Skeptical Mom Trying To Cope

[Paige'sMom]

My daughter who is 10 was diagnosed in May with Celiac Disease. I have been watching the forums and have not found anyone with the same circumstances, so decided to post my own to find out if there is anyone out there with the same circumstances. Paige had woken up 4 times within a 2 week period with stomach pain. She is a gymnast so I had put it off to muscles the first time. The second time the flu had gone through our household and thought it might be that. The third time, I started getting concerned that it might be her appendix. I told my husband that if it happened one more time that I was going to bring her to our pediatrician. The next night she had the same thing happen. I called the Dr. and was not able to get her in to our normal pediatrician, (who I trust my life with, he has diagnosed my older son, who is 17 with Graves' disease, my son, who is Paige's twin with water on his brain and spine when he was 1, which we had to travel back from 2 states away because I knew something was wrong and the pediatrician where we lived just said it was because he was a preemie. He's just wonderful). Anyway, we saw one of his partners and by the time we got in to the doctor, her symptoms had all passed, which they always had after a couple of hours. Now remember, she only had this 4 times in a 2 week period. He did some blood work and said that he was going to test her for Celiac Disease as he had just diagnosed another child that week after many, many tests. I really didn't know what he was talking about and didn't pay too much attention to what he was saying. I was just happy that it wasn't her appendix and thought it was just a fluke and she would be fine. Paige had no more episodes of stomach pains from the time I brought her in to see the dr. and the Sunday morning 3 weeks later when he called me at 8:30 am and scared me to death. He told me that Paige tested positive for Celiac Disease and to put her on a gluten free diet immediately. Of course I spent all day Sunday researching online and scaring myself to death over what my daughter had. We had already had a doctor's appointment set up that Monday with our normal pediatrician for 2 of our other children,and wanted to talk to him desperately to find out what this was and what we needed to do. We went to the doctor appointment and told him what his partner had told us. First off he told us to not take gluten away until we had a biopsy done to confirm the disease. I wish the first doctor would have told us that. I still rushed out after the doctor's appointment and bought every cookbook and book that I could find on Celiac Disease at Barnes and Nobles. We got set up 3 weeks later for her biopsy. They biopsied her esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. All this time, still not having any symptoms whatsoever, only those 4 instances of stomach pain in the middle of the night. The biopsy was very traumatic on Paige and myself. I hated to see her go through that, even though they were very good to all of us and she didn't feel a thing. The doctor came out to talk to us and told us that her pictures looked great but that the pathologist had to look at her slides and he would let us know the next day. He really got my hopes up. He called us the next evening and told me that she was positive for celiac disease. I realize that you can be asymptomatic and still have this, but it has been so hard. How do you tell a kid that they have to remove everything that they love from their diet? Paige has always been a picky eater and cereal and mac n cheese have been 2 things that she would eat. I realize that it's not a great diet, but she has never eaten much and to take away the few things that she will eat was very hard. Everything that I have read on how to get a child to not eat things that they aren't supposed to is to tell them that it will make them feel bad and get a tummy ache. Well how do you tell a kid who has never felt bad from eating gluten, that it's going to make her feel bad now? If anyone else is out there in the same situation, could you please respond? She cries a lot because she's not able to eat what the other kids are eating and she is at a stage of not wanting to feel different. We go back on July 17 to check her levels. I know that they say that you can't out grow Celiac, but could the pathologist have been wrong? Any help is appreciated.

[MyMississippi]

First of all, don't tell your daughter she can't eat the food she loves anymore--- because she can. She can still eat gluten free mac and cheese, gluten free cereals, pizza, muffins, cookies, crackers, etc. She does not have to feel deprived.

The tricky part is eating out, fast foods, etc. And the HARD part is that you will have to learn to cook for her basically from scratch. But it can be done, and done well. You will get the hang of it in time-----It will become second nature to you----

It seems she has a definitive diagnosis- and though you want to hope it isn't so, ---it's best to start accepting it.

One day at a time.

There are many good gluten free foods you could order online, or hopefully buy in your local health food store.

Even some grocery stores are carrying more gluten free items.

You are right, some people have no symptoms (Silent Celiac) ---- different people react in different ways.

Don't despair---- stay positive for your daughter's sake. And best of luck. You will find lots of good info here.

[happygirl]

With positive bloodwork and a positive biopsy - that is the gold standard for a Celiac diagnosis.

