Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall

>How so? I mean, how do you believe his allergies are connected to his
>> circadian rhythm? What is he allergic to?
>>
>> Nanci K. in Idaho <choppety>
>
>I think that his allergies made it so that he woke up ALOT---since he would
>frequently stop breathing and have to change position to start again and
>breathe through is mouth etc..

This is interesting. I asked because my son (dob 12-22-96) has severe
Asthma, other breathing related allergies like pet dander; severe eczema
and skin allergies to dyes, perfumes and other elements; severe fatal food
allergies to nuts and eggs and severe allergies to all diary products, most
preservatives and some heavy spices. I don't think we have discovered all
of his allergies yet, but we have made quite a few trips to the ER, as we
found out the ones we know the hard way. He made me very nervous when he
was tiny, due to his strange breathing patterns.

We treat his Asthma with albuterol syrup, only symptomatically for acute
attacks. We have been advised to carry his meds for his food allergies
with us wherever he goes, as some of his allergies are dangerous enough
that there would not be time to save him if we did not have direct access
to his medication.

When he was a newborn his eczema and other skin allergies required that he
recieve daily oil rubs, daily doses of various creams and sleep with a cool
mist humidifier, as he was scaly and/or rashy from head to toe for a few
months.

We feed him anything and everything we can find with added calcium and with
iron, and all sources of protien that he can eat. He eats cereal with rice
milk, sorbet instead of ice cream or sherbert, etc. So far we have not
discovered any new severe allergens in a while.

I have not noticed a problem with his sleeping pattern, though. He did not
sleep through the night until about 10 months, but woke up at around 1-2am
ravenous and would wolf down a feeding and go promptly back to sleep. Now,
he sets his own schedule, and is alseep by 10pm almost every night and
wakes around 8am. He takes a 2-3 hour nap about every 2nd or 3rd day at
mid-day, the same time as his baby brother, which allows me to get some
rest also or have quiet time a few times a week. He wakes occasionally in
the night, but usually due to a nightmare or night terror recently, and is
usually easily soothed back to sleep by lying with him and petting him for
a few minutes.

Nanci K.

Bishop Family

WOW...I just join this list and walked in on a topic I have been trying
to find help/info/support on for months!!! My son also suffers from "sleep
apnea" due to allergies. Drs. haven't been much help though - he has had
test after test , the allergy ones showed nothing for airborne(which we know
he has) as well as only a couple for food(but we have discovered
others...the hard way as well). He also suffers from asthma.
I was thankful to find this group for support for unschooling....I have
4 children(11, 8, 6 and 3) that have been unschooled since...well, since
always. We live in Western Massachusetts.
But it looks like for once this year I got TRULY lucky and found this
conversation as well.
I'm sorry for such an abrupt introduction but I just had to jump in on
this while I had the chance to learn more from others in a similar
situation.

Nice to meet you all,
Carrie


-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall <tn-k4of5@...>
To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Date: Thursday, December 02, 1999 5:36 PM
Subject: Re: [Unschooling-dotcom]Late Nights and Allergic Children


