we're giving him to kill the MRSA infection. I figured it out on Monday after a rash popped out all over his body. A google search confirmed that others have had the exact same side effects as Asher. Why aren't these side effects listed on the literature given with the medication????

It's encouraging that he managed to go for 9-12 days before suffering a reaction. And hopefully that was enough time to rid his body of the MRSA. We intend to do a follow-up test to check and will use a different antibiotic if necessary.

Asher is still recuperating. This reaction wiped him out completely.

In other news:

• On our way to the pediatrician's office yesterday to have him checked out, Asher and I got into a car accident. So we then got to go to urgent care for both the allergic reaction and the car accident. We were driving the Subaru. I'm hoping that it gets totalled; I've always hated that car.
• Our sweet 14 year-old Spotted Dog is really struggling health wise. He was still behaving like a puppy just a few months ago; now he's acting his age. The thought of losing him is devastating.
• I got a new job!

CRASH!

Asher's good energy wave has come to an end. In fact, Asher is now sicker than he has been in a long time. He's completely crashed.

Asher was riding such a good wave for such a long time that we got used to it. In a way, I think we started taking it for granted that he was feeling so good. It started feeling normal to us. This low he is in right now is the polar opposite of the high he's been riding. I haven't seen him this sick since we trialed beef.

Asher has spent most of the week-end on the couch. He's complaining of a head-ache, tummy ache, full body ache, and whatever else he can complain about. It hurts to eat. He has no energy and spends every possible moment sleeping. Thank G-d for elemental formula, which lets him drink his nutrition. The elemental formula will get him through this bad spell.

Now we have to figure out the cause. That's the fun part. Let's figure out what seemingly innocuous thing is destroying my kid. Of course we have to figure it out quickly, to help get Asher out of the state he's in. Ugh.

Fools

When I was in the Peace Corps, I drove a motorcycle. I remember the months before I got that motorcycle. I had to walk miles - each way - from my house to my job. And it was hot. Many times I got a ride because lots of guys wanted to have "the american" on the back of their bikes. Then it was a hassle getting rid of the ride. And when I had to go to town to buy food or get my mail, it was a day-long trip in a crammed "gua-gua". So, I was thrilled when I learned that Peace Corps was going to provide me with a motorcycle.

I chose a Honda 100. They had Honda 125s, but they were so tall (or my legs were so short) that my feet couldn't reach the ground. I loved that Honda 100. It was similar to a motocross bike and went everywhere. I took that bike on goat paths, across rivers, up mountains - you name it. Without a doubt, it changed my Peace Corps experience.

Now, in the Dominican Republic, where I lived, it was HOT. I'm not joking. I lived in the desert part of the DR and it routinely got to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Although in the winter it got "so cold" that you had to wear long sleeves while riding the motorcycle at night. Brrr. Anyway, it was so hot that I'd want to wear lightweight clothing - and as little of it as I could possibly get away with.

Thing is, I'm riding a motorcycle. And since one just never knows when an accident is going to happen, the best thing to do is "be prepared". So...I wore jeans while riding that bike. Thick jeans. Yes, it was hot. Those jeans saved my legs from tons of stuff that could have happened. Like, when I fell off my bike while climbing a goat path. Or when someone ran into me at an intersection. I'm glad I wore those jeans.

Although I LOVED that motorcycle, I'd NEVER ride one in the US. People drive faster here. I think it has to do with the fact that we have paved roads and highways. Thing is, if you fall off your bike while driving these big speeds, you can get REALLY hurt. And the big cars in the US don't see motorcycles, so they cut you off. Even now that the price of gas is prohibitively expensive, I would never even consider getting a motorcycle. Folks who ride motorcycles say that it's not a matter of IF, but rather WHEN, that accident is going to happen. That money that you save on gas doesn't do you ANY good if you get killed or seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. It's just not worth the risk.

But imagine my surprise when, the other day, I saw a young lady riding a motorcycle dressed in a light summer dress. She was on the city streets near Duke - where traffic cuts in and out and all over the place. The wind blew up her dress and showed her panties to the entire world. Aside from the obvious, I couldn't help but think that she's risking an awful lot of road rash when the inevitable fall happens. I'm sure that lots of drivers took their eyes off the road when she passed by - further increasing the risk of a crash. She did nothing to change my impression of Duke students - but that's a different blog entry for a different day.

So, folks, if you're going to ride that motorcycle, be sure to protect your skin and body as much as you can. Keep in mind that it's very difficult for folks in cars to see you - so you have to be prepared. And don't forget the helmet. Or better yet, get an economical vehicle with a good mpg rating. Some things are just not worth the risk.

Pre-School Graduation

Today was Asher's last day of pre-school. He starts kindergarten soon.

At Asher's pre-school, they have a small graduation ceremony just before lunch. They craft a graduation cap out of cardboard and tape and make a tassel from thin rope. They create a diploma and the head of the pre-school and the teachers sign it. Then, during circle time, Asher was called up and each child said a few words to him. He received his diploma. Then everyone gave him a great big hug. Then he got to have his last lunch in the big cafeteria. Now, next time he returns, it'll be as a visitor.

We didn't prepare Asher as well as we should have for the transition. I mean, he knew that he was leaving and going to kindergarten. But we didn't tell him until yesterday that he would be graduating today. And we didn't put it together for him that today would be his last day - never to return. Truthfully, I didn't put it together in my head either. It took me by surprise too. I didn't prepare any thank you for his teachers. And now I feel absolutely crappy about that. I know I can go back and do something - and I will. But it's not the same.

But back to Asher: We told Asher this morning that today was his last day. He got very sad and said that he wanted to graduate -- and then go back. He wants to stay in preschool. He has so much fun there. He has all his friends there. He wants to stay.

I'd like him to stay too. He's not ready for kindergarten. But those are the rules.

Back to Asher again: He had a wonderful graduation ceremony. He had a wonderful lunch. Then, when Simi came home from school, the two of them got to play at Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate.

And now, ready or not, Asher's on his way to kindergarten.

Gabby

Here is a news story about a little girl named Gabby who has the same disease as Asher.

That Gabby-girl is a little cutie!

Introducing Petita

Two year-old Leila is a great big personality in a teeny tiny little pint-size body. She's under the 25th percentile in height for her age group and 95 percentile in weight. But what she lacks in size, she more than makes up for in attitude. In reaction to something, she crinkles up her little nose and says, "I don't like it", with such gusto and spirit that you truly believe her and back away.

As you know, we used to call her "Leili", which is short for "Leilita". In pure Leila form, she replied, "I NOT Leili, I'm Leila!!!". OK, then.

So imagine our surprise when, the other day, Leila announces that her name is "Petita".

"I NOT Leila", Leila says, with her nose all crinkled up. "I Petita." OK, Petita, eat your breakfast, please.

Petita toddles off after her brothers, following them in whatever they do. Jumping into the trampoline pit - no problem for Petita. Running after and kicking a soccer ball - sounds good. Making your hand in the shape of a gun and chasing your brothers around the house while making shooting sounds at them - that too.

Then there's the sweet side of Petita, where she hugs her baby doll as she drags her across the room. Or when she goes into her pretend kitchen and fixes you a meal and toddles sweetly over to you and hands you the plate full of pretend "eggies and pasta" or an empty cup of tea.

I can't wait to see what name she chooses next.

How to Gain/Keep Customers

Sometimes I wonder how certain companies can stay in business.

Take DHL for example. When we were submitting Asher's bodily fluids for testing, we had to mail one of the samples to a laboratory in Paris, France. The instructions on the form said to contact DHL for shipping. So I did. Someone from DHL came to the house to pick up the sample. He gave me a form to complete. After I completed the form, I handed him the package. I also expressed concern that they requested that my credit card information - to pay for the package - be taped outside the package for everyone to view. I didn't see that as a safe practice. Off went the package.

Days later, I learned that DHL lost the package.

