Making my six year old’s birthday cake. Seriously, is he really six?

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

I’ll be attending the Central Bucks School District Health Fair with some other RD members of the Doylestown Nutrition Network- May 15th from 3:30 – 7:00 at CB South High School.  We’ve put together a fun raffle basket for the fair that includes a pedometer, bowls, water bottle, 3 healthy eating and wellness books for kids, coupons, food samples, a cheese slicer & more!

I hope to see you all there.  The event if FREE – just Bring a canned good to be entered into the fun raffle for an item of your choice.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Mother’s Day week was a bit of a whirl wind with my kids’ school concert, 1st grade trip to the zoo, soccer and baseball.  But in the midst of all the “kid” activities, how exciting to get a great e-mail from Jo-Lynne Shane, head of Philly Social Media Moms group, telling me I was chosen to be the featured Member of the week.  It felt extra special to receive this honor on Mother’s Day week from a group of Moms/dynamic women I feel blessed to know.

Click HERE to see my INTERVIEW with PSSM.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Me and one of my garden helpers after a fun morning prepping the garden for plants.

Gardening with your kids is an amazing way to get them involved with their food- it teaches them where food comes from and gets them excited to taste new veggies.  Not to mention, how fun it is wearing the cute hats!

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Happiest Mothers’s Day to all mommies everywhere.  I’ve happily been spending my morning in bed catching up on some writing and e-mails while watching cooking shows.

Here is the card my 5 year old son made for me in Kindergarten.  We’ve been laughing about this all morning.

Highlights:

“When my Mom has free time, she likes to lay on the couch.”

“I love my Mom because she’s not nuts like my Dad!”

“My Mom shows me that she love me when she Hugs me.”Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Here is a peak at my little seedlings. I can’t wait to get these cuties nestled in their new home, my backyard garden.

I picked up some tomatoes, cucumbers, rainbow chard, parsley, basil, peppers and lettuce at the Doylestown Farmers Market this morning.

If you haven’t been to the Doylestown Farmer’s market, I highly recommend adding this experience to your Saturday morning routine.  They sell everything from fruits and vegetables to eggs and pickles!

My kids especially love going to pick up some of Marie’s soap.  This Saturday we bought some lavender-vanilla and citrus scented bars.  We are addicted to smelling the different flavors of soap and they also sell an all natural bug repellent.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Ingenius, re-purpose your carpet samples!

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

And we are off… on our way to a beautiful Vegeatable Garden. What a great surprise when my Dad showed up, helped me fix the tiller and turnover the dirt for some 2012 crops!

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

These may not look like your typical Green Peppers, probably because they are not actually peppers at all.  These are the feet of my First Grade Girls Soccer team, The Green Peppers.

The girls’ uniforms are bright green and after a majority vote for a team name a couple weeks ago, Green Peppers won by a land slide! I’m coaching & I must say it’s my newest & most favorite thing to do. I played soccer as a kid. But for me, coaching is way more fun than playing myself. The girls on my team are all so amazing and it’s great teaching seven different personalities not only soccer skills, but how to work together as a team.

The socks were my addition to their outfit. I couldn’t help myself. I do truly believe, “Lace trimmed socks do make you play soccer better.” – Fancy Nancy -

I know, I know…these socks are not lace trimmed. I’m trying to be “cooler’ than that you know. My girls are all 6 and 7.   Ironically, I did not even suggest that we name the team after a vegetable. Come to think of it, Asparagus or Green Beans could have worked too- right? How funny, “Go Green Beans!” That name would have gotten chuckles from the sidelines for sure. “Go Asparagus!” No, I don’t think so. Although asparagus is one of my favorite veggies- naming your team after a vegetable that most people associate with stinky urine- is probably not a good idea.  In case your wondering, we chant, “Red Hot Green Peppers!” before we head on to the field! I love it!

FYI- I’ll be launching www.KidsLoveFood.com in the next couple of months- I can’t wait to tell my Green Peppers! My new Logo is up, but the site is still under construction. Stay Tuned..Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Move over Kale, Rainbow Chard is in the House.  Loaded with phytonutrients, this super-food is part of the beautiful Beet Family.  Delicious recipe below.

