Saturday, July 19, 2008

Gluten....Who Knew

*Disclaimer: I will be talking about bowl movements (BM), so please do not read when you are eating or just ate. :)



Well it started last Tuesday, Enzo had a very loose BM and I did not think too much of it. Loose BM's happen and then they go back to normal. A week later and things have not got worse but have not got better either. I mean these BM's are foul smelling and had mucous. Since he did not have a temperature, I really did not think he was sick. I started thinking about it and after talking to my friend Amy, I have confirmed it. Enzo may have Celiac Disease.

This is a disease where the consumption of gluten effects the small intestine which can effect everything in your body. My grandmother has Celiac disease and it is heredity. Amy's son has Celiac and she was telling me how they figured it out. The problem is there are so many different symptoms. I decided we would have to cut out ALL gluten from our diet. Oh so much fun! We do not eat all that much gluten anyways since Kira is gluten intolerant and I know gluten is not good for you. However I did not realize how many food items have gluten.

For the last two days we have been completely gluten free. I actually feel really good. Enzo's BM have totally changed to be almost normal. Even Kira is having good BMs.
We went to Wahoo's Fish Taco's for lunch and I thought a teriyaki chicken bowl would be fine, not even thinking that soy sauce has wheat in it. Enzo ate veggies, rice and beans. Then after we finished eating he projectile vomited all over himself. Poor little bub, I felt so horrible.
I think after the Wahoo's episode Enzo is most definitely gluten intolerant if not having celiac.

Since then we have kept up the no gluten diet. It is funny because in order to have him tested for Celiac he needs to stay on gluten. This makes no sense at this point for him. If he has been off gluten for a couple days and threw up after having gluten in a small amount of a sauce then who knows what a normal amount will do to him. I am going to pass on the formal test. I mean if taking out gluten is not going to hurt him but only make things better, then that is what I will do. Gluten is not good for anyone, it effects your hormonal system, endocrine system; hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid, heart, skin, stomach, liver, pancreas, kidneys, adrenal glands, ovaries, placenta and uterus. From the research that I have done so far, 1 in 100 people have CD (Celiac Disease). That is more than the number of people in America with HIV. Only 3% of Americans have been diagnosed with CD, so 97% of Americans do not even know they have it. The symptoms are different with each person. Maybe take a minute and see if your aches and pain might be caused by gluten. Remember it is in EVERYTHING!!! Well I am definitely going to blog our experience and recipes that work and that do not work.

Here we go on another roller coaster...wheee!



P.S. Enzo just had a BM and it looked normal, yeah I think it is working :)

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