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My Son and I Hi! My name is Linda. My son and I are both food intolerant; specifically to salicylates and amines. I am also wheat intolerant. I am now 42 and found out only two years ago why I have been unwell and depressed for most of my life. I had always been seen as "sensitive" and cried very easily, was unable to manage emotionally and was considered to be something of drama queen as I would become very angry and hurt over seemingly minor things. This, compounded with the fact that I did grow up in a very disfunctional family environment led everyone, including myself, to believe that my problems were all psychological. I had accepted the fact that I would have to work very hard on dealing with my problems and saw various psychologists and did make some progress. When the psychiatrist that I am seeing now tried me on Zoloft I could not believe the difference it made to my mental state and was very sad about how much of my life had been determined by depression. I had come to accept the aches and pains, stomach cramps and upsets, mouth ulcers, tight throat, nausea, headaches, itchiness, puffy eyes, hives (I didn't even know they were hives!), constantly stuffy nose and only being able to breathe through one nostril (my hearing was affected by this) endless restlessness and never being able to relax or be at peace, panic attacks, and terrible PMT, all as part of my emotional issues. I can remember back to when I was a small child and having many of these symptoms. It was ultimately the fatigue, however, that put me completely out of action. I had always felt guilty about being "lazy" and staying in bed so much and felt I was a very inadequate parent because I couldn't get my emotions under control enough to be well. I visited many GP's and other health professionals but had always gone away feeling as though I was a bit mad and never taken seriously. As soon as any doctor heard I was taking Zoloft (a member of the Prozac family) all my problems were psychosomatic and I was just another unstable woman nearing middle age. Considering the state I was in, I just gave in to the continuing stream of diagnoses of sinusitis and emotional trauma. Being a working, single parent seemed also to be a reasonable explanation for my tiredness. More often than not I thought I had some kind of virus because of the soreness in my body, back aches, night sweats, hot flushes (I am not menopausal,) headaches, sore throat and stuffy nose. I began studying part time at a Technical College and decided to go on to University. As I became more confident about my talents and abilities I also came to the conclusion that there was something physically wrong with me. I realized that I wouldn't be able to devote myself to University and be an attentive parent unless I dealt with my health. I decided to have one last ditch attempt at dealing with this issue. I was accepted at Uni and deferred for one year so that I could focus on finding out what was "wrong" with me. My psychiatrist mentioned food intolerances to me and I suggested to my new GP that it was worth investigating, as most of the other avenues we had looked at were exhausted. (My doctor was just about to tell me that she just didn't know what the problem was.) So I went to the Allergy clinic at Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney and began the elimination diet. I don't think I have ever been so sick as I was for the eight weeks it took for me to "withdraw". Mostly I just cried. My head and face pounded non-stop, I could barely get out of bed. I could hear the mucus breaking up at the back of my nose. The pressure in my ears disappeared and I could hear clearly again. I had all my previous ailments compressed into eight weeks. For the first time I could remember I felt relaxed. That was the biggest relief of all. I still have trouble sticking with the diet. But I do my best. Mostly it's because you have to cook every thing yourself - I'm not a very good cook and because a lot of the things are more expensive than other more readily available items. I'm trying to work out some kind of catering arrangement with a lady that I know who will cook for food intolerant families. But being a student my resources are very limited and so I'm not sure how to make it work. The biggest problem for us is feeling different. I also find it very hard to explain the situation to others. My son's father doesn't really believe it. Some people even think I'm some kind of new age, health food, space cadet devotee. If only we could just eat "health food". I'm also busy with Uni and life in general and the diet is rather specialized. I'm much better with my son than I am with myself but it does wear me down always having to tell him "no". I caught him red handed the other day at Holiday Care with a piece of raisin toast in his hand and a look of gleeful lust on his face. Each time we eat something not on our "allowed" list we pay for it dearly. But my theory is that the more we talk about this issue, the more people will know, and the easier it will become for all us sensitive types to eat a meal without having to worry about how we are going to feel tomorrow. |