It seems as if Kale is all the rage lately.  Indeed, it is loaded with nutrients, but as hard as I’ve tried, I just don’t love to eat this leafy green.  To be honest, Kale just brings back memories of working for a caterer in High School.  I think of my white collared shirt & black tapered leg pants, fire-hall weddings and Graduation parties.    Kale was the hearty garnish on the edge of the plate.  It didn’t wilt and was tossed a side at the end of the party with bits of tuna salad stuck to it’s leaves.

Regardless of these memories, I’ve given Kale a second chance.  I’ve made chips, sauteed it and have even put it in smoothies.  While I’ve grown to like this vegetable and admire it’s nutritional value, I just don’t think I’ll ever fall in love.

Move over Kale!  Rainbow Chard is in the house (say it…HOWSE!)  Swiss chard is high in vitamins A, K and C, with a 175 g serving containing 214%, 716%, and 53%, respectively, of the recommended daily value.^[1] It is also rich in minerals, dietary fiber and protein and is quite popular with Mediterranean cooks.^[2]

Swiss Chard, the latest veggie on the block, is in the same family as Kale, beets, spinach and quinoa (pronounced Keen WAH). While beets are grown for their beetroot, swiss chard is grown for their leaves, but you can also eat their beautifully colored stalks.  While this vegetable is not on the EWG dirty dozen list, I do recommend that you either grow this vegetable yourself, buy the organic variety or get it from a local farmer’s market that does not use harmful pesticides.

Here is how I prepared it the other night- LOVE this recipe! Mmm… Add this to your Ziplist or print it out and put it in your cookbook.

 Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Just found this recipe for making your own wheat thins.

Gotta love Pinterest- putting this on my to do list this week.  I’m not sure if it will be an easy task to make those perfect little squares, but if I could pull this off I’d be thrilled with myself.

Click on the image to get to the recipe via greenlifepages.com.  I plan to also compare this recipe to the ingredients on the box to see how they compare.

Stay tuned to see how they turn out!

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

I just received my Suburban Organics produce delivery: Lettuce, bananas, rainbow chard, pears, apples, kiwi, oranges,baby carrots and an avocado.

I am so looking forward eating this weekend!

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

If you are looking for help establishing healthy eating habits in your home, check out the newest edition of Food Fights.

Whether you are dealing with picky eaters, over-eaters or just struggling to make the best food choices for your family this book, by two Pediatricians & Moms themselves- Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP  and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP, combines practical insights from parents who have been in your shoes with the science of Nutrition.  Food Fights will help you deal with many of the Nutritional challenges in your home (and out) and is stamped with a seal of approval from American Academy of Pediatrics.

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. I was also sent two free copies of Food Fights- One to Keep as a reference guide to use with clients and another to giveaway to one of my readers.  All opinions are my own and I only write about products I truly adore.

As a Registered Dietitian and Mom of three kids (7, 5 and 2) I also know challenges of getting kids to try new healthy foods.  My oldest is the pickiest (a Dietitian’s curse) I put spinach in my kids’ smoothies, add ground flax to pancake batter, make homemade sweet potato chips and reward my kids with star stickers & small toys that I keep in my pantry (10 stickers = 1 small toy) for tasting new foods. They also can earn stars by having great table manners.  After all, dinner without whining is a treat for everyone and makes for a happy mealtime.

And why should kids only get little toys in their fast food Happy Meals?  One of my biggest peeves… Think about it, kids get toys for eating unhealthy foods or without eating anything in the meal but the greasy french fries.   What’s wrong with that picture.

The following excerpts are taken from the new edition of Food Fights: Winning the Nutritional Challenges of Parenthood Armed With Insight, Humor and a Bottle of Ketchup (American Academy of Pediatrics, March 2012) by Laura A. Jana, MD, FAAP and Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP. For more information about Food Fights, please visit www.HealthyChildren.org, the official American Academy of Pediatrics web site for parents.

Food Fights is an easy and entertaining read written with real Nutrition Science (Science defined as: “knowledge attained through study or practice” or “knowledge covering general truths of the operation of general laws, esp. as obtained and tested through scientific method [and] concerned with the physical world.”

This book really gives a lot of great advice dealing with an array of parental concerns and even includes a few healthy recipes which I look forward to trying with my family.  I highly recomend reading this book

Bonus: Leave a comment about how you deal with one of your Nutritional Challenges as a parent, and I’ll send a free FOOD FIGHTS book to the parent with the funniest or dealt with the most challenging situation.