Try finding a local Celiac support group - they can put you in touch with other local families with Celiac.

Hang in there!

Good resources:

www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu

www.celiaccentral.org

www.celiac.org

www.celiacdisease.net

[ShayFL]

My household is 100% gluten free. My daughter eat's Mac and Cheese all of the time....just gluten-free variety. There are many to choose from....dry boxes to frozen. Tons of gluten-free cereals.

If those two items are your biggest concern, you can relax......you can order online, at local stores in your area, etc.

And after she has been 100% gluten-free for awhile, a lot of people who were asymptomtic before, become highly sensitive to gluten. So she might get really sick if she eats gluten after she has healed. Just know this can happen.

[CeliacMom2008]

You are so lucky! You owe that pediatrician who suggested the blood test a huge thank you! I don't think you know how blessed you are to have found a doctor so quick to help your daughter. So many doctors just don't know about Celiac. It's one of the most misdignosed diseases out there. You are so lucky Paige didn't have to get incredibly sick before someone figured out what was wrong with her.

It sounds like you're having trouble accepting Paige's diagnosis. This isn't the end of the world. You may find that it is the beginning of a whole new world! But to help Paige you need to have a positive attitude. I suggest getting Danna Korn's book Kids with Celiac Disease: A Family Guide to Raising Happy, Healthy, Gluten Free Children. I would get this today and start reading. It will help you a great dea. When you're ready for more, Peter Green's Celiac Disease: A Hidden Epidemic is really good for getting deeper into the disease.

It's so important for you to set the lead with Paige in attitude and action. Dying is hard. Living gluten free isn't. Watching your child suffer is beyond hard. Living gluten free isn't. You can do this! And Paige can do this! It is so good that she is so young and you can help her learn how to live with this and grow up with it. As a team it will be so much easier than if she were an adult and having to do it all on her own.

You said she was a picky eater. You may find that once her body recovers that she isn't as picky as before, or maybe not. You can hope. Here are some ideas to get you started with her two favorites:

Mac & Cheese ~ My son likes Amy's frozen. We just learned that you can buy the Kraft cheese from Kraft Mac & Cheese to use with gluten free pasta (many here like Tinkyada, we are addicted to Ancient Harvest Quinoa). Others takethe packet of cheese from the regular box of Kraft mac & cheese and pitch the noodles and use the powder packet. Or you can use Velveeta. Mac & Cheese is EASY to keep in her diet.

Cereal ~ There are lots of cereals avaible. We like Rice Chex (General Mills just changed their formula, so look for the box that says "Gluten Free" on the front), Gorilla Munch (like Kix), Panda Puffs (peanut butter Kix sort of), Krispy Rice (equivalent of Rice Krispies), and Amazon Flakes (like Frosted Flakes). Mickey Mouse Club and Little Einsteins used to be available in our area, but not any more. They are regular cereals that happen to be gluten-free and they're sugar cereals.

One thing that we do is keep a bundle of labels in a draw from gluten-free foods. We write on them what we liked or didn't like. I started this so I would remember what we hated and what we loved, but it helps my son too. We try a lot of things, but if they taste bad we don't dwell on it. We make a big production out of writing on the label what was bad and pitch any remaining product. We do not want for food around here! Our whole house is gluten-free despite that it is only my son who is the Celiac. It's not a big deal. We eat better than we did before (and by better I mean taste!).

If she likes sweets, there are donuts, awesome cookies, plenty of cake options, brownies, etc. This is not a big deal. Again, watching your child suffer is a big deal, this is not. Your post sounds like you think it would be easier if she'd been really sick when she was diagnosed. You really wouldn't want that. No parent would. I know it might be easier to accept and a relief, but it isn't really what you would want. You are so fortunate to have caught this so early. Chin up! You're not alone and you will all get through this! And we're here to help answer questions, lend a shoulder when you need a good cry or rant, and celebrate when you have victories!

[cymrudenver]

I totally understand how you feel, my daughter just turned 11 yrs and was diagnosed on Monday. She's had 2 episodes of stomach cramps in her life, she was tested because I was diagnosed last week.

It's hard for a parent and even harder for a child, I've ordered my daughter a couple of kid specific celiac books from amazon and pointed her in the direction of a kids message board where she can get a gluten-free pen-pal. I found the "Silly-Yaks" site and she thinks that is really funny and wants a silly-yak shirt.

