I'm gluten intolerant. I have been on a gluten free diet since I was 3 years old and have done really well. I feel amazing. I've been tested several times for Celiac Disease and received negative results, but if I so much as go near anything remotely similar to wheat (I'm looking at you, Spelt) I have a reaction.
What reactions do I have? Well, my symptoms have evolved over the years. When I was younger it was bloating, stomach cramps, and nausea. In recent years my number one symptom has been a migraine accompanied by dizziness and fogginess. If for some reason I had a large quantity of wheat, my symptoms would also include stomach cramps, nausea, joint pain, and sometimes numbness in my extremities.
Since the symptoms vary so much it is very difficult to diagnose Celiac Disease or any gluten intolerance. In my case it took years and many doctors until a gluten free diet saved my life. As long as I stay away from wheat, barley, and rye, I feel amazing.
Enter Levi. As a baby he was always at the top of the growth charts, especially for height, but he usually hovered at the 50th - 60th percentile for weight. He was a big, chubby baby who loved to eat. I started noticing the weight loss around his first birthday, when he was fully eating solids, but the doctor explained some weight loss was normal since he was more active and walking around. Fine. Well, by his 18 month appointment he had dropped to the 15th percentile in weight (and he was still in the 90th for height), and looked pretty scrawny.
By this time we had moved to Fort Worth and his new pedi was a bit concerned but told us to give him more protein and made sure he didn't eat empty calories (he doesn't). We pumped him full of full-fat yogurts, cheeses, milks, proteins, and pediasures three times a day. By his second birthday he reached the 25th percentile! Yay!
Sort of. Today we went to his 2.5 year appointment and he had only gained 2 oz. Ugh. Really? Back in the 10th percentile for weight. Now his pedi isn't too happy. Neither am I.
I discussed with her the possibility of a gluten intolerance, since it runs in families and I've been dealing with it my whole life. She asked me if I wanted to take him to a GI doctor, or if I wanted him tested. Nah. There's no point, really. Let me tell you why: If I test him and the result is negative, I'm still going to wonder if it could be a false negative (like mine) and try a gluten free diet for a few months to see if it makes a difference. If the test is positive, well, he's going to be on a gluten free diet anyway, so it makes no difference. Either way he'll be gluten free.
So, for 6 months Levi will be gluten free and by his 3 year appointment we'll see if it makes a difference.
Wish us luck!
Here is an overview of his stats:
Birth: 8 lbs. 10 oz. 21 inches
2 months: 13 lbs. 2 oz. 24.5 inches
4 months: 16 lbs. 8 oz. 26.6 inches
6 months: 18 lbs. 3 oz. 28.5 inches
12 months: 22 lbs. 1 oz. 33 inches
18 months: 23 lbs. 4 oz. 35 inches
2 years: 26 lbs. 9 oz. 36 inches
2.5 years: 27 lbs. 37.5 inches
 |
| My skinny little boy at 27 months |
No comments:
Post a Comment