Merry Christmas 2008

Good morning all, well it is 5:05 am and we are ready to open our presents. We were a little worried, but noticed that Santa did stop by. Even Matt got a Santa gift this year. Dad got up last at 5:15 and we opened presents, Matt got a electric guitar, Callie & I got new book cases for our books and I got some Derma Smart clothes (they are special for people that have eczema). We got about 6-8 inches of snow a couple of days ago so we had a white Christmas! Dad made pork loin for me last night and today he is making me honey ham. Grandma & Grandpa Meyer stayed over night so they would be ready to help us open presents. Callie and I got new Kid Yoga DVD's so we can stay healthy. Uncle Jed got us a electronic Piano so we can jam with Matt. Dad says we can be the next partridge family. We are very thankful this Christmas and happy I am doing better. I hope everyone has a fun and safe Christmas and everyone travels safe. All our love.

Hugs & Kisses
Lynda Dee

XOXOXOXOXO & Ho Ho Ho

WOW Ice Cream is GREAT!!

Well Callie's surgery went great, she is eating ice cream, jello and sleeping a lot. She got home late afternoon and mommy stayed with her all day. I had a fun time at my Christmas party for my class. Mom made a cake (my special one) for my treat today and I got a book, pencils, a pad of paper and some other fun stuff. My dad says my skin looks great. This weekend we are supposed to get more snow and it will keep coming every week for the next week or so. I hope everyone has a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hugs & Kisses

Lynda Dee

A day of surgery

Well tomorrow Callie has to have surgery for new tubes and is getting her adenoids out. She will come home tomorrow and then we get to eat all the Popsicles we can handle. So keep an eye out and I will let you know how she feels tomorrow. The doctor said something about the fluid behind her ears was not good and she needed to get it fixed so she can hear better.

Talk with you tomorrow- time for a bath

Hugs & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Sabrina's Law

Ok, I very rarely try to be really blunt and to the point, but there is a documentary on the net that can be viewed for free right now. It really illustrates the importance of education in reference to food allergies. Sabrina's law was passed in Canada to protect children from situations at school which could but them in danger in relation to their food allergies or even cause death (which in the case of Sabrina is what happened) and we are trying to get it passed here in the US. View the documentary here. We would like to get Sabrina's law introduced here in Iowa. Please take a moment to learn about this. Write your congressman and senator both on a state and federal level. I can't even fathom the loss of Lynda due to a situation like this and Laurie and I have taken a very proactive approach to making sure that not only Lynda, but other children get the help and protection they need. We also have an immediate need for a sponsor for an Iowa child that needs to goto National Jewish for treatment and does not have insurance that will cover it. If you or someone you know can assist this family to help us "pay it forward" please please let us know. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season... and please consider helping us save children's lives.


Sean Taylor

All I want for Christmas is my two Front Teeth.....

Well not really, on Tuesday evening I lost my very first tooth. I am posting pictures so you can see. As you might guess I was enjoying one of my new holiday favorites.... CANDY CANES :) Dad found some that are safe for me and I have to tell you I love them, can't get enough of them. Daddy said I ate too many and it rioted my tooth out, but mommy said he was kidding. We had our Taylor family X-mas for the Iowa clan this weekend and it was a blast to see the cousins again. Anna was cute and I had fun chasing around Adio and Brenden. Landon was loving his blocks he got and Callie enjoyed herself too. This is the first year Grandpa John was able to make a Lynda safe meal and I was able to be there for a whole 4 hours and not get all red and itchy ! HOORAY. I hope everyone has a safe holiday season and gets what they want from Santa. On the 20th of Dec, think of Callie, she is going into surgery to get her tubes put back into her ears and adenoids out.


Hugs and kisses
Lynda Dee

Mommy's Sugar Cookies !!!!! :)

So my mom has this super secret recipe for her sugar cookies. It has been in our family like forever. Mom has not made them too often over the last 5 years, she says it makes her sad I can't eat them. Well we just fixed that I will tell you! Mom, Callie and I modified her recipe and she made my first batch of sugar cookies complete with frosting. I did not like the frosting at first, but while mom was giving Callie a bath (by the pics above you can understand why) I decided to sample, it is a bit like runny playdough with benefits! So the ancient Meyer recipe has been modified and we are going to make some more soon. Mom says she needs to work with the consistency because we are using rice flour. We made Stars and Santa's for our test batch. Hope you all are gearing up for a great holiday season. Only 19 days until Santa comes!

Hugs & Kisses
Lynda Dee

Callie's Ears

Callie had one of her tubes removed from her ear on Friday, it was just sitting in her ear canal surrounded by wax. Once they got it out they were able to see the fluid in both of her ears better. Callie will most likely get tubes put back in her ears to help with drainage. Her nose has been a running faucet since they pulled that tube out. She can hear better, and she is talking better now too, she is also talking in a more quite voice, before she would talk really LOUD.

Skin Issues

Not sure what is going on with Lynda's face the last few days her face will be clear, we put on Aquaphor, like we normally due, now her face will turn red, it will stay that way until we wash it off. Need to order some more Vanicream and see if that works better on her face. There are several spots on her arms and legs that have decided to flare over the weekend, we have them wrapped up with dry ace bandages so she can not get to them and scratch and pick. We don't need any skin infections!

Santa Surprise

WOW we had quite the surprise on Sat morning. Not only did we wake up to freezing rain and snow, but mom and dad took us to the CPU high school. Santa and Ms Claus were there so we got to take our extensive wish list to Santa and let him know first hand all the things we would not mind him putting under the tree. We celebrated afterwards with a candy cane and attending the craft show at the gym. I did not know Santa came to Center Point, we got home and realized we forgot to tell him a couple things ( and I think Callie wants to clear up a couple things to make sure she stays off the naughty list) so I think we are going to see him again sometime soon at the mall in Cedar Rapids.

Happy Holidays

Lynda Dee :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Boy do we have a ton to be thankful for this year. I got to goto National Jewish. I have had only a few mild flares since we got back. Matt lettered in football this year on varsity. Callie turned the BIG 3! I am going to pre-school, we have made a ton of new friends due to the wonderful articles Cindy Hadish has written about me. Everyone in the family seems to be in good health and spirits. Daddy & Mommy are pretty happy they get sleep more than 30-40 minutes at a time. We are very thankful for all our friends and all the people at our church for all the help they have provided this last year. We are very thankful for our family and their love and support. I guess I am really thankful that I have been able to be more normal this year.

Yesterday we had thanksgiving dinner and Mommy made me a special pumpkin pie. Now I know what all the fuss has been about. It is great. I had turkey, corn, mashed potatoes (3 helpings) carrots and blueberry juice. The rest of them added stuffing & gravy (mom made the gravy safe for me, but I don't get it yet).

Hope you all enjoy the long weekend and remember to remind yourself of those things in which you give thanks!

