Wow, Could This Be True?

[Pacer]

We have been a gluten-free household for about a week.

~~~Flashback: my younger son (6) - obvious GI symptoms which abate with gluten-free. Older son (8), apparantly asymptomatic except very low BMI and ++ on Enterolab. End flashback.~~~

Today my 8 year old said to me: " Gluten Free sucks, but it helps me feel better. ". My first thought was, he is such a people pleaser, he is just dutifully repeating the line he's been fed. But I asked how he feels better. He told me that he can now keep up in tag, and catch people he could never catch before. huh????

I was like "really??" and he said without a doubt, he runs faster. I did not probe much further but since I have gone jogging with my son many times, I can easily quantify this over the weekend. Is that even POSSIBLE?? I have always known my son gets fatigued more easily than some, but I attributed it to body type and asthma. (of course there is the whole continuum of body type and asthma relating to celiac, too). He has not read the celiac literature so he doesn't officially know about the fatigue thing.

if this is true -- if being gluten-free can help him find energy he never knew he was missing -- well, then maybe I won't complain so much about having to feed my family vile foods. I'll keep you guys posted. HEIDI

[Guhlia]

This is absolutely possible. His body is now probably beginning to get the nutrients that it so desperately needs to perform properly. The more well nourished his body is, the better it will work, including things like running and stamina.

[Kellygirl]

This is absolutely possible. His body is now probably beginning to get the nutrients that it so desperately needs to perform properly. The more well nourished his body is, the better it will work, including things like running and stamina.

Makes a lot of sense to me. My younger sister and I lived together up until this past year. She is a single mother - father just walked out.

I helped her raise him for the first 3 years. He was always so sick when we look back now, but at the time we didn't really notice how sick he really was. We both beat ourselves for it but he is healthy now and that is what matters.

In the four years since he was born we found out he has exyma, a severe peanut allergy, a lactose intolerance and he NEEDED his tonsils out, he started to get seizures when he was less than 2 years old and every time he got the slightest fever he would seize.

Apparently it is not common practice to take a 2 year olds tonsils out anymore it is considered dangerous. My sister fought with the doctors on this and begged them to take the tonsils out. He had the peanut reaction shortly after that and the doctors did end up taking his tonsils out after another burst of outrage from my sister.

After all of the re-shopping for food, diet change, his tonsils being removed, he is so healthy looking and well behaved and Happy. It really is amazing now to look back and think how could I not have seen all these problems. Given that I haven't had children and this was her first we didn't see a lot of things most parents would see.

He would only throw up his milk at night and we thought that maybe it was too cold, or too hot or that he needed something to eat. After all I have a lactose intolerance and If I drink milk I break out in hives and throw up curdled milk immediately. So every person responds different when they have something running through there body that doesn't agree with them.

I guess my point to all of this rambling is that if he feels better and he notices a difference, then he is probably right. We are all different and you don't realize something is making you sick, or slowing you down until it is taken away.

My nephew has not had a seizure since he had his tonsils removed. The doctors were against it but my sister begged them - Sometimes only a mother can see what will make the difference.

Good luck with the gluten free house and have fun on your run this weekend!

Kelly

[Juliebove]

Could also be his age. I've been told by my daughter's dance teachers that age 8 is usually a big step in terms of muscle development and coordination.

[mairin]

I would say it is true as well, and really surprising.

My daughter (turned 9 in March, and biopsy March 22, positive for celiac) now too has energy. She wasn't a lazy child but every day after school she begged to go home immediately, whereas her younger sister always wanted to play in the playground. Now my celiac daughter stays and plays, she joined running club, she plays more at lunch (her admission). She plays grounders with the other kids where before she just sort of walked around or stood watching.

She sleeps better too -- before going gluten-free she would stay up to all hours, she now is usually asleep by 9:30 - 10:00 (at least 1.5 hours than when not gluten-free).

Being gluten-free is definitely giving her lots more energy.

And I'm especially proud of her today as she made her first communion and decided on her own not to take the host -- I told her it was her decision and she said that she feels better being gluten-free (and note, she had no GI symptoms ever, except for being the farting queen).

Now perhaps we'll both take up running!

[JennyC]

I thought my 3.5 year old son had energy before...WOW was I wrong!!! Since diagnosis he has tons of energy. He doesn't want to go to bed as early and many times he has so much energy that he literally runs throughout the house and jumps up and down! It is so nice to see such a positive change in him.

[2kids4me]

Absolutely!!

About a week after going gluten free, my daughter asked to go for a walk, she wanted to explore...up til then, she was more of a slug, she'd go for walk if asked - but never her idea. I always thought she was just on the lazy side.

It started to rain but that didnt deter her...we kept going...we came to a hill - its quite big and a good climb (kids use it for sledding in the winter). She ran to the top, she'd never run to the top before! She had huge grin on her face, and held her hands up high "LOOK AT ME, MUMMY!"..Then it started to hail, she danced on the hill and I was the one trying to get her to come down! I cried as I watched, I was so happy . I had my girl back - I had this wonderful smiling energetic girl

Since then, I like walking in the rain...

Their little bodies dont have to deal with the onslaught of gluten every day....

Sandy

[little d]

My little girl has always been on the slim side her energy well she goes ninty to nothin talking, singing, dancing all the time, but I still think that she may have a GI problem, she has the same as me when I was little. But since I have discovered the gluten-free world she has eaten some of the things that I eat, but she still eats regular food. She has put some weight and height on since last year. I would like to get her to eat more but she does not like a lot of gluten-free foods. We went to Whole Food last week a woman with her two kids offered her a gluten-free Vanilla wafer she didn't like I did it though I'm going to have to get some for myself and put them in her lunch.

Donna

[Pacer]

Thanks for all the stories and input everyone. We are moving, so it will be a few weeks before I can really test my son and see how he's running. However next Sunday we are doing a local celiac awareness walk. it's in Queens, NY. I may be able to tell a little from that.

I also called a couple of nutritionists today. I am truly drowning here - I need professional help, somehow. Its too hard, I am having anxiety attacks every time i put a meal down. I fele like I'm starving my kids. Nobody wants the food I'm giving them. I need someone whose job it is to know how to introduce foods to kids.

one point I'd like to just vent -- I've come to the conclusion that controlling your diet, removing your favorite foods.... has got to be one of the most difficult things anyone can do. How else can you explain people like Oprah, or Rosie who have $$ millions but can't seem to control their weight. I'm just getting tired of people telling me how "easy" celiac is. if it was easy to change your whole way of eating, there would be no fat people in the world.

Ugh - I will sign off - evenings are never a great time for me. I just feel so utterly overhelmed by this whole thing, I would do anything to make it go away. bad day.

[shan]

i don't know how long youu've been on the diet - my dd has been on it for 10 weeks - and i can tell you that though i am still stuck for what to give her for lunch, it does get easier!! i basically stopped feeling guilty if i gave her the same lunch a few days on the run!! she doesn't care so why should i?!?! i also try not to feel bad if i miss out a day on giving her a protein or veg - i know htat her snacks are way healthier than other kids her age!!

[wowzer]

I'm glad to hear that your children are feeling better. It helps to be able to get better sleep. When I look back at myself as a child, I always had trouble getting to sleep. It sure is amazing what food can do for you and how it can also make you so sick.