While waiting on hold with DHL for the fifth time, I listened to the muzak and hold messages. It said that they have a money back guarantee. If not fully satisfied with their service, they would refund customer money. After the customer service representative admitted that the package was officially lost, I asked them to refund my money. "Not possible", says the customer service representative. "Huh? Your message says that you have a money back guarantee. Plus, you lost my package. You didn't deliver your end of the deal. I shouldn't have to pay," was my reply. "I'm sorry, that's our policy.", says the customer service representative. And she wouldn't budge.

Later, after filing a claim with DHL, I receive a letter from their lost control adjuster. It says that DHL is not liable for any lost package because it states that on the terms and conditions on the back of their air waybill. So, even if they lose a package, they claim no responsibility for losing it.

How do these people stay in business?

MRSA

Usually a lack of posts is a bad thing. In the case of the past two weeks, it simply means that there was nothing to say. Until now.

Yesterday, we met with the integrative medicine doctor to review Asher's blood, urine, and stool test results. To summarize: Asher has a huge amount of the MRSA bacteria in his gut and it's causing damage.

There are a few other minor issues which can be remedied, but the MRSA, obviously, is the big one. There were 50-60 pages of lab results and the ones that showed issues for Asher all point to the damage by the MRSA bacteria in his gut. If we take care of the MRSA (and, to a lesser extent, the Gamma Strep bacteria, which we can kill with the same antibiotic that we use for the MRSA), then his gut will heal.

After seeing these results, this is the first time ever in dealing with Asher's EE that I've felt hopeful that we're on the right track. I really and truly feel like we have found the cause - the reason for Asher's EE. I have read tons of medical journal articles which support the belief that harmful bacteria is one of the causes of eosinophilic esophagitis. I strongly suspect that if we can remove the harmful bacteria and help his gut heal, then his allergies will lessen.

The healing will not happen overnight. It's a 30-day regimen of antibiotic to kill the MRSA. We also have to repopulate his gastro-intestinal tract with beneficial bacteria too and create a healthy environment. And the gut heals slowly. But every journey begins with a single step.

We're on our way....

H*ly Sh*t!

Like the rest of the world, I am a HUGE Oprah fan. Her show gets TiVo'd daily at the HinJew household. If I get the chance, I watch it after the children go to bed.

If you have children and have not yet watched yesterday's show, go do it now. Really. Right now. You need to see it.

Until I saw yesterday's show, I had no clue that a Webcam is a pedophile's biggest dream-come-true. Merely plugging it in brings this slime into the bedrooms of our children where these perverts lure and manipulate our children into doing all sorts of lurid acts.

Yesterday's show highlighted a young boy, age 13 at the time, who plugged in a Webcam to enable him to speak to his friends online and, perhaps, meet some girls. He thought that the people he was talking to were 13 year-old boys just like him. They weren't. They were pedophiles and lured him into doing all sorts of things. Read his story now.

It's horrifying enough to learn this news. Yet it gets worse. With the help of a NY Times investigative reporter, they learn the identities of the boy's 1500 "clients". Many of them were pediatricians, teachers, guidance counselors, and other professionals with easy access to children. It truly frightens me as a parent to know that the people I trust the most with my children might hurt them.

But anything I say here cannot do justice to the excellent job Oprah and her team do in portraying the information. Please, watch it now.

First Day/First Grade

Simi's first day of first grade went well. He brought home an empty folder, a skinned knee and no homework.

The highlights of his day included making a new friend and playing freeze tag at recess.

So...there it is...

Scenes From The First Day of School

Observations from Simi's school:

A little boy holding his even littler sister's hand and taking her to her first day of class. He gets near the class and gives her a little push to the door ... then walks away to get to his own class.

A little girl taking her little brother to his first day of school. She gets him to the door of his classroom, kisses the top of his head, then pushes him into the room and walks away to get to her own class.

A mom trying to push a stroller (with an infant in it) and hold the hand of a toddler - in the mad crush of kids and parents - while taking another young 'un to the first day of class.

A little girl carrying a backpack which was bigger and wider than she. By the looks of it, the backpack must have been REALLY heavy.

The gym teacher helping a little girl find her classroom.

First Grade

Today is Simi's first day of first grade.

It's been an auspicious start to the year. Simi is not in the classroom we anticipated and the school is completely unorganized this year. For example, we haven't received any word on bus routes/times, so we had no idea where to wait for the bus, the bus number, or what time to be at the stop. Teachers said that last minute changes occured to cause students to be moved around as late as last Thursday. It's just a mess.

Simi's Kindergarten teacher speaks very highly of his first grade teacher and she has certification in teaching academically gifted children. She and the assistant teacher seem very nice.

As I was driving Simi to school on his first day, I flashbacked to his first day of Kindergarten exactly one year ago. Simi seemed nervous today, but much less nervous than he did last year. Simi also didn't seem as excited about the experience as he did last year. Although I didn't cry this year, I certainly felt like I wanted to.

As we entered the classroom, the teacher very nicely introduced herself to Simi and told Simi to choose a seat wherever he wanted. Simi just stood there and froze. I helped him find a seat. Simi introduced himself to the other children in the class and I watched him get started in putting his name on his bookmark. He wasn't as engrossed in the activity as he was last year.

I passed by the computer lab on my way out the door and was quite impressed by the equipment. Shiny new-looking Apple computers awaited students use. Nice.

Interestingly, just a short while ago, a charter school where Simi was waitlisted contacted me. Simi has a spot at their school - to begin in two weeks - if he wants it. Sigh...

I can't wait to hear how his day went.

Asher Update

Asher's great energy continues. It's obviously the vitamin supplements we're giving him that's making the difference. I'd never guess that something as simple as a multi-vitamin would make such a major difference.

So now the conundrum is....do we scope or not? According to the protocol set by the specialists, Asher should be scoped every three months because the damage is occurring inside his body and symptoms may not be readily noticed. So, according to these guidelines, Asher needs an endoscopy at July's end. Thing is, it's incredibly invasive and it hurts Asher and there is evidence that general anesthesia damages the mitochondria. Seems to me like after every scope, it takes Asher at least a week to recover.

The doctor at Duke suggests we not scope unless symptoms suggest it. But how do we know the culprit unless we scope? How do we know if all the vitamins and supplements and additional food are true passes unless we scope? What if damage is occurring and we don't see the symptoms?

So...do we scope...or not?

Milestones

It's been a big week for Leila here in the HinJew household. She's moved out of nappies and into training undies. She's very excited about it and showing everyone her new pink underwear. She says now she goes pee pee on the potty just like her boys. Well, Leili, perhaps not just like the boys.....

She has also made the long overdue transition from her crib to her big girl bed. She and I made the trek to the store to pick out new sheets for her new bed. She excitedly picked out sheets with the Disney princesses on them. I wasn't surprised; she's so into princesses these days. I suggested to her that we buy the Tinkerbell sheets too, so that she'd have a spare set. She didn't really care about Tinkerbell and just went along with it to make me happy. So now Leili is in her big girl bed and wearing big girl underwear.

In other Leila news, she insists we call her "Leila". We've been calling her "Leili" for nearly her entire life. Now, when I call her "Leili", she replies, "I not Leili. I'm Leila!". OK then.

My baby is growing up....

Energy!

For the third continous week, Asher's energy level and health remains GREAT. I'm on cloud 9! Something as simple as my child's good health makes me the happiest person on the planet. Woo hoo!

As Asher's energy level soars, so does his naughtiness. I guess that's to be expected. It's nice to have "normal" problems for a change.

Asher still struggles with cognitive stuff. It is my hope that as we balance his body nutritionally, this part, too, will improve. I'll keep you posted.

In other news, Leila is doing great in her potty training. She's got a lot of personality, that one. And Simi is having a ton of fun at science camp (in the morning) and native american indian pottery (in the afternoon). At science camp, they are exploding mentos in Coke, creating paste using corn starch and water, and making pennies rust with vinegar. It sounds very messy. He loves it. In pottery camp, they are making clay pots, clay snakes, and weaving baskets. I ask him which of the two camps he likes best. He likes both equally. Cool.

