 Please help us!!!!!
My seven year old daughter has suffered with Atopic (Contact) Dermatitis, Eczema, and allergies since she was born. Despite being told all this would get better with age, she's gotten much, much worse.
A little background: she's on a mostly organic diet and has always been. She's a vegetarian. Eats very little dairy. Drinks Fiji water. Yet, she walks around looking like Freddie Kruger on a good day. She see's an Immunology Specialist here in Orlando, and is on adult dosages of three different antihistamines, daily. Five different topical steroids, daily. In addition to the antibiotics (both oral and topical) she's constantly on for the chronic staph, etc. infections she's getting. Something has to give. According to doctors, the only hope she has of ever getting off these meds is chemo.
As far as allergies go: we've had her tested. She literally had reactions to almost everything tested. In a blood test for food allergies that's about a hundred different things. With a patch test for environmentals, she lit up positive to everything due to her skin condition. So that's been another dead end. My kid would literally have to stop existing. It's not feasible.
So here's where I'm at: I just got off the phone with my daughter's Immunology Specialist. It's official. The test results have come back, and my daughter is healthy enough to start weekly low dose chemotherapy. Talk about a double edged sword. In reading up on Methotrexate, I'm not thrilled about it. This **** is scary. She's a tough kid, and I'm sure she'll be better than ever, but I can't help but be very worried.
And sadly, it's just another day for her. I've been stressed for at least six of her seven years on the amount of medicine she's routinely given. All I can do is make an informed decision and hope for the best. I had such a positive feeling about all this initially. I think it's all just sinking in. We have class action lawsuits every year where drugs trusted by doctors, given to patients, end up being extremely damaging and or fatal. There's no way to know the long term effects of putting a child through this. I'm just very worried.
Is there anyone out there who can ease any part of my mind on this life changing decision?
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