EXCERPT 1

whining and dining

According to the dictionary, whining is defined as complaining

through the use of a high-pitched or distressed cry. By our definition,

whining is an incredibly annoying yet seemingly unavoidable part

of childhood that at the end of a long day can have the same effect as

fingernails on a chalkboard. As it relates to dining, children are quick

to learn that whining can be an extremely effective way to get what they

want to eat and/or drink everywhere from the crib to the kitchen table

to the grocery store. It’s not hard to see how a child’s persistent whining

about food can cause a parent’s nutritional decision-making abilities to

become temporarily impaired. After all, it is a whole lot easier to yield

to whining for food rather than something you just can’t give in to—

Whining Away

When you find yourself faced with a child who whines about food, the

best thing you can do is come to the table prepared.

• Expect the Expected. Simply being aware that whining about food

(and just about everything else) is inevitable will hopefully allow you

to prepare yourself and keep it from grating on your nerves quite as

much as it otherwise might.

Whining and Dining

• Keep Your Cool. Whining is an intuitive way for your child to get

what she wants. It’s also her way of luring you into battle. We highly

recommend that you refuse to take part. If it’s food she wants, then

resist the urge to give it to her when the whining intensifies and you

find you can’t take it anymore. If whining is met with reward—or

even if you hold out but it becomes clear that it drives you nuts—

you can expect the agony to be prolonged.

• Let Whining Fall on Deaf Ears. Once your child is old enough to

really get into the swing of whining—usually around 3 or so—start

reinforcing the fact that her whining is going to fall on deaf ears.

If she is sitting at the table whining about what she does or doesn’t

want to eat for dinner, tell her as calmly as you possibly can that you

can’t understand her when she talks like that and ask her if she has

something to tell or ask you. If she continues to whine, go about your

business. If, on the other hand, she makes an attempt to rephrase

her “request,” be sure to acknowledge her efforts. Remember that

stopping mid-whine is a tough task at any age, so don’t expect her

to drop the whine entirely. It’s not settling for less to respond to a

toned-down snivel.

Mealtime Milestones:

What’s in a Whine?

• 9 Months. Starting as early as 9 months, kids learn to point with a purpose

as they figure out the benefits of pointing out what they want, including

food.

• 12 Months. Children typically utter their first words, and “no” is often one

of the stand-alone favorites.

• 2 Years. By this age, you can expect your child to put 2 words together—

as in “no way” or “want that.”

• 2–3 Years. Kids begin to make better use of basic manners such as

“Please” and “Thank you.” This, in turn, allows for the development of the

characteristic “puhleeeeeeeze” so commonly employed in the context of

whining and dining.

3 Years. At this age, kids can typically string together 3 or more words in a

single sentence, and 75% of what they say is supposed to be understandable

to parents and other caregivers. This means that the “I want one!” or

“I don’t like it!” is likely to come through loud and clear for all to hear.

• 4 Years. Even innocent bystanders should be able to understand most of a

4-year-old’s speech, whining or not. A more sophisticated form of whining

may ensue, including the classics: “How come she gets to have one and

I don’t?” “You never give me anything good!” and “Please, just this once

can’t I….”

Excerpt 2

a juicy update

The answer to whether or not young children should be allowed to

drink juice on a regular basis has been a bit of a sticky one for years.

After all, the fight against childhood obesity has most definitely included

a focus on limiting sugary liquids. And juice—whether it is delivered in

a box or carton, sippy cup or straw—most definitely contains sugar. In

fact, when we set out to write the first edition of Food Fights, the latest

research at the time had us all but convinced that fruit juice was almost

as much to blame for childhood obesity (not to mention tooth decay)

as soda pop. Sugar was sugar, after all, and it was hard to look past

the fact that a 12-ounce serving of 100% grape juice had been shown

to have 11/2 times the calories as grape soda. Additionally, a few small

initial studies suggested a worrisome connection between obesity in

young children and their fruit juice consumption. But unlike soda pop

and its utter lack of redeeming nutritional qualities, 100% fruit juice has since (more in the book….)

 Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

My kids favorite breakfast is my homemade Flax Jax recipe, pancakes w Flax Ground Flax Seed for some added Omega 3s.

