Tide is an allergan for a lot of people. Don't feel bad.

I've got kids with allergies and asthma, and one with SID who is in therapy.

It sucks. Email if you want to talk.

Ice cream makes EVERYTHING better!
Hope that Bear is feeling better and that you are too. Please don't be so hard on yourself.

My youngest was diagnosed with visual perceptual and fine motor disorder when she was four.She has been in OT for 4 years and is now at grade level.
She's bright ( above average IQ ),creative and has a quick wit but struggles with copying,cutting,tying up shoes et al. Square pegs don't fit into round holes but nicely fit into square holes ! Her OT specialist recommended a notebook complete with software designed for kids with visual perceptual and fine motor disorder in order to help them achieve their goals.
My eight year old now reads at a gr 4 level, journals and writes like an old soul all because she can use technology to get to where she needs to go.
Email me for software specifics if wish and I expect to see Bear blogging by next year.
Best of luck !
BRW

I know how badly you feel about not knowing your son had a medical issue... I JUST went through the same type of thing with my almost 6-month-old. Except with him, he was losing weight, all because I wasn't aware of a slowly dwindling milk supply. He had lost an ounce over the course of 3 weeks, whereas he should have gained a pound or more in that time. It dropped him into the 10% for weight, and he was already a VERY small little boy weight-wise.
It is truly one of the worst feelings in the world. BUT, it has now been tackled, and you (and I!) have taken care of the situation to the best of ability. No one can ever ask for more than that.

I hope the allergist figured out the allergy and didn't just give meds! That's so disturbing. If he is reacting to the detergent -- what is it in it?

See, I'm allergic to all detergents for washing -- except ALL FREE n CLEAR. But I am allergic to sulfites. Sulfites are everywhere.

The problem is even allergists know little about them as there is no money for them to make in the standard treatment of "avoidance" - so they just want to drug you. They know what it is, but don't know how to successful find it and eliminate it. They aren't educated on it -- again because of the money issue. It isn't good business for them.

Hope your little guy is better!

My eldest was diagnosed w/ a sensory integration disorder @ 15 years ago. A book recommended at the time was Sensory Integration and the Child by Jean Ayres. There have probably been many more books written since then, but at the time it was the only thing around, and I found it very informative but easy to understand.

Didn't see anyone warn you about the Tide connection to almost every other detergent out there (I think you need to look at the manufacturer to figure the connection out). Both Princess and I have detergent allergies - leaving us 2 detergents that are neither overpriced (like Method) or itchy - Arm & Hammer or Purex. oh well.....

Don't feel too bad about not noticing Bear's allergies. Some kids just don't complain much. My eight year old has a very high pain tolerance and doesn't exhibit typical complaints like other kids. I took him for a well-baby check when he was two and the dr. told me that he had a raging double ear infection. Talk about feeling like a bad mom. When he doesn't feel well, he becomes cranky and we don't always catch that until after the fact. *sigh* Good to see you writing again. You have gone through some major changes lately.

I have one better. As a kid my brother removed the pull mechanism from his lawnmover. I picked it up to look at it. He said, "Whatever you do don't pull that rope because it is spring loaded". I said "Okay, I just wanna see"...schwing! (parts flew all over the room nearly decapitating us). My brother: "What'd I just tell ya?" LMAO!!!

OMG I laughed my ass off at the mental picture of pulling the string and the letters hanging around my neck. Nobody warned me about that. Thanks

Hope you had an icecream cone too. After all that you more than deserved it!

At that age (heck, at my age too!) ice cream makes it all better. You're a wonderful mom - the fact that you feel bad about missing the allergies is a case in point.

Have fun (ha!) with all the impending doctor visits.

Oh. Man. You must feel like you've been hit on the back of the head with a board.

Better to get the OT,etc. on board now, it will make a huge difference. I have a son who did not develop dominance until 4th grade. Now he's left handed. I really wish someone had pushed harder to get us started with testing. What makes it bad is that I'm a preschool teacher, I should have seen what was going on!

And don't feel too bad about the allergies, if they kind of creep on a kid, it's very hard to pin down. A couple of years ago, my youngest even had strep throat for 2 weeks before I realized it. He had very subtle symptoms. I still felt like a complete idiot.

My oldest also has bad eczema and allergies to soaps, perfumes, etc. Tide is one of the few detergents he can tolerate. However, we've had great success with All Free-and-Clear and the Method brand of natural detergents carried by Target. Seventh Generation detergent doesn't work well in our water but it never caused a skin reaction in my allergic kid.

You'll both be feeling better soon!