Simple Does Not Mean Easy
It has been over two months since we went from healthy eaters to that fanatical family. My son had a bad reaction to the one medication that had really helped with his pain. We had to stop it cold and the pain came rushing in.
As usually happens, desperation helped us make a decision we had been putting off. For us it was the gluten/grain free diet. So in one weekend we dropped all sugar, and most grains including corn. The one we kept was rice. I know. You're thinking why? Well, it is one of the only foods my son had complete tolerance for. I told him I would do it with him. It was only fair. I used to be such a slave to bread. We have been cutting it back for years so it was pretty painless to just cut the cord. Sort of. Not everyone in our house was willing to keep the diet with us. So meal times could be more stressful. It seemed to reinforce the few foods he couldn't have instead of the all the great choices he could have.
So I cleaned out the kitchen. I dumped everything that was not on his eating plan, then no one would be tempted. Only one family member noticed and there were a few sharp words.
After only two days on the eating plan, the pain was greatly reduced, and he slept the entire night with no pain episodes! Yup. It had been months since we had had a complete nights rest. The first time in over a year he woke up pain free. Not everyone was convinced but I was thrilled. A week later we were at the specialists deciding what to do since the medicine reaction. They were all pleased we went with a strict diet and sent us home with NO NEW MEDS! There was even tentative talk about reducing others medications if he continues to improve and has a good round of tests!
Then we had some cheating, and sneaking banned foods to the headache kid. That was a quick and painful lesson. My thinking was give him at least a month of good clean eating to get his system reset. Unfortunately, it was only hours after the doctors appointment that he had a hamburger and fries, then a bunch of corn chips and fake queso. That night was misery! I was sure all concerned would now be convinced. I have to say I am still fighting small battles for my son about his food.
He will cheat if given the opportunity but not like when we began this journey. He mostly chooses the right foods on his own. I was very proud when he didn't get his favorite treat, popcorn, at the movies. I wasn't there to keep him accountable and he still made the right choice.
In just the last few weeks we have cut out the sugar substitutes. Which means I broke the bond to Diet Coke!
So what is the result for our family after all this. First of all, the headache kid has few headaches now! He is cheerful, less moody, sleeps so much better, and thinks more clearly. Not having pain will do that! My son and I both lost weight and energy levels are up! Is this the perfect cure? No. He still has the underlying condition. His neuralgia still lights up, there are other triggers than food, and we don't always know what they are.
He still has some inflammatory foods once in a while. He can have cake at a birthday party. We plan our restaurant dinners so he can still have some of the yummy treats.
Was the diet simple? YES! Was is easy? No.
I read up on the Meyers diet, anti-inflammatory diet, autoimmune diet and others. We found just dropping the grains had a great positive impact for us. Then we added some supplements. (I will post on those in a few days.) I can't believe the difference in such a short time. I will say God kept putting the information in front of me until I had to pay attention. It was all set up for me, once the reaction happened, I was prepared with a plan I didn't know I had.
As usually happens, desperation helped us make a decision we had been putting off. For us it was the gluten/grain free diet. So in one weekend we dropped all sugar, and most grains including corn. The one we kept was rice. I know. You're thinking why? Well, it is one of the only foods my son had complete tolerance for. I told him I would do it with him. It was only fair. I used to be such a slave to bread. We have been cutting it back for years so it was pretty painless to just cut the cord. Sort of. Not everyone in our house was willing to keep the diet with us. So meal times could be more stressful. It seemed to reinforce the few foods he couldn't have instead of the all the great choices he could have.
So I cleaned out the kitchen. I dumped everything that was not on his eating plan, then no one would be tempted. Only one family member noticed and there were a few sharp words.
After only two days on the eating plan, the pain was greatly reduced, and he slept the entire night with no pain episodes! Yup. It had been months since we had had a complete nights rest. The first time in over a year he woke up pain free. Not everyone was convinced but I was thrilled. A week later we were at the specialists deciding what to do since the medicine reaction. They were all pleased we went with a strict diet and sent us home with NO NEW MEDS! There was even tentative talk about reducing others medications if he continues to improve and has a good round of tests!
Then we had some cheating, and sneaking banned foods to the headache kid. That was a quick and painful lesson. My thinking was give him at least a month of good clean eating to get his system reset. Unfortunately, it was only hours after the doctors appointment that he had a hamburger and fries, then a bunch of corn chips and fake queso. That night was misery! I was sure all concerned would now be convinced. I have to say I am still fighting small battles for my son about his food.
He will cheat if given the opportunity but not like when we began this journey. He mostly chooses the right foods on his own. I was very proud when he didn't get his favorite treat, popcorn, at the movies. I wasn't there to keep him accountable and he still made the right choice.
In just the last few weeks we have cut out the sugar substitutes. Which means I broke the bond to Diet Coke!
So what is the result for our family after all this. First of all, the headache kid has few headaches now! He is cheerful, less moody, sleeps so much better, and thinks more clearly. Not having pain will do that! My son and I both lost weight and energy levels are up! Is this the perfect cure? No. He still has the underlying condition. His neuralgia still lights up, there are other triggers than food, and we don't always know what they are.
He still has some inflammatory foods once in a while. He can have cake at a birthday party. We plan our restaurant dinners so he can still have some of the yummy treats.
Was the diet simple? YES! Was is easy? No.
I read up on the Meyers diet, anti-inflammatory diet, autoimmune diet and others. We found just dropping the grains had a great positive impact for us. Then we added some supplements. (I will post on those in a few days.) I can't believe the difference in such a short time. I will say God kept putting the information in front of me until I had to pay attention. It was all set up for me, once the reaction happened, I was prepared with a plan I didn't know I had.
Thanks for sharing!!!
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