And Another Thing...

OK, perhaps you'll put this in the weird/crazy mom category. Or perhaps you'll see it as another piece of the "what's up with Asher" puzzle that will help us heal him:

Asher is SUPER ULTRA SENSITIVE to temperature. Until now.

For example, last year, both Simi and Asher took swimming lessons last summer. When I say it's HOT here in North Carolina in the dog days of summer, I ain't exaggerating one bit! Temperatures reach nearly 100 degrees and routinely hover over the mid-90s with 80-95% humidity. The swimming pool where they took lessons is heated to a temperature that it pleasing to the skin. Well, pleasing to everyone's skin but Asher. Asher was the only child wearing a thermal suit in a heated swimming pool in the hottest days of the Carolina summer. And he shivered.

At Asher's pre-school, they routinely have sprinkler days during the summer. The children love playing in the sprinkler! Asher wouldn't. He'd stay out of the sprinkler, stay on the perimeter of it and watch his friends play in the water. The cold water - even whilst wearing his thermal suit - hurt him.

I have mentioned this to Asher's doctors, who look at me as if I'm green and say, "everyone has different levels of sensitivity to things." I heard, "so what?" "It's no big deal." I always thought this temperature sensitivity thing was a piece of the "what's wrong with Asher puzzle" that was being overlooked.

Fast forward to two weeks ago: the boys were playing in a sprinkler. The temperature was about 105 degrees that day (really! that really and truly was the actual thermometer reading!). I didn't realize that Asher's thermal suit no longer fits him, and that it's also old, torn, and ratty. I found boys swim trunks that fit him and away he went to play with Simi and Leila in the water.

Water from the garden hose is COLD - A LOT colder than that lovely heated swimming pool. And here's my boy standing in the spray and getting SOAKED - with no thermal suit and looking as happy as I've ever seen him. Can it be that Asher is no longer super ultra sensitive to water temperature? Now...doesn't that seem bizarre?

The Great Energy Continues!

Asher's still feeling great. I wish I knew its cause so that we know what to continue doing! He's been feeling great for the past two weeks, which is far longer than any good wave he's ridden in at least a year and a half. I'm on cloud 9!

Both boys had an absolutely wonderful experience at gymnastics camp. Asher did things I never thought possible - for him. On Tuesday, my jaw hit the floor when I saw him playing tug-of-war. He (age 4) and two 5 year-olds tugged against three 6 year-olds. After several minutes, one of the 5 year-olds on Asher's side let go of the rope and sat down. To my surprise, Asher and the other boy managed to keep the tug going for MINUTES after that. I couldn't believe it.

On Thursday, Asher walked on the balance beam by himself - which is only the second time that's happened to my knowledge - and even got up on one of the higher beams and walked sideways on it by himself. I couldn't believe that one! On Friday, Asher was thrilled to show me how well he could dribble a beach ball and he LOVED playing volleyball(!). He jumped up and down in sheer excitement and hustled to get the ball so he could hit it. I couldn't believe the energy level in my kid! I began to wonder if my child was replaced by a totally different kid who just LOOKED like Asher!

In comparison, prior to these past two weeks, if Asher exerted himself for an hour, he would be wiped out for the next week. So in addition to all these new skills he learned, I'm completely surprised (and thrilled!) at his energy level.

Back in early January (January 7th, I believe), Asher was trying to walk down the stairs by himself in our house. He couldn't do it. He was so weak and clumsy and uncoordinated that he nearly fell and stumbled down the stairs. When first realizing that her child would tumble down the stairs, a good mom would have run up the stairs to catch him. I didn't do that. Instead, I grabbed the nearby video camera and filmed it so that I can take the video clip to the doctor and get an understanding of why he was suddenly having trouble going down the stairs. The doctor was also concerned and said it looked like a muscular dystrophy sort of thing. Yeah, I know, like that's comforting.

I'm thrilled to report that this past week, Asher trotted up and down the stairs - by himself - like it was nothing! Woo hoo!

Another huge improvement is that his hands haven't been shaking. Until recently, Asher has suffered from "Parkinson-like shakes" in his hands. Really. It was hard for him to hold a cup of his elemental formula because his hands would shake so much that he'd drop it. I'm proud to report that this past week, his hands haven't shaken like that at all! That's HUGE!

Again, I wish I knew what is making Asher feel so great. We'll just enjoy riding this great energy wave for as long as it continues...and hope for a nice long ride.

Amaranth - Day Six

We're one day past the dreaded Day Five of the amaranth trial and....so far so good. Phew! Of course it's just a tentative food trial pass until the definitive biopsy results.

Asher now has three tentative additional foods: banana, cauliflower, and amaranth. He's just about doubled the amount of foods he can eat. Gotta love that!

We chose amaranth because it's a low allergen grain which makes a great substitute flour to use in baking. Now, if only we could find amaranth flour. I can't find it anywhere! Who knew it would be so hard to find?

Asher and Simi are enrolled in gymnastics camp this week. Asher is attending in the morning; Simi attends all day. Both boys are doing GREAT at gymnastics camp. Simi is winning all sorts of ribbons for being the best in certain events. The counselors are coming up to me and saying how talented he is. Who knew?!

I was a bit concerned about Asher being in camp. Asher gets wiped out for a full week after a mere one hour of strenuous activity. You can imagine my concern about him being able to last for three hours a day for five days. So imagine my surprise at how great he's doing! Just today I watched Asher walk the balance beam all by himself. That's only the second time - ever - that I've seen him do that. AND, he got himself up on one of the high balance beams and walked sideways on it - all by himself. He's always been too scared to even venture on the high balance beam before - and to do it all by himself is absolutely amazing. I still can't believe he did that! He was also VERY proud to show me just how well he dribbled a ball. I think that's a milestone too. He was even more excited about that than anything else.

So, Asher's riding a great wave right now. It's a GREAT wave and a super-enjoyable ride. We'll just enjoy it for as long as it lasts.

Amaranth

We've declared cauliflower a tentative, preliminary success (until confirmed by endoscopy) and have now moved on to a new food trial: amaranth. Amaranth is a low allergen grain which makes a great substitute when baking. Raj has used millet previously, which is another low allergen grain with high protein. The downside of millet is that it's very crumbly. Hence the amaranth.

Saturday was day one of the amaranth trials. I cooked it according to the directions and served it to Asher. Simi, who was seated across the table from Asher, asked Asher what it tasted like. "Like cooked plastic", was Asher's reply. "HUH?", was my reaction. I tasted it and learned that Asher was right - it did, indeed, taste like cooked plastic. Poor kid. He's supposed to get some savory enjoyment from eating. It should be yummy, not disgusting. Why isn't it written anywhere that amaranth tastes like cooked plastic?

Asher's still eating it, though. Perhaps something new is better than nothing. I've started to add things like sugar and salt into it (so that it tastes like sweet/salty cooked plastic). Raj suggested to Asher that, since Asher is the Little Chef, that he do some testing with the amaranth to get it to his liking. We all loved that idea and now the Little Chef gets to do some cooking!

The First Grader

Simi is - officially - no longer a kindergartner. Today was his last day in the kindergarten class. He officially joins the first grade class when he returns to school.

Simi ended the year reading at a level 30. I think that's a third grade level. The expectation is that children finish kindergarten reading at a level 4. Shucks, he STARTED the year reading at a level 14!

He has been doing first grade math all year. Simi's teacher tells us that during math time, Simi will always create math equations where he has to subtract. I think he's already mastered addition and likes the challenge that something new, like subtraction, brings.

To celebrate, Simi and Asher got to go play at Monkey Joe's. They had an absolute blast.

My baby is growing up WAY too fast. Pretty soon, he'll be moving off to college. Sob....

