Even in regression there is progress
Today marks two weeks and five days of altering Jordan's diet to be a low-salicylate diet to help him remove the tics and lower the inflammation he gets from foods he is sensitive to. Sometimes it is hard to tell if it is doing the job I need it to because, in some areas, he regresses while improving in others.
The first few days, I noticed how calm he was becoming. Then suddenly, things, or should I say the tics, got worse. They were not more powerful, but there was hardly ever a break in-between them. I really had to pay attention to and research multiple things to pinpoint what the real issue was. I had already come to the conclusion that the vegetable capsules could play a part, and the supplements he took that are in them I pour out in liquid for him to take that way. I had removed the chicken just in case he had a hard time digesting meat. Because of the strides we have made, I can notice a change in his actions soon after he eats. It looked to me that he was reacting to the lentils or the pasta.
Researching what the problem could be with the lentils was eye-opening. Lentils are high in insoluble fiber. I came across an article that shared that people who have IBS have an issue with foods that are high in insoluble fiber. While IBS is more of a muscle problem within the bowel, I do know the reason why he has the tics in the first place is because I overdid it when I gave him psyllium husk fiber when his behaviors became not so pleasing when he was in the 5th grade. So to me, it only made sense that it would affect him in that way. Once I discovered that I stopped giving it to him and noticed a change in the duration and strength of the tics.
Chickpeas are also in the same family as the lentils. I know chickpea flour does not affect him; however, when he had the roasted chickpeas I made, he showed a reaction. Also, potatoes are problematic in IBS sufferers too. What I found is that the insoluble fiber is located in the peel of potatoes and the shell of lentils and chickpeas. This is why I do not see a reaction when I give him foods I make with the chickpea flour or when I mash him potatoes or bake him french fries. Peeling them had been something I had always done. Now I have two full bags of lentils and chickpeas that I have no clue what to do with. Maybe I can be creative and do something with them for the other members of the family.
Because I had to remove the lentils, I decided that I needed to add the chicken back into his diet. What he was getting was just too limited, and he needed something filling. Fried foods are another item the article said affects people with IBS. Therefore, I boil the chicken and pull the skins off before baking. The skin of the chicken is hard to handle for those with IBS. He gets all kinds of chicken, cabbage, wild rice, quinoa, potatoes, green beans when I can find them, and he still eats a vegan breakfast and the vegan burgers he asks for daily.
Since the change, Jordan has been doing well. While the tics are becoming less, the stimming has increased. The echolalia is slowly, slowly decreasing, but he is pulling his toenails low to the point they are ripping skin. The other positives were when I asked him a question when it comes to school, he is providing me with answers instead of repeating me. He also does not need me to do some things twice. I went to give him a kiss today, and he did not need me to do it again. Once was enough. Also, his handwriting has improved, as long as I allow him to write the letters he has been accustomed to writing instead of the way they should be. Dealing with this has led me to Matthew 11:28-30. This verse says that when our burden is heavy, we give it to God, and he will give us rest. While some things look like they are getting worse, and feel like a burden, I see significant improvements that put me at ease, give me rest. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Seeing the ups and downs, back and forth, are not easy. I need God to help me through this. I just have to remember to give it over to Him.
Researching what the problem could be with the lentils was eye-opening. Lentils are high in insoluble fiber. I came across an article that shared that people who have IBS have an issue with foods that are high in insoluble fiber. While IBS is more of a muscle problem within the bowel, I do know the reason why he has the tics in the first place is because I overdid it when I gave him psyllium husk fiber when his behaviors became not so pleasing when he was in the 5th grade. So to me, it only made sense that it would affect him in that way. Once I discovered that I stopped giving it to him and noticed a change in the duration and strength of the tics.
Because I had to remove the lentils, I decided that I needed to add the chicken back into his diet. What he was getting was just too limited, and he needed something filling. Fried foods are another item the article said affects people with IBS. Therefore, I boil the chicken and pull the skins off before baking. The skin of the chicken is hard to handle for those with IBS. He gets all kinds of chicken, cabbage, wild rice, quinoa, potatoes, green beans when I can find them, and he still eats a vegan breakfast and the vegan burgers he asks for daily.
Since the change, Jordan has been doing well. While the tics are becoming less, the stimming has increased. The echolalia is slowly, slowly decreasing, but he is pulling his toenails low to the point they are ripping skin. The other positives were when I asked him a question when it comes to school, he is providing me with answers instead of repeating me. He also does not need me to do some things twice. I went to give him a kiss today, and he did not need me to do it again. Once was enough. Also, his handwriting has improved, as long as I allow him to write the letters he has been accustomed to writing instead of the way they should be. Dealing with this has led me to Matthew 11:28-30. This verse says that when our burden is heavy, we give it to God, and he will give us rest. While some things look like they are getting worse, and feel like a burden, I see significant improvements that put me at ease, give me rest. His yoke is easy and His burden light. Seeing the ups and downs, back and forth, are not easy. I need God to help me through this. I just have to remember to give it over to Him.
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