>From: Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall <tn-k4of5@...>
>
>>How so? I mean, how do you believe his allergies are connected to his
>>> circadian rhythm? What is he allergic to?
>>>
>>> Nanci K. in Idaho <choppety>
>>
>>I think that his allergies made it so that he woke up ALOT---since he
would
>>frequently stop breathing and have to change position to start again and
>>breathe through is mouth etc..
>
>This is interesting. I asked because my son (dob 12-22-96) has severe
>Asthma, other breathing related allergies like pet dander; severe eczema
>and skin allergies to dyes, perfumes and other elements; severe fatal food
>allergies to nuts and eggs and severe allergies to all diary products, most
>preservatives and some heavy spices. I don't think we have discovered all
>of his allergies yet, but we have made quite a few trips to the ER, as we
>found out the ones we know the hard way. He made me very nervous when he
>was tiny, due to his strange breathing patterns.
>
>We treat his Asthma with albuterol syrup, only symptomatically for acute
>attacks. We have been advised to carry his meds for his food allergies
>with us wherever he goes, as some of his allergies are dangerous enough
>that there would not be time to save him if we did not have direct access
>to his medication.
>
>When he was a newborn his eczema and other skin allergies required that he
>recieve daily oil rubs, daily doses of various creams and sleep with a cool
>mist humidifier, as he was scaly and/or rashy from head to toe for a few
>months.
>
>We feed him anything and everything we can find with added calcium and with
>iron, and all sources of protien that he can eat. He eats cereal with rice
>milk, sorbet instead of ice cream or sherbert, etc. So far we have not
>discovered any new severe allergens in a while.
>
>I have not noticed a problem with his sleeping pattern, though. He did not
>sleep through the night until about 10 months, but woke up at around 1-2am
>ravenous and would wolf down a feeding and go promptly back to sleep. Now,
>he sets his own schedule, and is alseep by 10pm almost every night and
>wakes around 8am. He takes a 2-3 hour nap about every 2nd or 3rd day at
>mid-day, the same time as his baby brother, which allows me to get some
>rest also or have quiet time a few times a week. He wakes occasionally in
>the night, but usually due to a nightmare or night terror recently, and is
>usually easily soothed back to sleep by lying with him and petting him for
>a few minutes.
>
>Nanci K.
>
>>Message boards, timely articles, a free newsletter and more!
>Check it all out at: http://www.unschooling.com
>
>

Thomas and Nanci Kuykendall

> WOW...I just join this list and walked in on a topic I have been trying
>to find help/info/support on for months!!! My son also suffers from "sleep
>apnea" due to allergies. Drs. haven't been much help though - he has had
>test after test , the allergy ones showed nothing for airborne(which we know
>he has) as well as only a couple for food(but we have discovered
>others...the hard way as well). He also suffers from asthma.
>Nice to meet you all,
>Carrie

Nice to meet you too, Carrie. I believe that Homeschooling is one of the
best ways to help kids with multiple allergies and/or sensitivities. In a
very real and important sense we can control their environment much more
than if they were in IS. This is not to say that I am "sheltering" my
child or giving him some unreal advantage that he will not be able to copy.
On the contrary, adults have a lot of choices about what and where and
when they eat, spend time, etc. People can choose to leave a job if the
situation is not a healthy one, for whatever reasons. Children in IS have
no such luxury and must be where, when and what the schools tell them to
be. We all know how inflexible and unhealthy IS can be for our children,
and how many decisions are made in ignorance of, or contrary to, a child's
well being or a parent's wishes.

Also many allergies are cumulative in nature and by minimizing our
children's exposures early in life we can give them the advantage of a
stronger defense later. I do not believe that exposure to allergens builds
a tolerance. It has just not been my experience that allergies work this
way. Think about people who develop allergies from overexposure to things
like, say, shellfish.

At any rate, simple snack-time at a preschool could kill my child if they
should serve him cookies or peanut butter, or at the least send him into
swelling, mucus from every oroface and prjectile vomitting if they serve
him milk, etc.

He has severe hives and asthma reaction to most dogs, but seems to do well
with cats, conversely. However, the cats are not allowed in his bedroom at
all, least of all on his bed.

I had undiagnosed (due to neglect) asthma and some food allergies as a
child, and I was constantly suffering. Going hungry if the school lunch
was not something I could eat (which is BAD as I am hypoglycemic) having
Astma attacks in PE, etc. I got to the point where I would sit out of PE
and take constant F's and 0's and the daily blows to self esteem, etc,
rather than compromise myself in an Asthma attack.

Having my children at home also helps me to be more in tune with their
natural ups and downs in energy, mood swings, and other bodily reactions
that might be signals of food or other problems. I believe it lets me stay
on top of the issue much better than if I only spent a few hours a day with
them.

