How Pinterest Helped Me Get My Groove Back

UNCONTROLLABLE ROLLERCOASTER

The past few years, it has felt like our family has been on an uncontrollable rollercoaster ride at an amusement park we never bought tickets for.  This ride has had no safety nets and no safety bars along the way.  We have had to grit our teeth through it, closing our eyes at times, while simply hoping for the best.

This ride has been rather difficult for me to be on most days simply because of the control factor, or lack thereof.  I am a pretty typical “Type A” personality.  I like control.  I like feeling in control.  I like knowing what comes next.  And most of all, I love a good solid plan.  In the life of a parent of a child with EoE, planning goes out the door.  Control isn’t even in the equation.  And that alone, for me anyway, has made this journey incredibly hard at times.

LATE PINTEREST BLOOMER

Last fall, I discovered the wonderful world of Pinterest.  I know, I know.  I was late to the Pinterest party, but once I arrived, I couldn’t stop!  I found the website to be amazing and addictive.  All of these really creative ideas for just about everything sucked me into the Pinterest void.  The first few weeks of my discovery I found myself absorbed in the wonderful world of creating boards and pinning. I easily spent a few hours on the site every evening.  Obsess much?  Ummm, yes.  I admit it.   At around that time, I decided I really did not enjoy any of my current home décor.  Our house needed a facelift and Pinterest was exactly what the doctor ordered.  Soon, there were projects, projects everywhere much to the chagrin of my husband.

TAKING BACK CONTROL… OVER SOMETHING

You see, Pinterest allowed me to experience something I hadn’t had in a long time.  In essence, Pinterest helped me get my groove back.  And by groove, I mean control.  Sometimes I have a hard time being creative, but I have no problems with seeing something I like, “borrowing” the idea, and making it even better.  Shameless, I know.  But that is why Pinterest is so brilliant -- all of these creative ideas that I can mix and match to make my very own.  Genius. 

At a time when my son’s health seemed to be spiraling out of control and my work-life balance seemed completely out of whack, I found a way to get some control back into my life.  Thank you, Pinterest.  You’re a life-saver.  The house projects were a wonderful distraction to help me find some sense of normalcy.  I feel like a home should reflect its homeowners’ style and personality and through Pinterest projects, that’s just what I intended to do.

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FIND

Once I found, ahem, several projects that I wanted to create for our home, it became all about “The Find”.  That involved several visits to my favorite antique stores, fabric/crafts stores and retail (mainly HomeGoods, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx).  There’s something about retail therapy in a time of uncertainty and stress.  Shopping just feels good.  It was what I like to call a “healthy distraction” and a way for me to feel more in control in my personal quest to make my house feel more complete. 

I love a good hunt.  Ceiling tin tiles, lanterns, towels, picture frames, shelves, rugs, lamps, window panes, mirrors, old books, silver trays, and anything made out of mercury glass were all items I needed to find to complete my Pinterest projects.  The tinge of excitement I feel every time I walk into a Homegoods store is a sort of sickness.  I can’t help it.  It’s like an adventure and I never know what I might find.  Oftentimes I try to go in without anything in mind because inevitably I will find something that I didn’t even know I was looking for.  That’s the best -- finding “The Find”, especially when it’s on sale! 

FINDING YOUR HAPPINESS

For some, this may all seem frivolous and nonsensical.  But for me, it was about not only getting a sense of control back, but getting my “happy” back.  I went through a lot of emotions after Brady was diagnosed.  The emotional rollercoaster had repeat occurrences, especially in the early days of diagnosis and uncertainty.  Months after the official diagnosis, we weren’t seeing results and Brady’s health deteriorated even more.  There were many dark days back then.  EoE is so frustrating and watching a child suffer can take its toll.  Pinterest, as silly as it may seem, allowed me to start living life again.  To realize there is more to life than staying at home and feeling frustrated, worried, and stressed over a disease that I will never have control over. 

My unsolicited advice to parents/caregivers out there taking care of children with EoE or other special needs is to try to find your “happy” in the midst of all the crazy.  Easier said than done most days, I know.  But try to find something that helps you get your groove back.  So many days the world revolves around my special needs child that there is oftentimes little leftover for “me time”.  Everyone needs a little me time.  Ain’t no shame in that.       

A YEAR OF PINTEREST

It’s been a year since my discovery of Pinterest.  When I began writing this post, I had to revel in the transformation of our house and soak it all in.  It finally feels like "us".  It feels homey and cozy and a place I look forward to coming home to everyday.  Most of all, it truly feels like a home.  A place where my kids can run and play.  A place where we can entertain.  A place where I can feel safe.  And most importantly, a place that we can appreciate what we have worked so hard to create… a home full of love, dreams, hope, and strength.

Check out our transformation below.  Our goal is to eventually put hardwood in upstairs too.  My next projects?  The guest room, the master bedroom, and the hunt for a scalloped mirror for the entryway... and the list, thankfully, goes on and on.  :)

The Family Room -- Before





The Family Room -- After

The fireplace is not completely finished.  We still need to hide the TV cords and fill the gap around the fireplace.  I'm also planning to paint the woodwork above the fireplace white to match the new baseboards.  Hopefully that will be done in the next month!  :)

I found the shelf at an antique store in downtown Columbus.