If your daughter would like to e-mail mine and share frustrations that would be fine with me

We have to do this, there is no choice.....figuring out the how we do this is the tough part....

[Lockheed]

I think you have to put a positive spin on being celiac with children. I try to make things that taste better than the gluten version and then it's a no hands down contest getting everyone in the house to eat gluten free. I don't know if anyone has found a good gluten free mac n cheese. I thought Amy's frozen mac n cheese had the best until they changed their cheese sauce and now it tastes like nacho cheese on rice bran like most everything else. But if anyone has any suggestions on the gluten-free mac n' cheese post please! But I make things like pancakes from scratch (I've posted the buttermilk pancake recipe around here somewhere) and Ener-G makes really good treats that are gluten free. When I order my flours I just throw in a box of extra goodies from them. But our meals are whole roasted buttermilk chickens with mashed potatoes and green beans or steaks with rice and sweet corn or pork stew.. things like that. I make all the gluten-free breads from scratch in the house because it really doesn't take that long once you get the hang of it and the fresh ones taste much better than the store bought stuff.

I know it's a shock now and adjustment but I bet if you moved the whole house to being gluten free, you'll find that you are all feeling better. Not just by being gluten free but because it really does force better eating habits of eating a variety of fresh foods.

[ptkds]

It looks like the diagnosis is correct. Nothing else will cause the villi in her intestines to flatten, which is what the pathologist saw. My dd was 6 when she was diagnosed. She was asymptomatic as well. We just tesed all of our kids since our toddler was diagnosed. I fully expected my 6 yr olds test to be negative and my 9 yr olds to be positive. It was the opposite. My 9 yr old was negative, and my 6 yr old was positive. Now when she eats gluten, she has the worst reaction. She vomits, has diarrhea, stomach pain, drowsiness, and mood problems. This may happen with your dd as well.

As for the mac n cheese, I order the powdered cheese from www.barryfarm.com. It is the same stuff that Kraft uses. Here is the direct link: Open Original Shared Link

They also have xanthan gum and lots of other things that are gluten-free.

Making sure your dd stays gluten-free is very important. She is at an increased risk of developing cancer and other things if she continues to eat gluten. You should also have your other kids tested, as well as you and thier dad. It is inherited, so she got it from somewhere. I have 4 kids, and 3 of them have it. And I have it, too.

You have come to the right place. Feel free to ask questions! That is what this board is for!

[CeliacMom2008]

We do the "better than" thing too. My son doesn't like white or yellow cake, so he likes it when he goes to birthday parties that he always gets chocolate! And for his school treat bag (which I thought would be really tough on him), he sees it as a positive too. His treat bag is filled with HIS favorites, so he's alwasy assured of something he likes! And when the school sends home the Pizza Hut book it coupon (which he never used any way because he doesn't like their personal pan pizzas), he gets a new Lego kit (way better than the pizza in his head!). It has worked against us a little bit in the healthy eating category (especially in the first few months) because I have fresh baked cookies in the house or krispy rice treats or cake or chips or Reese PB cups way more than I used to! I've started to moderate a little, but we still have more junk food than we did pre-Celiac. I'm definitely over compensating.

[ShayFL]

And you find things....as it goes along. I just found this:

Open Original Shared Link

It is about an hour from where I live in Tampa, but we like going down south. So we are going tomorrow. Will try a variety of things. I called. They have samples. And whatever we like, we can order and it will be delivered to our door the next day. Im off the grains for a trial, but DH and DD can have these yummies. And I reckon I will be sampling too.

[Amyleigh0007]

My 8-year-old son was very picky too. He had his 10 foods that he would eat and that was it. No fruit, no veggies, no meat except for hot dogs and chicken nuggets (if you call that meat). He was dx in March with Celiac and since starting the gluten free diet has gained 7 pounds. He is much, much stronger and plays on a baseball team. He is getting thigh muscles (he wants big thighs like Albert Pujols - Cardinals baseball player). That is motivating him to stay gluten free and try new foods so he continues to grow. He has eaten pork steak, hamburger, bananas, apples, yogurt, things he would have never tried in a million years before his dx. His dx was the best thing that could have happened because now I have a healthy, happy boy who is excited about life. PS- One of my son's favorite foods was mac & cheese too. He still eats it but we use Tinkyada elbow pasta, Velveeta and milk. He says it's better than the kind he ate before and I agree.

