Friday, February 19, 2016

Hidden gluten

We sat and stared, wide eyed, as Cassie screamed and pushed and shoved Alyssa.  She was practically attacking Alyssa…over a toy that she wanted.  I glanced at Juli again, shaking my head.  What the HECK!

I tried getting Cassie’s attention, tried pulling her away with my words, but she wasn’t hearing anything I was saying.  Nothing was getting through. I went to her and picked her flailing, thrashing body up and carried her back to my seat and tried to sit.  She refused to be consoled.

She continued to scream.  She wiggled free from my grip and immediately started toward Alyssa again.  She REALLY wanted that silly toy!  In her mind she was entitled to it. 

I pulled her away again and AGAIN tried to sit and hold her.  Nope. Not happening.  “She hasn’t done this in a long time,” I said to Juli. “This is what she used to do…ALL THE TIME…before we changed her diet.”

“Oh my gosh!  Seriously? She hasn’t done this AT ALL since you got here,” was Juli’s reply.  We’ve been here for 6 months now. 


I know.  I’m usually so cautious.  So careful.  So protective of what she eats.  I let my guard down a little today.  BAD idea! 

We had lunch at my parent’s house and my dad fixed his venison stew.  It was awesome!  So yummy! And I forgot all about the spices.  In know better. 


You see…gluten hides in all kinds of fun places.  It’s a sneaky little booger. But really it’s the manufacturers who sneak it in there. GRRR!!  It’s SO wonderful! And SO sweet of them! When you’re not sensitive to it, you’d never even know it was there.  Well believe me…it’s THERE!


I stuck my leg out to prevent Cassie from reaching her sister…forcing her to stay near me.  She was mad; really mad.  Sensitivity induced mad.  It’s such a FUN thing to experience…NOT!

This all happened on Sunday afternoon.  She eventually calmed down and stopped attacking her sister.

It’s Monday and Cassie is tired…sleepy…no energy. All day she lays around. She climbs onto my lap, her thumb stuck in her mouth. Her fingers search until they find the edge of my t-shirt and they begin to rub back and forth. Soothing. Comforting.  She’s uncomfortable.  She doesn’t feel well. Her skin is pale. I touch her forehead. She’s not hot…thank goodness.

She climbs off my lap…uncomfortable.  She lays her head on the pillow on the couch.

“Are you feeling yucky?” I ask.
“No, I’m fine.”
She begins to make the noises…like she’s going to be sick.  Ah crap! I scoop her up and run for the kitchen. I flick on the light, or try to, but my fingers can’t find the switch very quickly.  Seriously?! I hate when that happens.  The light comes on and I run to the cabinet for a bowl.  Two are stuck together.  I’m trying to pry them apart, and hoping that she won’t be sick on me while I’m doing it. Cause THAT would be AWESOME! And it’s happened before. I start to call for Juli to help and they magically slip apart. Geesh!

I stand there holding my 4 year old baby in my arms with a bowl in front of her face. After a minute or two she says, “I don’t need it anymore. I’m not gonna ‘flow up’”. I swear she SHOVED that feeling right back down. But she seems okay…for now.

All evening we carry the bowl around wherever she goes…just in case. 


Tuesday morning I wake up and realize that she didn’t get sick!  Halle-Freaking-Lujah!  It’s a MIRACLE!

She still isn’t feeling well…just not quite right…and she has ZERO appetite. 

It’s Wednesday and I’ve been busy cleaning and getting things done.  I know the girls woke up because I saw them come upstairs for a brief moment earlier.  I peek into their room to see what they’re up to.  Ah. I see. They’re curled up in the “fort” (a blanket tucked under the top bunk mattress to cover the bottom bunk) watching a show on my kindle.

By the time I finish my workout Cassie has moved out to the loveseat in the family room. She’s so pale and so exhausted. I ask her what she’d like for breakfast.  Macaroni and cheese sounds good to her.  Of COURSE it does!  I make her some gluten free mac and cheese, because I’ll give her just about anything she wants to eat right now. I call to her from the top of the stairs. She replies quietly.  So quietly that I have to go down to ask what she said.  “You carry me up the stairs,” she asks.  She’s a wee bit pathetic.  Poor thing!


I scoop her up and carry her to the dining room table where I sit and help her eat.  She has no energy. I’m really concerned.  If she doesn’t feel better by the end of the day I’ll be calling the doctor’s office. 

I help her get some water and spoon feed her some mac and cheese.  She doesn’t eat a lot, but she is able to keep some food down.  That’s a plus. 


Late afternoon she perks up.  She’s feeling better. She plays happily with her sister.  Sigh.  Yep! Three days.  THREE DAYS!! That’s what it takes for the offending foods to leave her little body. I really hate gluten, dyes and artificial preservatives.  They make life so darned interesting! 

6 comments:

  1. I have 1 gluten intolerant boys. So much fun when they eat something at school and come home all hyped up and aggressive. I've had doctors tell me it's not real. I offered to let try it in their office ,but nope they don't want that kind of fun. You are awesome.

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    1. Oh my gosh! I can't believe they don't even want to see what it does to your son. What am I saying! Haha! I CAN believe that. They don't want see it because they don't want to change their point of view. THAT could really throw a wrench in things for them. I wish people could be more open minded.

      We tried to have Alex go gluten free and dye free a few years ago. He has NO self control out side of our home. And without a doctor's note the schools don't have to do anything. Maybe one day he'll want to do it for himself.

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  2. I'm sorry it's so hard! Poor little girl. Poor, tired mama. I'm currently keeping one of our littlest ones off dairy right now to see if it makes a difference in her health . . . so far it seems to be working. I don't know whether to be happy because she's healthier, or sad because now I need to keep dairy out of her diet. :)

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    1. Having food intolerance can be rough! I'm so thankful that we have Cassie's under control most of the time. It REALLY hard to cut out dairy. Especially for littles. I cut out diary for my own diet more than two years ago. It has been so good for me. Even though I miss cheese and pizza I feel a million times better. Good luck with it!!

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  3. I was told if we gave up meat no calcium except what is in a variety of familiar plant foods would be necessary.. My calcium is never low, and when i was vegan i consumed NO dairy or fake fortified "dairy". Three bone scans over about ten year period (for Caution as i would not take supplements)) showed NO bone density decrease and the third one showed some INcrease in density- I was working out more.Also, a chiropractor told me the Number one thing to ward off bone density problems is resistence exercises.

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