A Mother’s Story
This is not the type of email I receive every day, but when one arrives it is always touching and it gives me a very good feeling about what I do. When I received this one I immediately thought I would like to share it with my readers. I emailed the author asking if I could do so, after changing her daughter’s name. She answered that I could share it with anyone I wanted, and there was no need to change any names, anyway she already tells everyone she meets. For privacy concerns I still changed the name. Here is her email:
”I’ve been meaning to write you for a while, but never seem to find the time to sit down and write when it is on my mind. If you remember we started the gluten-free casein-free soy-free diet in October. If I remember correctly we were probably on the diet for 2-3 weeks when she came down with a terrible sinus infection. We had a follow-up with you in early November, and she had just gotten over her sinus infection. I had taken her to our regular pediatrician, who is quite open-minded, but basically painted the picture that he has seen her situation (gigantic tonsils) many times over the years, and that he bet he would be seeing a lot of us that winter. He explained how the crowding doesn’t allow the ears to drain, etc. and that while she would eventually outgrow it, how much intervention would we have to do in the meantime? It was clear to me (without him saying it) that he thought tonsillectomy was the right path. That until we did the surgery, we’d be in and out of his office with illness like a revolving door, especially during the winter. I left feeling discouraged, but we stuck with the diet and supplements.
I am happy to report that the sinus infection was the last illness of ANY KIND she’s had. I’m still pinching myself. I am simply in shock at how healthy she is. This cold and flu season seemed to be the worst by far that I have seen. All the kids in her class had hacking coughs and running noses. Both her teachers came down with the flu. Our best friends that we see two or three times a week both came down with the flu. The wife of the couple had a sinus infection and ear infection as well. Another close friend had a cold he couldn’t shake for 3 weeks and ended up not going on a trip because it was so intense for him. Louise traveled with us to Wisconsin (on airplanes), had her sleep disrupted, extreme changes in temperature (snow, etc.), changes in routines, etc. Throughout all this, she did not even get one trickle of mucus from her nose. Not even a mild cold, cough, NOTHING. Before she would have been the first to get it. I have no doubt about that.
I can’t thank you enough for this gift you have given us. I’m truly a believer. Also, you should know that, at 2.5 years old, Louise is her own food boss. She is very much aware of what has gluten and casein. She told our friend yesterday that she can’t have bread because ‘that’s gluten.’ At a Mexican restaurant, they accidentally put cheese on her beans. She said ‘Uh oh! Look at my beans. I can’t have cheese!’ This from a child who used to love and beg for cheese. At Christmas time, we made GFCF cookies for Santa. She made sure we told Santa the cookies were gluten-free. She’s happy to have her Jell-o when the other kids have birthday cake. Most parents think she is just amazingly compliant, but I think she FEELS BETTER. The few times she got a regular hot dog or something, her behavior has changed, and she has been more emotional, clingy, and explosive. It makes me wonder how many kids who are not very compliant are under the same spell that junky food can bring?
Anyway, I just wanted to thank you deeply for your help. I am looking forward to seeing our pediatrician at her next well-child visit to remind him that not only did he not see a lot of us over the winter, he didn’t see us AT ALL!”