Lynda Dee!
XOXOXOXOXOXO

Eczema Flare has ended

Lynda's eczema flare has ended (knock on wood). We have added peaches and cherries to our diet. While at National Jewish she was given the okay to each peaches and cherries she did not eat them during the oral food challenge. They told us to try them out back home. Over the weekend I made peach and pear popsicles and cherry and pear popsicles. Lynda LOVES them. The peach and pear is her favorite. This coming weekend we are going to also try pear and plum popsicles.

Take care and God Bless.

Eczema Flare

We have been battling an eczema flare since Sunday the 11th of November. We have had to wet wrap Lynda's face and her arms. We know that the flare started while attending church. We just can't pin point what she came in contact with in the nursery to cause this flare. That is what is so frustrating about eczema you may never know what caused the flare to happen. I can say at this point the flare on her face is now under control, her arms are almost clear again. We will still have to wrap her wrist and hands, but this is a lot better than it could have been. Benadryl every four hours was a life saver. That certainly helped minimize her scratching. Sean also had an allergic reaction to something in the nursery, he and Lynda walked home to take out his contacts, because his eyes were swelling shut.

We are going to try and see our friend Jessie and Aspen this weekend. Jessie and Aspen both have allergies. Jessie has been battling his own eczema flare and skin infection and we want to make him feel better.

I Turned 5 and had an AWESOME Party!!!!

So here is the deal, it's Saturday afternoon, my family and friends are there and we have a total blast! I can't even wait to turn 6. I had my first ever cake, we played with balloons, my daddy got me a rose for my birthday. It was way totally cool. Thanks to everyone who came, the presents were great and I had a ton of fun.

I will add a picture later,

Love, hugs & kisses

Lynda Dee

Almost the BIG 5!!!

It's coming soon, I can't wait, yes I am turning 5 on Monday and I think I have this world figured out! Next month I will be 16 then 25 then 50 all within the next 365 days you just watch:) I am having a small party on Sat (after the Iowa game of course) and then we are going to hang out and clean up the house. We are hoping that our cousins from western Iowa can come and play with us too! Callie likes a party too and mommy is going to make me a special cake with no eggs, dairy or gluten.... daddy says he may get some special rice ice cream for me too.

Boy is it hard to wait on the party day.

Talk with you all soon. Happy birthday to meeeeee, happy birthday to meeeeeee, happy birthday dear princess, happy birthday to meeeeeee!

Hugs and kisses

Lynda Dee

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! I hope you all had a safe and fun Halloween. My friend Nicole, Callie and I all went out in the neighborhood. We got some donations for FAAN and some candy we traded for a couple new books!! YEAH. Matt really likes this arrangement too. There are a couple candies due to the expansion of my foods I was able to have. I think the spice drops and smartees are my favorites. We went to Grandpa John's too and T or T'd there too. He had special candy for me and we got to see all our cousin's (except the one's in MN). It's getting cold here so be ready for the cold.
Hugs & Kisses
Lynda Dee :)

Mild eczema flare

Friday was Lynda and Callie's last day at a local daycare center, Lynda wanted to help carry stuff to the car. Before I could stop her she grabbed and hugged her air purifier. Her face and neck have been red, bumpy and itchy all weekend. We have been giving her Benadryl and putting on her steroid ointments all weekend. We had to pull out the face and neck wraps to see if we can stop this flare before it takes over her whole body.

RAST Test Results

Praise the Lord!
Lynda has outgrown her allergy to the penicillin family of antiobiotics.
Lynda is still allergic to Cefalexin family of antiobiotics.

Keep praying it is working!

Left my timeshare

I have have left my timeshare, I am happy to be at home with my brother, sister, mommy and daddy. I will miss my friends at the hospital. I hope I stay well so I don't have to go back for a long while. Callie has an ear infection and sinus infection. She is on the same antibiotic as me. How cool is that! Mommy made us pear popsicles for tomorrow. I need to get into the tub to keep my skin soft and healthy.

Sunday Update

Well we are still in the hospital. I had to get x-rays done again, apparently my lungs sound crackly. I am getting a RAST blood test done to determine if I am still allergic to Pencillin. The Dr will not let me go home until I can sleep through the night without oxygen. I have great oxygen levels during the day then I have yucky ones during the night. Dad has spent the last 2 days with me and slept here Friday & Sat night. Mom is going to stay tonight. Hopefully I will get to go home soon. Callie came today to see me, she misses me a lot. Matt is on a bike ride for the veteran's foundation today!

Hugs & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Day 3 at the Timeshare (hospital)

Hi all, it is Sat morning and the Dr. just came in to tell me I have Bronchitis. I have to be here another day because my oxygen levels are not high enough yet. Matt's team won their final home game last night and they are 4-4 on the season. He seems pretty happy about that, dad did not know if they win the next game if that is enough to get them into something called the playoffs. Today dad and I are going to watch the Hawks pull off an upset victory over the Purdue Boilermakers (whatever that is). They are on at 11, and hopefully that will get me coughing enough to get the goo out of my lungs. Props to my great grandma Taylor, she turned 95 yesterday! Her sister Bev and nieces came down from Minneapolis to see her. Callie went to the pumpkin patch at daycare yesterday- boy I know a lot when I hang out at the hospital. Grandma and Grandpa Meyer hung out with me yesterday and we colored and read books.

All for now, I am getting ready to tailgate in my room with daddy!

Hugs & Kisses
Lynda Dee

So Hard to Breathe

Yep it's me again and I am currently at my timeshare at Mercy Hospital. I had another severe asthma attack that landed me in the hospital. Not sure yet how long I will be here, but dad is making plans to watch the Iowa Game with me tomorrow. (Go Hawks) I will miss Matt's last home game of the season, there is always next year. I can't wait to get better so I can trick or treat for food allergies next week.

BOO !!

Have a great weekend. We will keep you updated.

Hugs and kisses
Lynda Dee

The boy who is allergic to (almost) every food

Check this out http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21246628/from/ET/

Thanks Pointer Cheerleaders

Hi all it is Friday and I am so bummed. Since I was in the hospital last weekend I can not goto the homecoming game at CPU this weekend. I did get to goto the parade the other night:) I hope Matt gets to play. My friends the Stormin' Pointer Cheerleaders were nice enough to make me a really cool get well card. I can't wait to see them again and say THANK YOU in person. I will cheering with you from home! Do great and I will see you again next home game.

GO POINTERS!

Have a great weekend.

Lynda Dee :) Rah!

My Brother Matt

Matt had a football game last night. As he headed onto the field of historic Rogers Field located in scenic Center Point, Iowa the Stormin' Pointers were ready for battle. Matt got to play a bunch, he played offensive lineman, some special teams and defensive end what ever that means. Dad went to the game and said he did really good. The while he was on punt coverage he helped on a tackle and over the intercom came (imagine an echo) "And on the tackle number 54 Matt Courter" I guess he was really happy. Daddy took a bunch of pictures of Matt playing, here are a couple. enjoy!

