Tuesday 18 March 2014

Why Isn't the Blood Going AWAY !!!!!

October 15, 2013

I took out milk, yogurt, cheese, ice cream, butter and soy but the blood did not clear up (Please see the extensive list below of foods that I eliminated).  I thought that I had this problem solved. I did for a short period of time. It seemed like the blood was taking a few weeks to clear, even though the mucous remained the same. The blood in the diapers was not so bad, little flecks and strings here and there, I just thought it was taking some time for his colon to heal and then we would be done with this.  I couldn't have been more wrong.

My husband and I went out to eat for lunch October 15, 2013 with our lil cutie pie of 3 mos.  It was the first time we had been out to eat since my son was born and I was being extremely careful of what I was choosing to eat and drink. I even asked the server to check and make sure there were no traces of milk or soy in what I was going to eat. For lunch I ordered an almond milk London fog, chicken noodle soup and a salad. No offending food right ?

When I changed his diaper that afternoon, there was a massive amount of blood in the diaper.  I finally crumbled. I cried all afternoon and into the evening.  With my eyes swollen and puffy,  I complained to my husband that things are getting worse. I thought I was doing everything right. That night I frantically emailed my colleague who works in paediatric gastroenterology asking for help.  She advised to take out eggs, beef and limit the amount of nuts I consumed.  I had already limited more that, I had already decided to only eat lamb, rice, squash, Rice Dream and pears since these foods are coined to be hypoallergenic. In the meantime, I went to my paediatrician who confirmed allergic colitis and that I was doing everything right. Nevertheless she gave me a referral to see the gastroenterologist in a few weeks.  I was on a downward spiral and I needed help. I was desperate .... I was starting to doubt that it was allergic colitis ... and I was worried. My mind began to race of all the horrible things my son could be diagnosed with and my already sleepless nights turned into horrific ceiling staring contests.

I am listing an arm and a leg length list of ingredients that I had to take out of my diet. I hope this helps you if you are going through something similar. This information is from Health Canada.