Thanks to Pinterest, I have found my love for framed fabric.  I found this fabric at JoAnns and I love how I can change the fabric out easily when I need a change.  Thanks to my father-n-law for putting the frame together.  Somehow a few of my Pinterest projects have become his Pinterest projects.  :)



I had been on the hunt for weeks for a bookshelf to fit into the space between the window and fireplace.  I found this bookshelf at one of my favorite antique stores on the east side of Columbus for $40!  It was even painted the exact shade I was going for.  Score!



Coffee beans and a candle.  Love this Pinterest idea.  Makes the house smell good too!

I love antique window panes.  The picture didn't quite fit the dimensions of the window, so I went to JoAnns for fabric to fill in the space.  Thanks to my fabulous photographer friend for the family photo!

 

Antique ladder to hold blankets.  I loved hunting down all the different patterns, courtesy of HomeGoods and TJ Maxx.

 

Craigslist coffee table find!  Love this table! 

I found this silver tray at an antique store in Springfield.  It took me a few months to figure out how I was going to use it.

My clever way of hiding the kids' toys.  The top drawers have art supplies, coloring books, and crayons.  The side drawers hold tons of Brady and Sydney's toys and games.  The piece has been in my husbands' family for years.  We just had it painted to look more modern. 

The Dining Room -- Before

 

The Dining Room -- After

I painted the walls a rich, gold color.  I love the idea of two different chairs at the ends of the table. 

I found this piece at an antique store in my hometown. The frames have pictures I took while we lived in Boston.

Another find at an antique store on the east side of Columbus.  I recently switched out the fabric lining the back of the hutch.  Another easy way to change up decor. 

Again, I couldn't find curtain panels I liked.  So, I bought plain curtains at HomeGoods and stenciled this pattern on. 

My Thanksgiving Pinterest project for the dining room. 

 

 

The Living Room -- Before

 

The Living Room -- After

 

I got the idea for the wall collage from Pinterest.  I came up with the color scheme (brown, dark orange, and slate blue all by myself!)  :)

Close up of the wall collage. 

My reading chair, on the rare occasions I have time to actually sit down and relax! 

I'll admit it, I'm slightly obsessed with ceiling tins.

Old shutter find at an antique store in Powell.

The Kitchen -- Before

The Kitchen -- After

I found the frames at an antique store, added magnets to the back and now they display Brady and Sydney's art!

Craigslist hutch find for $40!  It was a dark wood color and I had it painted gray and cream. 

Framed pictures of Brady and Sydney when they were both 6 months old.  Brady was aptly nicknamed "Peanut" and Sydney was nicknamed "Cupcake".  Cute pics for the kitchen!

I searched high and low for curtain valences.  I finally gave up and found the fabric at fabric.com and had them made (I can't sew).

I found this antique table in my hometown.  Love!

The Powder Room -- Before

I have no words.

The Powder Room -- After

Wallpaper down, new paint up!  It's amazing what new paint can do.  I kept the gold accent pieces.  They grew on me after a few years.

 

Antique mirrors made in Italy that I found at a flea market.

I've had these for about 10 years.  Somehow I haven't grown tired of them yet. 

 

Brady’s Room -- Before

 

Brady’s Room -- After

Brady wanted a cars, trains, trucks and tractors room... basically anything with wheels.  His room is decorated with antique cars, trains, trucks and tractors. More pics to come when his room is completely finished.

Sydney’s Room -- Before 

Sydney’s Room -- After

I stenciled the wall to make it look like wallpaper.  It only took me a few hours and has a subtle effect in the daylight.  I found the shutter at an antique store and painted it teal.



My handiwork.  :) 



 

Basement -- Before

Basement -- After... a Playroom!

Brady and Sydney's "stage".  We've had many a concert in the playroom.  I may have rocked out on the karoake machine a time or two.  :)  I made the curtains.  Yes, they were the "no-sew" curtains I found on Pinterest, but I still made them!

My attempt to help my kids keep the toys organized.  I painstakingly made each label and used velcro to get the labels to stay on.  The pictures and sight words help the kids during clean up time.  Genius.

Art I made for the playroom wall.  I love the saying "Believe".  It comes from Brady and Sydney's favorite movie, The Polar Express.

The art nook.  I found the table and chairs off of Craiglist for $25, then painted them to go with the color scheme (navy, green, teil and gray).

My father-n-law helped me out with the chalkboard and white board.

My one Pinterest fail.  The picture made it look SO easy.  The pictures are supposed to say, "see you later alligator" and "after while crocodile".  They are displayed on the stairs and it's something my kids say all the time.  The letters were insanely hard to peel off the magazine clippings underneath the paint.  I may try to take another stab at this with the kids... someday.

Hallway -- Before

My only "before" picture of the hallway was taken when Brady was two years old. 

Hallway -- After

Framed art from one of my favorite cities, Charleston, SC.