Since it’s often a challenge to pull out all of the ingredients to make this yummy breakfast on a busy morning, I decided to pre-measure all of the dry ingredients and put them in in a mason jar.

Then before school, just add the wet ingredients, mix and put them on the griddle.

This is also a great gift for any new Mommy, house warming or special surprise for a good friend.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Here I am writing about chocolate again.

Recently, I’ve been on a mission to find some delicious Gluten Free Recipes and Products to consume at home AND to suggest to others.

This evening, I made Gluten Free Brownies with Bob’s Red Mill Wheat Free, Dairy Free & Gluten Free Brownie Mix.

I am happy to report my kids and my family all loved them.  Only my husband could tell the difference. He said, “What did you put in these?” I’m guessing he probably suspected there was a purreed vegetable or fruit in there (because I do try to sneak veggies in where I can.) This time he was wrong.

Bob’s Red Mill Brownie Mix was around $5.50 at our Redner’s market and made a nice size 9 x 13 size pan if wonderfully moist and fudgey brownies. I highly recommend them to anyone whether you have Celiac’s disease, a Gluten intolerance or NOT.  Yummy for everyone.

Also, Check this Great Deal out- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Brownie Mix, 21-Ounce Packages (Pack of 4) for $17.08 on Amazon. I’m scooping some of these up for sure!

Note: I was not compensated by this company and do not have a relationship with Bob’s Red Mill.  This is simply a product I love and wanted to give a Sugar Shout Out to.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

It’s not often I write about my family on Diva Dietitian.  I don’t want my kids one day to read my blog and be horrified by something I’ve written.   You know, something that could be “embarrassing.”   And my biggest rule is not to write about my husband or my marriage.  I just try to keep some parts of my life private.

I am writing this because if there is anyone else going through a similar situation, I hope you may benefit from this.  And if you are going through this or have gone through a similar scenario, please leave me a comment.

Anyway, last week I noticed my 5 year old son started acting really different (Thus, the lack of posts last week) I was a worried mess.  Prior to this, he had never had any real health issues except a little asthma stuff going on during soccer season last fall.

The only thing I could think we had done differently around here was we had been giving him Singulair for his allergy induced Asthma.  A couple weeks ago he started coughing at night and in the morning.  I was on top of the dust in his room….clean sheets, vaccuming, HEPA air filter & all his stuffy friends are in his closet- hidden away.  But he was still coughing.

When he struggled with a bit of Asthma last fall, we did fill a prescription for Singulair, but I only gave it to him once or twice AND really just we just gave him the nebulizer in the evenings and before soccer games.

Because I launched the drug Singulair as a sales Rep for Merck many years ago, I thought I knew all about Singulair.  I learned it was safe, very safe.  I remember meeting parents in Pediatrician offices who were in tears because their kids could play outside again.  Happy Tears because their kids could breath.  Singulair worked, it really worked and changed lives.

I’m always hesitant to give my kids medicine unless they really need it.  But this was Singulair and I knew it was “safe.”

I thought, “let me just give it to him and see if it makes my son feel better.”

After a few days of giving my son Singulair, I noticed that he was coughing less so I made sure he had it every night before he went to bed.  After about a week, he wasn’t coughing at all.  I made sure he got Singulair every night. I was psyched- it was working!

On March 16th (about two weeks after starting the Singulair) I took him to the Pediatrician for a rash he had developed on his elbows and a little on his hands.  There was some weird bumpy Viral rash going around called Moluskum (or something like that) that was contagious and I wanted to make sure that’s not what it was.  Our Ped, confirmed that it did not look like that and was probably just an allergy to grass or something else like a new soap (which we had not changed)

While we were there, I told her how my son was popping his shoulders a little bit and playing with his fingers a little.  My son has inherited my Dad’s genes and is double jointed.  Last week, he started playing his hands and shoulder’s.   I thought it was just a little boy thing and he thought it was cool.  Regardless, I asked our Ped with a wink, “Dr. J, that’s not good for him to do right?”  Maybe if the Dr. told him not to do it, he would stop doing it.

