I used to think that yeast was something a Monistat commercial was built around, or bread and beer industries thrived on for fluffy goodiness and bold flavor.......silly me......
In the Autism world, it's nothing but bold, aggressive, and quite frankly a physical and culinary nightmare.
Last March my son began to giggle through the night, stim much more frequently, stopped being able to follow simple directions, stopped being able to answer questions, was having inconsolable tantrums, couldn't focus or sit still. There was every indication that it was the dreaded yeast, so I added Threelac to his vitamin supplement regime, biotin, and GSE.. One morning he woke up and told me he had the Chicken pox...thing was he was vaccinated against it...and it wasn't chicken pox, though that would have been a hell of a lot easier to deal with.....Turns out, when yeast die off happens toxins are released and he had an allergic reaction to it......How many different doctors does it take to figure out what to do? How many would it take to change a light bulb? Truth is conventional western medicine failed me. A dermatologist, a pediatrician, and allergist couldn't help me....it took a holistic doctor in combination with a DAN doctor to be able to guide me in the right direction. My son's face became 4x bigger, the bridge of his nose disappeared in the swelling. There were hives on top of hives and it was hot, and it was itchy and it was frightening.
His diet was further restricted to not include anything that could turn into sugar, and that is just about everything. Sugar feeds yeast....Soon the swelling went down and his face was restored, but it took months to get the yeast to containable levels......
Now it's back. Not to the degree where his face paid a price again, but his behaviors are up, he is a bit confused, he is a bit aggressive, he melts down, and he has a hard time following the rules.....just in time for school....Talk about earning a paycheck.....
Many may think that Autism is just a neurological condition. Where the brain is concerned it would be wishful thinking to believe that it could be so contained. But it is also an autoimmune disorder. Many people with Autism suffer from severe gastro intestinal issues, thus the infamous brain/gut , gut/brain connection. We have dealt with leaky gut, leaky kid syndrome for the longest, until we went the biomedical route. I tell you, nothing could faze us. My son threw up so often we could clean up the mess, shower him up and continue dinner without missing a beat. A NASCAR pit crew had nothing on us.
He is very well aware of what yeast can do. He has understood that he was allergic to gluten and casein and eggs, but no reaction was ever this violently carried out on his face. He has a new found respect for yeast, and he hates it, He hates the diet, he hates the hold it has on him and he hates the boundaries it sets for him. he has very little control. He hates the differences, he hates that he can't have ice cream on a hot day, or fabulous fresh fruits (watermelon and grapes his favorite), or cookies, or cupcakes.....He absolutely hates even more how it continues to create even more differences between him and the rest of his world......The difference between the neuro typical world and those with Autism is that when we lash out, it is understandable and we can identify, but when those with Autism express their frustrations, it's behavioral issues, and it's not acceptable. Living with a label can be far more limiting than you think, and not only because of the disorder.
I think of what my son is going through, but I have to confess, the start of the school year a few days away scares me as well. I wanted him to be ready to face another school year on a positive note, and I wonder how much patience teachers who do not know him yet may have, when they are trying to settle a group of excited 9 year olds who have so much to want to talk about, and so much catching up to do....and they have Gabe in the midst, trying desperately to process everything all at once. I hope time is kind to me and I can get him under control enough to be able to interact and enjoy his day.
Calgon take me away? How about Diflucan take this away!!!!!!!!! Nothing like a little yeast to get the party started huh? Makes the itchy, burning issues we ladies can have seem a bit amateurish, cause if a doctor told me that I had to cut back on the cocktails and desserts, I can assure you, I would not handle it as gracefully as my child did......despite any swelling.....which again, leaves me in awe of the courage special needs kids have, and in particular, the strength my kid has. Gabe is something special.
No comments:
Post a Comment