Left over fabric from the curtains I had made in the kitchen.  This is now in our main hallway near the stairs.

I found the shelf at an antique store. Love the hooks for when we have guests over.

The 21-Day Challenge Week Three: We made it!

COMING DOWN THE HOME STRETCH

We officially made it through the 21-Day ELBCEC (Eat Like Brady Could Eat Challenge).  Week 1 was insanely difficult.  Week 2 was just slightly better.  As we completed Week 3, many things became obvious.  In theory, Week 3 should have been easier as we went down the homestretch.  For me, it became harder.  So many obstacles seemed to get in my way and I had to quickly learn resilience and resistance.

Grocery shopping took on a whole new meaning.  I noted that it was taking me three times as long to grocery shop.  That doesn’t even count the multiple trips to places like Krogers, Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s.  Krogers is where I typically shop, but unfortunately Krogers just doesn’t have the selection or ingredients needed to be on the ELBCEC.  Also, while shopping at all of the places mentioned above, I had to look at the ingredients of everything I picked up so we wouldn’t accidently cheat.  There are just so, so many foods out there processed with corn, soy or milk.  That part was one of the most frustrating things about doing this challenge. 

I also had to face special events while enduring the ELBCEC.  It is definitely not fun having to turn down food while on a special diet.  One event occurred last Thursday while at work. My boss kindly surprised our department and had a flying flapjack company come in to cook pancakes for everyone.  All of my coworkers were laughing hysterically while trying to catch their pancakes on their flimsy plates.  It was quite the sight and truly hilarious, but I had a hard time joining in the fun since I was unable to eat the pancakes.  I smiled and laughed along with my coworkers, but on the inside I felt a lot of sadness.  It just reminded me of the many future events my son will be attending where he will be unable to eat the birthday cake, share in the ice cream social, eat the candy given away at Halloween, and the list goes on and on.  Sometimes it’s just no fun not being able to join in in the fun.

The last three weeks were harder than I ever imagined.  It was pretty mind-blowing for my husband and I as we had to get creative daily with our food intake.  We had to have an obscene amount of will power, and yes there were times of weakness, but we never gave in.  It was the constant reminder that if we indulged in our cravings as we tried to live our lives like Brady, it would be the equivalent of our son having an EoE flare.  And no food is quite worth the flare.  Trust me.  So, we said no to many, many foods that seemed to call out to us, begging us to be eaten.  For me, giving up lattes and ice cream just about did me in.  For my husband, it was the bread.  Biscuits to be exact.

Below are the top 10 things my husband and I learned along the way.

TOP 10 THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE ELBCEC

10.	Whole Foods isn’t such a scary place after all.  Expensive as hell, but no longer daunting.
9.	Chipotle is our new restaurant BFF.
8.	Food smells SO much better when you’re not allowed to have them. For instance, to get to my workplace in downtown Columbus, I have to walk by a Subway bright and early in the morning.  Bread has never smelled so good at 7:30 in the morning, especially knowing I can’t eat it.
7.	Sugar withdrawal is no joke.
6.	Brown rice bread tastes like vomit that was chewed up, then vomited out again for a second time.  Just don’t go there.
5.	Corn is in everything.  And I do mean everything.  Corn syrup has been the bane of my existence the past few weeks.  Every time I pick up something that looks good and “healthy”, inevitably I would see corn/corn syrup/corn oil, etc. and I regrettably had to put the item back down.
4.	The Ninja blender really is quite good.  A must have for smoothie-making.
3.	There are more Top 6 Food Elimination recipes out there than I thought.
2.	Don’t be intimated by the lifestyle.
1.	When you really put your mind to it, and believe you can do it, and believe it is worthy, you can do anything.  For 21 days anyway.

A FRIEND IN NEED IS A FRIEND IN DEED

Several months ago, I met another mother at church.  We got to talking and quickly discovered that both of our sons had many of the same food allergies.  We connected again over the spring.  We had a lengthy conversation about how to handle life and how to prepare foods for children with multiple food allergies. 

This mom was kind enough to come to our house to show me recipes and compare notes.  What I wasn’t prepared for was how kind and generous and thoughtful and patient this mother was.  She came to our house with bags of groceries, all contained with safe foods for our sons.  She stayed for over two hours and showed me all the ingredients and talked me through a few of her recipes that she has invented to ensure her son (and her family) can have safe meals.

I was simply blown away.  And I also quickly realized this would be a complete lifestyle change.  As she was talking, I was nodding and processing and trying to take it all in.  I was encouraged and hopeful, and most of all grateful that I now knew another mom who totally got “it” and only lived a few miles away. 

THE EPITOME OF BEING DISHEARTENED

What happened next, I’ll admit, I’m a bit ashamed about.  I woke up the next day, I looked at the bags of Whole Foods groceries she kindly left behind and I got scared.  I was beyond intimidated and was plain ol’ overwhelmed.  Everything in those bags just seemed so foreign and I wasn’t ready to admit that our kitchen would now need a complete overhaul to get rid of all the items that my son couldn’t eat, and therefore the rest of the family couldn’t eat either. 