Last Wed, I noticed. He was blinking his eyes a lot and doing these strange things with his fingers a lot more.   It looked like he was playing the guitar all the time, but without an instrument in his hands.  I noticed a bit of the blinking the week prior, but just thought he had itchy allergy eyes.  I also noticed him playing with his fingers.  Again, I just figured he thought this was a cool neat thing his body could do.  He’s a a boy after-all.   Our Nanny noticed the blinking thing too the week prior, but it didn’t seem too bad, nothing to really worry about.  We all just thought is was allergies.  And if it was, well- Singulair is supposed to work for that too.

Also, last Wed, I noticed he started to bob his head back with the blinks and/or do this shoulder thing.  I asked his K teacher if she had noticed anything and she had noticed he was biting his nails the past two weeks (which he never did before) and that he was indeed blinking.  His school work was all great and socially he’s doing awesome too- lots of great friends.

I called our Pediatrician after school after my conversation with his teacher.  I told her a little bit more about what was going on and that I think it could be a side effect from the Singulair.  She said she had seen some behavior stuff with Singulair, but not tics.  I did not give him Singulair starting Wed.  Tuesday night was his last dose.   My little man was also up Monday and Tuesday mornings of this week very early.  I found him downstairs on the couch snuggling his blanket.  He told me he couldn’t sleep and heard a noise under his bed???  Weird for him,  but I didn’t think anything of it.

Friday, I took him to the pediatrician right after school and he got a Strep test (negative results.)  The Ped did notice the blinking and weird body twitching while we were there.  She also asked him if he’s been feeling different.  He said, “A little.”

She asked,  “Do you know how long you’ve been feeling this way?”

He said, “Since Dr. Seuss’s Birthday.”

Dr. Seuss’s  birthday was March 2nd.  Yep, 2 weeks ago, about when we started giving him the Singulair- maybe a day or two prior.  We agreed to keep him off all medication to see if it clears up and to follow up in a few days.

I went home Googled Singulair again.  I wanted to know how long this drug would take to get out of his system.  I wanted to see if these side effects have been reported or added to the Package Insert since I sold it (over 10 years ago)

It said that the half life (amount of time for 1/2 of the drug to be eliminated) is 5 hours. So, what that means that it could take up to 10-30 hours or so for the drug to be out of his system.  But everyone is different.

However, I know as a prior rep for the product, that Singulair can take up to a week or two to show full effect of the product (stopping asthma symptoms.)  So maybe it could take that long for it’s effects to wear off?

Singulair is a Leukotriene Blocker.  Think of a gatekeeper or bouncer at a party.  A bunch of leukotriene’s already went through the gate.  Then, when Singulair (bouncer) is at the gate, new leukotrienes in line can’t get inside.   They are not allowed to party.   Singulair blocks them from attending.  And although the drug may be out of the body in a few hours or days,  what are those leukotrienes doing that were waiting at the gate?  Or what’s going on inside the party (body) without those leukotrienes present?  Maybe the party stinks without the leukotrienes present.  I’m sure it must change the dynamic.

Anyway, Friday night was a BAD night.  We had friends over and it was like my son was not my son.  I watched him all night.  He was really struggling and seemed confused and a little dazed.  He said his head hurt a little earlier and I took his temp (around 4:30/5:00 pm)- no fever.  His movements looked like Tourettes Syndrome.  He was constantly blinking, nodding and moving his hands.  I used my iPhone to video his behavior.

At about 10:30 pm I took his temp and he had a 101. 5 fever.  I gave him some Motrin which brought the fever right down.  I called our Ped and sent her my video.  We were sent to the ER. 

BTW-I am NOT going to post the video, just don’t want to & because the video makes me sad to watch.

So Friday around 11:30 pm, I drove down town to Philadelphia (an hour drive) We were at the CHOP ER in the middle of the night (or should I say Nightmare!) until 6:00 am Sat. morning.   My experience at CHOP is a whole post in itself.

Long story short, CHOP did not do the the blood tests my pediatrician had called in for us.  CBC with diff, Thyroid, ASO (antibody levels), Lyme’s  etc.   We were basically there all night (mostly just waiting around.)  We told the same story and showed the same video to 3 different people (nurse, Resident, Attending) and came home with no answers, no bloodwork done, no EKG- nothing.  Just a referral to a neurologist as they think the video looked like a Tic Disorder or Tourettes.  And I knew that already.  What a waste of a night.

