Friday, June 17, 2011

Recipes

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?" 
"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to." 
"I don't much care where –" 
"Then it doesn't matter which way you go." 
 Lewis Carroll (Alice in Wonderland)




Our new gluten free foods
I love to cook. At least, I really loved to cook before kids. Now, I am not as organized and don't have as much time to really enjoy it. I can't count the number of times I have started to cook or bake something new only to realize I don't have all the ingredients. It really really ticks me off. Especially, when I actually went to the store that day! I am the queen of having to find 'substitutes'. With cooking its easy, with baking, not so much. I have to look up how to substitute baking powder, soda, or eggs and it becomes a fiasco. According to Racheal Ray, baking is an exact science and you can't change the measurements. Cooking, on the other hand, can be very creative allowing you the freedom to personalize every meal. Recently, I went to a naturopathic doctor for various health reasons and found out that I am off the charts sensitive to gluten. Needless to say, the whole family is going gluten free and we are trying all kinds of things. Sorry Jason, tonight's dinner was a flop. So I am cleaning out pantries, the fridge, you name it. Some gluten free stuff is good, and some tastes horrible. But, I am realizing with help from others, that living this lifestyle is not as hard as I thought. It does, however, require switching and substituting some things around. In retrospect it completely makes sense. It is so strange how some people can be allergic to very specific things that don't bother another family member.  In order for us to be healthy and function at our highest capacity we are going to have to try out some new ways of doing things.
And such is our way with Cruz. He is made just a little different, has some different sensory issues, so we are changing some things around. We are having to tweak our routines a little. And since we are lacking a few ingredients we are researching and trying everything we can possibly do to benefit him. Since part of his brain needs to reconnect we are really trying to improve his diet, his amounts of Omega3, and anything that effects the nervous system. He has a speech therapist, an occupational therapist, we've seen the naturopathic doctor, the neurologist, the chiropractor, the acupuncturist (she only did pressure not puncture), you name it, the list goes on and on. Some things work great, others don't show an effect. I am definitely excited to see how changing his diet will effect him. I have heard numerous reports of changed diets that have helped children with autism. So, I just keep mixing and stirring this pot trying different spices and ingredients as we go, hoping that we'll get the blend just right so that the recipe is a success for him. We are trying all the time to do the best we can day in and out to provide the right mix of ingredients. Some days we do alright, there are others we'd like to forget. So we take note of what works and what doesn't and we make substitutions where we need to. 
Yesterday was a good day. Minus the crying when he wakes up from naps. Everyday he will cry for at least an hour after waking up. Like wailing at the top of his lungs, crying for an hour. He usually needs deep pressure but he gets extra upset because he isn't quite sure what he wants and he can't communicate feelings. So, we are trying something new and getting a little creative. Since the deep pressure is a constant need we are trying out a pair of Jason's "ear pro" (hearing protection earmuffs) that he uses when shooting guns. They are very tight and keep a lot of sound out. I randomly saw on tv today a story of little girl with autism and how wearing the headphones helps. Cruz likes them. They apply constant deep pressure on his head, which is a nice change instead of ramming it into the ground (or me). He was using the Mrs. Potato Head glasses to squeeze around his face before, so this isn't as comical but hopefully it works. I had thought about getting him a helmet, but we'll see...We tried having him make sounds with the ear pro on. He actually seemed to do better. It's almost as if since he couldn't hear, he had to focus much more intently on watching our mouths. Its just a pinch of this, a dash of that, a sprinkle of some creativity and wham you've got a recipe for success. So, cheers to a good day, to new adventures, new recipes, and hopefully some tasty ones, even though we are now gluten free! 

3 comments:

  1. Has your OT taught you how to do head hugs? We discovered my son loves them and they can really calm him down at times. Basically you just apply pressure to his head with both hands. My son prefers my hands to cover his ears, some kids don't like that though. He will even grab my hands at times and put them on his head when he needs it.

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  2. Julie, I have tried that on my own... it is hit or miss. He wants to control the pressure. If he is having a fit, it really makes him mad when I try. But if he is just needing pressure and not screaming/crying he will let me. He

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  3. He is so stinkin' cute in those head phones!! Proud of you Linds!

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