I even went so far as to compartmentalize the new groceries.  I put them in completely separate cupboards that had nothing to do with our “normal” food and shut the door on them… shamefully, for months.  It wasn’t until The Virgin Diet book came along that I got to place where I felt like I could deal with it.

I know for some out there, you may be wondering, what is there to “deal” with?  Well, a lot actually.  Yes, my son has EoE and multiple common food allergies including wheat, corn, soy, milk, eggs and peanuts.  If you’ve never had to deal with food allergies before, I encourage you to look at the labels of all of the foods in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer just to see how many of your current foods would be affected by this eliminatation.  Let me tell you, it’s a lot. 

DEALING WITH IT

I’ve never been a big cook.  I know enough to get our family by and I rely on the trusty recipes given to me from my mom.  All of those homey, feel-good recipes that I grew up on would all have to be eliminated to accommodate my son’s needs.  Flour?  Gone.  Bread?  Gone.  Eggs?  Gone.  Breadcrumbs?  Gone.  Milk?  Gone.  Butter?  Gone.  And the list goes on and on. 

When I met with this mother, I wasn’t ready.  Plain and simple.  If I hadn’t been introduced to The Virgin Diet, I’m sure all of those lovely groceries would still be sitting in my cabinets today, for months to come probably if I’m really being honest.  Making myself do this Virgin Diet made me deal with it.  The first few days while we were scrounging around for something safe to eat, I remembered those groceries given to us all those months ago.  The last few weeks, I am proud to say I have put to good use almost every single item she gave us.  That in and of itself, is a huge win for me and for our family.

The thing is, our whole family does not need to be immediately affected by the top 6 elimination just yet.  As I have mentioned in previous posts, my son has a severe feeding sensory disorder as well.  Most days, he only eats gold fish and drinks ice water.  Although gold fish are not technically “safe”, he gets by with little flares because he is ingesting so little and he has medicines to help keep the flares away.

THE KICK START WE NEEDED

Now that Brady is in his fourth week of feeding therapy and we are beginning to introduce safe foods, this Virgin Diet was perfect timing.  It was the kick start that my husband and I needed to start incorporating safe foods into our daily diet.  That’s really what the ELBCEC was all about.  Getting that kick start we desperately needed into a new way of life.

My husband and I are forever changed by this experience.  Living with EoE took on a whole new meaning and way of life, for us, as his parents.  We collectively lost 18 pounds in just 21 days due to the vast change in our diets.  The weight loss may have been the exterior change our family and friends saw in the both of us.  However, it's the internal change that I'm still struggling with and processing.  I am in constant awe of my son and his view on the world.  Brady has this wonderful way about him where this empathetic characteristic comes shining through whenever he sees someone in need or hurting.  I have a feeling the EoE has taught him that.  My empathy for him is what pains me at times and makes it hard as his mom to see his daily struggles with food.  By completing this challenge, I couldn't think of a better way to honor him and his bravery through this fight with EoE.  

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

Honestly, I don’t know exactly where we go from here.  All I know is that it’s a much healthier place.  My husband and I have proven to ourselves that we can eliminate wheat, corn, soy, milk, eggs and peanuts and survive!  Will we eliminate all of those foods from our own diets 100% of the time?  No.  However, my husband and I will be aiming for a place where we’re eating healthy and eliminating those foods around 60-70% of the time.  It’s a start, and it’s much better place than where we were pre-ELBCEC.

The future is so uncertain when it comes to Brady and his eating habits.  Of course I’m hopeful that he can eat an entire meal at some point.  But that is so very far away.  Getting him to eat one bite of applesauce is a huge success for us right now.  Feeding therapy will have its ups and downs.  For instance, I got an email from Brady’s occupational therapist at school last week.  She let me know that Brady tried eating a raisin during snack time.  It was when she encouraged him to put a second raisin in his mouth that he threw up all over the place.  That, unfortunately, can be such a huge set back when it comes to progress in feeding therapy.  We have learned the fine art of finding that fine line of how far to push him and when to back off.

Feeding therapy is not easy and we have a long, slow road ahead of us.  One of the things I’m most thankful for from the ELBCEC is that it has helped equip us for that long ride.  It certainly hasn’t been an easy past few weeks.  It had its ups and downs as well.  But I can say with 100% certainty that is has made me a better, stronger person. 

Not a bad transformation in just 21 days time.

The 21-Day Challenge Week Two: Willpower

SURVIVAL

The first week of the Eat Like Brady Could Eat Challenge (ELBCEC. There.  An acronym!  I feel like this is all official now!) was all about sheer survival.  Plain and simple.  The headaches and shakes started to go away by Day 5.  The headaches were most likely caused by sugar withdrawal.  That’s a very real thing, by the way, and it’s not pretty. 

