Does Every Post Have to Have A Clever Title?

Are we just about halfway through February already?! It's almost Valentine's Day - sorry, hubby's birthday (therefore he doesn't celebrate V Day) - and nearing the start of our vacation. We've been busy - a trip to the zoo, playdates with some good friends and their sweet babes, visits with doting grandparents, visits to the neighborhood drop-in centres, weekly swimming classes ... never a dull moment!

Just had to write an update about the status of our elimination diet. It has morphed into a 5-day rotation diet, and I have added a lot of foods in a very short time. I'm nervous. I feel like it may have been too much, too soon. We hadn't even reached true "baseline" yet. I've done this for a number of reasons, and I think, I hope, it will be a step in the right direction. The theory is that the rotation diet will minimize any potential reactions and will help us to pinpoint reactions, which will happen in a pattern. Theoretically. Hopefully. I just don't want to look back on this, like so many other decisions that I have made, and feel regret. I really should be embracing this newfound freedom to enjoy more foods, many which I hadn't touched in months! No dairy or soy, obviously, I'm limiting the other major allergens, and I still can't bring myself to try chocolate again (the vegan kind, with no dairy). And I still won't be eating at any restaurants any time soon (except while we're away, of course - there's no way around that so it will be rather tricky).

We have an appointment with a homeopath tomorrow. I'm not sure what to expect. I have only recently become interested in homeopathy, and the search for answers and help in all forms has inspired this appointment. It's not covered by our benefits. I guess that doesn't and shouldn't matter. We're considering alternative testing myself or Lovey for food sensitivities, either through a naturopath or through a holistic nutritionist - tests that are also not covered, and somewhat controversial/criticized. We're running out of benefit money to cover osteopathic appointments (Cranio-sacral therapy) - possibly the most effective treatment thus far in terms of his general comfort. We've gotten a bit disillusioned with our naturopath - she always has the most suggestions but gives us an overwhelming and expensive regimen of supplements and treatments to undertake. We go back to see the gastroenterology team in early March, but they've let us down before.

I've put in hours and hours (days!) of research looking for explanations and solutions. Some possibilities:
- his digestive system is immature, or has been compromised by an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria ("leaky gut"), causing food sensitivities/allergies,
- my digestive system is compromised by an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria, causing food sensitivities/allergies, leading to incompletely digested proteins ending up in my breast milk,
- he has a yet-undiagnosed gastrointestinal disease or condition (such as Celiac Disease, GERD, eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorder, low hydrochloric acid),
- I have a yet-undiagnosed gastrointestinal disease or condition (such as Celiac, which is not in our family that I am aware of, but can be triggered in pregnancy, apparently),
- there may be a connection to my overall toxic load (which I am sure is high due to environmental exposures when I was younger and to my own bad choices pre-motherhood and to everyday toxins that we all intake no matter how hard we try to avoid them),
- or maybe, just maybe, it really is just sensitivity to dairy and soy, and our systems are still working to clear them out from repeated accidental exposures.

Certainly I have found a lot of information that points to the connection between his health and my health. No big surprise there. We are connected in so many ways. It kills me to think that there is something about my health that could be causing his problem. It makes me second-guess my decision to continue breastfeeding all the time. And it's confusing because, overall, I think I've been so careful with my nutrition and health, particularly in the last 5 years. I have never had any symptoms of food sensitivities ... or maybe I never noticed them.

This is the path that we're on. I read a post on an allergy forum that spoke of our babies being the "canaries in the coal mine" and that their problems are markers for our own health. If that is the case in this situation, it is up to me to heed the lessons that my son is teaching me about healing our bodies and making changes for a healthier future. I am learning so much every day.