Continue for my son

[Anon]

If you could just keep praying for my son Andrew when you think of it...he turned 3 in March. He is okay, but we've been fighting this chronic urticaria (hives) since late June/early July 2007. There is nothing external causing it, its pretty much autoimmune...although he is on a fairly strict diet (not from the dr, drs don't think food helps or hurts urticaria, but it DOES...preservatives and acids make him much worse) his meds are slowly losing effectiveness. Its just been a long 15 months, and sometimes stressful. I have a new appreciation for those families dealing with food allergy...while he doesn't have allergy, he still has to avoid foods...and going out to eat or even to a church dinner involves so much extra preparation, bringing foods and drinks he can have, or just not going out at all. Plus watching him scratch...some days until he has scabs. Some days are ok, but other days he is itchy....almost every day lately he has the hives, as the meds are just not doing their job as well anymore. He has an appt in October and we may have to change/add meds. He's so young, and he already knows how to swallow pills, due to the fact he's taken meds so long and he was anxious to stop eating the applesauce with the meds crushed up in it. He's a sport...even with the food restrictions (including most fruit flavored candies and most soft drinks and most packaged treats that other kids eat...we do find substitutes)..sometimes I just get to where I'm despairing a little bit about all this. I know its not cancer and he's fine and healthy but its just frustrating...its a disease doctors do not understand much and cannot predict the outcome...he may have it for a year...he may have it for ten years, really. Dr thinks he will have it 2-4 years but as the hives have been getting harder to control instead of easier, I think we are in this longer rather than shorter.

I know God knows and understands and I beg Him every night to please have mercy on Andrew and heal him of his hives....I guess in His timing. So if you could pray for patience and faith on my part, and then for Andrew that God would keep him comfortable and help the hives to calm down again that would be great....and even heal him as I know He can if He wills it. I'm dreading the winter viruses as they flare him more and he gets double uncomfortable...sick and scratching everywhere.

Thanks for listening and praying...

[Guest Guest]

Oh, Kita. Yes...I certainly will keep Andrew in my prayers. :pray He is only 3. Hopefully he will grow out of this. Sometimes babies and children do grow out of allergies. I know it is difficult to watch your little one suffer like this. Mark has had allergies for awhile, and it isn't easy. Hives are something else, too. I have had them as an adult...not a child. Again, hang in there...keep the faith that Jesus will take care of this burden and heal Andrew. I have seen him perform miracles in children before like this. God bless you guys. :Bible:

[Anon]

Thanks! It really isn't allergies...its something different...something internal, like an autoimmune disorder. Which makes it very difficult to treat.

[pneu-engine]

Kitagrl,

I believe that God wants us to pray "point-blank, specific" when we make our supplications to Him. I also know from the tenor of your request that you do too.

Because of all of that I am praying that God will::::::::::::::

...lead you to more fuller understanding of precisely what is causing this particular malady in this particular child.

...lead you to full and complete understanding of just what to do and how to do it to bring about effective and sure relief.

...bring the answers to you in such a fashion that you will know absolutely and unequivocally that it was the LORD GOD alone that brought the information to you.

No-one knows the weight of another's burdens.

[dadof4]

Will keep the little trooper in my prayers.

You said that going to church dinners and restaraunts are hard due to the foods you need to avoid. Boy, do I understand that one. Nathaniel has food allergies that we have to be careful of. We have make complete Thanksgiving dinners for him just to go to a family's home to have Thanksgiving at their house.

What foods are you avoiding, or kinds of foods? We avoid soybeans, nuts, dairy, and eggs (well, he seems to be growing out of the egg allergy).

[Anon]

Thanks...

Well its not allergies, again....but any type of preservative or acid makes him worse. So nothing tomato based, no citrus, strawberries...and very very little citric acid or ascorbic acid. No BHT, BHQ, nitrates, sulfites, MSG, sodium benzoate, etc. We're doing okay at home, going out is difficult.... but still sometimes he looks kinda bad even with a clean diet...its hard to make people understand that the diet HELPS but it is not the cause of the hives...he gets hives no matter what...but the clean diet helps us control it with his meds better.

[John81]

It's very sad little Andrew is still going through this and it saddens me more that the drugs are now less effective which increases his suffering. :sad I hate to see children suffer from any such things.