Lynda Dee

PS Go Stormin' Pointers!
"were number 1, not number two and we're gonna kick the whopssie out of you!"

Micro Plasma Pneumonia

Well Friday afternoon we took Lynda to the doctor she had Micro Plasma Pneumonia a.k.a. Walking Pneumonia. Lynda had to be hospitalized for this condition. She was on oxygen to help her breath and and IV so she would not get dehydrated. They gave her breathing treatments every hour for the first six hours then they reduced the treatments to every 2 hours and then every 4 hours. Unfortunatly she had to go back on orapred (oral steriod). We knew that this could happen if she got sick. Matt and I have caught a cold while staying in the hospital with Lynda over the weekend. Lynda was release from the hospital yesterday afternoon.

Laurie

Trick or Treat for Food Allergy Research

Hi All, I hope this day is finding you well. I am doing great and was out shopping today for my weekly supplies and happened to notice all the Halloween stuff out there. There seems to be a ton of candy for sale and it got me thinking of my annual fund raiser. Each year instead of trick or treating for candy, I do it for your loose change. Everything collected is donated to FAAN ( The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network). They have been a great resource for my parents and they are helping schools and companies understand the impact of food allergies on kids like me. I will have a box I will carry as I trick or treat this year that will have the logo above printed on it. Callie is doing it with me! So save your change or donate online at:
http://www.foodallergy.org/Support/Halloween/Donate.html
If you donate online, please use the comment field and add donation for Lynda Dee Taylor- Center Point IA. Based on our fundraising I can win safe prizes for me and Callie. Our goal this year is $200.00 so dig deep and give what you can. Help us all find a cure and make other kids lives better too! There is also more info about the program on the FAAN site at:
http://www.foodallergy.org/Support/Halloween/index.html

If you would like to start a collection at your work or school, let me know and I will help you get started.

Hugs and Kisses-
Lynda Dee

Croup YUK!

Well it's that time of the year. On Monday and Tuesday I had to goto grandma and grandpa Meyer's to "hang out". Something about being really sick and not going to preschool. I feel pretty good now though, I can't wait to goto Matt's next football game and cheer for the pointers with my sister Callie. I am sure we are in training, we do the GO C-P-U cheer really really loud. Callie does not like Stormin Norman the mascot much, but mommy tells us there is just a person inside that dog costume. I gave him a high five last week, so we are on our way of becoming friends fast. We are just about ready to start collecting for the Halloween fund raiser for FAAN. Remember to save your coins when I come trick or treating (not like I can eat candy anyway). We are raising money for research for food allergies and education in schools for tolerance for people with food allergies. Some people don't understand how life threatening it is, so it is our job to educate! As daddy always says "Knowledge is Power".

Have a great day!

Hugs and Kisses
Lynda Dee :)

Done with oral steroids

Lynda's pediatrician called on Friday and has removed Lynda from taking oral steroids. We are extremely excited about this. Evey since coming home from National Jewish we have been going every two weeks for blood work to see if her cortisol level was coming into the normal range. Once it hit the normal range that meant we could stop giving her Orapred. Her zinc level is still low so we are to continue to give her a liquid zinc supplement.

It was a short night last night. Lynda woke with the Croup cough. We went outside for the fresh cool air, gave her one albuterol treatment, went back to bed. 10 minutes later she was back again coughing and wheezing, so we gave her another albuterol treatment. She is sleeping now. We will see what the morning brings when I wake her. It might be a stay home day with grandma and grandpa Meyer.

Well I better finish getting ready for work. Have a great week everyone!

My first Bus Ride

Thursday was a big day for me. At preschool we had a field trip to the apple orchard. This was my first ride on a real school bus like Matt used to ride. We had to sit real still and not mess around. Cheeks on the seat! Did you know there are no seat belts on those buses?? I decided that when I got there I was going to get my daddy an apple. My teacher said I could only bring one home. Most the other kids ate theirs. I did not like at the little kitty cats running around, but did like to see where the bees used to live. We got back on the bus and I showed my teacher my apple. Daddy and Mommy picked us up from daycare and daddy and I ate the apple together. He said it was the best apple he had every tasted. I must of picked the right one. Friday night has a football game so we are looking forward to seeing Stormin' Norman again. Have a great weekend.

Lynda Dee

What a great weekend!

Well we had a blast this weekend. We did not see much of daddy. It was his birthday and on Friday he went golfing with his friends ( Thanks Jake) in some kind of tournament. Then he went to watch Matt's football game. I was totally asleep when he came home. I heard it was after midnight! So then on Sat. morning we got to hang out with dad because mom had to work. Something called a "release" they were working on. When she got home we played outside and grandma and grandpa came up. We played some more then daddy left again. He went to the hawkeye game (Thanks Bryan) and cheered on the hawks to victory. We could not see him on TV? Not from a lack of trying. Sunday we had a great picnic at church. They had a bouncy house and dunk tank. I dunked Paul from across the street. Served him right he was wearing an Iowa State sweatshirt. My skin is a bit broken out, but seems to be getting better slowly. Mom and dad keep wrapping me and putting on lotions. School is going well, I like my teacher. Just wanted to say "hi" to everyone.

Have a greay week!

Lynda Dee

It's Labor Day weekend

I don't know much about it other than it is another stay home day from daycare. Callie and I helped Mom & Dad around the house today. We painted our shutters and re-hung them, we power sprayed the house to get all the dirt off of it for the winter. Friday night we went to Matt's game and we screamed and screamed when he ran out. We had CPU pom poms to practice our cheers. Stormin Norman scared Callie so we headed home, but sounds like they lost (totally bummer). Matt has had a real hard time this week with his allergies, it is the height of rag weed season and he has a rough time. Hope you all enjoy your extra "stay home day". Also a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to grandpa John who turns 60 something on Labor day this year....


Love Lynda Dee

Old McDonalds Farm

We took the kids to Old McDonalds Farm this weekend. That was fun to walk around and see the animals. Spent most of the weekend outside. We know that the summer is coming to an end and the time outside is going fast, so we are going to stay outside and enjoy it as much as we can before we have to head inside. This coming Friday is Matt's first football game of the season. We are looking forward to walking over to the football field and watching him play. Lynda's skin got patches of red yesterday after pulling out toys from the neighbors shed. I am sure it was from the dust.

Have a great week!

What a good day to wake up and read the paper!

Hello everyone, I hope you are all enjoying your cup of coffee and the paper this morning. I don't know if you noticed, but there are a ton of pictures of me in there today! Me, Callie and Nicole next door. If you don't get the paper you can get it online here. Callie and I have had a good week at our new daycare. Our new friends are getting used to working with me and all my extra rules. Yesterday we spent most of the day doing chores, daddy mowed the lawn, was cleaning up the front of the house where we took out some old bushes that were prickly and did some laundry. Late afternoon I got to goto my friend Allie's 3rd birthday party. Daddy got me cotton candy to have when everyone else had cake. It was fun, Callie and I were tired when we got home. Matt went to something called a bonfire for church after we got home and he was back after we went to bed. Those high school kids sure do stay up late. He comes home after football practice each night and is very sweaty. Things are good at my house, keep in touch.

