Diet

In my reading I discovered a lot of people advocating a Gluten and Casein free diet. This, to me, sounded out right crazy. I'll admit, I have privately snickered at people who are up on their pedestal talking about the benefits of taking this out of your diet or adding that and how it has sooo dramatically changed their lives. "What a bunch of bungol" is what I thought. Even Jerry had talked to me about removing various items from Brogans diet as per what his business associate told him. I was a bit resistant. You could say I was in denial. Maybe if I didn't do anything, he'd just not be Autistic? I have no idea what I was thinking. I just know I was/am having a hard time with accepting what I had to deal with. Like it or not.
However, one morning as Brogan and I were driving around I had the distinct impression I needed to go to a specific MacDonald's. If you know me, you know I am not a huge fan of MacDonald's in the first place. So to get an impression to go to a specific MacDonald's was more than a little out of the ordinary. Add to the fact that it was only 10:30, it was a little out of the ordinary to get an urge to go there. Even as a muttered to myself, passing two other MacDonald's on the way to our destination, I drove on. Pulling into the parking lot I noticed a car with one a magnetic Autism ribbon on the back of their van. In passing I thought, "I hope I get the chance to talk to them". Trouped inside and sent Brogan into the playland area. As I was considering the menu, listening to my heart valves thicken by the minute, a lady came out to request a different drink. Her daughter came tumbling out of the play area after her ... spilling her drink everywhere. You'd expect tears or "I'm sorry mama!" But this little girl started screaming. As her mother quickly started trying to right the situation she was very apologetic, "I'm sorry, she has Autism and some things just really set her off..."I smiled at her and nodded to Brogan and replied, "It's okay, I understand" Four words that started a two hour conversation. Mostly about being an advocate for your child. She also brought up the idea of changing your child's diet (she had smuggled their lunches in and just bought french fries and their drinks).
I am a little dense. A little resistant to change. But when proof positive is smacking me in the face, it's hard to ignore. The next day I removed dairy from Brogans diet. This was a hard decision to make as he would drink up to three cups of strawberry milk a day, every day before this point. (*side note: the red coloring in the strawberry syrup is the worst kind of additive you can give your child. So STOP making your kids strawberry milk!)
I created a monster.
There are certain things in dairy that act much like addictive drugs and when they are removed from a persons diet, the effect can be much like taking crack away from a junkie. They go into withdrawal. For three days Brogan became a child I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Strike that. He became a child I'd send to my worst enemy. Haha. He became violent towards Rhiannon and I, screaming, throwing himself on the floor, hitting his head on walls, throwing the cats ... it was horrid. Every night after I put him to bed I cried. I second guessed myself. I was terrified of what I had created.
Saturday dawned to new beginning. He was calm, running around with Rhiannon, laughing. He had never uttered a spontaneous sentence before. He mimics almost anything you say and would repeat phrases he had heard at random times but never put appropriate words. On this day, that began to change. As he and Rhiannon were rolling around on her bed, tickling each other he shrieked, "You tickling me!" I had to hold back the tears. I was astonished. My son had just used the right words, in the right place, with out prompting.
This has only solidified my determination to move us into a completely GF/CF diet. It's taking longer to remove the Gluten from our diet, as it is EVERYWHERE. Crackers, breads, cereals, pastas. We shop mostly at Market Street now, it's like Whole Foods, but has a more extensive food variety. They have options that I'd never had imagined. Rice and corn based products, organic variety. Yes, our food bill has doubled. But really, what is the expense compared to what we are gaining?
As I peek over at Brogan, he's holding a cat gently in his lap with a brush in the other explaining to her, "I'm going to brush your hair" ... off runs the cat. He tried that yesterday, somehow he came away with a clump of hair. Smart cat.