Okay we have gone gluten and casein free. For future reference I will call this GF/CF. It’s shorter. With people who these two proteins are a problem for when you take them away it is like going through drug withdrawals. These two proteins are actually metabolized in some people in a way that they turn into opioids in the body and have drug-like effects on the body.

So we decided to go cold turkey as a family. PROBABLY NOT ONE OF MY BETTER IDEAS!!!!! The boys are CRAZY!!! I feel crazy!!! I most definitely should not have detoxed at the same time as the boys.

Chase is climbing the walls. Alex is ANGRY and out of control. Aiden just is all over the place emotionally. They are AAAAAALLLWAYS hungry now too. Not normal hunger but insane hunger that won’t go away. We went through 20+ lbs of bananas in a matter of 3 or 4 days in addition to a ton of other food. The doctor said their brain doesn’t register as full as its not getting what it wants, and their “full” feels different without the gluten and casein. Apparently this should last a week or two and then they should level out.

So yeah today it was BAD. Chase was destroying the house, Aiden and Alex were at each others throats. I finally just sent them outside to play and get over their issues while I got dressed. After about 15 minutes it was apparent Alex and Aiden were going to have a cage match style battle on the back porch if not separated. I brought them in and left Chase buried in the sand box while I disciplined the other two boys. Once I was done I left them in their rooms to think about what I’d just talked to them about. I checked on Chase he was still in the sandbox. I went to finish getting dressed and my bathroom was FLOOOOOODED!!! Not just a little water but water EVERYWHERE. I assumed a pipe burst. I called Neil.

As Neil and I talked it became evident that no a pipe didn’t burst there was water in the drawers and on the counter and just EVERYWHERE. If it were a pipe it couldn’t do that. So how else would my bathroom be flooded in 15 minutes flat without me knowing how???? You got it — Chase!!! I had a meltdown and just cried. Once I finished crying I locked Aiden and Chase in one room and left Alex who by the way was still screaming in his room, in his room to scream more so I could clean without further incident.

I had to completely remove EVERYTHING from the bathroom. Now is a good time to tell you he drowned by blow dryer and my flat iron and ruined both. He drenched my CVS stockpiles, he drenched EVERYTHING.

So I got everything cleaned up let the boys out, had vented to a friend or two and loved on them. I got lunch made and put them all down for naps. I figured after nap things would get better.

Alex woke up and I went to let him out of his room and this wave of poo smell hits me. He says “Mommy I’m poopy” I look at him more carefully and he is covered in poo and his bed is covered in poo. His tummy has been upset coming off the gluten and casein but this was insane!!!! I somehow managed not to just bawl and got him cleaned up.

The rest of the day went without too much more event but man I DO NOT ever want a repeat!!!!

All of our take home tests for Chase are COMPLETE!!! Woohoooo!!! It was not easy getting him to wear those stupid pedi-bags for days basically. Maybe next time we need to do testing he will be potty trained and it will be easier! A mom can hope!!!

Anyway, all the tests and paperwork is complete and they are in the mail. Now we just wait and wait and wait for August 1st.

We scheduled an appointment with a doctor in Texas a few months back. His name is Dr. Seshagiri Rao. Well we finally got to go and see him. It was awesome! He is an allergist and immunologist that now practices the DAN! approach to treating kids with autism. The term DAN! refers to “Defeat Autism Now”. The thought is that autism is not a non-treatable problem in your brain but a very treatable problem with your body. Instead of treating a thing here and there with pharmaceutical medications that act as a band aid to the real problem you treat the body as a whole by supplementing the body with things it is missing and use pharmaceuticals last to restore balance so that you can maintain control with more natural methods. But instead of treating things randomly and separately you look at the body as a whole with the thought that everything affects everything….

So we had our first appointment. Amy (Neil’s sister) went with us as it was a long drive and a long appointment. They tell you to expect to be in the office 2-3 hours if your coming out of town as they like to do 2-3 visits at one time.

So we visited with the doctor and give him Chase’s history from birth. He he asked a TON of questions about how his birth went, how he developed after, how his digestive system has worked, when he autism started showing up, things like that. He then had Chase come in and watched him interact with us. He suggested that we do multiple tests to check his levels of nutrients, heavy metals, check for things in his excretions. We did full blood panels and a IgG and IgE blood allergy test to check for transient allergies. We did ALOT!!! We scheduled to go back the 1st of August to go over all the results. Some of the tests had to be sent off as far as France. Typical labs that are funded by drug companies do not do these tests. Hopefully in the future….

In addition to suggesting the testing he said he keep Chase going on his fish oils, and probiotics. He also suggested we give him Methyl B-12 injections every 3 days and give him folinic acid daily. The nurse showed me how to give the injection. I am more than a little freaked out by that but I know that for these kiddos that is the most commonly lacking thing in them and because of their digestive systems being messed up its the best way to have it absorbed and metabolized properly. So injections it is.

We are very anxious to see what all the tests will say and are excited to be moving in the right direction. He also said we needed to start Chase on the gluten/casein free diet as soon as possible. So there will be more on that to come….