Our Journey

When I was pregnant with Cash, I could tell he would be a mover and a shaker. He never ceased to move. On one hand, I was reassured by his movements....I never had to do a kick count. On the other hand, having 2 other kids, I knew what I was in for. If this baby never slept and was still inside me, we were really in for it when he came out.

And sure enough, bright and early in the morning on GW's inauguration day, Cassius T was born. He came into the world squirmy and sad. On his first day, the only was he would calm was to listen to daddy's voice. He spent the first days in the hospital on Daddy's chest.

Cash didn't sleep more than 2 hours at a stretch for the first 18 months of his life. He liked 20 to 45 minutes catnaps mostly. We took him on a cruise and he slept soundly for the first time when he was 8 months old. When I woke, I thought for sure he was dead.

Cash had his first ear infection at his 2 month well child check. He was so miserable all the time it was hard to tell when he was sick. He had what Daddy calls crocodile skin, eczema, everywhere but on his face. He was anemic and had to have iron supplements. He was a sad sight to behold.

We were so tired the first year that it was all we could do to get through it. Seriously, North Korea could learn a thing or two about torture from this guy.

As I started to feed Cash real food, I started to notice a trend. He would break out after eating. I couldn't figure out what the problem was. I was very conscious that most of our bodies do not handle dairy well and steered clear. But I was a newbie to world of allergies and intolerances and I had no clue.

I remember feeding Cash one day at my mom's house and I told her that I was feeding Cash bread and to remember for me if he had a reaction. Sure enough, he did.

Trav's sister has been diagnosed with Celiac. I knew she couldn't have gluten but I didn't know about celiac. I didn't know that it could be inherited. I didn't know that if you were Scandinavian you had a higher chance. There was a lot I didn't know. So, I decided to learn.

I took Cash to his pediatrician and said I thought he might have celiac and he said, "you don't want him to have celiac." He wouldn't do any testing. Too hard of a diet for kids.

I changed pediatricians. I told him I thought Cash may have Celiac. We tested him to see if he had any genetic markers. None. I didn't know at the time that these don't always show up. I also didn't know that just because he doesn't have full blown Celiac doesn't mean that gluten is good for him. It was at this point that my mother-in-law told me not to have him diagnosed. Because he could never get life insurance or health insurance if he was. Wise.

We had Cash allergy tested. The test came back borderline for grass. Meaning a welt, but no redness. I didn't know that it is common for gluten intolerant people to have a cross reaction with grass. All the things I've learned....

I took Cash to a chiropractor who I heard cured allergies (really grasping at straws here, totally desperate.) The guy said Cash wasn't allergic to wheat, he was gluten intolerant. Angels sang and the sun came out. The guy could have been a quack but I think he was a messenger. And he cured me of my dust allergy. Wink, wink.

So, began out journey towards being Glutenators.

I had tons of support from my husband and my family. Trav could remember how sick his sis was before her diet change. We were so tired, I don't know what we wouldn't have done.

I read everything I could get my hands on about celiac, gluten intolerance, food allergies and food intolerances. This was not a death sentance. This was wonderful. A way to get my son back.

My life was obsessed with Cash. I didn't leave him, I didn't hate anyone enough to subject them to him. I worried about him constantly. If I didn't respond to his needs immediately, I mean now, he went what I called "Catatonic." His eyes would gloss over and he would revert into himself. It freaked my out. So what Cash wanted, he got. Regardless of the toll it took on everyone. He itched and he scratched. He oozed from his wrists, behind his knees, his ankles, and his armpits. Everyday, twice, I bathed him. Coated him with high powered creams and followed that up with prescription lotion. He was on antibiotics constantly for ear infection. And then I gave him probiotics to try to build his gut back up. He never slept. Rarely smiled. He would hit his head repeatedly and had started to do repetitious motions. Flipping the light switch on and off forever, things like that.

A week and a half into the diet, Cash's skin started to clear up. We still don't have it all the way clear all the time, but we're had it all the way clear for some time. Progress. My boys have a grass allergy, btw. 3 weeks into the diet, Cash slept through the night. Hallelujah! Glory Be!

We haven't looked back.