Answered Prayers!!!

Today has been an unbelievable day!! Maddie had a doctor appointment today with her allergy/asthma doctor. It has been two years since she has been tested and he felt like it was time to do it again. Kevin did not think we should put her through this at all. It was horrible the last time, we have dealt with the peanut allergy for 3 years, and we really assumed she would just always have it.

23% of children will outgrow peanut allergies.

Maddie had a +4 reaction to it 2 years ago. The doctor told us right before they tested her, that he didn't expect her to have outgrown it, but was hoping it had diminished some.

Maddie tested NEGATIVE for all tests given!!!! She was kicking and screaming and having a fit, but her back remained the same. We kept waiting.....and waiting.....we just knew the golf ball size welp was going to form and start driving her crazy. It never came.....God is so good and the power of prayer has been fully demonstrated to me today. It put tears in my eyes and took my breath away. Her eating or not eating peanut butter/nuts is not the big deal. It was the worry that she would get a hold of something or be given something when we weren't around that could hurt her. It feels like such a huge weight has been lifted off our shoulders.

The plan is for us to go next week and have blood work done. If the antibodies for nuts is high, then we actually will still do what we have been doing. If it is low enough, we will go back to the doctor's office where they will do a "food challenge" there and introduce peanut butter to her. That was a relief, as both Kevin and I knew we wouldn't feel comfortable just giving her some ourselves. So, we will have more definate results in a few weeks, but this was such great news today!!

She also tested negative for everything else which is just hard to believe. We were planning on going in there today and figuring out how to tell Maddie that she was going to have to start getting shots weekly. Dr. Hill took her off her Zyrtec and said that there was no reason to give it to her anymore daily. He said we just use it as needed. So....I think the only issue that left us with was asthma and we have it pretty well controlled. We do flovent twice a day for six more months and then he is going to try and lower that dosage as well. That will leave us with cingulair-I think we can handle that:)

We skipped out of there and went straight to TCBY for some yogurt. It was a well deserved treat and I can't think of a better way to start of the weekend! We are so blessed, so thankful, and are gonna just keep on praying...because our good Lord is listening!!!!

On a side note---I am sure that office thinks we are nuts!!!! Taking Maddie to the doctor took Me, Turner, Megs, Mimi, and Boo Boo all piling up in that waiting room. Daddy arrived as soon as he got out of school. I walked in to sign in and just said "it takes a village". My whole family knows how terrifying doctor visits are to Maddie, and were there to support and love her. I called Nonna when we were done to give her the news, and she was yelling and crying at the news. My children are so loved, as are we!! I don't know what we would do without our family and their love for us was evident today!