Day.......lost count!!!!

We are self catering in the Highlands for our summer break & amazingly, the sunshine is GORGEOUS!!!!!
So, that's why the blog has been quiet. Also, I've had terrible headaches, lethargy & just been recovering from the effort involved in getting here!!!! James, as far as I'm aware & is doing really well. Eventually have him drinking the salted broth & kraut juice. This just wasn't happening until I incentivised him with DHA junior strawberry cod liver oil 'sweets'. He will do (almost) anything for these.
I'm doing mainly ok. Over my hubby's birthday weekend I think I ate something with a coating on, not sure what it was at the restaurant, but that's all. We're on stage 3 & J is enjoying egg whites for the first time with no reaction.
I'm wondering.....as J can't tolarate butternut squash & I haven't tried him on 'nightshades' for ages, whether I need to make sure he can tolerate them before moving on.....?
My symptoms are yeouch headache, lethargy, carpal tunnel, sinus, ear popping. Get bad tummy & back ache at full therapeutic strength probiotics, so building up gradually. J is at full strength & thriving with no symptoms.
Better go & rescue lunch!!!!
Xxxxx

Day 10

Hello!!!!
Funny old day. I went straight back on to soup, chicken, soup.
Pleasant surprise when I jumped on he scales, 4lb lighter. That might just be post period, but time will tell!! Fingers crossed, cos I'm sick of feeling 'heavy'.

James MIGHT have sneaked some SCD pecan pancakes with butter & honey. Won't tell me that he did, so just got to wait & see if he's itching.

This diet is VERY hard unless the whole family buy into it & there are no illegal foods around. That is our biggest threat along with pressure. To eat out, especially on holiday coming soon.

Day 9!!!!!

Eeeeeck confession time, went to restaurant & ordered GAPS compliant meal, came with new potatoes. So does that mean all days so far are blown & start again?????

Morning of Day 7

Is my body really meant to ache this much? It feels like such a dead weight to carry around!!!! I often have to think ahead of moving, oh roll on good health!!!!!!!!!!
Oh well, plenty to do so better get on.......

End of day 6!!!

Whoa !!!! So tired!!!!!! Forgot some probiotics today must remember tomorrow. Wanted to take children to farm today, but just couldn't move fast enough to get us all out on time.
I hope this tiredness means that lots of healing is happening & that it'll be overtaken by vitality soon. Everything is such an effort!!!

James desperately wanted to eat the blueberries in the garden today, so we got a bowl, collected all the berries & popped them into the freezer. They will all be his when he can tolerate them.

I have been mainly on soups today, the boys having lots of meat. As an ex veggie for 30 years I find so much meat hard going. Still hoping the scales will rocket down, but stubbornly refusing to budge as yet.

The only divergence from stage 1 today for Rory was home made unpasturised cream, stevia sweetened icecream. Unfortunately R said he had tummy ache after it, so he understands now, even though he's only 4, that food impacts your health. So he was very happy to have soup, chicken & more broth soup for tea. Bless, he's so loving. James has been rough with Rory today, so he's not had the best of days.

The 'plan' is to keep on the stage 1 diet for 2 weeks & then slowly, slowly move on.

My brain is whirling, what if this diet doesn't work for James......... But my body is heavy, so fingers crossed a bit of nonsense on YouTube will send me off to sleep soon.

Night, night xxxxx

Middle of Day 5!!!

Hello!!!!Skipped day 4 cos phone connection was playing up. James & I are sticking doggedly to the introduction diet. Callum & Rory found some fruit & honey, so they have skipped ahead to full gaps.
My baby has fallen asleep on me & I can't get over how gorgeous he is, like any parent!!!!!!
Today:
Breakfast soup & 'burgers'
Lunch: chicken, broth & broth cooked veggies
Tea: broth soup & more chicken & veggies

Sooooooo tired!!!!!
Just hopefully 720 - 5 days to go to
James being free of all his restrictions.
I'm sure most people will say 'he's just grown out of it' But I really don't care, I just want James to be well and to right the injustices he's had to go through.
715 days, c'mon!!!!!!!!
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

End of Day 3!!!!!

Well, today saw Rory go loopy for carbs!!!!
I'm very tired, so going to keep it short:
Breakfast: broth soup
Snack: home made beef burgers cooked in broth
Lunch: chicken & broth soup
Tea: broth soup & beef mince
Night night all xxxxx

End of Day 2!!