[buffettbride]

I was in your shoes about a year ago, too, when my daughter was diagnosed. It seemed impossible that something could be wrong with her, just because of some silly tummy aches, and that all of the sudden we had a life-long, life-altering illness to deal with. (And the pathologist was correct---Celiac is not something you outgrow).

But, we did it. A year later, I have a whole new child. Things I never thought were related to Celiac were holding her back health-wise more than I ever realized.

We eat out pretty often and almost always with success. We navigated three major holidays and hosting a birthday party for 12 girls--all gluten free. It takes legwork and a lot of thought to live gluten-free, but I don't find it hard or awful--just a hurdle we have to find a way to get over every now and then.

I remember feeling lost and overwhelmed when she was first diagnosed and how there would be NO WAY she or our family could give up gluten. It seemed impossible!!!! Only one year later, I am incredible cook and we keep our house 100% gluten free. When we entertain at our home, people don't even notice that the food is gluten-free because we use so many foods that are just naturally gluten-free.

Just take things one step at a time. Do your best to keep your daughter 100% gluten free and find a local support group so you can get to know other kids in your area with Celiac. You'll be just fine!

[maryann1958]

Hi Paige's mom,

I know just how you feel. My son was diagnosed 2 years ago at 8. He never had any symptoms. I just had both my kids tested because my mom had celiac and it is so hereditary. Our insurance was ending and it was something I worried about so I had them both tested. My older son was completely negative. My younger one was completely positive. The doctor had discouraged me from testing him because he had no symptoms and said even if he has it, it doesn't appear to be doing anything to him.

But, after having been wheat free for 3 months he was growing out of all his pants. He went from being the smallest kid in the class to normal, from the 20th percentile for weight and height to the 50th for height and 70th for weight. And that is on a restricted diet: no more fish crackers, no more boxed cookies, no more boxed mac and cheese.

We've found lots of food to replace what he has lost although it is really expensive. There are great frozen pizza crusts out there, good pasta (especially anything from Italy), mac and cheese from scratch. I send cake with him to birthday parties and he has a big bag of his favorite candy bars in the teacher's desk for when people bring treats that he cannot eat. I make my own hamburger and hot dog buns and even though they look kind of funny, at least it's a bun!

He does feel sorry for himself sometimes. He wishes he could just eat whatever he wants to. Eating out is a pain. Outback Steakhouse and PF Changs are the two best places.

I have trouble sometimes keeping him on the diet or feeling it is so important that every crumb be kept out of the mayo or the peanut butter since he has NO symptoms. I just have to keep reminding myself of all the other problems that come with celiac if they are not keep wheat free. Dr. Green's book is great for that. Just flip through it and you will become committed to keeping them wheat free!

Good luck! It's hard but it's worth it.

Mary Ann

[ShayFL]

It does make you a better cook. My Hubby keeps saying how much better I am now. I was good before....but even better!! And I am not afraid to experiment.

Today I made a delicious chicken curry for lunch. It was yummy and my daughter liked it too!!

She likes the Amy's frozen. I have not tried to make it myself because it is not something I personally like or will eat. If I can buy it frozen and she can just nuke it, that takes the pressure off me.

I am going to make korean marinated steak tomorrow. You wrap them in butter lettuce leaves.

I would have not been cooking like this before gluten-free!!! So we are enjoying BETTER food and I believe MORE NUTRITIOUS food.

It does get easier. And your daughter will find new favorites in no time.

[taweavmo3]

Everyone has given you great advice. I just wanted to reiterate how important it is for the parent to put on a brave face and have a positive attitude about the diet. The beginning is very hard, I remember going into my room and having a meltdown after trying to grocery shop. It does get better though, it really does .

I can honestly say now (but this takes a while!) that having Celiac in our lives has been a true blessing. Once I had to start reading labels, I realized how much junk was in the food I was feeding my family. I got back to basics, and back to the kitchen.

Having older kids go gluten free is hard....when my son was 7, I put him on the diet, despite a negative blood test. He had psoriasis, and was extremely moody. He does not get violently ill on gluten like my daughter...so I really had to get creative when it came to ways to keep him from cheating. I'm not saying this would work for all kids, but here are a few key points that I think has helped my oldest child comply with the diet.

1. Control.....I think an older child needs to feel in control of what they eat. We've had a lot of talks about Celiac, what it does to your body even when you don't feel it, etc.