I will certainly keep Andrew in my prayers, as well as you and your family. :pray

[deafnva77]

Even though my son does not get hives like yours (although he did have them before all over but bendryl took care of it),

he gets in a cycle of ezcema, and that too make him feel itchy everyday all day long all over. And the hardest part that EVERYTHING triggers his ezcema, So I can relate to you as far as having a itchy child.

praying for you.

[Guest Guest]

Thanks...

Well its not allergies, again....but any type of preservative or acid makes him worse. So nothing tomato based, no citrus, strawberries...and very very little citric acid or ascorbic acid. No BHT, BHQ, nitrates, sulfites, MSG, sodium benzoate, etc. We're doing okay at home, going out is difficult.... but still sometimes he looks kinda bad even with a clean diet...its hard to make people understand that the diet HELPS but it is not the cause of the hives...he gets hives no matter what...but the clean diet helps us control it with his meds better.

WOW! My step-daughter had this when she was younger. I actually know what an auto-immune disorder is, from this. Also, one of my dearest friends has one, but...it isn't related to food. Come to think of it...the boy that used to live next door to me when I lived in my double, as a single parent, with my son had this exact same thing. It was something with him such as "red dye", too. I remember in the summer time I couldn't give him cherry pop cycles.


It is funny (not really) but because my step-daughter couldn't eat these things, she taught my son the habit inadvertently. To this day, Mark...doesn't care for the things that she couldn't eat when she was younger. Also, water is his favorite thing to drink...if anyone can believe that? :smile I wish I could get on a water kick. LOL.

[Anon]

Your stepdaughter had hives? Daily? Really? If so, how long before she grew out of it?

[Guest Guest]

Your stepdaughter had hives? Daily? Really? If so' date=' how long before she grew out of it?[/quote']


Sarah had a combination of hives and another skin disorder (that was way worse than the hives.) It wasn't daily, though, b/c the pediatrician prescribed something for her other skin disorder. The kids pediatrician was wonderful and a naturalist...at that! It seemed to work for both...if I recall. Also, if I remember correctly, when she was about 5...I think it was in Kindergarten. I would have to check with her dad on this one, though. He isn't real good at remembering those kinds of things, though. LOL. Her mom would have a better idea, though...I just haven't talked to her mom in awhile.


Oh...Kita, I just realized that I compared hives as not being as bad as what Sarah had. I am so sorry. (yes...again.) LOL. That isn't the way that I wanted to say this. Actually, she had a combination of the 2 of them...but, not everyday. If I remember correctly it was an herbal tea, and some kind of a lotion that the pediatrician prescribed for her. Some topical lotions are wonderful. My friend that is the Estitician (she has the other auto-immune disorder) said that lotions are wonderful. She is licensed and recommends lotions. There are so many on the market...but, for hives? Hmmm? I am thinking.

[joyfulpraise93]

If you could just keep praying for my son Andrew when you think of it...he turned 3 in March. He is okay, but we've been fighting this chronic urticaria (hives) since late June/early July 2007. There is nothing external causing it, its pretty much autoimmune...although he is on a fairly strict diet (not from the dr, drs don't think food helps or hurts urticaria, but it DOES...preservatives and acids make him much worse) his meds are slowly losing effectiveness. Its just been a long 15 months, and sometimes stressful. I have a new appreciation for those families dealing with food allergy...while he doesn't have allergy, he still has to avoid foods...and going out to eat or even to a church dinner involves so much extra preparation, bringing foods and drinks he can have, or just not going out at all. Plus watching him scratch...some days until he has scabs. Some days are ok, but other days he is itchy....almost every day lately he has the hives, as the meds are just not doing their job as well anymore. He has an appt in October and we may have to change/add meds. He's so young, and he already knows how to swallow pills, due to the fact he's taken meds so long and he was anxious to stop eating the applesauce with the meds crushed up in it. He's a sport...even with the food restrictions (including most fruit flavored candies and most soft drinks and most packaged treats that other kids eat...we do find substitutes)..sometimes I just get to where I'm despairing a little bit about all this. I know its not cancer and he's fine and healthy but its just frustrating...its a disease doctors do not understand much and cannot predict the outcome...he may have it for a year...he may have it for ten years, really. Dr thinks he will have it 2-4 years but as the hives have been getting harder to control instead of easier, I think we are in this longer rather than shorter.

