So we are into this whole gluten free/casein free thing. Overall, I can say this:
It is very time consuming.
It is very expensive (I have spent over $800 in three weeks, some of which is "start up" cost), and I am not buying premade gluten free products. I am making everything from scratch.
He is tolerating and as far as I know, has not tried to secretly cheat. Although in the last few days he is REALLY complaining about not eating cheese.
I do think he is acting better BUT, we did put him back on his Focalin because the school was so frustrated.
The doc really wants me to pull him out of school, get him off his meds, and get him eating healthy. I really don't see that happening because of the logistics of both of us working and health insurance concerns.
But, so far so good I guess. And we aren't eating out. Because where you gonna go? I took him out last night and it was really hard to find something on the menu that was allowed. Of course, with an $850 grocery bill, who can afford to go out!!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Gluten Free - Dairy Free - Med change
So we visited the chiropractic doc on Monday. No big surprise, she is having us take him completely gluten and dairy free! She explained a bunch of stuff that I can't explain but basically it boils down the fact that a thyroid doesn't function all by itself. It is only one piece of an entire system, and all of the signs are pointing to his system being all messed up.
It has been a hard week for me because I have been a cooking fool! There is a lot that goes into cooking when you are gluten and dairy free! And it is expensive. I'm buying almost no pre-prepared foods. I'm making it all from scratch using replacements like Almond Flour and Coconut oil, and grapeseed oil. I have 2 awesome cookbooks, The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook and the Spunky Coconut. So far everything has been great. And best of all, he is actually eating all of it! I never expected that!
On a different note, sort of....we had a meeting at his school yesterday as things are not going well. Turns out the Intuniv all by itself is NOT helping him focus at all. AND...I discovered that I had made a mistake and the doc had wanted me to give him the Intuniv IN ADDITION to the Focalin. So I have begrudgenly made the decision to put him back on the Focalin.
The goal is to get somewhere healthy with this diet. In the meantime, he has to be able to survive at school and that is not happening in ANY way right now!
Wish us luck!
It has been a hard week for me because I have been a cooking fool! There is a lot that goes into cooking when you are gluten and dairy free! And it is expensive. I'm buying almost no pre-prepared foods. I'm making it all from scratch using replacements like Almond Flour and Coconut oil, and grapeseed oil. I have 2 awesome cookbooks, The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook and the Spunky Coconut. So far everything has been great. And best of all, he is actually eating all of it! I never expected that!
On a different note, sort of....we had a meeting at his school yesterday as things are not going well. Turns out the Intuniv all by itself is NOT helping him focus at all. AND...I discovered that I had made a mistake and the doc had wanted me to give him the Intuniv IN ADDITION to the Focalin. So I have begrudgenly made the decision to put him back on the Focalin.
The goal is to get somewhere healthy with this diet. In the meantime, he has to be able to survive at school and that is not happening in ANY way right now!
Wish us luck!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Our latest
Hi everyone,
Sorry I have been absent. This has been a hard school year, for all of us. My son is having a really hard time with 7th grade. And though I don't think we made the wrong choice sending him to the Montessori school, it is obvious they are really struggling with him.
We have changed his medication. He is still taking the Depakote, but we took him off the Focalin XR and the doc put him on Intuniv. It is a newly FDA approved non stimulant specifically for ADHD. It is basically a time release version of Tenex, for those that know what that it.
There have been some good benefits of the med switch. He is eating quite a bit. He is sleeping better, with more quality I think. I'm not sure it's any better or worse in terms of school though. His motivation is still crap, and his focus is complicated. Which brings me to the last update....
On a mother's hunch, I took him to an endocrinologist last fall. Tried to explain to him that for his entire life, I have always felt like there is just a more complicated health picture for my son than anyone has cared to look into. For example:
1. Despite the medication, or inspite of the medications, I haven't felt like his eating and growth have been normal.
2. We know he has been diagnosed with learning disabilities, but he just seems too foggy and confused. He can do grade level work, but not well. If it was just a learning disability, I think it should look and feel differently than it does. It's hard to explain.
So, the doc agreed to do some blood tests but I could tell he thought I was crazy. Well two tests later, we have discovered that his TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, is high! There is something going on!
Now I am struggling with the idea of the traditional doctor. We are supposed to see him in Feb and I know that he will take a very traditional approach to this. And tradition has always proven ineffective for my son.
