Back story:
My son Etienne is 21 months old. Since infancy, he's always had digestive issues. We switched him to lactose free formula, but he was always in some sort of discomfort and he occasionally suffered from diarrhea. When he started daycare at 18 months, the problems got worse. Starting on the first day, he came home with a rash across his back and chest, and he was experiencing diarrhea. He had recently been vaccinated, so the doctor told us it was a reaction to the vaccine. Only it didn't go away. He began experiencing three to four loose bowel movements per day, he had a chronic runny nose and the rash came and went. To make a long story short, two months, two stool samples, two urine samples and two blood tests later, we were able to rule out parasites as the cause. We were extremely worried. His behaviour had changed and he was irritable and difficult to manage. He had lost several pounds in a two month period and his pants were falling down.
My mom mentioned to me that there was a history of celiac on her side of the family, and suggested I look into that as a possibility. I did some research on the internet and found that his symptoms fit the bill. After speaking with my doctor, she suggested that we try eliminating all gluten and dairy from his diet for a few days and see what happened. We did, and his symptoms disappeared almost immediately. We've had him on a strictly gluten and dairy free diet ever since, and he's regained all the weight he'd previously lost. We've been referred to a specialist to explore the matter further, but that's a story for another post!
We're just starting our journey, and are learning how to navigate the world outside of our home with a small child who doesn't yet understand the dietary restrictions that are placed on him. It's only been a month, but already I've experienced the difficulties of circumventing a daycare menu that is gluten heavy, the joys of soy yogurt, and how quickly symptoms can return when my son accidentally ingests something containing gluten. I look forward to any comments, stories or positive suggestions on anything celiac related.
I'm looking forward to sharing this journey with you!
