3MalesAndALady.com

• Stephen does not know how to swim
• Stephen is scared of thunderstorms- to the point of obsessing
• Stephen does best on one on one situations
• Stephen does his best to be "good" and will try to conform. Praise works, Timeouts somewhat work, best is asking him "how can we fix it"
• When grilling out use tin foil over the grill rack. Cook his food first THEN yours when his is done and off the grill
• Do not cook potatoes in the house or else he will get sick from the airborne particles. The only type of potatoes I can cook are instant potatoes in the microwave (I heat the wet stuff and microwave, then add potato flakes to the hot mixture- no potatoes are microwaved)
• He usually goes to bed at 9:15 like clockwork. He wakes just before you do to sneak food.
• Peanut M&M's need to be under lock and key- he will sneak them. He likes to sneak things that are not good for him. He will tell you that they taste funny in his mouth and that it is tingly but he still will choose them even if they are hidden behind 30 safe cool foods. His behaviors will be off the wall for the next day or two if he does this AND so will his asthma.
• He needs to stay away from hay, horses, outdoor farm animal stuff like straw etc. His face will swell severely, asthma is really bad and he will get allergy eyes. Hay on his skin leaves a mark "burned in" for the next 2 weeks.
• Benadryl has always worked. It is my first line of defense if anything should happen. So far we haven't used the epi-pen, even though I am sure it should have been used a few times based on the criteria. For Stephen benadryl works fast and very effectively (still take the epi with just in case!).
• Stephen likes to play the game of "can I get by with this without getting caught". He will lie to you even if he knows you know he did it. Usually some questioning with rephrasing will trip him up into the truth.
• Stephen likes to be a "grownup" and likes to be treated as such. Do not give him responsibilities that are too above his level. He may forget and go off playing (ie don’t have him watch a baby by the stairs) But he would love to be included in things like planning a party or reading the grocery list while shopping.
• Picking up and cleaning are his least favorite things to do. Good luck getting him to cooperate! (bribery works! I use a safe soda or a piece of safe gum or candy for routine family chores and $$$/thing he wants for extra- ordinary jobs that he elects to do)
• He likes heavy work. It calms him. He likes computer games, it also calms him. Rule in the house is to play PC he has to write in his blog first.

Eosinophilic Esophagitis means too many of one specific type of white blood cell, called an eosinophil, in the esophagus. Most people don't have any eosinophils in their esophagus, some with reflux have a small number at the end nearest the stomach. Me, I have eosinophils all throughout my esophagus when I am in a flare. Actually when I was first diagnosed, the GI said it looked like little bits of cotton all the way down my esophagus.

Eosinophils usually cannot be seen by the eye and usually need a biopsy to verify if they are there or not. When the eosinophils are there it hurts me to swallow, I tend to clear my throat a lot. I also seem to have ankle pain (eosinophils are made in the bone marrow- maybe thats why?) and I go through the day feeling like I just got punched in the gut with that throw-up feeling. Most people when they feel bad, they go lie down, not me, when I am feeling bad, I usually act more hyperactive and some would say almost "naughty".