Mind Retrofit

Archive for August 27th, 2009

I tried the gluten free diet almost two years ago and I couldn’t really tell a difference. Unfortunately I tried it hastily, though I researched it I did not research as much as I should have. Daniel was limited in his gluten but not free. So now that I have done a lot more research and read more and more about children and adults doing much better after going on the diet I opted to give it another try.

Amazing change!

I started Daniel on gluten free the first week of August. He has shown remarkable signs such as talking more, using several 5-6 word sentences. He has not had as many melt downs, they have actually gone down to maybe one a week so few I can barely remember. He is more focused and he is socializing with us more. He has been playing with Ariel and Joshua. One of the greatest gifts of all, he is bringing me books to read. As a family we have been sitting down and reading together. Not just one book but he is initiating more and sitting through the whole story. He is pointing out the characters and even telling me what is going on in some of them.

He told me the Chicka Chicka Boom Boom story!

I am convinced that I HAVE to keep him on gluten free diet because the last two days he got into pretzels and bunnie crackers which are Ariel and Joshua’s full of whole wheat goodness. Daniel has been doubled over, screaming, aggressive, hitting and pushing me. He has been throwing toys and whatever else he can find across the room in an instant. One second he is fine the next second here he comes full force after me in a rage. Then he just starts hitting. He is 50 lbs and stands at my chest he can and has hurt me.

I will make sure to keep him from the gluten!

I have limited all of our gluten intake and I know I  am doing a lot better. David, Ariel and Joshua have shown signs as well but it is so expensive. We live in a small town that limits our availability for these products but we are searching and working on it. I have limited Daniel on casein also but not fully he seems to only have problems with milk directly. I have the same issue I cannot drink milk and have to limit it in things like cereal. I can eat cheese and yogurt with no problems. Daniel seems ok with these also.

So lesson learned no more gluten.

The main issue that I have though is that Daniel doesn’t eat hardly anything. What he does eat has to be white  and have a smooth texture, like yogurt. Or he will only eat things like All Natural Cheddar Cheetos and popcorn. I cannot get him to eat any other fruit except banana. He will not eat veggies or meat. He eats banana, yogurt, on occasion brown rice cereal. So I am desperate to think of creative ways to get him to try new things and continue to eat them. I do mix pureed sweet potato or carrots in his yogurt to where it is white enough he cannot tell. I mix fish oil and vitamins in his soy milk.  But he has limited what he will eat so much that I am really at my wits end.

So that is something I will continue to work on.