Spencer update

We went to the orthodontist on Monday.  Spencer was supposed to have x-rays and pictures taken so we could see how much progress his jaw had made.  He's been wearing his mask for 4 months and we were told that total treatment time would be 6-9 months.  Imagine my huge surprise when the orthodontist had Spencer bite together and then announced that he was done.  His jaws are aligned.  It's time to take the palate expander out.  No more mask!

 

We're going in again on Wednesday.  They'll take the palate expander out and then take the "after" pictures and x-rays.  Then they keep the palate expander and we keep the mask.  We'll go back again in 6 months.  If for some weird reason his jaw has moved back (this would be incredibly rare) they can put the expander back in at that time.  It's not a likely scenario though.

 

I have no pictures to show because I didn't take any at the appointment and Spencer is currently in bed. 

 

 

This is what has happened though.  Spencer pre-mask is on the bottom and Spencer post-mask is on the top.  4 months.  No horrific surgery.  No pain at all.  I can't believe it.

 

On Wednesday we went to see the allergist.  He has a sinus infection left over from that "little" virus he had a few weeks ago.  Whatever he caught really did a number on him between his week long asthma attack and his ongoing sinus drainage. 

 

Spencer had a 60 panel allergen test done. 

 

He wasn't allowed to scratch for 15 long minutes, so I let him play on my phone.

The only thing he reacted to was mesquite.  I am hugely allergic to mesquite (well, I was, prior to allergy shots and pregnancy, which had a very positive effect on my allergies) so this was not surprising.  I was shocked that he didn't react to other things though.  So was his allergist.  So shocked, in fact, that she said the test was not valid and ordered us to the lab for a blood serum allergy panel.  She thinks that the oral steroids he recently had are supressing his immune system so the test didn't work correctly.  We're going to the lab on Tuesday and will know the results in early April when we have a follow up with the doctor.  She ordered the Valley of the Sun allergy panel (I swear to god that's what it is called, which I find to be hilarious) as well as a pediatric food allergy panel. 

Elliott kept himself occupied while we waited.  One of the allergist's friends was one of Elliott's doctors in the PICU so she is always interested in how he is doing.

We are planning on proceeding with allergy shots as soon as we figure out what to put in the shots.  I feel like the timing is really good.  I did not want to be doing orthodontic stuff at the same time as shots, so it's nice that one will end just as the other begins.