My poor Bradley! It looks even worse in real life than in these pics, but Bradley had some sort of allergic reaction yesterday that made his eyes swell up and itch, and big red blotches appear on his cheeks! Unfortunately, these flare ups are not unusual for this little guy.
We have been to several doctors over the past 4 years to figure out how to help him with his allergy problems. We recently found a nutritionist who did some extensive blood work. The results were daunting. Apparently he has a condition that has caused his intestinal lining to become very porous which has allowed large amounts of food to slip into the bloodstream and has caused over 40 different allergies or food sensitivities! It's really crazy. The boy is allergic to so many things- things I've never heard of anyone being allergic to like carrots and celery. He is also allergic to soy, wheat, gluten, rice, potatoes, dairy, and yeast, to name a few of the 40!
I know what you are thinking...what do I feed the poor kid??
Well, we are on week 8 of a VERY regimented diet that has made me want to pull my hair out, but I believe in the end it will free him from his discomfort. We first had to eliminate all of the reactive foods and members of their families (did you know that foods have families? They do, and some of them are really strange. For instance, mangoes are in the cashew family. Why? I have no idea.). Then he was able to have one new food a day introduced into his diet beginning with relatives of the foods that tested good, followed by some of the untested foods (they tested for approx 150 different foods and additives, but that of course only covers a small amount of the varieties of food), and then gradually distant relatives of those foods that tested bad. Now I am at the stage where I have to rotate his diet. I do this by splitting up all the foods he can have into 3 days. He eats one group of foods on day one, the other on day two, and the last group on day three, and then it starts over at day one again. The purpose of this is so that he does not ingest too much of one particular food and create new allergies with his list of safe foods. So with this rotation, he will only eat one food (and that food family) once every three days.
So, back to the question, what do I feed this kid? Well, for instance, today I prepared homemade quinoa/banana muffins, buckwheat crispies (cereal made with carob for the chocolate flavor), a mock ranch dressing (made from blended cashews, date water, dill, and sea salt- really yummy), homemade pickles, amaranth tortillas (I've never heard of half the stuff I now know how to prepare- amaranth is a grain, by the way. It has a nutty flavor and Brad really enjoys it topped with cashew butter and shredded coconut. Quinoa is also a grain.), brownie balls (made from blended hazelnuts, dates, and cocoa powder), and a salad. He didn't eat ALL of this today. I just use my Saturdays to make a whole bunch of food to lighten up my prep time during the week. Savanna is my sous chef and she is wonderful!
Besides the diet, he is on about 10 different supplements daily to boost his immune system and heal his gut. With all these efforts, it's very frustrating that he is still exhibiting symptoms. However, prior to yesterday, it has been weeks without any trouble. I gave him raspberries for the first time. I'm thinking that was the culprit.
Well, we will keep you posted on his progress. The doc says it could take up to year to get him really well. In the meantime, we have been eating out much less frequently (which is good for all of us and our pocket book!), and there is a very good chance that most of these allergies will go away if we follow this diet plan. Feel free to pray for our little guy. He is such a good sport about everything. Even today with his swollen little face and itchy eyes, he was so happy and gracious. I just adore him. :)
7 comments:
Oh poor guy! I have sisters with LOTS of allergies (food & otherwise), so I know how hard it is to deal with. Quinoa is supposed to be really good for you & from the one time I had it, it was real tasty. Man, he's like on the raw foods minus some diet, huh? I would LOVE to get some of your "green" smoothie recipes from ya - my kids love 'em, but I think they're getting sick of the same ol' 2 I make. Good luck with all of this stuff...I hope he feels better soon!
Yes, quinoa is really healthy. It has all 8 essential amino acids so it's a complete protein. The entire Incan civilization survived on the stuff! It's a different texture, but the kids love it. It's a frustrating situation, but kind of fun to dapple with new foods and try new recipes. We were already a bit strange, so why not??
way to be on top of it. What an ordeal. We'll keep him in our prayers.
Wow! I don't have any allergies...except to compazine and it is very rare when I need that medication. You should start a food blog and then have all your new recipes printed into a book for Bradley to share with his family when he is older. You could also do a scrapbook recipe book but with a blog I'll get to see your yummy new creations also. :)
I've thought about starting a food blog...I just might...:)
Holli, check out www.naet.com (Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Technique)
Vone- that sounds amazing. I am going to order one of the books and definitely look into it. Have you, or has someone you know, used this technique?? I'd love to talk to someone who's done it.
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