For as long as I can remember, I have had a perpetual sweet tooth.  I’m pretty sure it was passed down to me by my mom (thanks Mom!).  I have always had to have a little something sweet after each meal.  I have also enjoyed a little dessert action in the evening, after the kids are down.  It’s my thing.  I love my thing.  And now my thing is no longer and has been robbed of me.  I went to a very bitter place most evenings during Week One.  I even tried making “banana ice cream.” It’s simply made by blending a frozen banana into a “soft serve” consistency.  I added a bit of almond butter and cinnamon.  It’s not bad, but it’s no Cookie Dough DQ Blizzard.

THE FINE LINE BETWEEN EUPHORIA AND PASSING OUT

As promised by JJ Virgin’s 21-Day Virgin Diet, my husband lost 7 pounds in the first seven days and I lost 5 pounds.  It was a long, agonizing week and those pounds were not lost easily.  I kept encouraging my husband that my coworker, who has tried the diet before, says that once you get passed the first week, you will start to feel "euphoric".  My husband kindly reminded me that there is a fine line between euphoria and passing out.  He definitely has a point. 

Thank goodness my Virgin Diet recipe book came on Day 4, and I felt like we had been given a glimmer of hope.  We had been living off of the two Virgin Diet shakes/day and quinoa pasta or black bean/salsa rice wraps for dinner.  The recipe book is full of really good recipes.  I have already earmarked five to make over the next week or two and they look promising! 

SNACK TIME!

I have always been a habitual snacker as well.  There.  All my eating habits are out there.  I usually have a snack mid-morning and mid-afternoon simply to keep the shakes away.  I know it’s a blood sugar thing and I have always been the type to need a snack between each meal.  Well, with this diet my snacks felt fairly limited.  I went to Whole Foods to find some top 6 food allergy-free snacks.  Not easy, let me tell you. 

I found bags of these bean snacks.  One was cleverly labeled, The Good Bean, Sweet Cinnamon.  I thought, well, that sounds tasty.  Fall is here and I love cinnamon.  The verdict?  It tasted like sawdust sprinkled with cinnamon.  The exact opposite of appetizing and I was pretty disappointed.  I also found some rice “lightly salted” brown rice cakes.  The verdict?  More sawdust, but with a hint of salt this time.  I was very discouraged.  Apples became my best friend for snack time.  When I really feel crazy, I slice them and put a bit of almond butter on them.  That really is pretty good.

IT AIN’T CHEAP

It ain’t cheap being healthy.  I have quickly seen my grocery bills skyrocket since shopping organic at Krogers and Whole Foods.  So many times I have picked things up to look at the ingredients, get all excited because they’re top six-free, then see the price and gasp.  $8 for a half air-filled bag of healthiness?  I think not.  I was in sticker shock and I couldn’t believe the amount that was being charged to live a healthier lifestyle.  Mind-boggling.  So, I buy in moderation, eat in moderation, and try to make the darn stuff last as long as possible.

I saw something on Facebook last week that had perfect timing because I could so relate.  It was an article from the Huffington Post website entitled, “Surviving Whole Foods”.  I especially like the bit about recycling bags.  Check out the link below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-maclean/surviving-whole-foods_b_3895583.html

A BEACON OF LIGHT

On Day 5, my husband and I started desperately thinking about restaurants out there that could suit the ELBCEC.  We like to eat out and already by Day 4 we were craving an eating out experience.  Then it dawned on us, Chipotle!  Do you hear the angels singing?  We do, and it’s magnificent.  We called Chipotle to check out what oils they use to cook with.  After some investigating, we deemed it safe.  Hallelujah!  REAL food.  I got my burrito bowl to-go and rushed home.  I had to alter my usual a bit.  No sour cream or cheese, but I didn’t care.  As I shoveled in the brown rice, beans, grilled veggies, guacamole (to die for), tomato salsa, and lettuce, I happily thought to myself, “I’m gonna make it.  I can totally do this thing!”   

SATURDAYS

Other than Day One, Day Two, Day Three, and Day Four of the ELBCEC Challenge being extremely hard, Day 7 was definitely one of the hardest.  It was Saturday.  I love Saturdays!  I get to eat breakfast with my daughter.  Sometimes breakfast includes a trip to Krispy Kreme and I love every minute.  I don’t get to enjoy many meals with my son, so taking my daughter, Sydney, out for a meal or treat, is really a treat for me as well.  When raising a child with EoE, food can easily become “the enemy”.  With my daughter, who is EoE-free, I get to remember that food isn’t all bad.  In fact, there can be lots of joy in food.

So, Saturday was here and it quickly dawned on me that I was not going to be able to partake in my usual treat with Sydney.  My willpower was dying and I got a bit sad.  I blame it on the sugar withdrawal.  I was ready to cave, but quickly reminded myself why I was doing this. 

FOOD ENVY

Instead of making my day about eating, I got a chance to go to a bi-annual event called the “Springfield Vintage Marketplace”.   It’s an event where vendors and antique stores come from all over the place to sell antiques, furniture, repurposed items, etc.  I love all things vintage and look forward to the event each September and May. 

