Allergy Elimination Diet Day 5

Drama Princess, Fizzgig, and I are on day 5 of our allergy elimination diet. DP and I are pretty much along for the ride. We're doing this in solidarity for Fizzgig. Well, I am at least. DP doesn't have much choice in the matter. There are only so many separate meals mama zen can make before splattering her grey matter across the cork floor with a pea shooter. Now there's imagery for you.

Fizzgig has had digestive issues since she weaned herself at 3 months. DP nursed till just past a year. Fizz decided at 3 months to have a hunger strike that lasted around 48 hours. I pumped and she rejected that too. I caved and gave her some formula. She reacted to all the formulas, though. Projectile vomiting! Ultrasounds to test for GERD! Are! we! having! fun! yet?! But at least she drank something, because she still refused to nurse. We ended up using the super hypoallergenic formula they make - the name eludes me probably because of the trauma of paying that much for anything that doesn't taste like chocolate or do my laundry.

When she eventually went on to solid foods, a special little place in hell opened up just for us. Because all that other stuff? Foreplay. I think we chose bananas as her first food. What a nice, wholesome food. Until your baby's lower face turns bright red like she's a Ronald McDonald clown. And she cries. And she claws at her throat. Good times, good times. So we tried avocado and pears and all those other 'firsts'. Same reaction. Can a child react to freakin *everything*? Apparently, the answer is yes.

After a while we became desensitized to it and started feeding her the foods that made her rash the least amount. There is only so much hand wringing that can be done. If she didn't try to scratch out her esophagus it was a winner. And as time plodded slooowly by, she did rash less and less. Buddha Butt was watching both girls one afternoon and one year old Fizzgig managed to snatch big sister's peanut butter sandwich. She ate all of it. And she didn't react. The one food that is supposed to send up the red alert flags to watch for and *that* is the one thing her system likes. My mind? Boggled.

So now, she is almost 4 and hasn't really gained any weight since she was 2. The doctors have done allergy tests and she tested negative for everything except egg whites. And that barely even registered. Bullshit. She rashes and doubles over in pain many, many times a week. And she's anemic. My red meat, spinach, black eyed peas eating child. WTF?

I've been reading a lot and talking to a lot of moms with kids with allergies. My homespun diagnosis? Celiacs. Big time gluten allergy (which is in everything). It destroys your small intestines bit by bit and the nutrients you eat will pass on by the damaged parts w/o being absorbed back into your bloodstream. Celiacs would explain the cramping, the anemia, the 'failure to thrive', the rashing and the eczema. If you stop the gluten, the intestines will repair themselves.

Buddha Butt just finished his 28 day allergy elimination diet and discovered he was gluten intolerant. (among many other things) Celiacs is supposed to have a pass-me-on-down to the lucky offspring component. We discovered, when partaking of the Dada's food, that when Dahl went wheat free for around a week she gained two pounds! Coincidence? Probably. But we are doing the full elim diet to see what unfolds. It doesn't require vials and vials of blood or terror for the itty bitty.

The first four days are an alternative to fasting. It's water, rice, lentils, pears, and lamb. I am doing all but the lamb, of course. I like Mary's little pet to keep on frolicking in the pasture, thankyouverymuch. The babies? All about the lamb. They salivate if they hear the nursery rhyme. Beasts. Summary of first four days: whining, lots and lots of whining. But no cramps or rashes.

Today is day 5. Now we start adding things in food family by food family. So far? Nasty reaction to kiwi. Clawing at her gums and tongue, running in circles. How sad is that? She has had kiwi before and never reacted that badly. Supposedly, when your system is more allergen free you tend to react more 'vehemently' to newly reintroduced allergens. Fun way to start the 'let's try this now' phase.

Cross your fingers and toes for me, this is going to be a long ride.