Vanilla Chia Vegan Yogurt

Going dairy free,  we've missed yogurt!   We've tried a couple of the coconut milk ones but they are so expensive,  so alternatives to store bought are a must.  I tried this month's ago and literally forgot how much I liked it so I was so happy when someone reminded me of it.   My son,  who is still top 8 allergy free wasn't too keen on the chia seeds but maybe after a few tries,  he'll warm up to them!

So this is a super simple process but the first stage of it is super important.  Chia seeds will get clumpy in the coconut milk if you don't stir it ever 20 minutes two times to keep the seeds separated and evenly distributed through the milk as it starts to absorb.   Then you can leave it over night and be ready for breakfast in the morning!

Just measure the chia and put it in a container that you have a lid for.   Honestly a mason jar would be perfect but I didn't have an extra one to try at the time so regular Tupper are works fine too.   Add in the coconut milk,  sweetener,  and vanilla extract and just stir until it's all mixed evenly and refrigerate.   Then make sure after about 20 minutes you go back and stir it again and better yet,  do that one more time in another twenty minutes.   That last stir isn't super necessary but is helpful with the consistency of it come morning.   

The next day,  pull it out of the fridge,  give it a stir and top it with your favorite berries.  You've got yourself a natural breakfast that will leave you feeling full and energized for hours!  

Ingredients :

1/4c chia seeds (either black or white) 

1c unsweetened coconut milk

1 packet of Stevia or 1 tsp of honey 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1c mixed berries (used to top) 

Preparation :

Mix ingredients (minus the berries)  into a container,  cover,  and refrigerate.   Stir yogurt after 20 minutes to keep consistency and repeat after another 20 minutes.   Let sit overnight.   When ready to eat, top with your berries and enjoy! 

Making Birthdays Happen

Today, he turns 5!  The thought of this day has had me having panic attacks for weeks now.  My aunt pulled through and sent up some goodies from Erin McKenna's Bakery NYC that had me relax a bit knowing that we had safe treats in the house for the events and he loves them.  However this morning, he stressed the importance of having cake with frosting.  Seriously!?!?  on the day of his birthday he throws this at me!!!  Ok...mission accepted....I think!

First thing I do, like anything else is get on the internet and start searching.  When that had me even more frustrated about which one to pick and will it turn out, I searched facebook for allergy moms group and landed on one that was inactive for the last few months.  I decided to post a plea for help anyway and am blessed with a couple of moms who pulled through and sent me chocolate cake recipes that we easy enough!  I sent my husband to the store with a list of things we didn't have at the house and prayed all day while at work that I would be able to pull this off.

There was one recipe that a woman sent to me that was written like I think. Short thoughts and straight to the point so that was the one I used.  And I have really been wanting to try the Dollop frosting, which is gluten free, soy free, and vegan so this was the perfect opportunity!

The first part was easy, combine the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, split the dough, and bake for ten minutes!  Cool, I can handle that!  So my two youngest and I combined the rice flour, organic sugar, cocoa, baking soda.  The mixer held the light olive oil, eater, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar.  I'll admit that I loved that there was no egg replacement because that it usually where everything I bake takes a turn for the worst.  So we put it into to pans and baked just for ten minutes.  Once it cooled for about 5, flipped it onto what was supposed to be wax paper and I didn't have any!  I tried to make due with foil but I seriously recommend being prepared!

I put the cakes in the freezer for about 30 minutes to solidify.  Then removed the cakes and frosted the center with the Dollop Vanilla frosting, flipped the other half on top and iced the rest.  I just added a little food coloring to the frosting in the corner of a little baggie to do some piping and words.  I am seriously not creative, not fancy, and not good in the kitchen so this is a masterpiece for me and it made my little man one happy birthday boy!

special thanks to Rachel D for coming through and helping with this!

Allergy free Oreo Cake

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups of white rice flour
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp carob powder
2 cups white sugar
2 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp light olive oil
2 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease 2 circle layer pans.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl, mix, and set aside

Combine wet ingredients, mix, and add to dry ingredient bowl just until blended.

Divide dough evenly into two cake pans and bake for 10 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

Let sit for 5 minutes then invert onto wax paper and let cool completely.