Excellent Story About a Boy With EE

Here is an well-written news story done about a six year-old boy in Connecticut who has the same disease as Asher.

Thank you, Timmy and family, for sharing your story with the world.

Back to Square 1 Again

Last night was Simi's gymnastics "Last Class Blast". All three children were really looking forward to it. Similar to Asher's day, Simi's class did a small display of skills, received their award, had an opportunity to eat food, then got an hour of open play in the gym.

This time, Simi chose to play with his kindergarten friends rather than hang with us. So, off he went.

Leila watched the other girls and started to imitate their moves. It was amazing how quickly she picked up the moves! She and Asher took turns on the tumble track and she did a GREAT job jumping on the track then jumping into the pit. She had an absolutely wonderful night.

The clumsy uncoordinated Asher returned. Unlike Tuesday, Asher couldn't balance on the beam by himself, couldn't maneuver through the pit, and couldn't pick up his knees while bouncing on the trampoline. Why the change?

I started wondering if perhaps I imagined that coordinated Asher showed himself on Tuesday. Was it a dream? I'm sure it happened. The question is, why was Asher so different from one day to the next? Why the change?

On a different yet possibly related note, we had to discontinue the DMG supplement (beginning yesterday). Asher had explosive watery stool for the past week. Yesterday, his asthma kicked in. Asher's asthma is an allergic reaction. Obviously, when it becomes a choice between breathing or continuing a supplement, the breathing always wins.

So now gymnastics is over for the summer. We all said our good-byes to our gym friends and made plans on day/time schedules so that we can see them again in the fall.

Gymnastics Finale

Last night was "Last Class Blast" for Asher's gymnastics class. Simi's is yet to come. Each class performed a short skills show for the parents, then they were treated to a cook-out (except Asher), then they were given a full hour of open play on any of the supervised equipment.

Asher did GREAT in the skills show. He did a backwards somersault by himself - something he has never been able to do before. He also did a cartwheel by himself. During open gym, he walked on the balance beam - even walked quickly on the balance beam - by himself. He's never done that before. He jumped on the trampoline and brought his knees into his chest - 10 times in a row. And then he did it again and again. My jaw stayed on the floor in utter amazement.

Asher and Simi really enjoyed themselves during open gym. They sprinted about 50 feet before launching themselves into the foam pit. They climbed up 4 feet and took a running jump into the pit. While Simi's never been afraid, until yesterday Asher never just launched himself into the pit. He always jogged slowly up to it, stopped, then climbed in. Yesterday's display, on Asher's part, was completely out of character. And it completely surprised me coming from a kid who couldn't balance on his own two feet just days ago. What changed?

Simi was a sight of speed, strength, and grace last night. During his games of cat and mouse (the cat chases the mouse into the foam pit), he was never caught while he was the mouse and always caught the other child (even the much older ones) while he was the cat. I'd come to expect seeing this during his gymnastics class, but it surprised me to see him running faster than children much older than he. And when jumping into the pit, he flings himself MUCH farther than any of the children - even the ones much older than he. There were times when I had to climb into the pit to rescue Leila and I never realised the strength needed to climb out. Yet Simi makes it look effortless. I had visions of him exceling at long jump, pole vault, distance and sprints during high school track. Luckily for him, that's more than a decade away and I'll have likely forgotten that vision by then. I'm so incredibly grateful to Dr. Pigula and Children's Hospital Boston for fixing Simi's heart. I just can't believe how great he's doing.

Leila was a toddler full of frustration last night. She wanted to follow her brothers in their activities and let everyone know her disappointment when she was stopped. She would have run the 50 feet and flung herself into the foam pit if I let her. In fact, towards the end of the night after most of the children left, I did help her do that. She also would have independently flung herself into the foam pit from a four foot height. Kristin, Asher's teacher, helped her do that. The girl is fearless. If her brothers can do it, she insists on doing it too and won't take no for an answer. That's my girl.

Asher was so proud of the ribbon he earned in gymnastics yesterday (the one that EVERY child receives). He brought it into school today for show and tell.

All three children poured themselves into bed in sheer exhaustion last night. They woke up tired. And they can't wait until Simi's last class blast so that they can do it again.

A Visit to the DAN! Doctor

Last Monday, we took Asher to a DAN! doctor. A DAN! doctor is a doctor who specializes in biomedical treatments for autistic children. Asher does NOT have autism, but there are a lot of similarities between Asher's symptoms and symptoms of autistic children. For example, autistic children have a lot of allergies - food and environmental - very similar to Asher. DAN! doctors call it "Leaky Gut" and have methods to "heal the gut" which are very different from the methods doctors use who specialize in Eosinophilic Disorders. Autistic children also have poor balance and coordination. It seems to this untrained, uneducated mind that autistic children have a lot of the same symptoms as Asher, but that they have MORE. They also have the extreme neurological issues which Asher, thankfully, does not have.

Because there are A LOT more children with Autism than there are with EE, there is more research. Over the past few decades, families with autistic children, physicians with autistic children, and interested researchers have been coming together in conferences to confer about ways to heal children with autism and they've come up with some great protocols to test for different things and treat those issues. Children with autism are being helped now. But they're not being helped in the traditional pediatrician's office because pediatricians get their direction from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the AAP needs decades of stringent research (except for, interestingly, vaccine protocol) before they provide recommendations for treatment. Our goal in bringing Asher to a DAN! doctor was to do the analysis and subsequent treatments in the hopes of helping him heal.

We had already started Asher on some of the biomedical treatments. We introduced probiotics into his diet and "yeast killer" to bring his intestinal track into balance. I personally believe we have seen some positive benefit from the yeast killer. We also introduced vitamin supplements (multi-vitamin, zinc, co-enzyme Q10, carnitine and creatine), which has made tremendous difference in Asher's health.

On Monday, the DAN! doctor mentioned that the learning disability identified in January by the Early Intervention Program is usually a "connection issue" and usually an indication of a lack of essential fatty acids in the diet. Upon examining Asher's diet, it's absolutely true that Asher has NO essential fatty acids (EFA) in his diet. Your body can't make EFAs on its own; they must come from the diet. Thing is, EFAs come from fish, soy, and other things we can't possibly give him. What a conundrum.

The DAN! doctor also says that lack of balance and coordination are generally a sign of excess heavy metals in the body and suggests supplements to help the body expel the heavy metals naturally. This past Thursday, we introduced one of those supplements into Asher's diet. We chose the oral supplement DMG with Folinic Acid and B12.

Interestingly, shortly after Asher's futbol game on Saturday, he suffered an incredibly watery bout of diarrhea. Please pardon me if that's too much information. Us parents, especially us parents who have children with gastro-intestinal issues, are unusually preoccupied with our children's stools.

The questions are:

• Does the watery stool have any connection with the lack of balance/coordination?
• Does it have any connection with the DMG supplement?
• Has the new supplement caused Asher to be super-clumsy?
• If so, does that mean that it's helping or hurting?
• How long do we give him the supplement?
• Is it heavy metals or is it something else?
• Are we looking in the wrong direction?
• Can the supplementation help?
• Is this the right supplementation?
• Is there something else we should be doing for Asher?

So, if you have the answers to these questions, please let me know. If not, join the club and stay tuned while we figure it out.

Soccer Finale

The Spring Soccer Season has come to an end. Yesterday, Simi and Asher played in their final game. They each received a really cool medal, which has a flame coming from a soccer ball. Too cool.

Simi did absolutely fantastic in his game yesterday. It was sheer beauty watching him navigate his way up and down the field with the ball, passing the ball to his teammates, and scoring goals. I know I'm biased, but it certainly seems like he has a lot of talent on the soccer field.