Lynda Dee

First week at my new daycare and Keep an eye out...

This is almost the end to my first week at daycare in Center Point. We are having a ton of fun at Little People. We are helping mommy and daddy teach them what is safe for me. Callie and I get to play at recess together ( I love that). There is a rumor going around that I need to tell you all to watch your paper on Sunday. I am not sure what that is all about, but watch I guess.

I am so glad it is going to be cooling down so my skin will be less likely to break out. I start preschool on Monday. I have my Dora backpack and my supplies ready to go. Wish me luck as I try to get smarter. I seem to have way more energy now and I have been keeping everyone up late, I'm young and pretty and don't understand why I need a bed time.

Oh well, maybe I will learn at preschool

Hugs & kisses

Lynda Dee

Great Weekend

It has been a while since I posted, I will let you know it is because I have been so busy being a kid again. This weekend we went to Grandma & Grandpa's on sat morning to play, then we went to Pioneer Coop store in Coralville to get me some of my special stuff. We got some wheat & egg free noodles. (They ROCK!) Sunday morning we got up late, so daddy made breakfast - I love sausage and a fruit smoothie. The off to church, pastor Mike graduated from something called seminary. We had a party for him and we had fun, then off to get ready for pre-school. Yep I start tomorrow in Center Point! We loved our time at Growing Years, but this is where I am going to school. Callie is going there too so we can stay together. Mom says we are joined at the hip. Matt turns 16 tomorrow. I am sure he will have a cake. He has been busy at football camp. He comes home all sweaty. The humidity has been rough on my skin this week. It has been patchy red by only about 3-5%, manageable. We did a little time in the pool this afternoon while dad was mowing the lawn and picking rhubarb. What a weird plant. Have a great week.

Love,

Lynda Dee

National Jewish Medical and Research Center

For anyone who is suffering from allergies, asthma or eczema you need to check out their program.

This is a link to their main web site http://www.njc.org/

This is a link to their pediatric web site http://www.njc.org/patient-info/progs/peds/index.aspx

Matthew has returned!

We drove to uncle Jed's house Friday night. Saturday morning daddy and uncle Jed went to Nebraska to pick up Matt from his dad. We were so excited to see him. Matt sat between us on the way home and Callie and I both fell asleep holding his arms. We feed him potato chips and corn chips. Matt was excited about all of the new foods I could eat. While we waited for them to return mommy took our cousins Bethany and Cassie shopping in Sioux City. We went to Linen's and Things, Bethany and Cassie had never been in that store before. Can you believe they had pink measuring cups and measuring spoons and many other pink things for the kitchen. Callie and I really like pink. We are waiting for grandpa Meyer to come over and paint our room sometime. He painted Matt's room and it looks really good. Tonight for dinner daddy made turkey tacos. I have never had tacos before. They are really messy. The food keeps falling out of the other end. I am taking the leftovers to daycare with me tomorrow. Well got to go mommy is calling for Callie and I to get in the bathtub, seal and soak is the best way to keep my skin healthy so I can go out and play.

Chat with you all later.
Lyndee

Real Busy Weekend!

What a weekend, Friday night was the block party, what a blast- we played outside until almost 10 pm trying to catch fireflies and playing in Nicole's garage. We did not want to goto bed, but mom & dad were pooped. Sat. morning we got up early and went to Pickle Days in Walker (about 7 miles from Center Point) and mom was going to play in a horseshoe tournament. We got there and found out it was a doubles tournament so Dad became her partner. There were 20 teams and mom & dad got 4th! Dad even got 2 ringers (not bad for his first time). Sat night we went back to Pickle days and they had an AWESOME fireworks display. It lasted forever and was very loud! There was big fire balls that went up in the air and huge, high fireworks! We had cotton candy and watched them from a park near where they were being shot off. Sunday brought another busy day, my cousins Joshua & Sophie were in town from MN so we went to grandpa's house to swim. Even though I had sun screen on, I got burnt. Mom says it is from my medicines. So my back has a big white X on it from the straps and my face is really red. I am done with outside for a few days while I recover, but I had a blast in grandpa's pool... Shout outs to my dad's friend Bryan who turned 40 this weekend :)
Have a great day
-Lynda Dee

Outside Time

It is so nice to be able to be outside with the kids. Seeing them run, jump, swing, and play in the water is a wonderful blessing. Lynda's face has decided to flare up, so we are implementing the skills that we learned at National Jewish. Wet wrapping her face three time a day, hoping that within a few days she will be back to normal. I know you are going to ask yourself, what happened to cause a flare on her face. That is the most frustrating thing about eczema it will flare up without us ever knowing what the cause is from. Sometimes you can figure it out, but there are other times were you just never know the answer.

Asthma

Now that we have more food in Lynda's diet and we have her skin under control, her asthma has decided to make an appearance. We learned at National Jewish that an asthma attack can be triggered by rainy weather and humidity. Well it certainly has been rainy and humid here this last week.

Today is Callie's 3rd birthday! She is so excited to be 3.

Tuesday

Lynda was happy to be home with her sister and back at daycare with all of her friends. Last night Lynda said to me "Mommy I wish they would have tested me for pop. " "I would really like to try it." I giggled with her and said "maybe someday you can try pop."

Reunion

Hi All,

Well we pulled into Center Point this morning about 9:30 am. Sorry we have not posted in a while, we had to go to a funeral and there was no internet access there. We got all cleared to leave NJ and I can add soy and pork to my diet. I am really loving the lunch meat honey ham. Between that an potato chips I could live on those two alone. Mommy & Daddy keep telling me I need to eat other things though. I can also have grapes and raisins too. We went to the Ranch to say good bye to great grandpa on Friday and then the funeral on Sat. It was really cool, we got to follow a horse drawn carriage to the cemetery. We were glad to see family & friends it had been way to long since we had seen. Thank you again to everyone to helped me get to National Jewish, it is really changing my life! My sister Callie was so glad to see me! :)

Keep watching we will keep you updated on how things go here!

Love Lynda Dee

Wednesday

Today we had food challenges with pork, shrimp and we re-challenged soy. Lynda did not have any reactions to these foods. Tomorrow we will have our discharge meeting. During this meeting we will go over Lynda's personal action plan regarding the new foods, the allergic foods and her skin treatment plan. Sean and I are so thankful to have been able to bring Lynda here. They have been able to do so much for her in such a short amount of time.

Tuesday

Today was another good day. We got two tests completed and we are a go for green beans and we are waiting on a final ok tomorrow for Soy! Lynda spent the day doing crafts and hanging out and driving the nurses crazy. I think she is getting a bit stir crazy. Lynda was making mommy & daddy laugh this morning, she split the green beans in half and ate the seeds first. Kind of inside out. Daddy got some very sad news today, his grandfather Milo Rypkema took his place in heaven. I guess they needed another tough cowboy up there to ride the big range.

