By the age of 1, we began to accept that Caleb was probably going to be very different than many of his peers. Caleb seemed like the "perfect baby" the first 6 months of his life because he was so quiet and agreeable. However, the day came when we noticed he was avoiding "tummy time", that he pushed away from snuggling, he was not meeting significant developmental milestones, had reflux issues, and was having trouble sleeping. Then came the crying! Wow, this child seemed to cry constantly!
It was at this point that we began what has been an "uphill battle" with the medical community. I have since learned that there are pediatricians out there who support diet changes, vitamins & supplements; we just have not located that person in our community. We had Caleb evaluated for an early intervention program at our local health department and were able to start physical & occupational therapy right away. Were it not for these professionals (the BEST occupational & physical therapist on the planet) and some amazing supportive friends; we would still be "waiting to see what happens".
Caleb is now almost 3 years old and we have come a long way. His current diagnosis is Sensory Integration Disorder. I can not explain how many hours of research and personal proactive involvement it has taken to get where we are today! What a great respect I have for any parent of a special needs child; the amazing strength, patience, and love it takes are truely remarkable! And if you are or think you might be a parent of a special needs child; I want to encourage you to keep up the fight. Know it IS worth the effort; all the "blood, sweat, and tears", all the hard lessons learned, the heartache, and the disappointment. It is possible to survive this and to be stronger & wiser in the process!
I began research on using diet changes as a possible treatment for Caleb about 4 months ago. I discovered that about 60% of families with children on the Autism spectrum were having some success with a Gluten-Casin Free diet. This made sense to me because our middle child struggles with some food allergies and I noticed that the ONLY things Caleb would eat was pizza, mac and cheese, and the occassional chicken nugget (practically ALL Gluten & Casin). So, against medical advice, I began to slowly eliminate these things from Caleb's diet. I do want to point out the IMPORTANCE of including the vitamins they would normally get from these items in a different form (I think that may have been our doctors fear?!) For example, we replaced dairy milk with soy or almond milk. I also worked to eliminate the chemicals & preservatives after reading just how terrible the quality of food that we ingest usually is! THE CHANGE HAS BEEN REMARKABLE!
Caleb is not cured completely. However, he can talk to us now, he can eat, he is much happier and does not cry all the time. And (this is kinda gross) his poop actually looks normal! I think I cried for a week every time he would talk to family members and we could actually understand what he was saying. To hear him say "I love my Mommy" and hug me, to hear his beautiful laugh, to watch him play with his big brother & sister......there is just no putting a price tag or regretting the work in that!
And excruciating work it is! I thought I knew how to cook; I am slowly but surely getting there. Thank God for the Internet & mom!
That brings me to the purpose of this blog: To share with you our trials, mistakes, ideas and successes so that you can be supported in your journey with a Gluten-Casin Free Diet. We have spent so much money & time in creating food that no one should have to eat! We have learned (and are still learning) about foods that have to be organic and ones that you can go "conventional" to save some money. My goal has been to create foods that the entire family will eat (2, 7, 9, and 40 ish year old) for the cheapest amount possible. And lets face it; the couponing tricks just dont work so well for this type of diet! So, feel free to join me on this journey. Please offer advice, suggestions, and ask questions! And know that I will be happy if anything on this blog is helpful to you in any way! Whether you are working towards more healthy eating, one who suffers from these allergies, or a has the gift of a special needs child; I wish you the best!
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