I just have to remind myself, it is all OK. It really is.
Natalie
My Natalie is sick again. She has CVS (which stands for Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome). Basically, periodically (every month to three months) she just gets extremely nauseaus and usually throws up. It can last from a few hours to quite a long time. Last time, it lasted a long time (over six days) and involved a trip to the E.R. But, I think she also had a virus that started it last time. Also, since last time we have gotten some medicine to give to her when she has an episode. So, Nat threw up twice today, but I'm optimistic that she'll be feeling better soon.
It's just hard, because understandably she is very irritable and well, you just don't know when she'll be better. CVS is related to migraines and as they get older the kids with this can often sleep off an episode or the episodes turn into migraine headaches instead. Yet, I do know too that I need to trust Jesus in this. He is our healer and our peace and our comforter and our guide.
Update: Natalie was completely well the next day. Yeah!
Rachel
Rachel has been back on wheat for about three weeks. I've been keeping a daily log on her for about five weeks, and boy is there a dramatic downturn since going on wheat (three weeks ago). She is having multiple potty accidents a day. It really feels discouraging. In another week, I am going to get her tested for Celiac. But, even if she isn't clearly Celiac, I think I am going to take her off wheat (gluten). Her symptoms are definitely clearly out of the norm. This isn't just one of those cases of I want my child to be a little healthier, or I'm that I'm attributing some general behavior issues to some a popular dietary trend.
However, that said, I have been reading even more about intolerances and their relationship with learning issues. We are also having some learning issues with Rachel. This is frustrating too. If any of you have any input for me, I'd love it. I wonder what to do if we go through Kindergarten and she still hasn't learned to read?
Even if I wanted to, I feel like I can't send her to school because of the potty issues. They say, the earlier you catch learning disabilities etc., the better. But, with these issues, we have no record of how she performs in school or away from me, so what do I do? What do homeschoolers do out there when they suspect one of their children might have a learning disorder? My older daughter learned basic reading at three, without any pressure from me. I don't expect them to be the same. I know God gives us all different strengths, but Rachel seems resistant to even learning the sounds of her vowels. And, I struggle with this. I also know that some say that some kids are better able to learn at age 7 or 8. Yet, if there is some kind of help I need to get for her I don't want to wait that long. On the bright side, she can add in her head as far as she can count, which is about fourteen, pretty easily.
I thought Rachel would turn five and things would start clicking. I've read that for some kids if you get them off gluten and milk (that's a really hard one - I think that would be harder than gluten) and food additives - that their learning issues just clear up. Basically, what some are theorizing is that certain people have this leaky gut syndrome and that there are some drug like substances that make their way through to their brain that originate with gluten proteins and milk proteins.
Then, of course, a lot of the food additives out there are just plain chemicals that have nothing to do with the real food God gave us to eat. Particularly, I guess, some of the food coloring first was intended to be used as a pesticide (I'm going off heresay here - I haven't researched this myself), but it wasn't a strong enough pesticide, and now they use it as food coloring here in the U.S. - including in things like ordinary toothpaste where they don't even have to list it as an ingredient.
So, all of that may be a future area I pursue. After I got going, going gluten free for Rachel wasn't hard. But, it seems like it might be a little more difficult to further purify our diets. Your prayer for God's direction is definitely wanted.
Abigail
On a bright note, Abigail has never given us any cause for concern whatsoever with any health issues.
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