Freeze cake for 30 minutes before constructing!



Hope this helps you come up with a great treat for your allergy free munchkin and the family!

Lots of love,
Lisa Fickenworth

Sunbutter Shako cups

So it's Easter and that used to mean that there was a TON of chocolate that surround us.  The entire family is fanatics about the Reeses cup and reeses eggs made it even better!  However this year, we are limiting the chocolate and since reeses don't quite make the list when it comes to being top 8 allergen free, we needed to find a way to adapt so that Gavin (and momma) wasn't feeling so lonely!  Plus it's a perfect time for me to find another treat that combines allergy free and healthy for my EoE munchkin and Portion Control approved with clean food ingredients for the mommas!

I have been getting creative the past months since I was doing the 21 day fix and chocolate isn't allowed with the extreme plan so we've been making our own, using the super nutrition of shakeology. So it dawned on me that if I can use this to make healthy chocolate substitute then I could use it for a pb cup, right?!?  It seemed way too perfect!  Now before I even start to write down about how easy this is...let me warn you!  I don't make things pretty, lol.  I like to throw things together and just pray that they taste good!  Sometimes things work out, other times not so much. So what I am about to share with you, may not be super pretty but I know many of you moms out there who would be able to finesse the heck out of this for perfection!  So i'll share the roots of the project, and allow your creative minds to expand!

I started with brainstorming what we had because who has time to run to the store when you have a brain storm and I decided on 2 scoops of chocolate vegan shakeology. This meant me and the kids would get some crazy doses of nutrition while enjoying dessert, bonus right!?!  Then to find a way to form it and solidify it, I went with coconut oil and the plan to freeze it.  Sunflower seed butter as the PB alternative, and a dab of gf vanilla extract.  Using the mini muffin pan, which is a genius invention by the way, I think we were set to begin!.  The kids pulled their chairs up to the cupboard and we got started!

Now I warned you, I said things aren't pretty in my kitchen so bear with me!  I first melted the coconut oil and mixed it in with the two scoops of shakeology and the capful of vanilla extract.  I slowly added tbsp of water into the mix until I got the consistency I liked. It was about 8 tbsp total although that can be played with based on how you work with it and form it.  I used the coconut oil on the corner of a paper towel to lightly coat the inside of the tin.  I then scoops about 1/3 of a tsp of the shakeology mix onto the bottom of the tin and attempted to flatten it out the best I could. I think if I mixed it longer and added a tad more water/oil, this would work better.  But it is what it is so we kept going.  I placed a tiny bit of sunflower seed butter in all the tins as the next layer and then topped several of them with more shakeology mix and left a few with just the sun-butter as the top.  The last step was to throw them in the freezer. I would recommend at least 4 hours but I just left them in overnight since it was close to bedtime.

The next morning I pulled the tin out of the freezer and used a spoon to pop them out!  They stayed together and were exactly what I wanted.  Mini sun-butter cups, top 8 allergen free, and packed with nutrition! Perfect for the EoE munchkin, tasty for the girls, and 21 day fix approved for mom!  Chalking this up as a win and can't wait to perfect that constituency so they look as good as they taste for next time.  You are going to want to store them in refrigerator after making so that they stay solid!

Recipe and Preparation

Items needed:

mini muffin pan

1 1/2 tablespoons of Coconut Oil

Chocolate Vegan Shakeology 

1/4 water

1/2 tsp of gluten free vanilla extract

1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter or the alternative of your choice

Preparation

1.  Use the corner of a paper towel covered with coconut oil to wipe in the cups of the mini muffin pan.  You will need to prepare for a dozen Sun-Butter cups.

2.  Melt the remaining coconut oil in the microwave.

3.  Place two scoops or servings of vegan chocolate shakeology into a bowl and add in the vanilla extract and melted coconut oil.

4.  Begin to mix or stir ingredients together and begin adding water one tablespoon at a time. Continue to stir until the chocolate mix reaches a consistency that is smooth.

5.  Use about a 1/2 tbsp of shake mix and put on the bottom of each tin cup.  Try to tap the pan at the end to smooth out the bottom layer.  Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.

