Allergic reactions and losing weight

Bombshells for Belle was a blast. We had a great time, the kids played, they were filthy dirty. Friends and family came out to support us and the event carried on despite the promise of awful inclement weather. Annabelle made some new friends as did we. We cannot thank Bombshells for Belle enough for all their hard work and efforts in pulling together such a wonderful event for Ms. Annabelle!

Since the event though, we have had a tough time. Annabelle woke the next morning experiencing an awful allergic reaction. I passed her in the hallway before I left for work and with a split second glance at her face, my stomach fell to the floor and I dropped to my knees to look at her more closely. Her face was terribly swollen everywhere, from her ears, eyes, cheeks, chin, mouth etc. It was bright red and hot to the touch. I called our doctor and her response "What has she been exposed to?" ....well.. the day prior was Bombshells for Belle so really, the sky is the limit! My stomach sank even faster. I knew I should have kept a closer eye on her, I KNEW I should have made her wear a mask the entire day. I was so mad at myself .. but none of that mattered now. I gave Annabelle a strong dose of benadryl and headed into work. The day moved as I sat on pins and needles while the nurse gave me updates nearly every hour on how she was doing, her breathing and what the swelling/redness looked like.

It took several days for the reaction to finally go away. Then, yesterday (Saturday), another allergic reaction developed. This time I KNEW she hadn't been exposed to anything out of the ordinary. Her mouth, lips, chin etc were red, splotchy and swollen. I have no idea what is making this little girl react but it's frightening me. She hasn't had visible allergic reactions like these in years - and now two in only a week.

Also, to add insult to injury, Annabelle has lost TWO pounds in only two weeks. For any parent of a tube-fed child, seeing a number DROP on a scale is one of the most nauseating things to watch happen. You don't know why it's happening, you feel like you're doing all you can but your child's little body just can't keep up. Fortunately for us, I may know what is going on. I stopped tube-feeding Annabelle during the nights to give her more comfort, rest and also allow her to sleep better and in big girl undies (this is quite a treat). It's uncomfortable for her to remain hooked and tethered to an IV pole all night, her stomach hurts her when she's being tube fed and potty training during the night is just impossible. Allowing her to end her tube feedings at night was such a reward for all of us. I felt that she was eating enough during the day and now at 4yo, she had enough nutrients and a balanced diet to thrive without needing the tube feeds. Apparently I was wrong. Her appetite for some reason has been poor, she's more sleepy than ever and she's rapidly loosing weight. Back to tube feedings we go :( Poor Belle. Let's cross our fingers and hope this fixes things.

If she doesn't begin to put the weight back on soon and these allergic reactions seize, we will be headed back to Cincinnati much sooner than November 16th!