Gluten Update

Life's been busy with moving and school, but we are doing good. So thankful for all the good days.

My 5 year old's test results came back. She does have a gluten sensitivity (she tested positive for the IgA - the response to an allergen, for gluten) and she has 2 alleles for the gene they've found related to gluten sensitivity. That means that my husband and I both have at least one gluten sensitivity allele, and chances are my 9 year old has at least one. My now 9 year old did test allergic to wheat when she was 2, so it makes sense. Still trying to figure out what all the results mean. She also tested positive for ttG, which is what doctors look for first for celiac. She did not have the celiac gene though. I'm planning to call the testing company this week with all my questions and will update you then.

Also, my husband's uncle died of colon cancer a while back, and another one now is very ill with colon cancer. I also have a grandfather and his two brother's that died of colon cancer. Although I don't know for sure, I'm really wondering if gluten is the common thread for these issues. It messes up your digestive tract, so maybe it was an open door for cancer. Don't know, just thinking and doing some research.

All of this to say, we are now a gluten free family. Both girls are also milk free for now, and our 5 year old is also egg free. I am so amazed at the difference it has made in her skin. Her eczema had gotten so bad really quickly, and her skin is now supple and she only has a few little spots of itchiness! Whoo Hoo!

We just started going back to our alternative doc. We are finishing up allergy treatments hoping that without the gluten causing their bodies to be super-sensitive, they will respond well and other allergies won't be as bad.

I am finding I have to make things from scratch. Even gluten free things from the store seem to itch their throats or cause some minor reaction. I'm not sure if it's something in the processing, or an allergy we don't know of yet.

Thanks for following our story. For all of you in the thick of it right now, don't give up! Keep researching, asking questions, and praying for direction. There are so many ways to go, we need the Lord to point us in the right direction for each of our families!

Study: Baths with Bleach Help Kids\' Eczema

We are going to start these weekly. Since we stopped swim team at the end of the summer, we've seen a re-emergent of a few spots. Nothing major, small little things, but we want to prevent more. We'll see how it goes. I found this article interesting...

Study: Baths with Bleach Help Kids\' Eczema

Update...Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free

We are so grateful that our MRSA infections have been few and far between. We still have a daily regimen we follow, but it's not ruling our days! We are still hopeful that one day, it will be a distant memory!

Lately we've been dealing more with getting to the bottom on our 5 year old's food allergies. We've seen improvement in her, but there is still many periods of constant stomach pain and eczema outbreaks. We followed doctors orders and put her on a dairy / casein free diet for 30 days. The first week or so was amazing, her skin was getting better and her stomach wasn't hurting. But later in week 2, these symptoms returned. At the end of the month, it occurred to me that she didn't have any bread (gluten) for that first week or so (simply because I didn't know what bread products didn't contain a milk product), and maybe that was a factor, not just the dairy.

I asked a couple friends that had recently discovered their children's gluten intolerance how they tested them. There are so many tests that aren't accurate and I didn't want to waste more money. She's already had a saliva test for milk and gluten that came back normal, and a stool test that was normal for other issues. Both of these friends used the same lab for the testing and finally got results, and since changing their diets, they've seen dramatic results in their children.

We decided to go ahead with this testing. If anyone is interested, you can find more information at www.enterolab.com. We also decided not to wait for the results to put her on a gluten free, milk free, egg free diet. Her skin was horrible on her feet, with cracks that were affecting her walking. It's been 6 days now and her skin is clearing up and she hasn't complained about her tummy once! I'll keep you posted once we have the test results back. I'm hoping she won't have to stay off all three, but if she has too, it's worth it so she is healthy!

Update and questions answered...

The girls are still doing great. My 9 year old realized today that we haven't had MRSA all year (2009). She found that encouraging and neat to say "all year". I am truly grateful. We have really enjoyed these months...I can't believe I said months! We still follow the same protocol. I have cut back a little on some supplements to see how they do, and have still had good results. I am amazed!

I had a couple questions from comments lately, so I thought I'd answer them. One was about StaphAseptic. I did purchase this once and used it. It is very expensive, I thought, and one of the "inactive ingredients" is Tea Tree Oil. I've known tea tree oil does wonders with MRSA, but I think they aren't able to claim that it helps MRSA on the label. Of course it takes lots of money and trials to be able to label these claims. After seeing that, I felt like that was the true "effective ingredient". After that one purchase, I just decided to use tea tree oil instead of paying more for this small tube of antiseptic that goes quickly. I don't really remember how well it worked. I must not have been too impressed.

Another question was about whether we have tried Allimed. I have heard about it, but have not used it, or researched it, so no opinion so far.

My favorites for topical treatment still are Manuka honey, colloidal silver, and tea tree oil. If we see any suspicious spots, we use this combination. We even use the Manuka honey ointment on any cuts and abrasions to prevent infection.