Just a whinge really, I need to vent about the food DS CAN"T eat!

[Janie]

I was going to put this in the allergy and intolerance forum.......but there isn't one, I must have imagined that LOL!

I just need to whinge and vent, probably because I'm sick, tired and hormonal. I wish my DS could eat 'normal' foods. I know things could be HEAPS worse, so I feel a bit of a heel complaining, but it's really getting to me ATM. Probably because summer is coming, and that just means MORE things that he can't eat .

He can't have dairy, soy or nuts. TBH, this is the 'easy' part. He is (I think) able to tolerate small amounts of dairy these days (by that I mean a little bit of cheese is okay, still no milk or ice cream etc). Avoiding soy is a PITA, especially as it's his worst trigger, but still, we manage.

The thing that's really hard is the salicylate sensitivity. It rules out MOST fruits, especially summer ones, and this drives me nuts (no pun intended!). He LOVES fruit, but really can only tolerate banana, certain apples, and pear. No strawbs, no grapes, no watermelon, no pineapple, no mandarin, you get the picture. Lots of other things are ruled out too, but the fruit thing bugs me the most. I mean, these are HEALTHY foods that he enjoys eating! When you're already avoiding dairy, soy, nuts, colours and preservatives, it makes it pretty bl00dy hard to feed a toddler if he can't eat most fruit . But it's sooooo not worth it, the tummy pains he gets from these things are obviously so excruciatingly painful for him, I'm scared to let him have anything that *might* upset his system. Salad foods are also out, especially raw tomato, which is such a shame because he LOVES that too ( so do I!). Tomato is actually the worst offender. He can't have avocado, and he can't have butter. That leaves Nuttlex for his sandwiches, which is just crap in my eyes, but I don't know of any alternative???? I hate buying margarine-type products.

I worry that he doesn't get enough healthy food to eat, particularly as I'm so hopeless and slack ATM. I worry that he will grow up a fussy eater, simply because he hasn't been exposed to these foods as a young child (well he was, up until this year). Oh, and I'm sick of *people* obviously thinking I'm being an overprotective mother, who just turns it all into a drama. People who try to give him this stuff behind our backs. I'm tellin' ya, it's a drama we could all live without!!!!

Oh gosh, I know it's not all that bad, he's a healthy kid, whose system is just obviously sensitive to many things (like medications as well!). And I know that he will grow out of alot of it to some extent. But some days it just feels so frustrating. I think particularly because we are such foodies, and I enjoy cooking so much. Sometimes I really struggle to adapt all these things into our family diet, if that makes sense. It shouldn't be hard, because I can't have the dairy, soy or nuts either. Which is another thing that's bugging me, all I want during this pg is really cold chocolate milkshakes, but if I go near dairy ATM it makes me so violently ill, 20 times worse than when I'm not pg . I just want a magnum for goodness sake!!!! Anyway, that's for another thread.

If you have read through all of that rambling, THANK YOU . No need to respond, I just needed to get it out there.

[Epacris]

Oh Janie, far out Wow, I reckon you are doing an AMAZING job! I hope things get better as your DS gets older. More hugs

[feeb]

Wow how hard for you. Doesnt sound like poor thing can each much, which must be hard when around others that are eating everything.

Huge hugs hope it gets easier for you all

xoxoxo

[CrazyLady]

that sounds so frustrating! to you.

[{sarah}]

I can't help with the allergy stuff hun, but there is a forum for it, if you'd like me to move your thread for you?

[Janie]

Thanks guys . He is pretty good around other kids, but I think that's his age you know. I'm sure it will get harder as he gets older. And sometimes I cave and give in, because I feel so bad for him . Because he doesn't actually have an anaphylactic reaction, we don't have to worry about really severe side effects (which I am so grateful for). But that means that sometimes I just say yes (only to minor things, which don't cause big problems) which isn't great. I need to be more consistent with it I think. I also end up feeling very conflicted and usually guilty if I cave .

Sarah, that would be wonderful, thank you. My pg brain obviously didn't want to find it!

[Lulu]

Hun, can you start 'growing your own'?

As my understanding goes - the salicyclate stuff comes from fruit picked too early (as it is these day for transport etc), so if you could try growing your own, picking and eating it when they are ripe and ready to go naturally it shouldn't be so much of a problem?