So I contacted another doctor that we see on Monday. She is actually a chiropractor of all things. But this is her specialty, figuring out what the body is doing to itself beyond what traditional medicine might say.
I just hope that if she thinks we have some real stuff to treat here that it can be done without taking forever. He might not survive 7th grade if we don't get help soon!
Sorry I have been absent. This has been a hard school year, for all of us. My son is having a really hard time with 7th grade. And though I don't think we made the wrong choice sending him to the Montessori school, it is obvious they are really struggling with him.
We have changed his medication. He is still taking the Depakote, but we took him off the Focalin XR and the doc put him on Intuniv. It is a newly FDA approved non stimulant specifically for ADHD. It is basically a time release version of Tenex, for those that know what that it.
There have been some good benefits of the med switch. He is eating quite a bit. He is sleeping better, with more quality I think. I'm not sure it's any better or worse in terms of school though. His motivation is still crap, and his focus is complicated. Which brings me to the last update....
On a mother's hunch, I took him to an endocrinologist last fall. Tried to explain to him that for his entire life, I have always felt like there is just a more complicated health picture for my son than anyone has cared to look into. For example:
1. Despite the medication, or inspite of the medications, I haven't felt like his eating and growth have been normal.
2. We know he has been diagnosed with learning disabilities, but he just seems too foggy and confused. He can do grade level work, but not well. If it was just a learning disability, I think it should look and feel differently than it does. It's hard to explain.
So, the doc agreed to do some blood tests but I could tell he thought I was crazy. Well two tests later, we have discovered that his TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, is high! There is something going on!
Now I am struggling with the idea of the traditional doctor. We are supposed to see him in Feb and I know that he will take a very traditional approach to this. And tradition has always proven ineffective for my son.
So I contacted another doctor that we see on Monday. She is actually a chiropractor of all things. But this is her specialty, figuring out what the body is doing to itself beyond what traditional medicine might say.
I just hope that if she thinks we have some real stuff to treat here that it can be done without taking forever. He might not survive 7th grade if we don't get help soon!
Monday, November 2, 2009
sorry to be gone
Hey there! Sorry to be absent. Have been so busy. Back to school and we have already had the flu, strep, bronchitis, a hernia surgery and other various ailments! I've already had to take 11 sick days taking care of everyone! I'm exhausted! And currently fighting my own cold.
My last post was more complaining about homework. So I thought I would update everyone on how that is going. I basically gave in, or up, or however you want to look at it. I finally made a phone call to one of my son's teachers and let her know what a struggle we were having. I needed her to hear and understand that part of what I was struggling with was forcing and fighting with him to get stuff done so that the other teachers would not think I wasn't doing my part. She reassured me that the teachers would actually have more respect for me if I did let go and let him fail on his own.
They want him to do this on his own. They want him to fall all the way down, so they can build him back up before high school. I was so relieved to hear this. To be told I would not be judged as a bad parent if let him come to school with nothing done.
So this is what we are doing now. I remind him what time it is, frequently through out the evening. But getting started is his responsibility. And finishing is his responsibility
He's been in trouble a few times. Had to deal with consequences at school. But we have fought MUCH less than before. So we go.......
My last post was more complaining about homework. So I thought I would update everyone on how that is going. I basically gave in, or up, or however you want to look at it. I finally made a phone call to one of my son's teachers and let her know what a struggle we were having. I needed her to hear and understand that part of what I was struggling with was forcing and fighting with him to get stuff done so that the other teachers would not think I wasn't doing my part. She reassured me that the teachers would actually have more respect for me if I did let go and let him fail on his own.
They want him to do this on his own. They want him to fall all the way down, so they can build him back up before high school. I was so relieved to hear this. To be told I would not be judged as a bad parent if let him come to school with nothing done.
So this is what we are doing now. I remind him what time it is, frequently through out the evening. But getting started is his responsibility. And finishing is his responsibility
He's been in trouble a few times. Had to deal with consequences at school. But we have fought MUCH less than before. So we go.......
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Anyone else?
I am sitting here, as I type, waiting for my son to finish his math homework. It is 9:12pm. He should be in bed. He has been at these 30 problems for over an hour.
So why you ask?
BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO STAY ON TASK WITHOUT ME SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM THE ENTIRE TIME!
