HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUDDY & TOOTSIE!

We are still here!  

It has been almost a year-and-a-half since my last post.  As you can see, the kiddos have really grown!  January is birthday month.  Buddy is now 12 and Tootsie is 10!  They are doing really well, but we still have little bumps in the road here and there. Buddy hasn't needed SIBO or yeast treatment since my last post.  Tootsie has needed it once.  We now see a naturopath in Seattle that has her on a low dose of erythromycin, every night at bedtime, for the next 6 months. We'll check in with the doctor after 6 months to see if we should continue this regimen.   The erythromycin is being used to stimulate the cleansing waves in her intestine while she sleeps.

SIBO is a disorder that relapses because eradication itself does not always correct the underlying cause, which is thought to be a deficiency of the migrating motor complex (MMC) in many cases.  The MMC moves bacteria down into the large intestine during fasting at night and between meals, clearing them from the small intestine (SI) on a daily basis.  Bacteria can repopulate the SI within 2 weeks of finishing antibiotics, herbal antibiotics or elemental diet, without prevention, though it may take longer.  If diet alone is used as treatment, the underlying causes must still be addressed for optimal improvement.  - Allison Siebecker

 Their diets remain gluten-free, very low fructose, low FODMAP, and milk is lactose-free.  That means we rarely eat out and social functions, which involve food, are tricky.   We always have a snack bag with us.  If they go to birthday parties or sleepovers, they take their own food and treats.  It can be a drag, but when we push the limits they suffer...and it's just not worth it.

Buddy's birthday was on the 7th of this month.  We took him and 6 boys to the paintball park.  They had so much fun!  I fixed some GF cheese pizza from Costco and some GF brownies for him and his buddies...and figured he could have 2 pieces of pizza and a thumb size piece of a brownie.  Well, I wasn't watching closely and he ended up visiting the candy machine and shared a 3 Musketeers with his friend, then ate several pieces of pizza and a whole brownie!!  He was fine that night, but the next morning I noticed red circles under his eyes.  Then, the following day the depression, anxiety, and tummy pain hit.  He said he felt like gas was trapped under his ribs.  It's a 3 day process for him to work through the symptoms of being "fructosed"...which meant he had to miss a few days of school. Ugh - It's not worth it, Buddy!

These are the lessons they have to learn on their own because mom and dad aren't always able to monitor things for them.   It's the pits to be different from everyone else.  :(  I am so very proud of them though...they rarely complain about their adversity.  They accept it and keep pressing on.  I love them to pieces.  :)