But it is the best diet for Luke, so we're going with it.
My mom and I met with a dietitian on Friday to get a handle on this "very complicated diet," as she put it. Luke will only be able to eat things that either contain no gluten (wheat, barley, rye, etc) or have not been in contact with those things (i.e. manufactured in the same plant). Parts of it seem very simple and parts of it seem very difficult. So far, he is doing really well with it. I think it is still new and different and he's gotten a lot of "special" things to eat that no one else is allowed to eat, so it's still ok.
The biggest challenge right now is keeping him fed and keeping everyone else fed, but not necessarily with the same things. It would be great to have the whole family on this diet, except that some of the foods are very expensive. While we aren't going to eat Little Debbie's in front of him, I can't afford to buy special bread or snack bars for everyone. So, for now, Luke has his shelf in the pantry and his shelf in the fridge and that is his stuff.
Just as a point of reference, we stopped by the Sunflower Shop yesterday just to get some things that are not at Walmart. I spent $18 and this is what I got:
They are (left to right) bread ($5), crackers ($5.50), cereal bars ($4.59), and cookies ($2.99). The bread is a tiny loaf and weighs about 5 pounds!! It is a little dry and very dense. So, I pay more, get less, and it doesn't really taste that good!!
Another hard part is the reading of labels. I am supposed to read every label of anything that I want Luke to eat EVERY time I put it in my basket. Just because something is ok this week doesn't mean that they won't change the recipe next time. That will add some serious time to my grocery shopping. She gave me a three page list of ingredients that should not be in anything he eats.
The easier part is that it should be fairly simple to do while we are at home. He can eat all meats, veggies, fruits, and most dairy products as long as they are not processed with some form of wheat. It gets a little trickier when we are out. Like today, we had Opening Day at the ball fields - parade, bounce houses, free hot dogs!! I packed Luke a lunch and he was happy to eat it. But later, he said he wanted to get something from the concession stand. I tried to explain that I wasn't sure what he could have from there but I would (on another day) try to see if they would let me read the labels of the food they sell so maybe he could have something. He said, "But Mama, I haven't had anything good to eat all day!!" So, I say, "Like, what do you mean 'good'??" He said, "Like a hot dog or something!!!" So, sometimes I think he gets it, other times, he just wants something "good"!!
Finally, a couple of other things I learned from the dietitian -
** Celiac is not an allergy to wheat - it is an autoimmune disease. When gluten enters his body, his body immediately begins to fight against it, thinking it will harm him. While some people are allergic to wheat, this is not that simple.
** Though Luke should never have another speck of anything containing gluten in his life, he doesn't have to have surgery or take any medication for the rest of his life. The GOOD news is that it is strictly treated by his diet. The BAD news is that it is strictly treated by his diet!!
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