Love & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Monday... A new week

We were very fortunate today. My reaction to Bananas yesterday did not cause any delays. So this morning we went back and I started more food challenges. Today I was cleared for Rice! So right now and I eating rice cakes daddy got me from Wild Oats. I had turkey and had a mild reaction so we are going to hold off on that for a while. I am officially cleared for:

• Lettuce
• Corn
• Potato
• Rice
• Oats
• Raisins/Grapes

Tomorrow I am being tested for green beans and pork and if that goes well and they may throw in one more. I am loving my new foods and enjoying my crafts. I am also posting a picture from yesterday.


Loves and Kisses

Lynda Dee

Denver Zoo and Allergic Reaction

We spent three hours walking around at the Denver Zoo today. We had a great time. We took a lot of pictures. Lynda rode on the merry-go-round and the train at the zoo. Lynda's favorite animal at the zoo was the snow leopard. After the zoo we went back to the hotel to rest and Lynda needed a snack. Lynda peeled a banana for her and one for me and within 15 minutes her lips swelled and her face was red with hives. Off to NJ we went. We sent two hours there monitoring her reaction. They gave her some Benadryl so we will find out tomorrow how this will affect the rest of the allergy tests for this coming week.

Saturday Food Challenges

Well we got in some extra food challenges today, we are cleared to eat Banana, Lettuce, Spinach, and Raisins. We are very excited to try new foods. I really liked the lettuce. We are now off until Monday. We got out about 4 pm and are trying to see what we are going to do with the rest of the evening. I have a bit of cabin fever and I want to go to a park or a movie. I hear Ratatouille is good from Blaine who is also at the hospital. If we go to the movie, we can take my special popcorn with us. Tomorrow we get to go to the zoo! I know have to also do a sinus rinse twice a day. I really do not like this at all. All I will say is that it is gross and nasty. The doctor says that this will help remove MRSA from my sinsus. I would really like that.

Love & Kisses

Lynda Dee

TGIF 2 new foods today- PARTY

I had my second round of skin test today. We tested for environmental allergens from Iowa. Most of the outside stuff came back negative, but my Milk, Egg, dust mites, dog (really allergic) came back bad. So no new pouch for me. We continued food challenges today and we had corn chips and potato chips! Mom and dad had no idea they were sending me here to eat junk food, but I really like it. We have extra duty tomorrow with more food challenges. We are doing a vegetable medley and a fruit cocktail to eliminate several veggies and fruits of the same families. We downgraded my steroids and also I am down to 2 baths a day and only special lotion on my arms and legs.

We also went to a store called Whole Foods, it is much like Wild Oats and we got some corn chips and dried fruit for me. Hope you enjoy the pictures, one of my skin test and 2 of me eating junk food (yeah:) )

All my love,

Lynda Dee

Allergy Testing

Today at 9:30 Lynda had skin allergy testing done. This is where the placed 17 dots on her back with a marker then next to each dot they scratched her skin with a little plastic stick that had a curved needle on it. This little stick was sitting in a little well that had the liquid form of chicken, beef, pork, turkey, etc. Then we sit and wait for 20 minutes to see if her skin would develop a welt.

A welt formed on beef, pork, wheat, peanut, turkey, tuna

A welt did not form on corn, soy, oats, white potato, shellfish, string beans, chicken

After that test was done, we had two food challenges the first one was for corn. Lynda looked, smelled and picked at the corn for quite some time. She did eat some. Tomorrow they are going to have corn baked or cooked into something so she will get more of it.

The second food was oats. Lynda looked and smelled and picked at the oatmeal too. She put some in her mouth and spit it back out. "This is yucky." We sprinkled sugar on it, no go. We even put apple juice on it, no go. I asked for uncooked oats to be brought in to see if she would eat them that way and sure enough she ate some. She then spilled some on the bed and pretended to be a dog at ate it that way. Sean and I were laughing at how silly she was being.

Tomorrow we have more skin testing at 9:30 and food challenges. We know that white potato will be one of them. They are going to bring up a mashed potato and a baked potato so we have options for her taste buds.

We are down to two baths a day with wet wraps for two hours after the bath.

We found a stored called Wild Oats, it is like New Pioneer CO-OP that is down in Coralville. We found blueberry juice, carrot juice, and blueberry jelly all that are safe for Lynda. Lynda just opened her carrot juice and she said now I can have my "mocha". Her grandma always drinks mocha coffee.

Well it is getting late and we still have a bath and wet wraps to get done.

God bless

America's Birthday

It's July 4th and we have a pretty light day. We had to come in and do a bath to show mom & dad could do the other two later. So after breakfast we were able to leave. Down the road from the hotel is cherry creek mall (very swanky). We saw Saks 5th avenue, nieman Marcus all the expensive stores. I liked the play ground area, it was all food, bacon, waffles, oatmeal that you could climb on. We played there for a while then walked around the mall. Daddy went to the Apple store and played with something called an iPhone. He called grandma with it, it was very weird. Through the hospital we also got to go to the aquarium. That was very cool, we saw a real life Nemo & Dorrie. They had sharks, stingrays, tuna, jelly fish and fish and fish and TIGERS! Information overload. I was really tired after that. The fireworks that night got rained how due to an unexpected storm. My skin is doing awesome! We saw some army man jets fly over our hotel last night, it was really cool. We also found our Sam's club and bought me some more chicken .

Tomorrow is allergy testing and back to the regular grind.

Love & Kisses

Lynda Dee

Day Two

There is a room that all people enter where they must wash hands and place gloves, gowns, and masks on before entering Lynda's room. Lynda is in isolation status due to her past MRSA infections. They took about 6 different skin and nose cultures yesterday to test for MRSA. If they come back negative them she will be removed from isolation status, if just one comes back positive then she will remain in isolation. When ever Sean and I leave the room we must wash hands, place gloves, gowns, and masks on before leaving. Today they drew 6 tubes of blood for many different tests. We will find out those results later in the week. The blood draw went surprisingly well. They first put a numbing cream on both arms, then placed a clear bandaid them. 45 minutes later on the first stick blood was coming out of her arm. If we ever have to be in the hospital again, Jayne we need to get this stuff. The baths three times a day are getting better. When we say that they are getting better we mean that we are no longer trying to hold her down in the water. She is no longer screaming and crying. I think we all have some hearing loss. She has to stay in the water for 20 minutes. They have a timer in the bathroom, so we are in the water for the correct amount of time. We are still wearing wet pj's but the wrapping of ace bandages have stopped. Sean and I attending family group therapy today. There is a lady from South America with her daughter. I also attended a class on Atopic Dermatitis, while Sean was assisting the nurse with giving Lynda her second bath today. Tonight we get to spend the night in the hotel. Since tomorrow is a holiday we will have a light schedule, just bathing and wrapping. If her skin is doing well on Thursday she will have skin allergy testing done. Well that is about all for now. Take care and God bless.