Saturday morning our Ped called livid that they did not do the tests.  We were both frustrated and tired.  After an hour or two of sleep, I went by her office with my son to pick up a prescription for Amoxicillin, a STAT order for bloodwork to get done that day (because CHOP failed to do it!) and a lollipop for Cole (because our Pediatrician is awesome and thoughtful!)  Our Dr. wanted to rule out Lyme’s disease, check his CBC, and look for antibodies that can develop with PANDAS (post strep syndrome, although his strep test was negative Friday)

So I proceeded to Doylestown hospital to get the blood work done, after being up all night the night before with my little guy who thought he was just going out for Mango Water Ice at Rita’s. We got to Doylestown Hospital at 11:00 am to hear that they would not take our insurance.  Because with Coventry insurance, you have to go to LabCorp (now closed)  I was in tears.  And yes, I think healthcare is starting to suck in this country.  Even though we had a STAT RX for the blood tests, they wouldn’t do it.  And for a little 5 year old boy?!?  Seriously I was angry.

My options: check him into the ER to get the blood work done or wait until Monday.   I looked at my son and was thrilled I could just take him out for an icy treat, just like he expected.  We both needed some normalcy.

We again called the Ped on her cell, filled the RX and went home.  My son took his first dose- 1 tsp of Amoxicillan.   His blinking stuff was still going on, less than the night before though- much less, but he was still not himself. He got  a second dose before bed at 8:00.

I again Googled Singulair to look for information.  I found several websites with parents who also thought Singulair was the cause of their child’s tics.

Here is what I found on the Singulair.com website:  Note:  behavior issues ARE LISTED- FIRST at the top including tremor, feeling anxious, trouble sleeping and Agitation.  And although specifically Tics or Tourette like symptoms are not on the list, that means nothing to me.

As a previous Pharma & Biotech sales rep for 15+ years,  I ALWAYS reported any side effects reported to me.  I also know that parents don’t always report side effects or may not know there child is having a side effect.  I also know that a physician may not always associate side effects with a drug, especially if it’s not in the Product Package Insert.  Tics, specifically, are not listed in the US Singulair prescribing information.  Other neurological symptoms and behavior things are listed.  Bottom line, side effects often go un-reported.

In addition to the Singulair website, I also found several websites with parents swearing Singulair caused tics and tourette symptoms in their children.

I know parents want to find a reason for any health issues their kids have.  I know I do.  And as a Mom and Registered Dietitian, I have been writing down everything my son eats and does.  We also never do fake colors or sweeteners at our house either.  And there is Aspartame in Singulair- could that be it? Could this be a food allergy?  I even stopped giving him Peanut Butter last Wed. and found myself wishing that this is some crazy reaction to nuts or wheat.  I’m an RD- I could handle that!

I know you can’t believe everything you read, especially on Google.  But I must say that some of these Singulair TIC side effect stories hit home and sounded so similar to what we are going through.  Hmmm….

Sat and Sunday, my son’s tics appeared to be happening much less.  They were less frequent and less severe.  After, finally, a good night’s sleep, we all went to church on Sunday morning.  I needed to pray….and cry.  Luckily, we sat in the back because the tears I had been holding in to be strong for my little guy, all poured down my face.  I prayed for my son.  I prayed for an answer and for the strength to get through this.  I prayed that my little guy would just have a normal morning at Sunday school.

Half way through the service, I took a trip to the bathroom for a tissue break AND because I couldn’t help myself- I had to go peek into my boy’s Sunday school room.  He was having fun.  I saw a few blinks, but he seemed happy- just sitting next to his best buddy listening to his teacher.

After church, his best friend came over to play.  We were thrilled he could come for a spur of the moment play date.  We launched rocket balloons off the deck, played a little Wii, ran around outside and played on the swingset.   And with the exception of some eye blinking (much less) and a few head nods (also much less) my boy seemed to be having a really great day.   Before bed, he got his fourth dose of antibiotic.

So yesterday, Monday morning, I took my sweet boy for his blood tests- 8:30 am.  And I’m hoping they are all accurate because he had now 5 doses of Amoxicillan because of nightmare attempting to get them done over the weekend.

