Thursday, February 9, 2012

My daughter the Celiac?

The Epipen in case ......
 Since she was 10, she has had stomach problems, I thought she may be lactose intolerant, sometimes I thought it was an excuse to be a picky eater.  Like me she has issues with her stomach..(If you read my blog on the 5th 'Let's talk Poo', you know what I am talking about.  It is frustrating as a parent to have a child who is sick all the time and has a stomach ache, cramps and other issues.  We have been to the doctor multiple times and she has been treated for acid reflux. Unsuccessfully. Yesterday morning it was my Mom's turn to rescue us.  She woke me up at 6 am freaking out because she thought she had chicken pox.  As she scratched herself like a dog with fleas, I assured her she was having an allergic reaction and she was broken out with hives.  We got her under control with Benedryl and Hydro cortisone Cream so she calmed down and I called my Mom.  As I was calling my Mom, she started to try to get ready for the day and started freaking out again because her face was burning.  I looked at her and she looked like she had chemical burns or like she had gone snow skiing and had severe wind burn.  So I made her wash her face and nothing we tried would relieve the burning.  I made her an appointment with the doctor and she got in with one of his assistants.  She made herself a list of all her ailments and brought them with her when my mom came to take her.  She needed to be tested for Celiac Disease.  Why didn't I think of that!?  I have so many clients with this disease and I never ever thought that would be what would come up.  It all makes sense.  I read all day yesterday and until 3 am this morning.  I did research with google and all my clients that are living with this disease.  If this is what it is, which makes perfect sense, it would explain every issue she is having and can be controlled primarily with diet changes.  It's amazing how many foods contain wheat or gluten products.  Below is a basic list of Okay foods and not okay foods. We are assuming this is the problem and are trying to be proactive as this is a healthy way to eat with or without Celiac Disease.  It's the clean way to eat and is the basis for many diets such as P90X and the Paleo and Mediterranean diets. This is a very healthy lifestyle change so we will see if it makes a difference and I still need to call the doctor for the lab results,  I'm almost thinking that Jayson and I may have at least an intolerance.  It would certainly explain a lot of my issues that just have become regular to me.  Although it took me 20 minutes to find Gluten Free cereal and Soy milk (Rice Chex has 5 varieties)  I am now aware of the options out there since this seems to be an epidemic. Stevi had a party for cheer this afternoon after school, and it was really difficult for her, she was able to have Corn chips and cheese, but my friend Barb told me that the new coffee shop Lighthouse Cafe on the corner of Pyramid and Eagle Canyon, right near our home and the school, that gets a new delivery every Thursday afternoon of all locally baked Gluten Free pastries, cookies, do-nuts and scones, they also have bread.  I have gotten quite an education and a quick look into a world of frustration and serious allergic reactions.  All I want is my daughter to feel good and normal and to not have to cover up rashes and other skin ailments.  I have a long road of educating myself ahead of me, and I intend to make sure my daughter is healthy, happy and comfortable.  


3 comments:

Unknown said...

I've heard rave reviews about this blog: http://glutenfreegirl.com/ , Here's another one: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/

Justina said...

Hey! I'm sorry to hear that Stevi is having these issues. I have always had stomach problems and they started getting worse in college and fully escalated into terrible in law school. I got tested for every stomach disease possible. While I do not have Celiacs I do have to stick to a diet regiment where I do not eat any gluten, dairy, and avoid certain vegetables and fruits, and of course have medicine that i take daily to regulate and ease my stomach. While it was difficult at first I soon got used to it and now it's normal to me to avoid those foods (I occasionally cheat but I know what the consequences will be). I think Stevi will do great, it is a tough choice but there are a ton of gluten free and dairy free products out there that taste delicious and sometimes even better than regular food - we just don't notice or think of them until we are forced too. A ton of people handle it all the time and it will just help pick out healthy food choices, which is something all of us want to do anyway. Good luck!!

Unknown said...

Thank you guys, I am going to subscribe to those blogs Liz and Justine, it's just amazing how many people are afflicted with this disease or other ailments that make dietary adjustments so necessary!