Asher was the complete opposite. In Thursday's soccer practice, he did FANTASTIC - better than he has all season. He raced up and down the field and kicked the ball and even passed to his teammates. Yesterday was different. Before the game even began yesterday, he said to me that he wanted to play goalie. Asher couldn't play goalie because the four year-old division doesn't play with goalies - they have four or five children on the field - with small fields - and they don't keep score. Truthfully, at that age, if a child kicks the ball into ANY goal, all the parents cheer. It doesn't have to be the right goal. I told Asher to play like he played on Thursday and marched him off onto the field.

Asher tried to play hard. He played as hard as he could. Something got in his way. He was completely unbalanced and uncoordinated in a way I hadn't seen him in several months. He could barely run in a straight line and any light tap from a teammate sent him sprawling onto the ground. In fact, the playing field became downright dangerous for him because other children fell on top of him or kicked his head accidentally when he fell down. He has a great big lump on one side of his head from one of these occasions. Asher knew before he started that he was feeling uncoordinated.

He wasn't just off-balance at soccer. While playing catch with him in the afternoon, his throws were super-wild and he couldn't catch the ball - the same ball he caught with ease just last week. He also couldn't hit the wiffle ball while playing baseball in the backyard yesterday afternoon - something he could also do with relative ease over the past few months. Not to mention, it's just not "normal" for a four year-old who exercises as hard as Asher does five times a week to be as uncoordinated as a two year-old. Something got in his way yesterday.

My question is, what caused him to be so incredibly amazingly off balance yesterday?

I have asked this question to both his pediatrician and the Occupational Therapist and Physical Therapist at different times over the past six months and they said, "he lacks the muscle tone". But that doesn't add up. He had plenty of muscle tone when he walloped the ball at age 2 on Simi's t-ball team. He had plenty of coordination just last week - and the week before - while playing soccer and playing catch. What happened yesterday?

I'm going to continue this post tomorrow, since it's already very long. To be continued...

La Leilita and Her Food

It's no secret that Leila loves her food. After her tonsilectomy, she gained six pounds in a mere two months. I honestly have never seen a child eat as much as she did in the two-three months after her tonsilectomy.

Before her tonsilectomy, I felt like those huge marbles were getting in the way of her eating; that concern was confirmed by her post-surgery gorging. Leila hadn't gained a pound, between ages 1 and 2, but she gained six pounds in the two months post tonsilectomy. WOW!!!

Leila also loves to cook in her pretend kitchen. She cooks up all sorts of things and delivers it to each one of us. She "cooks" eggies and pasta for Simi because that's his favorite dish. She "cooks" pork for Asher. She "cooks" all sorts of things for me. And she always brings me "tea" with my meal. She's very busy in her kitchen.

Now that Leila has recovered from her tonsilectomy, we've stopped giving her Flovent and have been preparing to submit her for an endoscopy with the thought that she might have the same disease as Asher. Now, that thought isn't so certain. She's been doing great ever since her tonsils have been removed.

Now we've been adding in all sorts of allergenic "Asher poisons", like wheat, eggs, and fish, into Leila's diet. Leila isn't certain what to make of the new foods - she just looks at it like, "what is this?".

While Leila is a bit perplexed on her new change of diet, Asher is - most definitely - very unhappy about it. I think he felt like, with Leila sharing his diet, he wasn't singled out. Now, he very much is singled out. It is difficult to upset my easy-going Asher, but this change in Leila's diet certainly has him upset. We add insult to injury by making Asher drink some nasty-tasting vitamin supplements twice a day. This kid just can't get a break.

Leila, when she gets mad, makes a "mean" face. Good golly, this girl gets MAD! Naturally, we all laugh at her when she gets all huffy. We point to her face -- all scrunched up -- and say, "Leila has her angry eyes on."

The other day, Leila and Asher were quibbling and Leila said to Asher, "Asher, I have my angry eyes on." All of us just fell over with laughter.

That's my girl.

Cauliflower

Asher has begun a new food trial: cauliflower. We chose it because it's one of his formerly favorite foods and was one of the foods in the previous failed food trial. In that food trial, I felt that cauliflower was truly a safe food but caught up in a trial with a "bad" food.

I personally believe that Asher's just thrilled to be eating something new. He's loving the cauliflower.

Regarding the banana food trial, we're considering it - as least preliminarily - successful and keeping it in Asher's diet. Since he's been eating bananas, he has a VERY difficult time getting out of bed in the mornings. But once he's up, he has great energy and spirit. We'll find out in July - during the next scope - if the morning tiredness is indicative of a food trial failure.

Ode to Murray

The World lost a great man yesterday. Murray Benson passed peacefully last night.

I found this poem and would like to share it. But before I share the poem, please go to this YouTube video. I think Murray would have liked it.

Doris, Karen, and Craig, our thoughts and prayers are with you.


ODE TO A LOVING FATHER
He wasn’t famous, he wasn’t rich
He just looked after his wife and kids
He made sure there was always food
And clothing that made us look good
He brought us up though strict but right
So we wouldn’t stray into the night
He made sure we learned our game
And be proud of our family name
The world won’t know that he is gone
But lot’s of people (I am one)
Know that the world has lost a man
Who was good and kind and better than
A kid could wish for in a dad
So losing him makes me real sad
I’d like to tribute this to him
I’m sure so would his next of kin
I love you dad, before and now
You rest in peace and this I vow
You’ll always be a part of me
I’ll remember you as it should be
A kind and loving father who
Loved his family through and through
And with this I’d like to end
Goodbye my father, chum and friend.

Bananas

Asher started a new food trial last week. He is currently trialing bananas. While he's happy to be eating a new food, he's not that thrilled with bananas. He's tried bananas before with last year's failed food trial. We didn't see any overt reaction then, so my thought was that it is a safe food to try. Plus, bananas is filled with wonderful potassium and other nutrients. If he passes a trial of bananas, he will have one food from every food group. Not too shabby.

He can begin a new food trial next Tuesday. Right now he chooses cauliflower. Of course he's welcome to change his mind before we begin.

We've been giving him vitamins too. Multi-vitamin, co-enzyme Q10, zinc, and carnitine. Oh, and probiotic and yeast-killer to heal the gut. I have noticed a BIG difference in his energy level since he's been taking the vitamins. It makes me wonder if he's not getting complete nutrition in his nutritionally complete elemental formula.

In other news, Simi's doing great in soccer and gymnastics. He's quite the athlete. And he beats me handily in Wii games. Harumpf!

Leila doesn't play the Wii, but she loves Go Diego Go. She picks things up very quickly. She uses the Spanish words in regular conversation and she uses them in context. For example, she'll need help with something and she'll say, Mommy, ayudame! Way to go Leily! She's also doing great with her letters. She loves doing her letters.

ABCs

While Simi was in his 1 to 2 year-old classroom at day care, his teacher suggested to me that he was ready to learn his ABCs. I bought the foam letters and during bath time, I began to teach Simi his ABCs. We started with three letters and we made a game out of it. Simi quickly learned his ABCs.

Asher learned his ABCs, too. Since I bathed both boys together, Simi always answered the questions for Asher and Asher didn't get to learn his ABCs in the same way as Simi did. Asher learned them in the way Asher prefers to learn - by watching a video.

Leila, being the third child, doesn't get a chance to learn her ABCs. We're way to busy to teach them to her. She's already two years old and we have just barely begun to think about teaching her the letters. We just started sitting her on the potty (another thing we're late on. Asher was potty trained before age 2 and Simi was well on his way). To keep her interest, I've been teaching her the letters.

Perhaps it's her age; Leila is catching on tremendously quickly with her letters. She's going to learn them all in no time.

A New Addition...

While growing up, I constantly heard how bad it was to spend time playing video games. "They suck the life blood out of you", was what I heard. "They turn you into a couch potato", was another common statement. "They take time away from your studies", was another common message. Those messages made sense to me and I avoided the video game culture that others enjoyed. It also kept me from buying video games for my children.