My husband kindly let me check out the event for the afternoon, even though the The Ohio State Buckeyes were playing.  Yes, I have a very nice husband.  I happily started exploring once I got there, then was quickly met with my own personal food haven.  I hadn’t even thought about being faced with food when I left for the event.  There were food vendors everywhere selling all kinds of delicious yumminess, all of which I couldn’t have on the ELBCEC.  I cursed quietly to myself.  And I’ll admit, a bit tearful as I had to pass up the ice cream vendors, candied apples, fries, elephant ears, chocolates, etc. etc. etc.  I kept my distance from the food vendors and their enticing smells, however I had to still face the people walking right by me and around me with their plates full of all things delicious. 

That was rough.  I forgot how so many events out there really effect kids with EoE.  Everyone walking around with food that are denied to kids battling EoE.  I didn’t think it was fair to have to pass all that up and I childishly wanted to stamp my foot a bit.  I refrained because I didn’t want other shoppers to think I was a complete weirdo.

WEEK TWO

Starting out Week Two, I’m in a much better place.  I’m not so overwhelmed, I’ve lost a few pounds, I’m feeling good, and I’m starting to get some energy.  I’m also, thankfully, not so wrapped up in food.  The two Virgin Diet shakes per day now go down to one a day.  The shakes aren’t so bad, but it will be nice to actually eat something for a meal twice a day now.

The first week was all-encompassing.  It was everything.  It was all I thought about because I was starving, moody, craving unhealthy foods and bitter.  I know the bitter part is a bit confusing.  After all, no one was making me do this but myself.  But it was challenging and hard and I desperately wanted my usual eats.  But through sheer will power, I made it through the first week and I’m a much better person because of it.

Week Two is promising.  I’ve stopped thinking about food as much.  In fact, I almost skipped dinner on Day Eight without even meaning to.  I just wasn’t that hungry.  I used to live each day finishing one meal and immediately starting to think about my next.  Food isn’t such a focal point and I’m becoming okay with sawdust snacks mixed in with an apple or two.  They start to grow on you.  Over the next few weeks, my quest will be to find non-sawdust snacks.

“You are what you eat” is a quote that I’m actually starting to believe in now.      

21-Day Food Challenge Week One: The Hunger Games

THE DAY BEFORE

I suppose that in hindsight I shouldn’t have gone on a binge-eating spree of all things “insanely bad for you” in my hometown the day before.  I just couldn’t help myself.  I treated myself to some Starbucks in the morning on the way down to my hometown at 5:30AM in the morning.  I had to be at my parents house at 6:30AM to help set up for a garage sale, so Starbucks was definitely in order. 

Coincidentally, the garage sale I was helping to set up for was a fundraiser where half of the proceeds would be donated to support research for EoE.  We had a great day.  The weather was beautiful and we raised close to $500!  It was also a day of lots of eating, for me anyway.  I started out the day with the most delicious cream-filled donuts from one of my favorite bakeries.  Lunch consisted of roast beef and fries from my favorite fast-food non-chain restaurant in town.  In the afternoon, I stopped in to Dairy Queen to see my mom and to order my favorite ice cream treat, the Chocolate Old Fashion Soda that only she can make just right.  I topped off the day with a pizza from this hole in the wall place that only townies can truly appreciate.  Best. Pizza. Ever. 

Chocolate Old Fashion Soda - yum!

My mom also kindly brought home a cookie dough Blizzard as a treat for my hour-drive home.  I was so stuffed at that point, but I plowed through it… well, half of it anyway.  My mom and sister evidently laughed at the eating display I put on that day after I left.  According to my sister, I was acting as if I was about to have my last supper.  Ironically enough, that was exactly how I felt.

DAY ONE

Day One was not pretty.  I’ll just put that out there.  I woke up that morning, a bit nervous and excited.  Although the excitement quickly died down as I realized what my diet was going to look like.  For breakfast and lunch, I had the Virgin Diet shake.  The shakes are recommended for breakfast AND lunch for the first seven days.  The shake consists of the following ingredients:

§         1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

§         ½ cup to 1 cup organic frozen berries

§         1 cup frozen spinach

§         1-2 scoops vegan pea rice protein powder

§         1-2 Tablespoons of flax seed/hemp seed/chia seed

§         Ice

I bought the Ninja blender last week and it does the trick of mixing it all up into a smoothie.  As for the flavor?  I’m not quite ready to discuss it.  Evidently it’s an acquired taste.  I asked my husband what he thought about the shake.  He replied, “I thought it was going to taste a bit more like berry, and not so much like grass.”  I concur, my dear husband, I concur.  I will say I’m pretty lucky that my husband, Nick, has decided to come along for the ride.  We’re both going through the challenge together as a way of offering support to one another and ultimately as a test for what life could be like for our son, Brady, some day.  Not easy, I can safely say right now.

Me and my hubby, Nick

SNACK TIME

After lunch, I needed a snack.  I had a laundry list of foods I wanted for my much needed snack, however I referred to the The Virgin Diet book for snack ideas.  The result was “kale chips”.  Evidently it’s as close to potato chips you can get on an organic, top 6 plus sugar elimination diet. 

  

I bravely put together the kale chips.  I cut up the kale leaves into 1-2 inch pieces, drizzled the lettuce leaves in a little bit of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), and sprinkled sea salt on top.  I put the “chips” in the oven for 10 minutes before turning them over for an additional 10 minutes.

