typical allergy testing protocols?

[becca]

LOL, my dd may shed that much!  I find her hair everywhere. 

We have only a hamster, so no pet hair issues, but lots of dust, pollen, grass after dh mows, and we usually remove our shoes.

[CMdeux]

Thanks.  That is helpful.  I wonder if we could "set" it down in our sunken living room, and then return it to the regular floor level after a bit...  Our ground floor is entirely cork and hardwood, but it's got that darned sunken living room. 

[hezzier]

You can just carry it to the sunken area and press start.  It will just stop once it has clean that whole area...it will not go down the steps or at least that's what the info says.  Then put it back on the charger, press start and it will start cleaning the regular floor area.  It also comes with a magnetic strip that you can lay down in areas that you don't want it to clean or go into, so I have a strip at my doorway going into a TV room with carpet, that I prefer to just vacuum that myself.

I carry it to DS's room and close the door, I know it's finished when I don't hear it vacuuming anymore.

[becca]

How many lego bricks can it hold?   

[hezzier]

Ha, not sure so far it hasn't been an issue, the threat of losing electronic time is enough motivation to clean up his floor so "fido" can vacuum.

[CMdeux]

The better question is how many DOG TOYS it will hold...  (auuuuughhh)

[YouKnowWho]

Becca is dad's hamster in her room?  The boys were initially fine with the gerbils until they magically multiplied.  It was all downhill from there.  Also wondering if the bedding for the hamster is causing an issue for her.  Chips were bad for DS1 but the recycled paper didn't cause an issue beyond our initial bluffing.

[becca]

YKW, I am thinking that could be an issue.  She spends increasing amounts of time in her room, and he has only been in there for a year.  She has been bad for about 9 months. 

[hezzier]

Interesting...I believe the allergist said at one of our visits that there were to be no pets in DS's room.  She also said no open windows in his room either which works for his room since he only has a window in the slanted ceiling that only opens part way anyway.  Thankfully we didn't have a too many really hot days this summer.

[becca]

I honestly cannot imagine never opening windows. The only EAs she was ever officially diagnosed with were cat and dust mites.  And we owned a cat at the time to which she was non-reactive.

[Mookie86]

becca, if you suspect severe allergies to tree pollen, ragweed, mold, grasses, or other outdoor allergens, then opening windows or even screen doors isn't an option at the problematic times.  We never open house windows or even car windows since we're allergic to all environmental allergies.  It's not ideal, but you get used to it.

Bedding, feed, hamster dander -- there could be numerous triggers there.  Would she be open to doing a trial of the cage in a different room and seeing if her allergies improve?  If they do, then you could try changing the type of bedding and see if she can tolerate having the hamster back in her room, and then try changing feed etc.

[PurpleCat]

We can't open windows either during tree pollen season and when a neighbor or DH cut the lawn.  DD at this older age does not want her window open at night, ever.  She will always ask me if she can have it closed, the night air bothers her.

[becca]

Keeping windows closed will be a HUGE issue with dh.  OMG.  He will come home from work, turn off the AC and throw open all the windows on many summer nights.  Just because he thinks it is cool enough to do so.  We will need a Dr. to tell him before he will keep the house closed off.  I will keep windows closed if I must, but would run the ac much more if we do so.  Anothr issue with him... 

Of course, if we find she needs this, we will do it.  But right now we need testing to hone in on possible triggers.  If I were to take a guess at any changes in the past year, it would be the hamster in her bedroom.  I have told her a few times to take him out.  Sigh.  Just did it right now again.  We have a spot for him in the "music room."  It is a space where she could avoid being in frequently. 

[Macabre]

Yeah, do test.

Oh wow. Yeah, windows not open very often for us. I remember in college one Summer I lived in the garage apartment of my minister in Fort Worth. This was actually grad school the summer before we married. My host (the wide of our minister)was so happy. She said she had dried my sheets on the line outside. I must have had a look of terror on my face, because she asked me what was wrong. Sheets filled with pollen is what was wrong. 

They are about as bad as sheets or towels folded on the bed of an indoor cat owner. There's just no way I can be near them.

[becca]

Yeah, we do not do that.  I really think it is connected to the hamster.  She has had a very red eye a few times of late.  relieved by antihistamine drops.  He is out of her room officially today.  Need to clean deeply there as well.  Bedding is done.  She has oo much junk in there, esp. stuffed animals.  She will not want to get rid of them.