Asher, in particular, LOVES video games. Whenever we go to the movies or Chuck E. Cheese or anywhere where there is a video game, he runs to it and he'll play for as long as we let him. Asher especially loves the "shoot 'em up" games, which I find particularly disdainful. Asher's love for video games and his physical developmental issues have strengthened my resolve to keep video games out of the house.

Raj and I have been researching elementary school programs for Asher. We identified three excellent possibilities and we have taken Asher to each of the three, to see which is the best fit for Asher -- and the family.

During these elementary school visits, we brought Asher's early intervention evaluation and results which identify his areas of strengths and weaknesses. In one of them, we asked the principal, someone who I respect greatly, to give us ideas on how to help Asher develop his areas of weakness. Imagine my surprise when he suggested getting Asher some video games, the Leapster and the Wii in particular. He even pointed out the "shoot 'em up" games are GREAT for strengthening some of Asher's areas of weakness. My jaw hit the floor.

In hearing what the principal said, my sweet brother, Uncle Peter, sent Simi, Asher, and Leila a present: A Wii system with the sports bundle. The kids now play tennis, bowling, boxing, golf, and some other games. The boxing, in particular, is GREAT exercise. Asher spent 30 minutes yesterday boxing a digital opponent and worked up a sweat. Asher NEVER exercises hard enough to work up a sweat! My jaw, once again, hit the floor.

Another positive is that the boys are playing the Wii instead of watching mindless cartoons. I like that.

Thank you, Uncle Peter and Aunt Karen, for bringing my children to "the dark side" and introducing them to the world of video games. Their muscles and hand-eye coordination thank you, too. Perhaps, with the help of these games, we can help Asher rise out of the 9th percentile in gross motor skills.

TV Time

When Simi was a baby, he used to love watching the Wiggles. He was between the ages of 1 and 2 and he'd watch the television screen in a mesmerized state while watching the four Australian men performing their show. When they sang, Simi would dance/bounce along -- with a great big smile on his face. He loved it.

He also watched Barney. Simi LOVED that purple dinosaur.

Asher was also a HUGE fan of the Wiggles and Barney. At the end of each Barney episode, Barney sings the same song and Asher would come up to me and say, "he's singing our song, mommy!" Then Asher and I would sing the song along with Barney and hug and kiss and cuddle. OK, so I'm a big fan of that dancing purple dinosaur too!

Leila would love to watch the Wiggles and Barney if she got the chance. Thing is, Simi and Asher control the television's remote control. The poor girl is growing up watching Ben 10 Alien Force, Transformers Animated, and Go Diego Go! Rather than learn what foods are the most nutritious or how to treat your friends, Leila runs around the house with her hand shaped like a gun, yelling "bam! bam! bam!" while shooting her brothers and imaginary bad guys - just as she sees her big brothers doing.

I wonder how this will affect her personality...

The Results Are In

The nurse telephoned with the results of Asher's latest endoscopy. Biopsies reveal three eosinophils (eos) per high-powered field (hpf) in the proximal and 15 eos per hpf in the distal esophagus. Results greater than 15 are bad, which means that Asher just barely squeaked by. Since Asher had over 90 eos per hpf in the distal esophagus in his last scope on October 17th, it's encouraging that the number has gone down that significantly. The general consensus is that it takes a long time for the eos to clear from the esophagus.

In other words, it's a pass. We can begin introducing additional foods into Asher's diet. One at a time, of course. One food, wait two weeks for reaction, then another food, wait another two weeks, add a third food, then scope three months from now.

Once Asher stops vomiting, we'll introduce another food. Right now he chooses bananas, but he's allowed to change his mind.

Asher had an absolutely horrendous afternoon and evening yesterday. He vomited up a storm - from 3 PM to about 6 PM. After there was nothing in his tummy left to vomit, he started to dry heave. His tiny little body shook like crazy while it tried to expel something from its empty stomach. I looked on helplessly, trying desperately to think of some way to help my sweet baby.

In a desperate attempt, I took Asher to the pediatrician's last night to see if there could be a virus or bacterial infection or some sort of medicine to sooth his tummy. No dice. Logic says that it's caused by some irritation due to the endoscopy, so it's best handled by the ped. gastroenterologist. Doctor did suggest giving Benedryl (short term) or Zantac (longer term) to sooth the stomach and help with the vomiting. I had never heard of that before. Something about how they are antihistamines, which suppress the histamine allergic reaction. Oh. good to know. So off I went to give Asher some antihistamine. We'll see if it helps.

And While We're Waiting...

While we're waiting for the results of the biopsies, here's a short update of each of the three children:

Simi
Is having a great time in soccer these days. Although he hasn't played it in over two years (and he's six), he's picked it up and is playing like an old pro. Maybe my opinion is skewed, but he seems to be quite the athlete. He is, by far, more advanced in gymnastics than his kindergarten classmates. We should really move him up to the more advanced level - for both his and his classmates sake. I just wish those classes weren't full.

With all the household talk about Asher visiting the hospital for his endoscopy, Simi began talking about when he was in the hospital to have his heart fixed. It's amazing how much he remembers - and the items he remembers - considering that it happened two-and-a-half years ago and that it happened before his fourth birthday. And he remembers it with distinct clarity!

He remembers the nurse removing the Foley the day after his heart surgery - and how it burned and made him feel like he had to pee. And he remembers getting out of bed and trying to pee. After Simi told me that memory, I too, remembered it - just like he did. I guess it left a significant impression on him for him to remember it that distinctly!

He also remembers how terrible the macaroni and cheese tasted in the hospital. It must have been really bad!

I wish I could remember all the other memories he mentioned. Gosh, I wish I had his memory!


Leila
Is our head-strong, super high maintenance child. Good golly, this girl is STUBBORN! She just doesn't quit until she gets what she wants! She is also as sweet as honey - when she wants to be. Here is a conversation we have frequently:

me: "Leila, you are absolutely adorable!"
Leila: "I'm not adorable, Asher's adorable."
me: "You're adorable too, you know."
Leila: "No, I'm not adorable. Simi's adorable." (says with a grin...)


Asher
Has started vomiting regularly after meals since the endoscopy. That's not a good sign. He either vomits - or wants to vomit - while eating every day since the endoscopy. Yesterday I telephoned the GI doctor on call to see if it was endoscopy related. Before I could even get the full sentence out, he tells me that the vomiting is not endoscopy-related (why do they put it on the release sheet then, to call if vomiting?), and that it's probably related to the reason why he was scoped. He asked why Asher was scoped. "He has eosinophilic esophagitis", was my reply. "Oh, well that explains it", says the ped. GI Doctor on call. "That's the reason he's vomiting." Shucks.

So, we're expecting poor biopsy results. Which may explain why Asher is always tired. And has low energy. And poor cognitive skills. Deep, deep, deep sigh.

And Now We Wait...

Asher's endoscopy was today. Because he was added on at the very last minute, the poor kid was the very last patient of the day. And because the gastroenterologist was running about two hours behind, Asher's endoscopy started around 6:00 PM. He hadn't had a thing to eat since 8:45 AM (he's FOUR!) and didn't have a nap and he was an amazing trooper. I've never met a more easy-going kid in my life.

We lucked out on anesthesiologists. We had the same anesthesiologist as we had last year. I recognized him and remembered what a great recovery Asher had from anesthesia. He looked up the records and - sure enough - he was the same guy. So he mixed up the same anesthesia recipe as last time. And the recovery was just as nice. Now we have a perfect anesthesia recipe for Asher - just what every four year-old should have.

Every one knows us at this hospital. I know it sounds rather pathetic, but I find comfort in it. The woman at the information desk - Kathy - lights up and gives us a great big hug when we walk past her desk. Today she gave Asher a beautiful soft stuffed lion. Asher named it "Ligy", and hugged Ligy and held him for the rest of the day. We meant to bring him into the procedure room with us, but he managed to get left behind somehow. Not to worry, Ligy was there when Asher awoke from his anesthesia cocktail.