I know God knows and understands and I beg Him every night to please have mercy on Andrew and heal him of his hives....I guess in His timing. So if you could pray for patience and faith on my part, and then for Andrew that God would keep him comfortable and help the hives to calm down again that would be great....and even heal him as I know He can if He wills it. I'm dreading the winter viruses as they flare him more and he gets double uncomfortable...sick and scratching everywhere.

Thanks for listening and praying...

I feel so bad for Andrew. I really cannot imagine how this must be for him. Especially in the coming years as he sees other kids getting to eat things that he can't have. I'm sure it's very difficult for you as well...as a soon-to-be mom I can't imagine how HARD it would be to watch my baby go through anything like this.

Samer and I will be praying for Andrew and for your family. Hopefully the Lord sees fit to heal him very soon.

[TheBibleSender]

I have prayed. God bless. :)

[Anon]

feel so bad for Andrew. I really cannot imagine how this must be for him. Especially in the coming years as he sees other kids getting to eat things that he can't have. I'm sure it's very difficult for you as well...as a soon-to-be mom I can't imagine how HARD it would be to watch my baby go through anything like this.

Samer and I will be praying for Andrew and for your family. Hopefully the Lord sees fit to heal him very soon.

Thanks so much!!!

He really does a good job, he is very smart for his age (I think this has matured him in some ways) and has been very good in general about food substitutions. Maybe this is what God is using in his life so that he will know how to stand against a crowd, do his own thing! I think of it often. I remember one time they were having an activity at the church (basically our front yard!) and I knew Andrew couldn't have one of their hot dogs. I was running errands and promised to bring him back a plain hamburger (we add fresh cheese ourselves) and some preservative free chips. He sat there at the picnic table watching everyone else eat for a good 10 minutes before I arrived with his food. He was SO patient but I am the one who felt horrible! And at church he would watch other kids get candy....but a nice lady there would bring him matchbox cars and stuff. Since then I typed out a list of snacks he can have for the SS teachers and other ladies who bring stuff so she does always bring him little graham cookies or a certain type of fruit snack or plain chocolate. :-) I really do think its harder on me than on him!!!! Actually I think the hardest for him is the no condiments...he can't have ketchup or mustard (we tried both) or mayonnaise or pickles. What he wouldn't do for a pile of ketchup on his plate!!!!!

Anyway....I keep asking the Lord that whatever He wants me to learn from this, that I will learn it quickly, so it can be over. haha. I guess that's not the right way to pray, exactly, but....

[joyfulpraise93]

Thanks so much!!!

He really does a good job, he is very smart for his age (I think this has matured him in some ways) and has been very good in general about food substitutions. Maybe this is what God is using in his life so that he will know how to stand against a crowd, do his own thing! I think of it often. I remember one time they were having an activity at the church (basically our front yard!) and I knew Andrew couldn't have one of their hot dogs. I was running errands and promised to bring him back a plain hamburger (we add fresh cheese ourselves) and some preservative free chips. He sat there at the picnic table watching everyone else eat for a good 10 minutes before I arrived with his food. He was SO patient but I am the one who felt horrible! And at church he would watch other kids get candy....but a nice lady there would bring him matchbox cars and stuff. Since then I typed out a list of snacks he can have for the SS teachers and other ladies who bring stuff so she does always bring him little graham cookies or a certain type of fruit snack or plain chocolate. :-) I really do think its harder on me than on him!!!! Actually I think the hardest for him is the no condiments...he can't have ketchup or mustard (we tried both) or mayonnaise or pickles. What he wouldn't do for a pile of ketchup on his plate!!!!!

Anyway....I keep asking the Lord that whatever He wants me to learn from this, that I will learn it quickly, so it can be over. haha. I guess that's not the right way to pray, exactly, but....

God knows that we're human, and He knows His thoughts and ways are higher than ours. He understands our burdens. He knows our afflictions and our weaknesses. Just keep calling on Him and drawing nearer....in time I'm confident you'll see the purpose of this.