We have been counting down the days until we could meet with the nutritionist. The day we would find out what foods we got to add back into our diet. The boys couldn't wait for us to get home to tell them the good news.
Lets just say it wasn't the happy reunion with certain foods that I had seen in my head. Actually, a look of fear crossed my face and I said to the nutritionist, "Are you going to tell them they CAN'T eat beef?" I certainly didn't want to be the bearer of that news. Once again I sat in the office with Chris completely feeling overwhelmed. The nutritionist started the meeting with the urine results, he said parents tend to not be able to focus after the blood results which showed the food intolerance. Good call! Now, I can say that their urine tests came back pretty good. Nathan needs a biotin vitamin, R.D. has to take a powder for what is believed to be "leaky gut". They both have to have a cream rubbed in on certain pressure points where the skin is thin for a xylene exposure in their body. We are currently trying to track down the xylene toxin in our home....something is affecting them in high doses. Trust me it could be worse. Now, I would love to explain some of this in further detail, but I am a DJ. I understand what they were saying, but words were used that I wouldn't be able to remember if my life depended on it.
Alright Doc! Bring on the nutrition....we are ready. It is amazing how "punches to the gut" can be thrown without someone even lifting their arm. I swear it felt like I was in the ring with Muhammad Ali....the hits kept coming. Nathan's nutrition came back first. Nothing in the "red zone". That is good, means no severe intolerance. A few things in the "orange zone". Nothing that Nathan really eats anyhow. "Yellow Zone" was a different story. These are "mild intolerance" foods. The list was much longer. Doctor told me to put a * by any food he had been eating regularly before we had started the testing. Beef , broccoli and eggs got *'s. Any food with a * can't be eaten for 3 months, same as anything in the "orange zone". Excuse me! This kid LOVES hamburgers. He will eat broccoli over any other vegetable. He loves it as well. Uh oh! O.k. lets look at the positives....he gets rice, corn and potatoes back. He likes rice, but wasn't a big fan of the other two anyhow. Still no gluten, dairy, eggs, peanuts, or soy. If foods fall in to the "yellow zone" and I didn't * them....he gets to eat those foods every 4 days. This is more math than I can handle. I can't even balance a checkbook. At the end the Dr. tells me that really Nathan is pretty lucky and not too bad off compared to some other kids. He says that some kids have "don't eat lists" that are 3 pages long.
R.D. is up next.....we flip open the folder and I see 10 things in the "Red Zone". 12 things in the "Orange Zone" and way too many things in the "Yellow Zone". I start *ing those things in the yellow. Now, he can't have beef, coconut oil, eggs, pork and vanilla for 3 months. Important note: Any food already listed in the "orange zone" is a food that can't be eaten for 3 months. The foods with the * by them in the yellow zone get moved in to the orange zone. R.D. can't have cinnamon, corn, oats, peppermint or spearmint for 3 months. Now there are other foods in there, but they weren't really ones he ever ate anyhow. The only thing from the "elimination diet" that R.D. gets back is potatoes. He is very excited! He has a total of 2 printed out pages of foods he has to avoid. Poor kid! So much of this food is affecting his well being.
Please understand that I know that what we are doing is right! I know that these foods truly impact their bodies. I get it....but, you tell your 8 and 11 year old that you are taking away their favorite food. Beef! This means no more beef hot dogs, hamburgers, or steaks for 3 months. That is something by the way that has made the elimination diet tolerable. I understand that 3 months isn't very long. They don't. They will deal and they will survive, but it is still hard to see the hurt on their faces. R.D. also can no longer eat the granola bars and granola cereal that I make that he loved. He is bummed.
Also, when I say no gluten....I mean nothing made with wheat, barley, malt, and rye. We have to avoid these grains as well. It is not as easy as just buying "gluten free" products. I wish it was. I guess I will be looking for garbanzo bean flour and bread recipes that call for it. I have made the promise to both boys that I will find recipes that use the foods they can eat and we will have yummy foods they will like. So, this is a mom on a mission!
Again, I am excited and thrilled to be doing what we are doing. It is not easy, but that is o.k. It is something that is bringing us closer together as a family. I keep reciting Jeremiah 29:11 and I know that we are very blessed to be doing what we are doing. Let the "googling" begin! I've got recipes to find, labels to read and groceries to buy.....
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