The OR nurse, Katherine, has been taking care of my kids in the OR for the past six years. We hug, catch up on each other's lives, and when it's our turn, she takes great care of Asher during his endoscopy. I know my baby is safe in her care. I walk into the procedure room with Asher and I hold him and sing to him as he drifts off to sleep. Then I leave the room knowing that Katherine is there to care for him. When the procedure is over, she comes to get me and bring me to his bed so that I can be with him for when he wakes up. I know that my baby is in good hands.

Being the last patient has its advantages. Today, Asher's pediatric GI doctor and I were able to chat for a solid 30 minutes. Any other time of day, he has about two minutes to talk before he rushes off to another patient. It was blissful to get the opportunity to sit in the conference area and and talk with him.

Perhaps you can tell: we didn't go to Cincinnati this time. We tried. Good golly, I can't imagine trying any harder than we have! Truthfully, we've had a really difficult time getting care from them. No matter how much we tried, we weren't able to talk with the doctor after Asher's last horrendous scope to get a plan of action. We struggled to talk to someone - anyone - after Asher lost the use of his arms and legs and I suspected the huge dose of Flovent he prescribed to be the culprit. I was told to go to my pediatrician, even though the ped. gastroenterologist in Cincinnati was the prescribing physician. And six months of struggling to get an endoscopy date has ended up in failure. I can't imagine getting worse care than this. Which led us back to Duke Children's. And like I mentioned, we know the place. We know where to park so that the walk is a mere feet from the entrance instead of blocks away. And it's so close to our house. It's a five minute drive - instead of a two day excursion. Can't beat that. And they know us. Maybe we'll stick with them for awhile.

And now we wait for the biopsy report. It should be back within the week. Stay tuned for the results...

Scheduled Scope

Asher's next scheduled endoscopy is this Thursday. Please think positive thoughts that he'll have an eosinophil-free endoscopy....

One Step Forward, Ten Steps Back

It was approximately six months ago, around the middle of October, when we learned that Asher had some motor skills delays. The Occupational Therapist evaluated him and put his skill level at the age of a 38 month old (he was 49 months old at the time).

We started occupational therapy, physical therapy, gymnastics, swimming, and we worked with him at home. In all, we made sure he had an hour of strenous activity five days a week. We also worked his hands with Theraputty to strengthen his hands/grip/ability to hold a pencil.

On Wednesday, the Occupational Therapist re-evaluated him. The result: his skill level is that of a 39 month old. He is now 54 months old. All that work and it hasn't helped him. Not one single bit.

It reminds me of when Asher was a baby - before we got the EE diagnosis. He wouldn't eat solid food. Actually, he tried to eat solid food, but it hurt so he'd stop. We took him to feeding therapy every week for months. The therapist said he had "x" disorder, he had "y" disorder. I continually said, "I think it hurts him. I think it's something physical." Finally, after many months of this insane feeding therapy, I said, "what Asher has is physical. He won't eat until we fix the pain." That led us to the ee diagnosis, the flovent, and then Asher quickly started eating solid foods.

I can't help but think there's something physical going on now, too, with Asher, to make it hard for his muscles to work. It's hard for him to get out of bed in the morning. It's hard for him to get moving. As much as he wants to do it, he just can't.

It's not lost on me that he's stuck at the 38/39 month old timeframe. That's about how old he was when we started the elemental diet.

I may be wrong; but I remember Asher being quite the athletic little monkey before his third birthday. I have photos of his second and third birthday parties at The Little Gym to prove it. So...what happened around 38 months to cause him to stop progressing?

We're off to find what else is wrong with Asher.

Asher Update

It's been an unusually quiet week...and we haven't had an Asher update in awhile. So...here it is:

I've been struggling to get Asher's next endoscopy scheduled. The protocol is for for him to be "scoped" every three months. Since Asher's last endoscopy was October 17th 2007, we're getting very close to six months post scope now. Unfortunately, my calls and emails to Cincinnati Children's go answered. So much for quality medical care.

Although we're still in the throes of pollen season, I think we have Asher's environmental allergies under control and he's back to feeling fine again. A nebulizer full of Pulmicort Respules (I love that name!), a nose full of Flonaise, and a netti pot to clear out the sinuses have been doing the job for the kid.

We haven't added any additional food into Asher's diet. Instead, we've added vitamins. Asher has been struggling with muscle weakness and shaky hands. The shaky hands - it really looks like the kid has Parkinson-like symptoms, which is pretty scary considering he's a mere 4 years old. It's been scaring the daylights out of me - watching my sweet boy acting clumsy and falling down all the time, unable to go up/down stairs, unable to keep up with his friends on the playground, and unable to hold his cup of milk in the morning because his hands are shaking too hard. Many of the other families with EE children mention that EE and mitochondrial disease are related - and that scares the daylights out of me. Honestly, all of this stuff has overwhelmed me. I just don't know where to turn. I talk with our pediatrician, who also doesn't know. I have been feeling like we're on our own.

So I've been reading. And reading. And while I'm not sure if this is the cause, I've learned that Asher isn't getting the nutrition he needs. He's only getting one-half of the recommended daily allowance of the most needed vitamins, like calcium, vitamin A, zinc, etc. Plus, there are tons of minerals and nutrients that are normally found in food - which aren't found in his elemental formula. I wonder if the lack of sufficient vitamins, minerals, etc. is causing the problems we're seeing in the kid right now. It seems logical to me that if your muscles aren't getting the nutrients they need, then they're just not going to be able to function correctly. Same with the brain.

I found some children's multi-vitamins made of non-allergenic materials and have been giving them to Asher, along with some zinc (to help him think), coenzyme-Q10 (to help with the mitochondrial-like symptoms), Three-lac (to kill the yeast), and calcium (because everybody needs calcium). Interestingly, he seems better after a mere couple of days on the vitamins. He also seems to be doing age-appropriately on the cognitive development work I've been doing with him. Perhaps it's coincidence or perhaps the supplements are actually working, but it's enough to make me want to continue down this path. We're off to find an integrative medicine doctor to help us identify the right course of treatment for this kid.

Two Sides of a Coin

Simi and Asher had their first soccer games this past Saturday. They were both so incredibly excited about it. They had talked about it for days! Saturday finally arrives. When the day begins, it's roughly 60-70 degrees outside and sunny. Simi's game begins at 9 AM. I tell him to dress in shorts and a t-shirt and off he goes with Raj to the field.

As the rest of us are getting ready for Asher's 10:15 AM game, Raj telephones. It's freezing outside. Cold and very windy. Better dress more warmly.

OK, so off we go. We get in the car and drive to the fields. As we start out, drizzle begins to fall. Not a good beginning. As we get closer to the fields, the rain gets harder. By the time we get to the fields, it's a good soaking downpour. I look at the temperature gauge on the car (which is surprisingly reliable); it reads 40 degrees. Cold. Rain. Simi's playing in this weather. Asher, who is newly recovering from his latest asthma/allergy attack, is scheduled to play. Right.

As I tell Asher that he can't play in this weather, he begins to cry. He's so disappointed. He wants to play soccer so badly. I know how badly he wants to play. I'm dissappointed for him. I feel so terrible that for a moment I almost let him out of the car to go play.

The other part of me is thrilled. It's raining. That means the pollen - the thing that's causing Asher to be unable to breathe - is being washed away. It means relief from the asthma attacks. It means more energy for the Asher-boy. So what if he can't play soccer; he'll be able to breathe. We'll find some fun thing to do indoors.

Two sides of a coin. You just can't lose. Or win.

Simi, by the way, did great in his game. He absolutely loved it.

Ode to Spring

Springtime is my absolutely favorite season. I really dislike the cold weather and the short, dark days. Truthfully, any temperature below 70 degrees is too cold for me, so winter really takes a toll on me.

One of the reasons I love spring is because it means that winter is over. Winter really and truly is painful to me. And I love to watch the birds return, build their nests and lay their eggs. I love to watch the flowers popping and the trees getting their leaves. It's a time of rebirth and it's absolutely lovely.