So far so good!!!!! Sticking to supplements (need to increase cod liver oil tomorrow) but all probiotics going well.
Bit of rebellion today about food but distraction helped & making sure there is always something to put in the table ASAP.
Rory loving 'beef balls' a version of burgers cooked in broth rather than in oven so compliant with stage one.
Hubby finds my intensity over recovering James's health and wishing for the best of health for us all a bit overpowering. I can see his point, but suppression of symptoms just doesn't sit well with me. So we had to agree to disagree & talk about something else!!!!
Had some fun with kite flying on local field this afternoon until pollen overwhelmed us!!!!!!
James has ordered his trains on t'internet & I took Rory to buy his cars, so 2 happy boys. Callum is 2 & always Mr Sunshine, well most of the time!!! Thankfully all he needs is cuddles & lots of playing together to keep him happy.
Gut ache landed me in another hot bath which only temporarily alleviated it. Oh well, no pain probably means nothing is happening, so stroll on!!!
I can feel myself slowing down, like somebody has put my brakes on.
Here's to a HAPPY day tomorrow, first official day of the school holidays.
Hoping to hook up with friends, just hoping I have the energy & enough bounce to not bore them silly.
We ate:
Broth Soup & beef balls for breakfast
Broth Marrow soup & chicken & broth veg for lunch
Broth chicken soup & more beef balls by request from boys for tea.
Sleepy so off to bed.
Loads of love to everyone out there, especially those suffering with digestion problems or trying to help those they love, xxxxx

Start of Day 2

A disturbed night for all & glad no one was passing with a lit match, cos the methane was strong!!!!!! Pheweeeee!!!!!
Woke up with backache, I think due to probiotics kicking my guts around. So, currently relaxing in hot bath to take the pains away......aaaaah!!!!!
Boys all woke up as I was running my longed for bath & were scavenging in the kitchen 'Mum, there's no food!!!!!',. So, I womanfully postponed bath & got soup on stove. Meanwhile fished in bag for lottery win from school assembly, knowing I'd need a serious incentive. Happily showed envelope & said 'one of these is your's if you'll eat soup for breakfast' and pulled out what I was hoping was £10 pound notes. However, the angels were on the boys side & they were £20!!!!!! 'wow boys, that'll buy you lots of cars (Rory) and lots of trains (James)'. Mental note to self, change the remaining notes to £10's & £5's!!!!
Boys delighted & excited & most importantly, tucked into soup with sauerkraut juice in. Success!!!! Expensive success, nevertheless, they are all downstairs eating their soup & I am in the bath.......
Off to Farmers Market soon for all the marrowbones, etc.
Feel excited & so amazed boys are adapting so well. Must remember to give Saccromyces Boulardii with breakfast. Xxxxx

End of Day One

All in all, a good day. 😃Breakfast went a bit haywire, but decided to make a stance at lunch & we all got in the flow then, broth based soup & chicken with veggies boiled in broth (tastes a lot better than it sounds).
Went to the local park with boys in afternoon which helped to distract us all. Back home to calls of 'Mummy, I'm hungry' were met with more soup then minced beef & broth boiled veggies.

Recipe for minced beef:
Put some beef/oxtail/marrowbone fat in pan, sauté red onions & chopped garlic. Add gelatinous homemade beef stock & boil briefly. Add beef mince & seasoning to taste. Serve when cooked through. Easy, quick & tasty!!

Therapeutic doses of BioKult, Candea. & Saccromyces Boulardii.

I accept this is probably a 2 year journey, 1 year on stages 1-6 & another year on full gaps. Especially for James.

Piling everyone into bed, sweet dreams!!!!!! Xxxxx

Day 1

Hello!!! My name is Amanda, mum to 3 boys and we are starting our GAPs diet with fear, excitement, tonnes of hope and plenty of desperation. We need to get well!!! The most serious case is my 7 year old son, James. He is intolerant to most foods and skin contact with many chemicals. It has been an exhausting search so far for the 'magic diet' to make him better. Hopefully, we are at the beginning of the holy grail trail that will restore his health and give us all back our freedom and fun. So, day 1!!!!!! I am nervous about how the boys are going to react to the introduction diet. In my mind just flashed full scale rebellion, especially from Rory aged 4. Then, I thought, oops, think positive. See a positive outcome, visualise like an athlete would....... I'll let you know how breakfast goes later. I will fill you in on our background later, just need to get breakfast prepared. So see you soon.