At around minute 7 or 8, Brady looked over at me in our family room and said, “What is that smell?!”  He even buried his face into the blanket.  Brady never complains of smells when I cook.  So, it’s incredibly ironic that the first time I make a safe food for him in the house, he immediately complains of the smell.  Brady was so offended by the baked kale that he even went into another room to “escape” the heinous smell coming from the kitchen.  I also came to the quick realization that Brady was absolutely right.  I had successfully stunk up the entire house.  I put on our Scentsy warmer to no avail.

My husband and I gave the kale chips a solid effort.  In all honesty, they’re not that bad.  Really!  I could actually learn to like them.  They’ll never be a Lays potato chip, but a pretty decent and very healthy alternative.  However, because the house smelled like something had died, my husband and I promptly decided that a bike ride with the kids was in order.  A very long bike ride far, far away from the house stinking of baked kale. 

Kale Chips. Believe it or not, must tastier than they look.

DINNER

Well, I’ll be honest.  I didn’t think this challenge out very well.  I didn’t order The Virgin Diet recipe book until last Thursday and I should receive it this week sometime.  I dutifully went to Whole Foods and shopped the organic section at Krogers to fill up with the must-haves for our pantry, freezer and frig.  However, I didn’t think about the actual recipes.  I guess I’m so used to throwing stuff together.  But the items I bought at the store were like a foreign language and I had no clue what to actually do with them.  Details, details.  In the end, I decided on quinoa pasta, tossed with EVOO, basil and sea salt.  My husband and I were absolutely famished by then and anything would have tasted good at that point.  I think I may have even caught my husband licking the bowl.  I’m not judging though because I thought about doing the same thing myself.  Desperate times call for desperate measures.  We were starved!

HUNGER GAMES

By the end of the day, I felt like I was personally going through my own Hunger Games.  However, the odds did not seem to be forever in my favor.  I was not feeling that well by the end of the day and felt a bit shaky.  I just wanted to go to bed… even though it was only 8PM.  And as predicted, I was grumpy.  Very, very grumpy.  But I didn’t cheat, not once.   However, if Katniss were a real person, I don't think she would be very impressed with my moaning and complaining of being hungry.   

This 21-day challenge is SO much harder than I thought it was going to be.  I have no doubt the coming days will be even harder.  But that’s the point.  It’s hard to eliminate all top six food allergens out there because it feels like they exist in almost everything!  Temptations lurk around every corner and those are so hard to ignore.  However, I have already discovered that this really is making me look at food very differently.  I am so personally affected by this diet so far and I have such an appreciation for what many kids with EoE go through.  And I’m only on Day 3! 

My goal for the next week is just to survive.  And of course, learn recipes!  I will somehow try to make these odds work forever in my favor, at least for the next 19 days… but who's counting???

The Start of an EoE Mama Food Journey

THE VIRGIN DIET

I am about to embark on a journey of my own, albeit a short journey at that.  You see, my journey will only last 21 days, whereas my son’s journey is a lifetime journey full of challenges, hiccups, ups and downs, failures and successes.

A new co-worker/friend recently turned me on to a book entitled, "The Virgin Diet", by JJ Virgin after hearing about my son’s battle with EoE.  I had never heard of it, but decided to give it a shot after reading the premise of the book.  This author suggests eliminating the top 6 food allergies out there including gluten, egg, soy, corn, dairy and peanuts.  This diet also includes the elimination of a 7^th component, sugars and artificial sugars/sweeteners. 

Immediately I was intrigued with this diet because of the elimination of the top six food allergens that coincidentally Brady has an intolerance to each and every one.  Right now Brady receives most of his nutrition through Elecare Jr. formula, a hypoallergenic formula, that eliminates his allergies to wheat, corn, soy, milk, eggs and peanuts from his diet. 

FEEDING THERAPY RECAP

Not only does Brady have EoE, but he also has a severe feeding sensory disorder.  In other words, Brady is afraid of food.  Even to get him to “touch it, kiss it, lick it” is a challenge most days.  We put Brady in feeding therapy at 2.5 years of age and stopped just before he received his feeding tube a year and a half ago.  In total, Brady was in feeding therapy for two years with not a lot of progress.  We took a much needed break from therapy, mostly to adjust to life with a feeding tube.  We called Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus to start up feeding therapy in spring 2013.  Brady was put on a waiting list and we finally got a call last week that he will be starting feeding therapy this week!  Hurrah!

THE YEAR OF NO PRESSURE

Although Brady has adjusted brilliantly to his new feeding tube this past year, my husband and I made the mutual decision to stop forcing Brady to eat food at the dinner table since most of his nutrition was coming through the g-tube.  When Brady underwent g-tube surgery in the spring of 2012, he was grossly underweight and our main focus this past year has been to get weight on, and keep it on.  Keeping the weight on is much more challenging than it may seem, especially when battling EoE.  Even though Brady is on a specialized formula, he still flairs with his disease and vomits occasionally each month. 