But I don't love it anymore. Because now, to me, it's the season that kicks Asher's asthmatic butt. He gets these dark circles under his eyes, super-congested in his nose, and starts to wheeze. The pollen causes him to struggle in his breathing. So now, the things I used to like about springtime are on the opposite list. And now, instead of reveling in spring, I count the days until the pollen is gone. And I dread the arrival of Autumn, my formerly second favorite season, when we have to go through a similar allergy season.

Maybe winter isn't so bad after all.

Easter in the HinJew Household

It's true: here in the HinJew household, we celebrate Easter. Better said, we celebrate the Easter Bunny and everything that comes with him - coloring eggs, going on egg hunts, and getting Easter baskets. Frankly, I don't see the connection between the Easter Bunny and Christ. For the children, it's a way for them to have fun, do some artwork (coloring eggs), get some exercise (running, searching, and reaching for the eggs during the hunt), have fun with friends (at the neighborhood egg hunt) and get a couple of pressies too. Gotta love that.

We also don't celebrate Easter with food. Nope, none of that chocolate shaped like a rabbit or pink or yellow edible chicks for us. Instead, our Easter baskets are filled with bunny shaped tiddly winks, plastic eggs filled with small toys, bunny temporary tatoos, and straws shaped like Easter bunnies. The children loved them.

'Bout the only complain we heard was when it was over. The children wanted to do it all over again.

Giving Big

I was on the track team when I was in high school. Each year, during Winter Track season, we had an annual fund-raiser for muscular dystrophy. The fund-raiser lasted 24 hours. We arranged ourselves into teams of four people. Each team ran around our winter track for an hour (one person ran a mile, passed the baton to the next person to run a mile, and so on.) Then we rested for three hours until it was our team's turn again. I can't remember exactly how much we raised; my guess is that we raised about $20,000 annually.

This is a mere pittance.

Students at Highland Park High School hold an annual fund-raiser too. They choose an organization which meets the following criteria: 1) the organization must focus on children, 2) have a local connection, and 3) be small enough that the money raised will significantly boost research budgets.

This year, the students chose to raise funds for CURED. Every single penny they raise will go to research on eosinophilic disease.

Unlike my high school track team, these children give BIG. They raised $247,000 for CURED. An anonymous donor has offered to match what they raise, bringing the total to nearly $500,000 for research on eosinophilic disease.

You can read more about their efforts in this first Wall Street Journal article, in this second Wall Street Journal article, and on the CURED Web site. Go ahead and watch the closing ceremony. It's amazing.

Talk about making a difference! To my knowledge, that's the most money EVER spent on eosinophilic research - in TOTAL!

Thank you Highland Park High School students. You are truly inspirational. And a great big thank you to the anonymous donor who, in one swift pen stroke, made a difference in a HUGE way.

As a family who suffers from eosinophilic disease, we're grateful for your fund-raising efforts. You truly have made a difference. Thank you.

The Leila

Now that Leila has gotten those monster tonsils removed, she's a very different child. She's eating like CRAZY! In her entire second year of life, she gained only one or two pounds. Now, just a mere one month post-surgery, she's gained four pounds! The girl just doesn't stop eating now. She's a little fatty! She loves her fat, too. She rubs her little Buddha belly and smiles and jumps up and down to jiggle her little baby fat. Admitedly, it makes us all laugh. I feel like we must have starved her last year when her tonsils got in the way of her eating.

Last night, during bath time, when I told the boys to clean their penises, Leila reached down and tried to clean hers. She looked very confused until I distracted her with some soapy bubbles and a toy.

After the bath, Simi and Asher were playing "super-heroes", which brothers tend to do instead of putting on their pajamas. They had their hooded towels on their heads and used the towel parts as capes and ran around the room and pushed each other. Leila just had to get in the act too. Except she's a lot smaller so she can trip on her towel cape. And get hurt when her big brothers trample her. That didn't matter to her and there she was, Miss Pink Girl, pushing and flying and running with her big brothers.

On St. Patty's Day, Leila dressed in pink, as she does every day. She just loves the color pink. Simi mentioned that Leila would get pinched because she wasn't wearing green. Personally, I pity the fool who tries to pinch that girl! She'd pinch them right back - and scream at them in the process!

That's my girl..

Pink

Leila LOVES the color pink. Perhaps it seems a bit stereotypical, but she's really really into the color. She chooses her clothes these days and she insists on wearing the color pink. She insists on wearing her pink shoes (not her tennis shoes, which are white with pink trim, but her PINK shoes). Although they're not pink, she LOVES her black patent leather shoes. They're very girly. But the pink ones are definitely her favorite.

The other day, while we were in the grocery store, she noticed some yogurt in a pink container. She just HAD to have it. "It's PINK!", she screamed at the top of her lungs in the middle of the grocery store. Didn't matter that she wouldn't want to eat it, she just had to have the yogurt in the pink container.

I think those marketers know what they're doing.

The Tooth Fairy

Simi's loose tooth fell out! It happened at night while we were all sleeping. I learned about it at 5 AM, when I went to check on Asher and Simi woke up to check under his pillow to see what the Tooth Fairy left him. He was VERY disappointed that the Tooth Fairy hadn't shown up yet.

A few weeks ago, Simi had read a book on Sacajawea, the Indian woman who led Lewis and Clark on much of their expedition. Her image (and that of the baby she carried on her back) was imprinted on a gold dollar coin in the year 2000. Somehow, a long time ago, Raj managed to get one of these coins. He also managed to keep track of it all these years. So, when Simi told me about his lost tooth at 5 AM, I woke up Raj and asked for the gold coin.

After the 5 AM check-in, Simi fell back to sleep. Asher was wide awake. He called me in to fix the bed sheet that hangs off the bunk bed between the bed and the closet. That sheet keeps the monsters (who lurk in the closet) from reaching his bed in the middle of the night. With Simi snoring away, I fixed the sheet and tucked the gold coin under Simi's pillow. Perfect.

So there we were, at 6 AM (It's true, NOBODY sleeps at our house!), when Simi woke up, found the gold coin and starting shouting with glee! He was absolutely thrilled that the tooth fairy had left him such a great treasure!

Asher, who was awake when the tooth fairy visited, told us all that. And he said he SAW the tooth fairy. She looked just like a sprite in the Spiderwick Chronicles, with wings that fluttered quickly.

I wonder where we can get more gold coins.

The Flu

It's official: Asher has the flu. He came down with it Thursday night/Friday morning (why do these things ALWAYS happen between the hours of 1 and 3 AM???). He woke us up from a sound sleep to complain about his body hurting him, and when I went to pick him up from his bed, I felt his fever.

I know all the fever-reducing tricks, but this fever just wasn't budging. And on our way to take a warm bath, Asher vomited all over the hallway. It was classic...there he was walking and then all of a sudden he was vomiting. Multiple times. Luckily, the hallway is an easy clean-up.

So, off to the doctor we went and got an official diagnosis of flu, type A. And we all got prescriptions for the Tamiflu.

The doctor told us that, with the Tamiflu, we could expect Asher to be sick for four days instead of seven. OK, I'll take that. So imagine my surprise when Asher awoke this morning fever-free and feeling fine. How did that happen? Aside from a lack of appetite, Asher has been feeling quite fine all morning. I'm impressed.

Which leads me to a related topic: Parents, if your children are sick, PLEASE KEEP THEM HOME! I know Asher got the flu from running around Monkey Joe's and putting his hands in his mouth. Why in the world would anyone bring a child with the flu to Monkey Joe's? I can certainly understand the need to bring a sick child to daycare because bosses sometimes just don't understand that you have to stay home with a young 'un AGAIN when deadlines loom. But, Monkey Joe's??? Mum, if ya just HAVE to have that playdate with your best friend and her child, do it at HOME. Don't make everyone else's child sick too. Thank you.