6.  After 15 minutes the bottom layer should be solid enough to scoop on the sun-butter nice and neat.  The amount you want to use it up to you.  I recommend at least 1/2 a tsp.

7.  Lastly, you can choose to top the cups with more chocolate or leave it with the sun-butter on top. If you choose to top them, you may need to mix another tbsp of water into the shakeology mix and then scoop it onto the top layer of each of the cups and again tap the pan down once you are down to try for a more smooth look.

8.  Place in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight and pop them out with a spoon once they are solid.  Store them in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

AWESOME for portion control planning and when the cravings hit hard!!!  For those of you doing the 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Insanity Max or any of the Portion Control meal plans then 2 cups would be: 

1/2 Red

1/2 tsp 

For more information about portion control meal planning, weightloss, clean eating, and exercise, check out the resources at www.itsfitpossible.com or email me!  My goal is to help others find ways to realize that you CAN handle it all!  There are huge benefits in caring for your special needs children when you are caring for yourself as well!  A healthy mom creates a healthy family <3

Lisa Fickenworth

www.facebook.com/lfickenworth

Help yourself first!

The one thing that I now it takes to raise children is a strong mind and a strong body.  US mothers need to be prepared for anything.  We need to build our bodies to be tough and resilient because there is not time for us to be getting sick and running out of energy.  So one thing that I have found to be super helpful is getting healthy myself and helping outed do the same.  Check out the link below on how to access free workouts and meal plans with the help of a free coach!  It's kind of a great concept! 

http://eepurl.com/bhWm2r

Making Easter Rock with food allergies

I honestly was dreading Easter.   Nothing like a holiday filed with chocolate and candy that your child can't have.  So I'm determined to make it awesome in spite of me probably having to tell him "no"  to make things.  

Starting with breakfast, this little bunny bottom will so the trick!   Super simple with a gluten-free pancake mix and using applesauce as an egg replacement.   He probably won't touch the coconut on the tail but that can come off easily enough once the visual effects has passed.  

Next up is the basket.   I have always done just a little candy and something fun anyway so this one seems simple enough.   I ordered a basket of allergy free goodies from Allermates.com.   I am still waiting on it to arrive,  which had me a little nervous  but we also got a ninja turtle t-shirt,  spiderman gloves and a new hat.   It really doesn't take much so I shop for what's on sale and things he wants and needs. 

Moving into the Egg Hunt all the kids are likely going to notice that the bunny went rogue this year but I don't think they'll mind.   I'll fill the eggs with change instead of candy and make it safe for Gavin to find as many as he can with all the other children having fun as well. 

My mom has dinner covered with ham and sweet potato which are both safe foods for him. There are always does these amazing baskets filled with chocolate and goodness.  I'm hoping that no one goes overboard but we'll make it work.   Gavin appreciates the thought even though he might not be able to have it.   He's one heck of a kid!  

For more information about portion control meal planning, weightloss, clean eating, and exercise, check out the resources at www.itsfitpossible.com or email me!  My goal is to help others find ways to realize that you CAN handle it all!  There are huge benefits in caring for your special needs children when you are caring for yourself as well!  A healthy mom creates a healthy family <3

Managing the stress of special needs

I love my kids more than anything but as a full time working mom of three,  I am going CRAZY trying to manage all the appointments.   My children each have their own special needs that have to be managed.  Gavin with his EoE and eight hundred issues a week that come with it,  Olivia for her anxiety and attention seeking behavior that only seems to get worse with Gavin's ever growing list,  and Lily who we haven't even started with yet because she's the lesser of the evils at this point and I pray she starts to normalize with a little extra love and some discipline.   How in the world do you find the time and energy a parent to do it all!!??!!

1.  Be blessed
You can and will manage things.  Take a deep breath every morning before jumping into the day and say thank you and just lost through all that you are grateful for.  This keeps your inner strength going and focused on what is going right versus what is really hard work.  Everyday I'm grateful for the hugs and kisses my babies give me.  I'm grateful for the ability to do the best I can with what I have.  I'm grateful for a body that is capable of being pushed and challenged.  And I'm grateful for those around me who understand my madness and not only support me but allow me to support them. 