First Day- National Jewish

We started our day very early. We were not sure what to expect for rush hour in downtown Denver. We are only about 10 blocks from the hospital, but it takes like 15 minutes to get there. Once checking in with security we can head up. Our initial surprise in the am was mommy found a visitor in our bath tub. A brown recluse spider (poisonous much like a black widow spider) waiting for his turn to shower. We took care of it, then we could all prepare for our day. We were running a bit late. Today was a busy day. Daddy said it was like press day for the Hawkeyes. All these people came in to introduce themselves and we talked about me! Tonight we have to stay overnight so they can see how I sleep. I am doing baths 3 times a day and putting my lotions on with some new ones too. Tomorrow morning I have to have some blood tests done, and I am really not looking forward to that. We are watching Dora and Disney channel waiting for the next group of people to come through. So far I am not doing too much other than playing while mommy and daddy talk with the doctors.

Keep watching for updates

Love Lynda Dee

Bonus !

Well Mommy picked a great hotel. About 9:15 the fireworks display started and lasted an hour. We were all memorized for the entire time. Daddy met some people in the parking lot and they were from Des Moines. One of them works for one of daddy's customers. We are not really sure how to describe what we saw. Mommy said it was the mostest awesome fireworks show she had ever seen. I think we need to come back and show Callie too. The sprinkler system for the hotel went off about half way through the show so we had to move. It did not spoil my fun, I have never seen so many colors in the sky at once. Daddy says the pictures of the fireworks are not representative of what we saw, come to Glendale and see them next year. It's late, I need to crash.

Love you all.

Lynda Dee

In the Mile High City

We made it!!! Yesterday we left in the early afternoon and drove across Iowa and into Neb. We stopped for the night in Grand Island. We got very lucky, there was a HUGE baseball tournament and we got the last room at the Roadway Inn. It was cool we had a lake front view and we got up around 9 am to continue our journey. Lynda drank a bit too much water and apple juice because it seemed like we stopped at every exit to go to the bathroom. The mountains near Denver are cool. Daddy told me they are called the Rocky Mountains. There is little bits of snow on the very tops. We got here around 5:30 Iowa time and we unloaded all our stuff for the 2 week visit. The Ronald McDonald house is not looking very promising, but the hotel we are in is very nice and clean. There is a fireworks display tonight for Glendale, CO and it almost right outside our room. We drove down to the hospital so that we know how to get there tomorrow. Then we went to SuperTarget (it's right next door) to get my supplies. We are back in the room now and getting ready for bed.

Love and kisses to everyone. We will talk again soon. Watch the blog to see how my first day went.

Truly a Night Fit for a Princess........

I am not sure how many times we can express and say Thank You! Last night's event for Lynda was incredible to say the least. We would like to thank Lori Jones and the Staff at Growing Years Childcare, Kevin & Jennifer Navin with Fastsigns, Nitro Productions, Rich & Charlotte Bonar, the folks at Prairie Hill Pavilion, Lori Goedecke (Tastefully Simple) , Denise Byre (Peppies Ice Cream) and all the mercy nurses who helped there. Thank you to all folks who donated such thoughtful items for the silent auction. It was a success due to your generosity. We had a blast catching up with all of you. Lynda & Callie wish they could have been there and send their love. Thank you to all our friends and family for your support, prayers and wishes.

As we head to Denver today we will be thinking of you all. Keep an eye on the blog, we will keep you updated as to our progress each day.

God Bless,

The Taylor's

Is that the alarm clock?

What a short night we had. Lynda was awake on and off from 11:00 PM till 4:30 AM this morning. I would have to say that she was more awake than not. She is very itchy. Parts of her are red and swollen. Lynda also had an asthma attack too. We put her Aquaphor ointment in the refrigerator to get cold. This helps cool her skin down and stop the itchies when the weather is hot. That seemed to help stop the itchies more than the ice packs. Yesterday Callie went to the doctor, we suspected pink eye and the doctor confirmed that. On the way to get her eye drops Callie said "my eye is better I don't need any drops". I just giggled to myself because I know that she does not like getting drops in her eyes and she must have remembered that. Sean and I are moving really slow this morning. We will both be drinking a lot of coffee at work this morning. Lynda will not be and the fundraiser dinner tonight, because of her weakened immune system and now Callie will not be at the fundraiser either, because of her pink eye. Sean and I will be there though. We will have pictures of Lynda at the event. Some new silent auction items have come in; Joe Nameth rookie jersey autographed, fish aquaium, Braun tooth brush, Nate Keading autographed jersey, educational puzzles,

Lighting Bugs!

The LIGHTING BUGS were out again last night. Callie, Nicole, Taylor, Alli, Blake, and Mason were all running around in the front yard under the big Maple trees trying to catch them. Kerri; Nicole and Taylor's mom had one of our glass mason jars for these little creators to go in. Lynda is standing in front of the glass door squealing in delight as the kids were running around trying to catch these funny little bugs. A few bugs were squished and many got away, but by the time they were done, these kids caught 6 lighting bugs for Lynda. Mason pulled some grass and put it in the jar so they would have something to eat. The fun days of summer! The neighbor kids are awesome!

Lynda awoke this morning at 3:00 AM! She wanted lotion on her feet and face both of them were very itching. It was daddy's turn to take care of her. Since we can not give her any "itchy" medicine as Lynda calls it, Sean got out the ice packs. He said it took about 45 minutes to an hour for her finally to fall back asleep.

To Grandma's House I Go....

Today I spent time at Grandma and Grandpa's house. It was a hot day. Last night mommy had to wrap my face because it was starting to get red. I had to stay wrapped today too. I gave grandma and grandpa the business this afternoon because I did not want to switch wraps. I don't think they were too happy, so I decided to help them :). Daddy had to be in LaCrosse WI today for a show, he said the drive was very pretty and he took pictures of the bluffs for me to see. 5 days and counting before I take my dad west to Denver. Thank you to everyone for all your support! Have a great Tuesday!


Lynda Dee

First day back to daycare

Lynda had a good day at daycare. Her friends were excited to see her again. We have decided to have Lynda stay with grandma and grandpa during the day until we leave for Denver. There are just to many germs that she is exposed to at daycare. We don't want to risk another infection before our trip. With that being said she also will not be attending the fundraiser on Friday her doctor has advised us against it. This week is going to get rough once we stop all of her medications in preparation for her doctor visit that way they can preform all of the necessary allergy testing. May God watch over her and protect her as she makes this journey.

Momma I'm Coming Home!

I think that is how that rock song daddy plays once and a while goes. Well Sat I headed home and I was lucky enough to make it home before the pork days parade. The parade route so happens to go right by our house and all the big fire trucks, horses and floats came by. Callie, Daddy and Grandma filled up a bag of candy for Nicole & Taylor our next door friends that happened to be at a softball tournament and missed the parade. I was not happy that I had to stay inside all day, and kept trying to sneak out of the house. Mom and dad had a garage sale for our Denver trip so I watched out the window at all the people coming by. Next Friday is the dinner dance the daycare is sponsoring, hope everyone can come! The picture today is of me in the swimming pool at the hospital, love that pool. I think everyone should have an indoor pool. We are eight days and counting to heading west. Thank you to everyone for your support and prayers. Hope my parents survive the next week!

