Update: soooo...it looks like the morning vomiting issue is............

[confuzzled]

food allergies.

::headdesk::

specifically wheat, soy and peanut. peanut is no problem--both kids now have it, and i've always been peanut free at home. its to be determined if its "just" a wheat allergy or if we are looking at celiac. oddly she had no other traditional symptoms--no ecxema, no wheezing, no anaphalaxis---only red flag besides the vomiting is, of course, behavior.

wheat and soy?? omg, she eats pizza or pasta every.single.day in the cafeteria. and both are literally in everything--i have no idea how we are going function.

did i mention that along with this the doctor wants a high fiber, low cholesterol, anti-refux diet as well??
*for the record, i want to publicly say that her cholesterol level dropped slightly in correlation to the decrease in abilify

we are getting passed off to an allergist for much more testing to formulate a plan...so far its only the assumed cause since we didnt got wheat/soy free yet...if it doesnt stop with complete avoidance, a scope, at a bare minimum, is still on the table.

i was secretly hoping it was susie's ulcer suggestion (which was a great one, by the way) since that would be a much easier "fix", but she tested negative for h.pylori.


did i mention we love to eat????

any and all suggestions welcome--i saw terry's son avoids it, so any great kid foods welcomed.

 

[tiredmommy]

Make sure you get a referral for a dietitian.

 

[HaoZi]

Rice pasta is very expensive, but it's not too bad. The key with cooking it is to strain with cold water as soon as it's done or it will turn to mush, and don't leave it sitting in water like you can do with regular white pasta. Tahini can be used instead of peanut butter (it uses sesame, not sure if those are safe for your kids), and some brands are sweeter than others, but might be worth playing around with for sandwiches and such.

 

[buddy]

OH my word, I would just have a melt down if I had to go thru all of that.... BUT naturally if it was going to make a difference in quality of life... I would hoover it up.... Like you are doing....

Gathering info, getting all the tests done, and then, rock and roll.... I hope you find healing answers!

 

[TerryJ2]

Even if gluten isn't the culprit, you could still be happy going gluten free. It's not like you're starting a new drug.

There are lots of gluten free foods on the market. Even Bisquick and Betty Crocker make gluten free mixes now. If you can't find them locally, go to Amazon.com and type them in.

Locally, you should be able to buy gluten free rice pasta at most grocery stores, right next to the regular. Same with-bread. It's in the frozen food section.

Many soy sauce products and gravy mixes have gluten in them. I've learned to make my own turkey gravy with-gluten free flour. Took me a few tries ...

The testing will take a few wks. One thing we had happen, was that once the celiac test came back neg, the stupid dr said, "Well, he doesn't have celiac, so if you want to eat wheat, it's up to you." Aaaaaaaaarrgggh. difficult child was so happy, he practically hit the ceiling. I had to do a lot of talking in the car after that.

There are also great gluten free recipe books out there. I got most of them on Amazon.

 

[confuzzled]

thanks terry....

school lunch is the main problem--i can control it at home better. she's been pretty good about it, but she really is winging it, lol...she thought tacos were the "Safe Choice"...with the soft flour tortilla, not corn.

its probably easist to go girlfriend since things have changed with lots more availability. i guess we all have to get used to it.

and i just paid $6.29 for the smallest loaf of frozen bread i've ever seen....if going girlfriend doesnt kill us, it'll bankrupt us

 

[InsaneCdn]

Initially, you'll be using direct substitutes.
In the long run, you will end up with a meal plan that looks very different.

 

[Otto von Bismark]

food allergies.

::headdesk::

specifically wheat, soy and peanut. peanut is no problem--both kids now have it, and i've always been peanut free at home. its to be determined if its "just" a wheat allergy or if we are looking at celiac. oddly she had no other traditional symptoms--no ecxema, no wheezing, no anaphalaxis---only red flag besides the vomiting is, of course, behavior.

wheat and soy?? omg, she eats pizza or pasta every.single.day in the cafeteria. and both are literally in everything--i have no idea how we are going function.

One of my daughter's only sign of marked gluten intolerance was easily broken bones and short stature.
My parents gave me two genes, and my husband gave my kids a gene, because my kids each have two celiac genes. None of us is formally diagnosed, although one of my daughter's only sign is dermatitis herpetiformis, and they DO diagnose with just husband. My son has been off gluten so long he can't be scoped (seven years now). My bloodwork has shown two celiac genes, and I have many symptoms, including related autoimmune disease, but NO flattened villi ( the "gold standard" of celiac diagnosis). My GI couldn't officially call it celiac, because my villi was okay, but he did say he had to call it gluten allergy, not intolerance. My short daughter grew like a weed and is now 5 foot 9, once we took gluten out of diet. We do not have formal diagnosis, but there is so much celiac-looking stuff throughout my family, plus two genes for it, so for us, we have it. We stay away from it as if we really do have celiac, and we are much better for it.

Yes, you can have teenagers go gluten free, and yes it is expensive. Don't waste your time on anything other than Udi's bread. My teens don't cheat, either, when out of the house. Strange, but true. One doesn't ever remember eating it so he does without, one gets a terrible rash that often hits her pretty face, and the other one is simply loyal to the girlfriend family cause.

We have a different way of life and seem much healthier than folks around us. My kids don't really get colds or flu. They don't really have acne, and no one has a weight problem. Dinner doesn't always even have a carb in it. They eventually changed and completely expect three vegetables at dinner, with a meat. Often the veggies are raw. We literally eat kale, collards, or other leafy greens three days a week and they slurp it up. I think the body resets.
We don't even have sandwiches for lunch that often. They have chili, or beans and organic weenies, or protein bars, or leftover supper in their lunch boxes. Try this for fun: http://justbento.com/

I think most of my older daughter's mood swings can be attributed to hypoglycemia. She is a carb craver when she starts eating a little junk. She also tries to diet once in a while, because she is a teenage girl. It usually lasts a day or two.

I read that 90% of the soy we have access to is genetically modified and quite bad for you. We avoid soy at all costs, unless it is fermented. I have food tips if you want them.

 

[confuzzled]

thank you SO much otto--that was very helpful. i'd love all teen friendly tips you have.

probably the reason its such a problem this year is that its the only year of her life she bought cafeteria food every day (i used to let her do pizza on fridays, i always packed a lunch and she wasnt a huge sandwich eater to begin with). scheduling makes going to her locker before lunch an issue so we have to figure it out. none of us are particularly a fan of rice pasta, but it will have to do...all of us can afford to eat healthier!

its a learning curve for sure. before the bloodwork came back the dr was hot on high fiber/high carbs---NICE, huh.

other than the morning vomiting, she doesnt have any other notable symptoms...she does have acne (hormonal/lamictal), and certainly could use to lose a pound or two.

ironically, at the very, very beginning of our difficult child journey i was headed in the gluten free direction but could never quite master it.

now, i'm dusting off the breadmaker (i bought some bizarre tapioca based bread, i think udis had soy, i forget why i chose this one).

luckily i got an allergy appointment for early next month due to a freak cancellation...its been my experience (with difficult child 1) that once there is one food allergy, there are more to follow--she was just screened for about 10.

and hey, i'd buy all the $6.29/loaf bread i could afford if it took her out of gfgdom...wishful thinking i guess!

 

[InsaneCdn]

My difficult child can't make it to the locker at lunch either. So... as he has to carry a backpack from class to class anyway (technology to haul around...) he keeps his lunch-bag in his main pack.

 

[TerryJ2]

*if going girlfriend doesnt kill us, it'll bankrupt us * That's for sure! I've learned to cook so many new things. I can do cakes and muffins now. Next up: bread.