And then when I give up and don't sit by him, because I don't want to be held hostage to 7th grade homework, what does he do?
He tries to do it IN FRONT OF THE TV!
And why you ask, do I let him sit in front of the TV? Because the amount of fighting that would ensue when I turn it off takes up just as much time as letting him sit there with the TV on. It's a no win. Doesn't matter what I do.
Not every night is like this. But some nights, yes. He doesn't get home until almost 5pm after school. By the time he eats something and takes a break to rest a bit, it's 6pm at a minimum, more likely closer to 7pm. And even on a good night he isn't likely to be done with homework until 8:30 or so. It's ridiculous the way homework takes over family life, even for "good" kids.
So why you ask?
BECAUSE HE REFUSES TO STAY ON TASK WITHOUT ME SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM THE ENTIRE TIME!
And then when I give up and don't sit by him, because I don't want to be held hostage to 7th grade homework, what does he do?
He tries to do it IN FRONT OF THE TV!
And why you ask, do I let him sit in front of the TV? Because the amount of fighting that would ensue when I turn it off takes up just as much time as letting him sit there with the TV on. It's a no win. Doesn't matter what I do.
Not every night is like this. But some nights, yes. He doesn't get home until almost 5pm after school. By the time he eats something and takes a break to rest a bit, it's 6pm at a minimum, more likely closer to 7pm. And even on a good night he isn't likely to be done with homework until 8:30 or so. It's ridiculous the way homework takes over family life, even for "good" kids.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Homework
My thanks to Jan who commented on my previous post. I appreciate my readers comments and support. I do this so others won't feel alone, and in the process, when someone sends me a comment, it reminds me that I am not alone either!
Jan said she struggled with her own son and the homework issue. Like her, I believe that homework for kids like ours is a complete waste of time. It really is more frustrating than it is worth. Homework in general does, I believe, completely detract from a family's ability to have family time in the evening. I don't even have time to cook dinner! Much less have every one sit down together to get it eaten.
But here is the issue, unless ALL schools realize that homework in general is a waste of time, my son, and all other children, have to learn to manage their homework. I would love for his school to say "This obviously isn't getting him anywhere. Let's just stop the homework requirement." But then what happens when he starts high school. Think they are going to say that. NO!
So I could ask for less, or to have it modified (which they do some), or whatever....but the reality is that homework is a part of life, normal life. And if I want my son to learn to be like everyone else, to be "normal", then he has to learn to do this just like everyone else.
It just might kill me in the process!!!! :)
Jan said she struggled with her own son and the homework issue. Like her, I believe that homework for kids like ours is a complete waste of time. It really is more frustrating than it is worth. Homework in general does, I believe, completely detract from a family's ability to have family time in the evening. I don't even have time to cook dinner! Much less have every one sit down together to get it eaten.
But here is the issue, unless ALL schools realize that homework in general is a waste of time, my son, and all other children, have to learn to manage their homework. I would love for his school to say "This obviously isn't getting him anywhere. Let's just stop the homework requirement." But then what happens when he starts high school. Think they are going to say that. NO!
So I could ask for less, or to have it modified (which they do some), or whatever....but the reality is that homework is a part of life, normal life. And if I want my son to learn to be like everyone else, to be "normal", then he has to learn to do this just like everyone else.
It just might kill me in the process!!!! :)
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I cried...
Last night I cried. I cried a lot.
Earlier in the day I had gotten a phone call from my son's teacher about his progress and work he was missing, thus work he would be coming home with. It was a perfectly pleasant conversation.
Then he came home. I had to leave to take my daughter to music lessons and run an errand. We were gone about 2 hours. I spoke to him more than once while I was away. He claimed to be "working" on his homework.
I got home. Basically nothing was completed.
We spent the next 4 hours working and still not getting everything finished.
I sent him to bed with me angry and in despair.
And then I cried, and cried, and cried.
Earlier in the day I had gotten a phone call from my son's teacher about his progress and work he was missing, thus work he would be coming home with. It was a perfectly pleasant conversation.
Then he came home. I had to leave to take my daughter to music lessons and run an errand. We were gone about 2 hours. I spoke to him more than once while I was away. He claimed to be "working" on his homework.
I got home. Basically nothing was completed.
We spent the next 4 hours working and still not getting everything finished.
I sent him to bed with me angry and in despair.
And then I cried, and cried, and cried.
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