Our first few weeks on the GFCF diet

Our son did not show any noticeable improvements on the diet. However, we did learn he could no longer have a “nerd rope”. Food colorings are a big trigger for him. I “knew” that but ignored it for a long time.

Our daughter’s story is textbook amazing! On day one she started making eye contact with us, starring eye contact. I couldn’t get enough. Her sparkly clear blue eyes were fixated on everyone’s eyes as if it was the first time she saw us.

In that first week her sensory defenses started to come down. On the 4th day she kissed and hugged her daddy. It was then we realized she had not done that in almost 2 years. On the 5th day she voluntarily told me she loved me. Her affection had come back. ~ When you are in the battle you do not realize that you are losing physical touch and loving words. When had these gone?

As the weeks wore on her mood evened out, and her need for time out lessened. Another strange thing – our daughter has always been a hot body. It is actually pretty common in a “bipolar kiddo”. One day she said. “I’m cold”. I was shocked. A few days later she was cold again. Now her body temperature more mirrors ours.

Also in those first weeks, she started to ask to be tucked into bed again. Like I said before, it is amazing what you give up in the fight. Bedtime was such a battle ground that we did whatever to get the kids to bed. Our daughter wanted to put herself to bed. Fine. Day 10 on the diet she came to me and said, “Will you read me a book and tuck me in?”

Now, there were some rocky patches. But nothing like the drama we were living in. Day’s 1-6 she would cry a lot. Days 8-12 her feet were peeling and she had trouble sleeping. (I now know this was yeast) By the end of the third week we were able to LOWER her Depakote! Lowering her Depakote was a long term goal. What made this more amazing was that her 1000 mg dose was not working when we started the diet. It needed to be increased, but that was too dangerous. So lowering it – was nothing short of a miracle!

We did not tell anyone what we were doing. By the end of the third week teachers left and right were stopping me at school. “What have you done with your daughter?” “Why?” I would ask. “She is talking to me.” Or “She made a friend on the playground”. Or “She is following directions”. It was obvious – the diet would stay. Now what about an Autism diagnosis?