Be present in each moment and enjoy it for everything it has.  Even if it is as simple as brushing your child's hair and getting  her dressed.  Make that your focus 100% and be blessed it is pastor your day.   This will help you appreciate so much more!

2.  Prioritize your priorities constantly. 
I am always rearranging what is more important at the moment.  There is always a list of what must get done,  what should get done, and what can wait.   Dishes,  laundry, and other things that take me away from  the top two teirs are things that can wait!  It means I have to be ok with clutter sometimes but I've learned to handle that! 

3.  Meditate or do something for you everyday!
Parents, this is HUGE !!! you have to be in a good spot mentally to be able to handle the madness of being a parent... Not to mention the parent of children that may need a little more than the average.  This means taking are of your body and mind.  Fuel it with the proper foods for energy and health,  push your  body to exercise and get strong physically to prove that you can mentally.  And even if it's just for 60 seconds a day... BREATHE!!!  Whether it's before a task that you need to vigilantly focus on or just to decompress, inhale all that is good and exhale the negative thoughts and actions that are going on inside you.

4. Get organized
I'm not an organized person by nature.   I have notes everywhere.  I am spontaneous with my actions and run with ideas immediately before they lose their momentum.  This type of personality can lead to a little stress when it comes to neat and orderly.  My advice... Or at least what I do to keep it together is this:
-keep one electronic calendar in your phone of everybody's stuff.   And set notifications 48 hours in advance so you can make arrangements if you forget it was scheduled.
-keep a separate notebook or calendar for each topic or child.  For example,  I have a mini planner that goes with me to all of Gavin's appointments.  If something happens during the days,  like a reaction,  I write it down on the day it occurred.  This gives me one thing to bring and maintain when it comes to his health. 
-maintain a separate planner for your business day.  Since I work full-time,  I have a planner of my work hours and what I doing during those 8 hours a day.  Since I also run a home business that I am busting my butt to be successful,  I maintain a seperate planner with my coaching business info in.  

These things do not make for a smooth day without bumps or confusion but they make it work for me with the ability to keep my insanity intact.   I have been able to subcategorize my life and my roles and I keep them divided in order to keep them running efficiently.  However pulling it all together to just allow me to me me sometimes is where I personally struggle.  I feel like some day that will be able to become a part of my personal development plan bit for today,  I need to do my best for them and these are the priorities. 

We have to be superheros!  Sorry parents,  but there's no way around it!  You have to be able to take on the world at any given moment and handle it with the grace and patience that we want our children to emulate.  I can't change the adults in the world.  I can't force them to be more patient or to do things a certain way.  I can only hope to be a strong enough presence in my children's lives that they remember the way that I have learned to manage stress and learn from it.   My life has come a long way from self medication, pharmaceutical medication,  and panic attacks that stopped me from experiencing life.  Once I realized that I needed to be stronger and better for them,  I found ways to make that happen and to find peace with it all.   I love to be able to work through these things with other parents to help them find their balance as well.   But first things first moms and dad's,  you have to get your stuff together in order to take care of the rest!!  Let's find the way to do that.  You're kiddos deserve that and so do you!!!

Hope that helps sometime and I'd love to hear about the tips you have to share as well!

<3 Lisa Fickenworth

Allergy Free Cinnamon Rolls for the Win!!!

Allergy Free Cinnamon Rolls 

Cinnamon rolls were a regular staple around here for breakfast going six months back.  Any chance he'd get, my husband would put them in the oven and make a set of the Pillsbury ones for him and the kids and everyone would be happy.  The day we started the elimination diet, they disappeared from the house forever!  We do our best to not have to separate foods because I hate having Gavin has his food and us have ours.  On some things though, it isn't always possible but possible.  However, score one for the family today because cinnamon rolls are back and they are for EVERYONE!

We followed the recipe to a T from Momables.com  HERE and although all of my past recipes have created a little apprehension from the kids when it comes to trying them, these actually turned out really good!!!  