2. gluten-free household....I know this isn't possible for everyone, but we are an entirely gluten free house. I feel like home should be the one place where there isn't the temptation to eat regular food.

3. Access.....I always have some gluten free treats readily available, even if it's junk food like a bag of Skittles, lol. Plus, we bake cookies, cakes, brownies, etc, so that none of the kids ever feel deprived of anything.

4. Involvement....get your daughter in the kitchen, let her cook, bake and grocery shop with you. I have four kids, so I know this can be a real pain at times, but I think this has really helped.

I hope this helps, in time you will wonder what all the worry was about!!!!! We've all been in your shoes, but eventually it will be a way of life that you don't even think twice about. Good luck!

[ShayFL]

I have trouble sometimes keeping him on the diet or feeling it is so important that every crumb be kept out of the mayo or the peanut butter since he has NO symptoms. I just have to keep reminding myself of all the other problems that come with celiac if they are not keep wheat free. Dr. Green's book is great for that. Just flip through it and you will become committed to keeping them wheat free!

Please make sure it is GLUTEN free and not just WHEAT free. Just wanted to clarify this since you are new and might, from this post, think it is just wheat that is the problem.

Barley, Rye and most Oats too.

[purple]

Great advice given so far. Here is the first tip I learned. When you make something, make extra and freeze a bit for a fast meal. Get a few entrees in your freezer then when your daughter is hungry she can choose what she wants to eat. Or she can eat before going somewhere and then there is no hastle. I drop food like chili or casseroles in baggies and then into clear plastic containers and label them. I try to keep a dozen assorted ones in the freezer all the time. Freeze treats too! ideas: apple pie, brownies, cookies, rice dishes, spaghetti, taco meat, BBQ chicken, sloppy joe, chicken pot pie, chicken alfredo, cake, pizza slices, waffles, tortillas, bread slices, muffins, scones, enchiladas, blueberry pie, etc. Whatever I know is my daughters favorites. Then she can decide what she gets to eat instead of what she can't have.

[Michi8]

Everyone has given you such good responses so far. Something I haven't seen mentioned is getting your son tested. Since he has been diagnosed with Grave's Disease, you may want to investigate if Celiac Disease may be the cause of it, as untreated celiac disease can lead to many other auto immune health issues, including thyroid.

Michelle

[gymnastjlf]

Mom,

I was a gymnast all my life and was diagnosed with Celiac right before the start of my junior year of college (competing at the Division III level in College). Assuming Paige's life revolved around gymnastics as mine did (my choice!), eating gluten-free is actually going to help her gymnastics.

If she's eating gluten, her body is not going to be absorbing nutrients, she's not going to have as much strength as she could. So she is not going to be able to do her best in the gym. She may be happy with where she is now, but if she sticks to the diet, she will improve.

What level is she at in gym? Good luck to you both!

