For the last 11 weeks, we head off to the Modesto Kaiser Clinic every Tuesday and Thursday for allergy shots for Sydney. That is 11 weeks, twice week! 64 miles round trip taking anywhere from 70 to 80 minutes of driving time. That is just the time to get there and back not counting the time we spend in the clinic. I'm not complaining, just writing the facts.
Without fail the first issue is the fight over which child gets to open the automatic doors to the clinic. Almost every time there is a fight, tears and/or collapsing to the floor for the one child who didn't get to open the door. It has became comical!
We, well mostly my kids, have become great friends with the receptionist. Rosa is so sweet. She bought crayons and had different Disney character pictures ready for them to color while we wait. I could have brought my own, but part of the experience was getting to use Rosa's crayons and clipboards to color. Sydney was always very sweet and gave each nurse a piece of her art. The staff went above and beyond and displayed her art on the wall...every picture! 11 weeks twice a week, that's 22 pictures. They are still hanging for all to see.
Once Sydney's name is called, we head back to the shot clinic and see if she is healthy enough to get her allergy shot. They do this by checking her lung capacity using a peak flow meter. If Sydney can't get above 125, we can't have the shot that day and we have to head home. Luckily for us, she was always able to hit 125 or higher.
We decided to do allergy shots for Sydney since she has been hospitalized twice in almost one year and frequently having asthma attacks that required steroids to open her lungs up again. Sydney was referred to a pediatric allergy/asthma specialist where they did a allergy test to see what she was allergic too. They did this by pricking her back with 30 different allergens to see what she reacted too. There was a lot of understandable screaming and tears as they did this. Sydney had to lay on her tummy for 30 minutes without touching any of the sites. It was a long 30 minutes, but worth it! We found out that she is allergic to all grasses, most trees, mold, dogs, dust mites and peanuts. The doctor takes this information and mixes a solution just for her and what she is allergic too. They number her vials and those are only for her. So every time we go to the clinic, Sydney is asked her number and she says, "0829."
They begin the immunotherapy at the lowest dosage and dilution and slowly increase the amount up to her maintenance amount. Hence, why this took us 11 weeks and 22 shots to reach the maintenance dose. Which we did TODAY!!! Yipee!!! Sydney is very brave at every shot and always glad when it is over.
Once she has received her shot, we are sent back to the waiting room for 30 minutes. This is required to make sure that she doesn't have a bad reaction or an asthma attack since they are injecting the allergens she is allergic too. Their hope is that her body will learn to build up immunities to the allergens if they are injected slowly at low dosages and increased over time.
Once our time is up, Sydney's gets to ring the bell which is her favorite part to let the staff know our 30 minutes are up.
They take a ruler and measure the swelling/hive made from the shot and record the number. If she has too big of reaction to the shot they won't let her move up to the next dosage for a week or two. Sydney has done pretty well. We had a couple of times that she got very itchy and wheezy, but she sailed through the program pretty well. Since we began the the immunotherpy, Sydney has only had a couple of asthma attacks and no visits to her pedictricaion for steroids!!!
She will have to continue the maintenance shots for about 5 years, but I am very glad that we have been able to help Sydney with hopefully a better quality of life with her asthma. It didn't take her asthma away, but it has helped with part of it. Our real test is if she gets to go to one her favorite friends home that have a dog that she has been allergic to. We still have to make trips to Modesto for the next month once a week to continue maintenance shots, but are hoping we will get down to having to go only once or twice a month. Good work Sydney! Great job for being brave!
For the last 11 weeks, we head off to the Modesto Kaiser Clinic every Tuesday and Thursday for allergy shots for Sydney. That is 11 weeks, twice week! 64 miles round trip taking anywhere from 70 to 80 minutes of driving time. That is just the time to get there and back not counting the time we spend in the clinic. I'm not complaining, just writing the facts.
Without fail the first issue is the fight over which child gets to open the automatic doors to the clinic. Almost every time there is a fight, tears and/or collapsing to the floor for the one child who didn't get to open the door. It has became comical!