Foods that contain, and/or may contain soy:
  • Bean curd (dofu, kori-dofu, soybean curds, tofu)
  • Edamame
  • Kinako
  • Natto
  • Nimame
  • Okara
  • Soya, soja, soybean and soyabeans
  • Yuba
  • Bean sprouts
  • Bread crumbs, cereals and crackers
  • Breaded foods
  • Hydrolyzed plant protein (HPP), hydrolyzed soy protein (HSP) and hydrolyzed vegetable
  • protein (HVP)
  • Imitation dairy food
  • Infant formula, follow-up formula, nutrition supplements for toddlers and children
  • Meal replacements
  • Meat products with fillers, for example, burgers and prepared ground meat products
  • Mexican foods, for example, chili, taco fillings and tamales
  • Miso
  • Nutrition supplements
  • Sauces, for example, soy, shoyu, tamari,teriyaki, Worcestershire
  • Simulated fish and meat products, for example, surimi, imitation bacon bits,vegetarian burgers
  • Stews, for example, in gravies
  • Tempeh
  • Vegetarian dishes
  • Baked goods and baking mixes
  • Beverage mixes, for example, hot chocolate and lemonade
  • Canned tuna and minced hams, for example, seasoned or mixed with other ingredients for flavour
  • Chewing gum
  • Cooking spray, margarine, vegetable shortening and vegetable oil
  • Dressings, gravies and marinades
  • Frozen desserts
  • Lecithin
  • Milled corn
  • Meat products with fillers, for example, preprepared hamburger patties, hotdogs and cold cuts
  • Seafood -based products and fish
  • Seasoning and spices
  • Snack foods, for example, soy nuts
  • Soups, broths, soup mixes and stocks
  • Soy pasta
  • Spreads, dips, mayonnaise and peanut butter
  • Thickening agents
  • Mono-diglyceride
  • Monosodium glutamate (MSG) (may contain hydrolyzed protein)
  • Cosmetics and soaps
  • Craft materials
  • Glycerine
  • Milk substitutes for young animals
  • Pet food
  • Vitamins
Foods that contain and/or may contain milk:
  • Beta-lactoglobulin
  • Casein, rennet casein
  • Caseinate (ammonium caseinate, calcium caseinate, magnesium caseinate, potassium caseinate, and sodium caseinate)
  • Delactosed or demineralized whey
  • Hydrolyzed casein
  • Lactalbumin and lactalbumin phosphate
  • Lactoferrin, lactoglobulin
  • Whey and whey protein concentrate
  • Butter, Buttermilk
  • Cheese, curds
  • Cream, ice cream
  • Ghee and butter fat
  • Kefir (milk drink)
  • Kumiss (fermented milk drink)
  • Sour cream
  • Yogourt
  • Artificial butter, butter flavour or butter oil
  • Dark chocolate
  • Baked goods (including some type of breads) and baking mixes
  • Battered and fried foods
  • Broth and bouillons
  • Caramel colouring or flavouring
  • Casseroles, frozen prepared foods
  • Cereals, cookies and crackers
  • Chocolate bars
  • Desserts, for example, custards, frozen yogourts, ice creams and puddings
  • Dips and salad dressings
  • Egg and fat substitutes
  • Fat replacers, for example, Opta™ and Simplesse®
  • Glazes
  • Gravies and sauces
  • High-protein flour
  • Malt-drink mixes
  • Margarine
  • Pâtés and sausages
  • Pizza
  • Potatoes (instant, mashed and scalloped potatoes)
  • Seasonings
  • Soups and soup mixes, cream soups
  • Soy cheese
  • Canned tuna, for example, seasoned or mixed with other ingredients for flavour
  • Candy, fruit and granola bars, for example, those containing caramel or chocolate
  • Flavoured coffee, coffee whitener and non-dairy creamer
  • Some french fries (made from potato mixture or mashed potatoes)
  • Some hot dogs, deli and processed meats
  • Nougats
  • Seasoned chips, for example, sour cream and onion
  • Waxes on some fruit and vegetables
Foods that contain and/or may contain egg:
  • Albumin, albumen
  • Conalbumin
  • Egg substitutes, for example, Egg Beaters
  • Globulin
  • Livetin
  • Lysozyme
  • Ovo (means egg), for example, ovalbumin, ovomucin, ovotransferrin
  • Silico-albuminate
  • Vitellin
  • Baked goods (including some type of breads) and baking mixes
  • Battered and fried foods
  • Cream-filled desserts, for example, custards, meringues, puddings and ice creams
  • Egg and fat substitutes
  • Fat replacers, for example, Simplesse
  • Lecithin
  • Mayonnaise
  • Meat products with fillers, for example, meatballs and meatloaf
  • Nougats, marzipan candy
  • Pasta (fresh pasta, some types of dry pasta for example, egg noodles)
  • Quiche, soufflé
  • Salad dressings, creamy dressings
  • Sauces, for example, Béarnaise, hollandaise, Newburg, tartar
  • Alcoholic cocktails and drinks, for example, eggnog and whiskey sours
  • Fish mixtures, for example, surimi (used in imitation crab and lobster meat)
  • Foam and milk toppings on coffee
  • Homemade root beer mixes and malt-drink mixes
  • Icing, glazes
  • Meat products with fillers, for example, preprepared hamburger patties, hotdogs and cold cuts
  • Soups, broths and bouillons

Sunday 2 March 2014

Mucosy Stools, Crying, and now Blood ! No Problem !

August 23, 2013

The mucosy stools didn't go away, but the screaming did subside when I took milk out of my diet. It truly was that easy.  A lot of crying still continued, but I was ecstatic. At least a Mommy can do what she does best and I was able to soothe my sweet baby.  I was relishing in the deep bond I was creating with my son. I would keep him close to my body wrapped in a Boba wrap and he seemed to enjoy the rise and fall of my chest with each breath I took.  He was listening to my heart beat and would fall asleep to my swaying stance.  Even though I was completely drained and walked around like a zombie, we were both at peace strolling around the  neighbourhood with the sky so blue, sun so high and warm breeze brushing through our hair.  I would whisper "I love yous" in his ear with a little smile.

After coming back from one of our rejuvenating walks, I changed my son's diaper as I normally would. My peace came crashing down and my heart sank.  My throat tightened and my tears came back. Blood. There was bright red, stringy mucosy blood in the diaper.  I must have been staring at it awhile, as my brain was trying to process this new information and trying to decide how to handle it.

As I mechanically wiped him up and put a new diaper with clear eyes, I all of a sudden decided that this was no big deal. It's okay, no problem ... I will accept that he has Cow's Milk Protein Allergy. The treatment for this is take out all dairy and soy from the diet. As I say to myself ... again and again ... I can do this, it's okay, no problem, I will just take out all dairy and soy from my diet and this will be fixed.  Presto !