My oldest daughter and I woke up before the rest of the house so we immediately began getting things ready and she was just as excited to be getting cinnamon rolls this morning!  It was so nice to have some quiet time just with her.  I feel like she gets the short end of the stick all the time for being the oldest and sometimes you forget that they need the personalized attention too!  So we enjoyed some quality time preparing all the ingredients and she especially likes that I trust her now to do the measuring and take lead.

 Our substitution ingredients consisted of Regular Coconut milk and lemon juice in place of greek yogurt and Earth Balance spread in place of butter but the rest was straight from the recipe.  I'm copying and pasting hers cause it's only fair to hive her the credit :)

Ingredients

Dough:

• 1¼ cups plain Greek yogurt (For dairy-free, you can use a souring alternative: 1¼ cups milk substitute of choice + 3 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Mix and let stand for 10 minutes, then add to recipe.)
• 4 tablespoons melted butter (For dairy-free, use a substitute like Earth Balance Vegan.)
• 2½ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (King Arthur GF Flour is made in a Top-8 allergen-free facility.)
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1¼ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking soda

Filling:

• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon melted butter (For dairy-free, use a substitute like Earth Balance Vegan.)

Glaze:

• ¼ cup melted butter (For dairy-free, use a substitute like Earth Balance Vegan.)
• 2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3-5 tablespoons hot water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425F, and coat either a muffin tin or a 9-inch-round baking dish with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, begin making the dough by mixing the yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
3. Stir in the flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until absorbed. The dough will look soft and crumbly.
4. Move the dough onto a floured work surface, and begin to knead and mix with your hands until smooth.
5. Form the dough into about a 12x9-inch rectangle, then brush it with the remaining 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.
6. In another bowl, make the filling mixture by combining the brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter.
7. Once it resembles a wet sand, spread it evenly onto the dough leaving a ½-inch border. Push the filling firmly into the dough.
8. Starting on the long side, begin to slowly roll the dough into a tight log. If your fingers are sticking to the dough, lightly flour or moisten them with water.
9. Pinch the seam to seal the log, and slice evenly into 10 rolls.
10. Place the slices into your pan, and bake until the edges begin to turn golden brown, about 20 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven, and move the slices from the pan onto a cooling rack.
12. As they slightly cool, make the glaze by mixing the melted butter, sugar, and vanilla. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
13. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls and enjoy!

Prep work...not going to lie, I was a little nervous about the next step...

Never thought I would actually get it to roll!!!  **insert happy dance here***

We went for the muffin pan (cause it's my go-to) but I'm sure the circle pan would work just as well.  

So after 20 minutes of them being in the oven,and me being a nervous wreck cause nothing ever works out this well for me so I was assuming it had to fall apart somewhere. I made the frosting and prepared for the worst...I was the most pleasantly surprised momma to actually smell cinnamon rolls baking and ever more excited when they were a like golden brown as the buzzer went off.  I quickly moved them to the cooling rack and only waiting long enough to stir the frosting cause we like when it melts on top!  We didn't wait too long to eat them either!!!  The end pieces were a little more dough then they were cinnamon but the rest were flavorful and sweet and the majority of the family was happy with the results!  I'm ok with 5 out of 6 in the house eating them, especially when the one who needs the safe foods is enjoying them :)  

So our review of the allergy free cinnamon rolls is a thumbs up!  This is one I would add to the menu once a month as a good breakfast treat!  

Hope you enjoy!

For more information about portion control meal planning, weightloss, clean eating, and exercise, check out the resources at www.itsfitpossible.com or email me!  My goal is to help others find ways to realize that you CAN handle it all!  There are huge benefits in caring for your special needs children when you are caring for yourself as well!  A healthy mom creates a healthy family <3