We, well mostly my kids, have become great friends with the receptionist. Rosa is so sweet. She bought crayons and had different Disney character pictures ready for them to color while we wait. I could have brought my own, but part of the experience was getting to use Rosa's crayons and clipboards to color. Sydney was always very sweet and gave each nurse a piece of her art. The staff went above and beyond and displayed her art on the wall...every picture! 11 weeks twice a week, that's 22 pictures. They are still hanging for all to see.
Once Sydney's name is called, we head back to the shot clinic and see if she is healthy enough to get her allergy shot. They do this by checking her lung capacity using a peak flow meter. If Sydney can't get above 125, we can't have the shot that day and we have to head home. Luckily for us, she was always able to hit 125 or higher.
We decided to do allergy shots for Sydney since she has been hospitalized twice in almost one year and frequently having asthma attacks that required steroids to open her lungs up again. Sydney was referred to a pediatric allergy/asthma specialist where they did a allergy test to see what she was allergic too. They did this by pricking her back with 30 different allergens to see what she reacted too. There was a lot of understandable screaming and tears as they did this. Sydney had to lay on her tummy for 30 minutes without touching any of the sites. It was a long 30 minutes, but worth it! We found out that she is allergic to all grasses, most trees, mold, dogs, dust mites and peanuts. The doctor takes this information and mixes a solution just for her and what she is allergic too. They number her vials and those are only for her. So every time we go to the clinic, Sydney is asked her number and she says, "0829."
They begin the immunotherapy at the lowest dosage and dilution and slowly increase the amount up to her maintenance amount. Hence, why this took us 11 weeks and 22 shots to reach the maintenance dose. Which we did TODAY!!! Yipee!!! Sydney is very brave at every shot and always glad when it is over.
Once she has received her shot, we are sent back to the waiting room for 30 minutes. This is required to make sure that she doesn't have a bad reaction or an asthma attack since they are injecting the allergens she is allergic too. Their hope is that her body will learn to build up immunities to the allergens if they are injected slowly at low dosages and increased over time.
Once our time is up, Sydney's gets to ring the bell which is her favorite part to let the staff know our 30 minutes are up.
They take a ruler and measure the swelling/hive made from the shot and record the number. If she has too big of reaction to the shot they won't let her move up to the next dosage for a week or two. Sydney has done pretty well. We had a couple of times that she got very itchy and wheezy, but she sailed through the program pretty well. Since we began the the immunotherpy, Sydney has only had a couple of asthma attacks and no visits to her pedictricaion for steroids!!!
She will have to continue the maintenance shots for about 5 years, but I am very glad that we have been able to help Sydney with hopefully a better quality of life with her asthma. It didn't take her asthma away, but it has helped with part of it. Our real test is if she gets to go to one her favorite friends home that have a dog that she has been allergic to. We still have to make trips to Modesto for the next month once a week to continue maintenance shots, but are hoping we will get down to having to go only once or twice a month. Good work Sydney! Great job for being brave! 
8 comments:
Good job Sydney!!! We are so proud of you and your mom for sticking with it!
I know you said you aren't complaining - but I think I would be! What a huge ordeal, but I'm glad it's working - Sydney is so brave!
Wow! We are so glad that the shots are helping. It sounds like quite the process. Brave Sydney and Brave Lora!
you are a good mom!
Lora,
I think you need more prizes for doing all of that, and Sydney too, that's a lot of shots. If it keeps her out of the hospital it will be totally worth it. Good job!
WOW! Way to go Sydney!...and you too, Lora, that was probably not the most fun thing to do, but I'm glad to hear it's helping her feel better! Cheery Cherry!!!
Wowser! It sounds like a big task to take on. Isn't it so great to see how far medicine has come and that there are so many great things available to help make living just a little easier? I can imagine the two running to try and open the door first. I bet you have had some fun moments (and some frustrating ones) over that part of the adventure.
Wow. That is a lot for all of you. I am glad it's helped and that it's on the downhill side. You are both very brave girls!
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