Lynda Dee

Party in My Room

Last night mommy brought me a blow up pool for my hospital room. Well if I have to soak in the tub, I might as well do it in a pool right? (plus it seems less like work) I a good day, I watched the Hog Wild Days parade on TV- I really like parades- and made bead necklaces and other fun stuff. Sounds like I am still on plan to go home on Sat morning. I just hope that I will be home in time for the Center Point Pork Days Parade! It goes right by my house and I can see it from my picture window :)

Have a great weekend!

Lynda Dee

Craft Night with Dad

On Wed night my daddy came to spend the night with me since mom had the last few. He had just got back from a business trip in Dubuque and we put together some crafts I got. First we did a stuffed bear kit, it was 2 pieces of brown cloth that is in the shape of a teddy bear and we had to sew it together. It has a pink bow (I like pink!) and a pink pillow it can hold. So daddy helped me sew the edges and we stuffed the bear with really soft stuffing. After that we closed him up and added the eyes and nose.
Then I opened my bead and necklace kit. I made one with my name on it and one for Callie too. I will have to have my daddy take a picture of me with my Lynda bling bling I made. I am ready to go home, but the doctor says I have to wait until Sat.

Hugs & Kisses,

Lynda Dee

Haircut

While mom's away the children will play. When I arrived at the hospital yesterday afternoon, the nurse stopped me and warned me that Lynda decided to cut her hair. I was surprised when I walked into the room, because I couldn't really see that she cut her hair. Apparently the hair was in her eyes and it was bothering her so she cut it. Now she has bangs like her mommy. I figure it is just hair, it will grow back. The nurses will no longer allow her to use their scissors unless someone is in the room to supervise.

We are slowly working her back into the bath tub. She is very afraid that the water is going to burn her skin. She wanted to play with these tub toys in this little pink bucket that she has been standing in. I told her tub toys are played with in the tub not in the little bucket that she is standing in because there isn't enough room for her feet and the toys.

I got into the tub with my clothes on so she would know that we were not going to sit down in the water. Sure enough she got in and played for about 10 minutes and she was ready to get out. Lynda did tell me that she thought Callie would like these toys for her birthday next month. You and I both know Lynda wants these toys for herself not her sister. I told her we would have to see. When Lynda tells you something that she wants she closes one eye and nods her head and talks with her hands. It is so funny.

Fathers Day 2007

Everyone stayed overnight again at the hospital so we could all be together for fathers day. Lynda had a pretty good day, she did crafts all day and made a huge mess with glitter glue. She also had a ton of apple juice and apple chips. Mom went home and made Lynda fruit smoothies. The picture is the aftermath of eating one of them. Callie gave dad a card she made at daycare and a glitter glue of her foot in a frame so that he would always remember how small she was at one time. I gave dad a book of coupons that he gets a bunch a stuff from me like a free hour of helping clean up a mess or helping to wash the car (If I can). I think he really liked them. Mom is going to spend the night with me, dad and Callie are heading home soon to make sure the house stays in order ( mom's orders).

Happy Fathers Day to all you fathers. Have a great week.

Lynda Dee

Sleep over

Mommy, Daddy, and Callie all spent the night with me at the hospital. That was a lot of fun. Today I am coloring and the nurse brought me some scissors so I can cut the comics out of the newspaper. I am to get my hair washed today. I really don't like the thought of getting my hair washed but once they start it sure does feel nice. I have to hold my ears closed so no water gets in them. I don't like water in my ears!

Lynda

Day Three

Lynda is looking better today. Still no word as to when she will be discharged. We are assuming it won't be until next week some time. We appreciate all of the kind words and prayers.

We did find Nature Valley Apple Crisps at Sam's Club. They are dehydrated apples, without anything else in them. Lynda LOVES them. She calls them her Cheetos. She is so funny. It is nice to find something in the store that is new and that she can eat. It just opens the door for her to explore different textures in food.

Have a blessed day!

Day Two

Lynda has been sleeping a lot today. Daddy suprised me by driving all the way back from Cleveland OH to spend the night with me. He has a friend in OH that gave him a Pear Bear and some stuff to color. Now Lynda will have something to do in the hospital while mommy and daddy are at work. No idea when we get to go home yet... we will keep our finger crossed.

Silent Auction Items

This is a preliminary list of the items that have been generously donated for the silent auction.

2 Hannah Montana gift baskets
My brother Steven James Meyer is a writer for the “Hannah Montana” show, formally a writer for “Everybody Loves Raymond”. Each gift basket has an autographed script that he wrote, individual autographed cast photos, two child size tee shirts and cast pass card.

Portable gas BBQ, cooler on wheels, 2 camp chairs, camp equipment

Beijo “Over The Moon” handbag

Artwork by Donna Bassett

Movie gift basket

Donna Cook Grand Collection Figures

2 18 Speed 26 inch Dasani Bikes

Waves Advance Ultrasound gift basket

Shrek gift basket

Donkey gift basket

Painted Bird houses

Bunk bed white metal frame

Ruby Tuesday gift card $25.00 value

Pizza Hut Large Specialty Pizza

Coldstone 2 free regular size ice cream creations

Family Video gift card $5.00 value

Starbuck’s gift card $10.00 value

And for you Hawkeye Fans there will be some special items for bid. Come to the silent auction to see what is available.

First Night

Unfortunately Lynda was not able to get an IV into either hands, arms or feet. Lynda is very strong and very smart she will twist her arm and rotate her shoulders so they can not get a "stick" that would stay in place. We wrap her in a blanket and 4 of us hold her down. She slept well. She awoke at 2:30 for more Aquaphor to be put on her skin, then we rocked and back to sleep she went. Today they are taking her down to radiology to put in a pic line. The infection is spreading very quickly across her body.

Take care!

Back in the Hospital

Today ended up not being a good day. The preliminary culture was growing MRSA. The nurse asked how Lynda was doing. I told her that the bumps are spreading and that her face was starting to swell. The nurse put me on hold and spoke with the on-call doctor. The nurse said could you bring her back in at 5 so we can take another look. Then she said don't be surprised if we admit her to the hospital. It was decided to put Lynda back into the hospital for another course of treatment. We are 18 days away from leaving for Denver to National Jewish and to say the least mom and dad are a bit nervous. We will have to see where this takes us. Dad is in Cleveland the 13-15th on business, Callie is hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa and Laurie is hanging out with Lynda. Her skin is getting red and her face is almost as bad as the previous picture in this post. We are praying this can be knocked out quick and we can get back on the road of recovery to travel to Colorado.

