DD had her patches put on yesterday!

[an_aurora]

We also have to get a celiac panel drawn and schedule the sweat test for CF. We're nervous but I am excited that we may have answers soon.

The patch testing is so cool! I had no idea they put the actual food on her back--I was imagining something more high tech than smears of baby food . They also put 15 latex patches on her back, to test for the different components of latex and see which she's allergic too.

[Shelsi]

How is she doing? Dd did terrible with her patch testing. She went backwards, by light years, in terms of her behavior and health. She started refluxing whereas she had not before, her poop got very acidic, she started screaming in the car seat again. I hope your LO is fairing better! The doc told me that was a rare response but I wasn't sure I believed them.

The sweat test is easy and you get results within a few hours so that's cool.

[an_aurora]

She's doing ok. Her back is BRIGHT red under the tape and she's complaining that it hurts, and she's super whiny today. No change in her poo, since it's always very nasty anyway.

[Shelsi]

Dd's poo just got acidic because that's her classic reaction when she reacts to something. I was actually pretty amazed that the stuff on her skin made her have a GI reaction.

[an_aurora]

Yeah that is a pretty intense reaction from just having it on her skin!

[an_aurora]

Ok, so she reacted pretty strongly to milk, and a teeny bit to potatoes and peas. Milk is going to be tough--she eats tons of yogurt.

[thepeach80]

Coconut milk yogurt, yum! Can you do soy. Ilana really liked soy yogurt when we trialed it before we did dairy again. There's Ricera too, rice based, it wasn't bad, really runny though, but so is soy. The patch test was the only test that helped us w/ Evan, but the allergist only tested for things we already knew about.

[Shelsi]

I used to make this soy yogurt recipe: http://www.giprohealth.com/makingyogurt.aspx

And it came out exactly like "regular" yogurt in terms of taste and texture. I used potato starch instead of tapioca and I used knox gelatin in place of the agar powder.

[an_aurora]

I'm just so new at non-dairy stuff. I have no idea We just bought a huge box of yogurt from Costco, that usually lasts us about a week. I was so happy because it was so much cheaper at Costco. Soy or coconut yogurt is serious $$.

[kjbrown92]

It's not too expensive if you make the coconut yogurt yourself, and it's pretty versatile if you use minimal sweetener (I make it into savory dips and use it like sour cream in things, and bake with it). The giprohealth.com website has starter which seems expensive but you don't use that much of it.

thepeach80: If you already knew about the foods, then what was the point of the doctor patch testing only those foods? I don't get it.

[Shelsi]

Kathy they pretty much only tested dd for the things we already knew about as well. It seemed pretty stupid to me as well but sometimes, unfortunately, you just can't get medical professionals to believe you until you have "proof" so that's why we did it.

[kjbrown92]

I did have my kids allergy tested just to make sure I was dealing with "only" intolerances, so I guess that's the same thing. It's not like I asked them to test them for peanuts "just in case" so I guess it's sort of the same. But if patch testing is for intolerances and you know they have the intolerances, then I guess it just seems like wasted time to me unless you need "proof" for a partner/school/parents, etc. because they don't believe your detailed food journal that shows exactly that. People exasperate me sometimes.

[thepeach80]

Pretty much what Rachel said, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy, lol.

I'm going to have to try to make my own yogurt, that would be great. I LOVE yogurt, but $2+ for a 6oz cup isn't going to work into my budget very well. I have a recipe for icecream too using vance's dari free that I might try if I can get dh to find me an icecream maker at the thrift store. I know you can do coconut milk too.

[kjbrown92]

Originally Posted by thepeach80

Pretty much what Rachel said, I guess to make sure I wasn't crazy, lol.

I'm going to have to try to make my own yogurt, that would be great. I LOVE yogurt, but $2+ for a 6oz cup isn't going to work into my budget very well. I have a recipe for icecream too using vance's dari free that I might try if I can get dh to find me an icecream maker at the thrift store. I know you can do coconut milk too.

I got my ice cream maker new at Sears. It was on clearance for about $11. It's the kind where you keep the bowl in the freezer, ready to go, so it doesn't need ice and salt and all that.

[thepeach80]

We got one like that when we got married and never used it. It's long gone I'm sure. Who knew it would come down to making my own or paying $5+ to buy a small thing of it! After 4 intolerant kids, you'd think I'd know more. There's so much more stuff now than there was 5 yrs ago, I swear.

[kjbrown92]

Last spring after the ALCAT tests I went to Sears and bought a deep fryer and an ice cream maker. People probably thought I was deep into unhealthy foods. But I made chocolate (coconut milk) ice cream and sweet potato french fries and potato chips all summer long. I haven't used either in a while, but I'm thinking about taking them out again. DS has been asking for ice cream and there's no safe one for him (at least DD2 can have the So Delicious $6/pint coconut milk ice cream).

[lobilichetti]

I would love to attempt to make coconut yogurt as its so expensive. Could you share your recipe?

Leela

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

It's not too expensive if you make the coconut yogurt yourself, and it's pretty versatile if you use minimal sweetener (I make it into savory dips and use it like sour cream in things, and bake with it). The giprohealth.com website has starter which seems expensive but you don't use that much of it.

thepeach80: If you already knew about the foods, then what was the point of the doctor patch testing only those foods? I don't get it.

[lobilichetti]

FWIW, a friend made coconut milk yogurt. She said it was delicious but it wouldn't keep. If you refreeze it becomes solid as a rock. I want to try to make some this summer as my DD is dairy/soy/egg/penuts/egg/sesame free. So I would love to make her some coconut ice cream.

Leela

Originally Posted by kjbrown92

Last spring after the ALCAT tests I went to Sears and bought a deep fryer and an ice cream maker. People probably thought I was deep into unhealthy foods. But I made chocolate (coconut milk) ice cream and sweet potato french fries and potato chips all summer long. I haven't used either in a while, but I'm thinking about taking them out again. DS has been asking for ice cream and there's no safe one for him (at least DD2 can have the So Delicious $6/pint coconut milk ice cream).

[kjbrown92]

the coconut milk yogurt recipe is on my blog/website (in my sig). It may be up in the recipes sticky as well. I think ice cream recipes might be up there too. The coconut ice cream I've made does harden to "too hard" if you don't eat it all when you first make it. But if there is leftover, the kids eat it like Italian Ice and just scrape it off and eat it up. If you can use guar gum, it might be an even better texture (since So Delicious coconut milk ice cream uses it) but we can't. I've got to do some more experimenting this summer.