Lisa Fickenworth

theEoEmom@gmail.com

follow me on Facebook FB.com/itsfitpossible 

My kid has what!?! The EoE diagnosis

Today, Gavin is 4 and so close to becoming five but as I think back to the beginning, I knew...I knew that there was something going on and it scared the living daylights out of me!  Gavin was born on April 13, 2010, full term. However starting on March 17th we began to have questions.  His heart rate was jumping and at times would just disappear.  If I would lie still and he would be calm, he was fine but activity caused a decrease in vitals.  On April 13th, I was induced due to gestational diabetes (the only pregnancy of three that I had it btw). We were about to deliver and he wouldn't drop.  His heart rate kept disappearing and the next thing I knew I was signing papers, drinking something, and being rushed to the OR by myself, scared to death.. The last thing I remember was the doctor yelling, where the hell is the anesthesiologist.  Nothing like stress to start off your life!  I woke up who knows how long after and the room was empty except for the nurse sitting on the gurney next to me.  You won't believe it, she said, "he is perfect!"  She was right, I never believed it...he came into the world with the cord wrapped around the top of his head so every time he would become active and push his head into my body, he would cut off his circulation.  I don't know if this affected anything, but it left me with this gut instinct that there were long term effects that would eventually surface.

Honestly, he was a good baby. I don't ever remember him being overly fussy.  Just that he vomited...a lot.  We used to call him the "mad puker."  However whenever we talked to the doctors, we refused medical intervention because he did not seem uncomfortable.  We started noticing early on that lots of activity would almost immediately induce cold-like symptoms. Within an hour of leaving a play place of some sort, he was sneezing, snotting, and tugging at his ears. I guess we thought it was coincidence at first.  He had tubes put in his ears at age two. We tested him for allergies and his IgE was crazy high and the bloodwork should up positive for all food allergies except cod.  I went into panic.  We took him in for the scratch test and the foods presented as negative.  The allergist literally wrote it off as a fluke.  The tubes did wonders but eventually grew out. I continued to see his doctor with concern of something, but never able to really identify it other than he puked a lot and would go right on his way like nothing ever happened.  However, once he turned 4, he stopped gaining weight and I started to push.  After many many appointments of people telling me it was likely reflux and he would grow out of it, I said that's not enough. We made an appointment with a GI specialist.  However right before that i took him to a natural wellness center and her testing indicated parasites.  hmmm, i thought. I guess that was possible.  I waited to treat since we were going to the GI and figured I could test it first.  Blood work, stool samples, upper GI barium x-ray and everything came back negative.  The only thing elevated were his IgE levels.  So they referred us to the allergist at the Childrens Hospital in Pittsburgh.  The earliest appointment was about a 3 month wait.

In the meantime, he got sick...again. His eye blew up like he had been in a boxing ring and i took him to our PCP.  He treated it as an allergic reaction and he thought he had polyps in his nose so he prescribed flonase.  Over the course of the next two weeks, what I thought was one polyp turned into two.  Enough being enough, I called an ENT at Childrens in Pittsburgh and they got us right in. That day he reviewed his history, completed some scans and scheduled him for surgery.  He was to have his adenoids removed and while he was under he was going to do a scope of nasal passage for polyps and another of his esophagus to complete the follow up for reflux. He was already taking previcid and still vomiting. Gavin immediately is sleeping better. Less snoring, better breathing, but still puking. We go for the follow up and the doctor said that his biopsy tested positive for eosinophilic esophagitis and I need to follow up with the GI.  He gave me a super brief description, made it sound so simple and left the room.  I sat there waiting for the discharge papers thinking WHAT???  I had to ask the nurse to write it down on the papers since I could ever regurgitate what he said.  Then we drove 2 hours back home to wait for the allergist appt and the GI follow up.

I guess I thought having this name written down on the paper was going to make it easier but the truth is, I had never heard of EoE. So I did what anyone my generation does when we don't know something and I googled...and I googled...and I googled!

Holy smokes, this was nothing like I thought! As I read about how the eosinophils attack food like a parasite, I immediately thought back to that wellness appointment. She was totally onto something and I am planning to go back to that avenue soon. But the more information I read, the more I started to panic. This was a no joke diagnosis with no definitive direction. I turned to facebook, I turned to parents of other EoE kids and I learned. I did nothing for days but researching and asking questions.  I didn't have a doctors appointment for over two months but I wasn't waiting for answers, i was going to make them. So, this is how the journey started. A kid that puked A LOT, got sick frequently, had high IgE's, and showed like he was allergic to everything but in turn, tested negative to every allergen.  Crazy right!?!  I think so, but I was happy for a name to it and ready to individualize the treatment to Gavin and get him better.