Strawberries are fun to grow and I've seen watermelon seedlings around..

[Janie]

Well yeah Lulu, I'm totally happy to grow my own (have done strawbs in the past), but my understanding of strawberries is that they are just naturally high in salicylates??? I know some foods have their saliclyate content 'enriched' by use of pesticides etc , but as far as I know the foods that have naturally occurring very high amounts are just that - there's nothing you can do about it.

I have been having a quick google LOL and can't find anything.....if you have any info could you please let me know? I find it really hard to know where to start looking with this stuff.

[Trillian]

Yeah, with some of them you just can't avoid it unfortunately. You could also try growing some heirloom varieties too - they haven't had their DNA screwed around with by monsanto and see if that helps? As for the nuttlex, I don't mind it but there are some really good margarine alternatives and I have a friend whose boys can't have dairy so she uses marg but you don't have to use a lot. We had Alister tested for coeliacs and other allergies a few months ago and I was so scared because of all the changes that you have to make and how hard it would be when you have older children too and I was soooo glad that all his tests came back clear, so I can sympathise a little with you at how daunting it would be. I hope that he does grow out of most of it at least and that in the mean time things get easier for you all

[Janie]

I just found this old thread! I'm pleased to report that DS1 has probably half outgrown his salicylate sensitivity He can eat small amounts of salicylate-rich foods without any dramas. He doesn't seem to be outgrowing his protein intolerances, but I kind of expected that. And DS2 has protein intolerances too, dairy, soy and oats (go figure). As I'm breastfeeding him, I need to completely avoid these foods, so it makes it easy to just avoid them as a family.

It's still very frustrating at times, but more because DS2 is just starting, and I know it's a bit of a road ahead of us. I'm scared to offer him foods high in salicylates, because he is at higher risk of being sensitive, with his cows milk protein intolerance. But I'm going to have to get brave at some point, and just see how he goes. DS1 copes very well though, with only occasional tears over not being allowed something. He knows that he can't have "dairy" and frequently asks me and other people giving him food if we've "checked the instructions, does that have dairy?" (LOL, it's pretty cute). He is very understanding, and usually only breaks down when we're at a party or something, and EVERYONE else is having ice cream cake or something. I feel so mean at those times, though I know it's not my fault.

Sometimes I wish I could be completely in the dark, and just blindly give him stuff, and let him have stuff that he can't have. But honestly, our lives are so much better for knowing our boys food issues, so although it is tough at times, I wouldn't really change it. Knowledge is power and all that . Thanks to everyone who was so supportive when I posted this thread originally

[belfie]

I just stumbled across this thread - thanks for posting the update. And secondly I know just how hard it is when you have tonnes of restrictions in a household (ours is more than a bit mental at present too) and it's a drain that's for sure.

Next BB catch-up we can have a good food intolerances vent, think we deserve it!

[MrsBexie]

All my nephews (4 all up, 2 from my bro n 2 from my sis) have salicylate intolerances and 2 of them have the allergy to milk protein.
I am a bit scared for my DD Charlotte cause it runs in the family! (I had it as a kid too but back then they didnt really know much bout it, and I was allergic to artificial colours, preservatives and flavors so I wasn't allowed anything pretty much!!)
It is very hard to have kids with high allergies to foods that should be normal! It sounds like you are going very well though as hard as it must be!
Good luck and hopefully ds2 grows out of it soon!!

[Kirley64]

Thanks for this post and update

My son is the same. Dairy, soy and oat protein allergic, also low allergy to egg, and cannot tolerate salyicalates either. He is alot better now he is on solids with the salyicalates, but i still have to avoid grapes, tomatoes (did you know roma, cherry and grape are lower levels than field tomatoes and usually tolerable?) and broccoli. Haven't tried strawberries of late cuz they aren't in season anymore.
Add into that that we are combating severe candida and cannot have yeast or sugar as well....also meant to be cuting out gluten but i just cannot do it at the moment. It's sooo hard isn't it! And frustrating. Everything has either soy, dairy, oats or sugar in it!!
And my DH's family just think we are over reacting because nothing except egg shows on allergy test. Also thankful its a non life threatening allergy but its just as frustrating.