As I said before, I have not had much problem with sleeping for my son who
has Asthma and allergies. I guess I have been lucky. However, if you have
forced air heat, try a filter in your child's room vent, and change the
main furnace filter (which should be a high efficiency one) every month.
Also you might try a humidifier, or mister to keep the air from being too
dry. Hard wood floors, or linoleum and lighter materials that are not as
prone to holding dust on draperies and upholstered furniture are also
helpful. If you have indoor pets I would try to keep them out of the
child's room, and or keep them in another area of the home, if possible.
Use an ostrich feather duster or the new magnetic dust cloths for dusting,
to avoid stirring up dust. Put anti-allergy coverings on matresses and
pillows and buy bedding with anti-allergy fillings. Remove extra stuffed
animals from your child's room, or other items that can catch and hold
allergens. Vacume often, floors, draperies and furnishings.
Hmmmm....that's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Of course
you may have already evaluated all of these areas, but I hope you can find
something useful here.

Nanci K.

Linda Wyatt

> From: "Susan and Theodore" <Stuff@...>

> The night terrors I believe are the result of allergies

I don't think this is necessarily the case, although there could be a
connection with some kids. The one of mine who had night terrors does not
have any problems with allergies. The one who has allergies never had
night terrors.

fwiw, all of us keep late hours. We have no reason to have to get up early
most of the time, so it isn't an issue. It's easier now that the kids are
old enough to stay awake later than I do if they want. It is not unusual
for the two boys to get to bed around 5:30am or so. I usually go to bed
somewhere between 2 and 3, our youngest usually goes when I do (but not
always), my dh goes to bed around 6 or 7 most nights/mornings. It varies
somewhat.

When the kids were younger and didn't sleep much, it was difficult for me
at times. My oldest didn't sleep through the night even once until he was
two years old. Even now, he doesn't need much sleep.


Linda

--
Linda Wyatt
hilinda@...
http://www.lightlink.com/hilinda
Learning everywhere, all the time.
Algebra before breakfast
"A lie, you see, no matter how often or how vociferously repeated, may be
mistaken for the truth, but it does not become the truth." - Adam Crown

Susan and Theodore

. He wakes occasionally in
> the night, but usually due to a nightmare or night terror recently, and is
> usually easily soothed back to sleep by lying with him and petting him for
> a few minutes.
Nanci K.
<<<<<SNIP>>>>>>>

The night terrors I believe are the result of allergies---My daughter also
Has a severe allergy to bees and I KNOW how scary that is!
She blew up like a balloon hives every where vomiting and etc.......I am
sure you have been there!!
AND we were camping during the week and I had no car and I was running like
a stark raving lunatic through the campground after calling 911 and just
made it before the ranger left for the day---he sent another ranger to watch
my four other kids .....OFF to the hospital and I am bawling etc....BUT that
is one allergy that I do TREAT---though she has not been stung in TWO years
since that time!
WHOOPEEEE
She does get hives occasionally (though she never did before---SHE had to
have steroids etc....because her body kept reacting and reacting (and the
bee only nipped her)--)The steroids etc.. gave her headaches and belly aches
and to this day she complains of them
I was saying that letting ones body build up immunity instead of relying on
medicines (I feel) helped my son overcome some of his allergies...HE does
not have them as severely as your son!!
Good luck tho'
SOSusan That must be a challenge everyday and I thought saying no to the
chocolate milk constantly was a battle!

Susan and Theodore

My one son who does not have "classic" allergy symptoms was having night
terrors for several weeks and we would have to go through the house and
search out any monsters..I believe it was something in his diet as it went
away!
He does get the occasional allergic symptom to certain changes in his
diet---I.E. when we run out of rice milk or are eating out alot---as do some
of the other children!
Sometimes it is as simple as a change in detergent!
WE had some friends cats for a couple of months and now they are gone and he
no longer has the night mares/terrors maybe it was the cats?!
Anyways you are right about not really knowing sometimes!
I just try my best!!!
SOSusan..glad to not search out the monsters etc anymore!
PS
yeah we also do not get up early so it does make for an easy late night
sleeping pattern!