I told him we had to get tests and that if he was brave we would go out and get a special toy he wanted, these little Mario and Luigi guys.   When he asked what the tests were, I told him a white lie.  I told him I couldn’t read the Dr’s handwriting and that we just had to go to the test center and follow the directions.

My naive little man walked into the test center as brave as can be and clueless that he was about to get stuck with a needle.  I held him on my lap, put a movie on my iPad, and listened to him cry through it.  I wanted to cry too, but I didn’t.  They filled up 5 different vials with his blood.  We didn’t look, neither one of us.

He said, “Dr. J said I didn’t have to get any more shots until I’m 10!”

I ensured him Dr. J did NOT lie and that this was a blood test, not a shot.  We just had to check some things to make sure he was getting better. He was cool with that.

Most of his labs came back yesterday afternoon and was completely normal (Thank God!)  We are just waiting on the antibody test- which we should get later today.  I’m hoping it’s normal.

Because if this particular ASO test is elevated, it could be this thing called PANDAS, which stands for Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric
Disorders Associated with Streptococcus.  And if it is PANDAS, anytime my son has Strep or is near Strep, his brain may react and he could start with the TICS again.  From what I’ve been reading, I think therapy includes prophylactic antibiotics or IVIG therapy or Plasmaphoresis.

I’m praying this is a side effect from Singulair and that is on it’s way OUT!  OR maybe this is something simple like a nut allergy.  Today, Cole is having a good day.  I’ve only noticed a few blinks, no head nodding and he seems very happy. He also was coughing a little this morning.  Maybe that means the Singulair’s effects are going away?  Leukotrienes are you back?

Whether it’s the Antibiotics working, the Singulair leaving his system or the lack of Peanut Butter- today he is having a very good day.  Honestly, I know it’s probably not the Peanut Butter, that’s the Mom in me looking for a simple solution to a complicated puzzle.

I’m just happy to report that today I felt like writing and that my boy is pretty much back to his happy normal self, with the exception of a little blinking here and there.

 Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Just Enjoying some Jules pizza with the kids on this lovely first day of Spring and looking forward to a lovely day outside and a Hair Cut and Color later today

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Skip the Shamrock shakes from McDonald’s this St. Patrick’s Day. Meet my new Kitchen Love- my new Try making a healthy smoothie.

Meet my new friend, Vitamix.  I love this new appliance.  Diva and Vita sitting in a tree- K-I-S-S-I-N-G! 

Seriously, I’ve had this appliance two weeks and have used it at least once a day- usually two or three times a day.

And if you have a picky eater like I do (yes, a Dietitian’s nightmare!) adding a couple extra vegetable servings to your child’s diet is easy with this machine. It purees the smoothies perfectly smooth.  My pickiest eater (who is a food detective) can’t even tell when I sneak spinach in her smoothies.

And here is a tip (especially if it’s not St. Patrick’s Day) put the green smoothie in a cup with a lid with a straw the first couple of times you make these.  They will love their smoothie and never know their are hidden veggies in there.  After your child falls in love with their smoothie, feel free to take the lid off so they can see that- Yes- their smoothie is green.   And that yes- Green food can be yummy!

I’m in the process of creating my own video, but until I get my act together see the Vitamix Youtube video below.  And by the way, the Vitamix Cookbook has several cool recipes in it and so far the few I’ve tried have all been delicious.

Also, here is a Vitamix Coupon Code for Free Shipping for anyone interested in purchasing this cool machine for their kitchen: 06-007133

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Loving this gorgeous green top from Anthropology.

If only it was in my closet when I was getting dressed for the St. Patrick’s day party I went to last night.

Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.

Inspired by a couple cans of organic pumpkin I found on my pantry shelf, I made these amazing muffins.

I’ve made the recipe twice now (per kids request- always a good thing!)  The second time I split the batter into two parts- adding raisins to half of the recipe and chocolate chips to the other half.  This recipe has whole wheat flour, ground flax seed and 1 1/2 Cups of pumpkin and is delicious.

I plan to serve them in the morning for breakfast with some low fat yogurt.

 Diva Dietitian (Registered and Licensed Dietitian) blogs in Full Disclosure. Please see: http://divadietitian.com/about/disclosure. All Opinions are my own. I will ONLY write about things I love, believe in or that truly inspire me.

Some articles include affiliate links. For more about me- see the ABOUT page.