INSIDE OUT

I have to repeat that this diet is not for the weak. It takes "fanatical adherence" (Elaine Gotchall). Before we started this diet, we had been through elimination diets for J, our 4 year old, trying to eliminate the chronic eczema, various face rashes, mild asthma, and circular patches all over his trunk and legs (ringworm)?

We then entered the world of autism and at the same time, were already initiating a gluten free/casein free diet for other reasons (chronic ear infections with the suspicion of milk allergy and we eliminated the gluten for reasons of tummy aches). We had no idea, at the time, what road we were going down when 3 weeks later, a new boy began to emerge.

But then we read about a diet called the "Specific Carbohydrate Diet". With seventy years of scientific research backing it up and the realization that we were merely putting a "bandaid" on our autistic boy's intestines with the gluten/casein free diet, we decided to move ahead into "healing" his intestines instead.

BRIEF THREE WEEK UPDATE

When the initial die off symptoms began to lessen, S got this crazy pin-dotted rash all around his mouth. Then, while giving him an epsom salt bath, I noticed the same rash behind his knees. It faded by the time the epsom salt bath was over. Magnesium is a wonderful thing. It releases toxins from the body. This may have drawn out the toxins, causing the rash to present itself, only to finally fade by the end of the bath. I saw the rash and I saw the rash fade. Well, the day after this rash, S regressed. His speech was more slurred, a lot of repetitive speech, his pupils dilated, he woke up that night crying in pain from his right knee (this used to occur only before the gluten free diet over six months ago but never since). The very next day AFTERWARD, S's speech was not as slurred (on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being REALLY slurred, I'd say it was a 4). S had no repetitive speech and many times, I didn't have to ask him if he could look at me.

Conclusion: Stay the course, girl!! When symptoms look tough, know that there is yet, another positive outcome on the other side.

*Disclaimer* This is a vent. It is angry and it is needed. I need to get it out and I need it to be heard. **Note: This is not to any one person imparticular. This is FOR me! *I* need to get it out and I have a feeling it's gonna feel good. ;)

My Love/Hate relationship with this diet continues. We are now on Day 11.

Going from vegan to SCD was torture in the beginning for us. I felt like our house reeked of the true stench of a butcher shop. We became vegan for health reasons. I do care about the dear animals, mind you. Which is why we eat local and organic when we DO buy meat. Organic meat is the better choice for SOOO many reasons. But, I'll save that for another meat-eating post. Our grocery bills are through the roof. Ugh. Eating organic vegan is SOOOO much cheaper!!!

So, we are on the road to now "healing" my kid's guts. What a ROAD!! Wow. I had no idea this year would bring such chaos.

So a bit about this diet.... Well, it sucks. No, it REALLY sucks. I suppose if one did not need this diet, then it wouldn't suck because there would be no negative die-off symptoms and you could run through the stages faster and with less complications. As it turns out, this diet is amazing!! And it sucks.

I wish I had more time to blog about these things. All I want to urge you to do is take your health into YOUR hands.

Look, doctors are SOOO busy looking for things that are wrong with you to ensure that what IS wrong doesn't get worse, that they truly have little time to deal with any proactive measures.

So, today... as my 4 year old son came up to me in the light of the window, waving his open mouth and tongue out, I noticed something I hadn't even taken the time to think about with him. HE HAS A WHITE FILM ON THE BACK OF HIS TONGUE!!!

I used to be all for vaccinations. I screamed anti-anti-vaccination and guffawed at those who resisted the pediatrician's indignation for those parents who would not protect their children through preventable disease!

I've heard it said for years... I keep hearing it now: those who live in fear that they will never forgive themselves if something happened to their child and they could have done something to prevent it.

For some of you who know our family, you know that S has been behind in his speech. I suppose we suspected before he turned 1. He wasn't saying "mama"... although much to my husband's pleasure, he did insist on "dada" being a regular part of his vocab. Well, once he turned 1 and he still wasn't saying more than "parts" of words. I knew something was up.