So, with the focus purely being on weight gain, we decided we all needed a break from intense feeding therapy… however, because we made that decision, I will admit that we took several steps backwards with Brady’s willingness to eat food.  Brady is perfectly content to get all of his calories through his “tubie”.  He rarely wants to eat a meal with us and would rather just get a bolus feeding through his tube instead.  So, this became the “Year of No Pressure” where my husband and I simply didn’t force the issue.  Right, wrong, indifferent, we ended up digging ourselves into a bit of hole with Brady.   



Daddy giving Brady a bolus feed



BREAKING OUT THE BIG GUNS

As Brady starts feeding therapy back up this week, I know it will be a long road to get back to where we were before the feeding tube insertion.  Now that our much needed break is winding down, I feel refreshed and rejuvenated and most of all, motivated.  I say, bring it on Brady!  I know you won’t like therapy, at least not very much at first.  I know you won’t like sitting down for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I know you will pitch a fit, scream, and cry about not wanting to eat.  And now that you’re five years old, you have this special and uncanny ability to manipulate your way out of most situations. 

I will be the first to admit that trying to decipher Brady’s complaints of “tummy pain” is quite difficult.  Some days it’s simply an excuse to get out of trying a new food.  Other days, his complaints are quite true and real and heartbreaking.  I will just need to learn to start trusting in the process and my gut.

THE 21-DAY CHALLENGE

It’s ironic that this book fell in my lap around the same time Brady is to start up feeding therapy again.  I will say I have definitely been enlightened by reading The Virgin Diet.  It was a huge wake up call and the timing couldn’t be more perfect.

I have decided to live out my own 21-Day Challenge that is recommended from the book, but also translates to my own personal “Eat Like Brady Could Eat” Challenge for the next 3 weeks.  This is gonna be tough.  Really, really tough.  Most people who know me also know I have a dear love of food.  Especially the not so healthy foods that lurk around every corner.  This will really be like turning over a new leaf for me.  A new, pure, organic, healthy leaf… with no additives, and in my mind right now, no fun. 

Gone is the Diet Coke.  HUGE sacrifice.  Gone is my Splenda.  Gone are the sweets that call out to me after each meal.  Gone is my beloved DQ ice cream that I have grown up on.  In my opinion, you just can’t beat an Old Fashion Chocolate Soda or Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Blizzard.  Good bye my sweet vanilla soft serve, oh how I will miss you.

Even my coffee will need to undergo a transformation.  No more Starbucks Grande 2-Splenda Lattes.  No more dark roast coffees with cream and Splenda.  I will still get to brew my beloved dark roast coffee, but instead of cream and Splenda I will be using coconut milk and just a tiny, tiny bit of organic Stevia.  Hmmph.  That sounds almost painful right now and the exact opposite of tasty.  I absolutely cannot drink coffee without just a little bit of sweet though.  I have my limits.

My goal is not to lose weight, although shedding just a few pounds is a bit of a bonus in all of this.  Who wouldn’t like to lose a few extra pounds?  The author says most people lose up to 7 pounds in the first 7 days of the challenge.  Hmmm, we shall see.  I want to give the challenge an honest, true effort with absolutely no cheating.  That last part might just kill me, but I keep reminding myself that Brady absolutely doesn’t have the luxury of cheating everyday, because if he does, vomiting and stomach cramps and suffering will mostly likely ensue.

I’ll be blogging about this journey over the next few weeks… most likely in short snippets.  Prepare for some grumpiness next week.  I hear the first few days are the hardest.  I have a feeling I’m outside of the norm because I visualize the entire 21-days as being extremely difficult. 

I start the challenge, Sunday, September 15.  I’m getting ready to have a glass of Cabernet to toast to this new lifestyle.  I won’t be able to drink any alcohol over the next 21 days, so this glass will be my last for awhile.  So, cheers to a healthier life!  That sounds a bit counterproductive, but I’ll happily sip away anyway.  :)

THE FUTURE

Once I get through the 21-day challenge I envision incorporating this lifestyle into most, but probably not all, of my daily eating.  I’d like to find that perfect, happy medium someplace in all of this.  My hope is that with the start of feeding therapy with Brady, we will start to introduce safe foods, many from the Virgin Diet recipe cookbook (and other resources) and incorporate those foods into our family eating experience.

It would be nice if we could all sit down as a family and eat the same foods.  However, I’m a realist and I know that cutting out all 7 recommended food groups is just not going to happen 24/7.  I imagine there will be an occasion that we will order a pizza for dinner and Brady will eat something else.  However, that “something else” will also be eaten by the entire family as well for that meal.  I don’t know if this will work, but I’m going to give it shot.  And maybe we'll get to a place where I'll be making a "safe" pizza for Brady and our entire family to eat.  One step at a time.  One day at a time.

It’s not “normal” to eat like this.  I know.  In fact, I remember having a few eyebrow raising conversations with others in the past who are on special organic diets and wondering in awe how they do it.  However, since Brady has been diagnosed with EoE, I have no idea what “normal” is anymore.  We’re just trying to find our way in the meantime.