My daughter who is 10 was diagnosed in May with Celiac Disease. I have been watching the forums and have not found anyone with the same circumstances, so decided to post my own to find out if there is anyone out there with the same circumstances. Paige had woken up 4 times within a 2 week period with stomach pain. She is a gymnast so I had put it off to muscles the first time. The second time the flu had gone through our household and thought it might be that. The third time, I started getting concerned that it might be her appendix. I told my husband that if it happened one more time that I was going to bring her to our pediatrician. The next night she had the same thing happen. I called the Dr. and was not able to get her in to our normal pediatrician, (who I trust my life with, he has diagnosed my older son, who is 17 with Graves' disease, my son, who is Paige's twin with water on his brain and spine when he was 1, which we had to travel back from 2 states away because I knew something was wrong and the pediatrician where we lived just said it was because he was a preemie. He's just wonderful). Anyway, we saw one of his partners and by the time we got in to the doctor, her symptoms had all passed, which they always had after a couple of hours. Now remember, she only had this 4 times in a 2 week period. He did some blood work and said that he was going to test her for Celiac Disease as he had just diagnosed another child that week after many, many tests. I really didn't know what he was talking about and didn't pay too much attention to what he was saying. I was just happy that it wasn't her appendix and thought it was just a fluke and she would be fine. Paige had no more episodes of stomach pains from the time I brought her in to see the dr. and the Sunday morning 3 weeks later when he called me at 8:30 am and scared me to death. He told me that Paige tested positive for Celiac Disease and to put her on a gluten free diet immediately. Of course I spent all day Sunday researching online and scaring myself to death over what my daughter had. We had already had a doctor's appointment set up that Monday with our normal pediatrician for 2 of our other children,and wanted to talk to him desperately to find out what this was and what we needed to do. We went to the doctor appointment and told him what his partner had told us. First off he told us to not take gluten away until we had a biopsy done to confirm the disease. I wish the first doctor would have told us that. I still rushed out after the doctor's appointment and bought every cookbook and book that I could find on Celiac Disease at Barnes and Nobles. We got set up 3 weeks later for her biopsy. They biopsied her esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. All this time, still not having any symptoms whatsoever, only those 4 instances of stomach pain in the middle of the night. The biopsy was very traumatic on Paige and myself. I hated to see her go through that, even though they were very good to all of us and she didn't feel a thing. The doctor came out to talk to us and told us that her pictures looked great but that the pathologist had to look at her slides and he would let us know the next day. He really got my hopes up. He called us the next evening and told me that she was positive for celiac disease. I realize that you can be asymptomatic and still have this, but it has been so hard. How do you tell a kid that they have to remove everything that they love from their diet? Paige has always been a picky eater and cereal and mac n cheese have been 2 things that she would eat. I realize that it's not a great diet, but she has never eaten much and to take away the few things that she will eat was very hard. Everything that I have read on how to get a child to not eat things that they aren't supposed to is to tell them that it will make them feel bad and get a tummy ache. Well how do you tell a kid who has never felt bad from eating gluten, that it's going to make her feel bad now? If anyone else is out there in the same situation, could you please respond? She cries a lot because she's not able to eat what the other kids are eating and she is at a stage of not wanting to feel different. We go back on July 17 to check her levels. I know that they say that you can't out grow Celiac, but could the pathologist have been wrong? Any help is appreciated.

[strawberrygm]

everyone has given great advice.

i am new to this as well, my daughter, lacee, is almost 10 and has now been gluten free 2 weeks.

she has had tummy issues in the past, ulcers..anxiety, and the like. i too was stunned to get the diagnosis, but am trying to make the best of it and be super positive for her sake.

its going really well so far.

we should get our kids together to talk and support each other!!

[mzcippy]

Hi Paige's mom and everyone else- I just went through almost the same thing w/ my son. We thought it was a stomach virus, went on for two weeks, he lost 10 pounds and ended up in the er getting iv fluids due to dehydration. The er dr. sent us to the gi. I am still mad at my pediatrician for letting it go on so long and not just taking a blood test instead of sending us home after two visits w/ a "let the virus run its course, he does not seem dehydrated-if you want we can get a sono". The sad thing was, he was at my very italian mother-in-laws house while he was sick because I had to work and in an effort to "fix him and get him to eat" she fed him toasted italian bread and pasta w/ butter for lunch every day!!! The poor kid was coming home throwing up everyday for a week!

The scope biopsy tested positive and we found out this past friday and had our first shopping trip saturday-and nutritionist next week. He had some stomach irritations this past year which I attributed to a witchy teacher this year-but before that nothing. He was always 95%+ in height and weight since a baby-this past yearly check up was the first time he had a blip in his growth chart- but nothing really to note before that.

Here is my present problem, my son and husband don't seem to understand that cross-contanimation is an issue -as my husband says "how can a little do anything" and my son does not understand that he can't even have one french fry that might have been fried in chicken nugget oil???? Help!!!

I am getting the home under control-not sure if I can get my whole house gluten free, we still have to get the other two kids tested ( 9yr old boy no symptoms, 5 yr. old girl no symptoms, and my husband and I no symptoms) but I am only in this 4 actual days now.

Going out and traveling scares me to death. Both my sons play travel ice hockey and we go on tournaments at least once per month. This weekend I have a mini kitchen w/ at least a micro and fridge at our tournament hotel but most of the time we stay in regular hotels w/ the team and preparing food will be a challenge. HELP!! Although I have found some restaurants that have gluten-free menus they are not everywhere and I am finding my son is just not eating. With hockey he is very active and needs protien and calories and while we travel I am afraid this will be an issue. He can't live on a bag of corn chips and yogurt. HELP!! (did I say that already )

Anyway any suggestions or forums for kids not babies would be helpful too!! I am trying to get him to understand we are in this together and give him support -

thanks for listening-