All our best, God Bless- Hugs & Kisses

The Taylors

Doctor Visit

We took Lynda to the doctor this morning to determine what those mysterious bumps are on her body. The on-call physician said that they look like Impetigo, but she was not sure and thought it was wise for Lynda to see her dermatologist. In the mean time she took a culture of those bumps. Now keep in mind it will take 48 hours before we will know the results of this culture. This afternoon Lynda saw her dermatologist and he said that the bumps look like a bacterial infection. We are going to continue putting Bactroban (antibiotic cream) on the bumps and wait for the test results to come back to determine what the infection is. Now the oral antibiotic (Cleocin) that Lynda was put on yesterday we have not been able to get her to take any of it. She is a very smart girl; she can smell the in her apple juice so she is refusing to take it.

Antibiotics

Lynda has been placed on Cleocin to fight off a possible skin infection. If this medication does not work; if she gets fever or the bumps become filled with puss, she will have to be hospitalized to receive IV antibiotics. Let's pray that she will get better with just these antibiotics.

bumps?

I noticed some strange bumps on Lynda's right arm yesterday. This morning she has more of them on her arm, above and below her lip and two on her stomach. They don't appear to be infected right now. I have placed some antibiotic ointment on them while we wait for a call back from her doctor. The bumps don't seem to be itching either. We have been down this road many times and we have learned to seek medical attention faster. So it does not turn into a full body skin infection.

Fun @ Backyard Adventures

We have had a very busy week. Keeping Lynda's skin under control has been a challenge with the rising pollen counts. Matt leaves early Saturday morning to spend the summer with his dad. We are sad to see him go so we are trying to play with him as much as possible. On Thursday Lynda and her classmates went on a field trip to Backyard Adventures. Clearly her favorite place to go play. For those that do not know, they sell wood swing sets (upper end) and they rent out their showroom to let kids run wild. This is great for Lynda since it is inside and we do not have to worry about the elements outside. She went "wild" according to her teachers. We could really tell she was a step slow last night when she got home and slept hard. Everyone have a great weekend. We are looking forward to seeing you all at the event on June 29th and heading out to Denver the following day!

Enjoy your week!

Taking a turn

Daycare called us about 4 pm yesterday letting us know that Lynda's skin on her face and neck was starting to have patches of red and some swelling. They washed her face and neck off and placed ice packs on it as well. This morning she has more swelling and red patches on both her face and neck. At least at this point they are not weeping.

We did get in the mail yesterday her Tubifast Garments that the insurance company reimbursed us for. To learn more about these garments please check out the following website http://www.skincareworld.co.uk/healthcentre/our_products/tubifast/garments.htm. We can not order them from the above website, but SkinCareWorld did provide us a website where these garments can be purchased www.westons.com then enter tubifast garments in the search field. It did take about 3 weeks and a few days from the time we purchased them till we got them in the mail.

Let's just hope that her face and neck will calm down and that this doesn't turn into a full body flare.

Time to write Letters in support of a cure!

I just received an e-mail from allergymoms.com. Iowa's senator Tom Harkin needs to hear from you regarding how food allergies impact the lives of Lynda, kids like her and her relatives and friends. So pick up a pen, use Word or draw a picture for those that can not yet write and let's see if we can help Senator Harkin's office get flooded with e-mails and paper. Here is an excerpt from their e-mail:

Help Fund the Cure in 5 minutes…

The Food Allergy Project (www.foodallergyproject.org) has gained the interest of Senator Tom Harkin (Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee) They need letters (LOTS of them) from real allergy kids, their parents, friends and family.

Our kids need us to take action!

Good: Handwrite or type a note to “Senator Tom Harkin” telling him how much food allergy affects your child’s life and how we need resources devoted to a cure. Anything along those lines –short or long—we’re looking for quantity.

Better: Add a separate drawing –anything your child makes about him/herself. You child can also write a letter in place of the drawing or in addition to it. (Those about food allergy are best but all children’s letters and drawings have an impact)

Best: Bring* us several drawings from siblings, cousins, neighbors and several letters (even quick notes) from grandparents, friends, teachers, family members.

PS If you cannot attend and would like to write to Senator Harkin, please mail your letters directly to:

The Food Allergy Project, Inc.

Attn: Liliana Esposito

137 Fifth Avenue, 3^rd floor

New York, NY 10010

They will to compile a huge binder of letters and children’s drawings (for more impact) to present to Senator Harkin.

Send me a quick e-mail if you send something, I want to coordinate with the folks out west who are meeting with Senator Harkin and let them know of our efforts as well.

Matt Extreme Room Makeover

Matt saved up his allowance and decided to remake his room. His inspiration is American patriotism. He painted his north and south walls red today with Grandpa Meyer and tomorrow they will do the east and west walls with blue. When they are finished he will stamp white stars all over the walls. It looks really cool. We will update the post when he has finished the room.

Rain Rain stay, wash away the pollen each day!

It is Sunday morning and we are off to Church. Lynda is having another good day. It rained for a little bit after church and the sun came out. With a light breeze and we were able to play outside again! :) Callie & I played on the swings and I helped dad deliver flyers for our annual street party to the neighbors. Mom made homemade bread for the first time. It is hard to find bread that Callie can eat that does not have soy in it. Everyone said it was really really good. Daddy had 2 pieces. Yum Yum. My new favorite food is fruit smoothies. Mom & dad make them for me with blueberries, pear juice and ice. So Good.

We love low Pollen Counts- Sat Fun

Hi all, we are a little behind on posting. We have had a good few days. Lynda's skin has been almost perfect. The picture to the left is us at the Cedar Rapids farmers market. There are two very important rituals when we go there (from the girls perspective). 1) we have to stop at Simply Divine candy shop and get some rock candy suckers for Lynda & Callie and 2) we have to stop by the guy who makes balloon animals. Callie's choice this week was a monkey and Lynda choice was a pig. Dad likes the breakfast burritos and mom likes the baked goods. In the picture Callie is already enjoying hers.

Follow up Story in Local Paper

Today we woke up to see Lynda with Grandma & Grandpa in the paper for a follow up story. The Gazette highlighted our progress to date. There is still much work and effort to get us to denver, but we are moving in the right direction. If you don't get the paper you can see the article online here. Thanks again for everyones support and prayers.

Memorial Day Weekend- Yeah RAIN

Who would have thought that Rain would be so great. On Friday night and a bit on Sat. the pollen count was low enough that I was able to go out side and see my friends. Callie was sooo happy I could play outside. We played with Nicole, Hanna, Ben, Taylor & David. It was such a blast. Daddy and Matt came out to swing with me and we played on Nicole's climber. Matt taught me how to launch water balloons to see how far they would fly. We also played in the sprinkler for a little while. It was hot so we got wet to cool down. It was a very good couple days. Sunday the pollen count went back up so today I have to stay inside. It's ok though, Callie is staying inside with me and we are playing with our kitchen and play food. I am pretending to make mommy & daddy a pizza in my oven. Hugs and kisses.... - Lynda