What a month this has been. Trust me when I say that if you think things can't get worse, they can. Today is the first day this month that I've felt things can get better again though.
In the last week I watched everyone around me crash hard in every area of their lives and I was right there crashing with them. I don't want to get into great detail as well, it's our private lives and involves many people. Let it suffice to say that I did notice a very blatant correlation that I can't ignore and that has led me to some new insights.
I've always hated aspartame. Strong word, hate, but I mean it! I hate it! I knew before that it is bad news for our health just on the basis that it hardens our cells. (Please don't ask me for scientific proof on anything I say today. Research and decide for yourself what you think. I'm in no mood to authenticate my theory beyond my own experience.) This last week has solidified my resolve to keep it out not just most of the time but all the time. No exceptions.
I thought that a single slice of strawberry pie made with some sugar free jello for a birthday would be an okay little slide to allow my children. Nope. It wasn't and many many people paid the price of my mistake. From teachers to peers and home to family and extended relatives leading to an investigation that is meant to help us get control of our children's behavioural issues...how the heck did this happen???
After a very careful review and processes of elimination we (me and hubby) came back to that slice of pie with red dye and aspartame. It hit us like a bell. Oh, to have hindsight. Here's the kicker....it can take up to 6 weeks for our bodies to detox the aspartame out!!! Not a day or a couple hours like with sugar. 4-6 weeks. It wasn't just the kids but everyone who ate the pie had serious emotional issues the week following and I'm only today starting to feel a bit better myself. I doubt the others have any idea that it was the pie but when you step back the evidence is just all too clear to me.
In fact, the worst day was Wednesday for everyone. How could that be if they are in separate homes not directly influencing each other? This was 3 days after consumption which according to what I've read means it was just starting to break down having a half life of 3-4 days. This means that the amount in our system halves every 3-4 days. Based on that it would take about 4 weeks to eliminate but again, do your own research.
I'm just floored and horrified that it had such an impact.
I have seen my daughter in such a state a couple times in the past following consumption of red dye (cream soda one time and a medicine the other). It was like she went feral. I had to actually strap her into her car seat the first time and it took close to 2 hours before she just collapsed into an exhausted sleep and came back to normal. It was horrible and I felt scared, confused, just dumbfounded. It took us awhile to figure it out then too. Probably because I don't buy pop for our kids. It wasn't until she had a cold some time later that we put it together that it was the red dye. Normally, a little medicine at night helps ease the pain of a cough and let's them sleep better. Not that night! By morning we were all swiped as she was up and hyper hyper until like 4 in the morning!
Now, as me and Damon pieced it together this morning, I'm thinking....what was I thinking saying yes to the pie!!!! It was both red dye AND aspartame. So, you ask, why am I not just blaming the dye? Because my son has never had the same issue with dyes and neither have the others it affected. The only other oddity everyone ate was the aspartame! I might be wrong but I'd bet my top dollar that over the next 3 weeks everything 'strangely' goes back to normal.
Last night I woke up at least 6 times and looking back over the week I realized I haven't slept well all week. I thought it was the stress from others but now I'm thinking that none of us have been sleeping well. I asked Damon and he said it was the same for him! Only I was waking on the hour and he was waking about mid hour. We weren't waking each other... There is just too many of these examples for me to think otherwise. And who can think clearly and 'behave' well with lack of sleep!
We won't see the school counsellors until after the spring break (April) so it should be interesting to hear what they observe at that point....
Sorry I've been so absent from my blog but I've had lots to deal with and our recovery as a family is at the forefront. Tomorrow Damon will attempt to return to work on light duties as the medicine he is taking seems to be helping some. Still no firm diagnosis (appt on Thursday) but we're optimistic that whatever it is we can get it to manageable. The retracted their previous diagnosis of pancreatitis after a couple scopes and are now leaning towards colonitis or perhaps chrons. I'll wait a see what they say next...
Did I mention I have a cracked rib? :/ Apparently, there is nothing I can really do but rest and protect it. It is taking forever to heal!
Long post today :) I don't kid myself that everyone has their challenges just like us. I hope my readers are seeing a few less though and holding strong in their journeys! When things go all chaos on you: take a deep breath, a step back, and try to trail your way to the true root of the problem.
Cheers
CAT
In the last week I watched everyone around me crash hard in every area of their lives and I was right there crashing with them. I don't want to get into great detail as well, it's our private lives and involves many people. Let it suffice to say that I did notice a very blatant correlation that I can't ignore and that has led me to some new insights.
I've always hated aspartame. Strong word, hate, but I mean it! I hate it! I knew before that it is bad news for our health just on the basis that it hardens our cells. (Please don't ask me for scientific proof on anything I say today. Research and decide for yourself what you think. I'm in no mood to authenticate my theory beyond my own experience.) This last week has solidified my resolve to keep it out not just most of the time but all the time. No exceptions.
I thought that a single slice of strawberry pie made with some sugar free jello for a birthday would be an okay little slide to allow my children. Nope. It wasn't and many many people paid the price of my mistake. From teachers to peers and home to family and extended relatives leading to an investigation that is meant to help us get control of our children's behavioural issues...how the heck did this happen???
After a very careful review and processes of elimination we (me and hubby) came back to that slice of pie with red dye and aspartame. It hit us like a bell. Oh, to have hindsight. Here's the kicker....it can take up to 6 weeks for our bodies to detox the aspartame out!!! Not a day or a couple hours like with sugar. 4-6 weeks. It wasn't just the kids but everyone who ate the pie had serious emotional issues the week following and I'm only today starting to feel a bit better myself. I doubt the others have any idea that it was the pie but when you step back the evidence is just all too clear to me.
In fact, the worst day was Wednesday for everyone. How could that be if they are in separate homes not directly influencing each other? This was 3 days after consumption which according to what I've read means it was just starting to break down having a half life of 3-4 days. This means that the amount in our system halves every 3-4 days. Based on that it would take about 4 weeks to eliminate but again, do your own research.
I'm just floored and horrified that it had such an impact.
I have seen my daughter in such a state a couple times in the past following consumption of red dye (cream soda one time and a medicine the other). It was like she went feral. I had to actually strap her into her car seat the first time and it took close to 2 hours before she just collapsed into an exhausted sleep and came back to normal. It was horrible and I felt scared, confused, just dumbfounded. It took us awhile to figure it out then too. Probably because I don't buy pop for our kids. It wasn't until she had a cold some time later that we put it together that it was the red dye. Normally, a little medicine at night helps ease the pain of a cough and let's them sleep better. Not that night! By morning we were all swiped as she was up and hyper hyper until like 4 in the morning!
Now, as me and Damon pieced it together this morning, I'm thinking....what was I thinking saying yes to the pie!!!! It was both red dye AND aspartame. So, you ask, why am I not just blaming the dye? Because my son has never had the same issue with dyes and neither have the others it affected. The only other oddity everyone ate was the aspartame! I might be wrong but I'd bet my top dollar that over the next 3 weeks everything 'strangely' goes back to normal.
Last night I woke up at least 6 times and looking back over the week I realized I haven't slept well all week. I thought it was the stress from others but now I'm thinking that none of us have been sleeping well. I asked Damon and he said it was the same for him! Only I was waking on the hour and he was waking about mid hour. We weren't waking each other... There is just too many of these examples for me to think otherwise. And who can think clearly and 'behave' well with lack of sleep!
We won't see the school counsellors until after the spring break (April) so it should be interesting to hear what they observe at that point....
Sorry I've been so absent from my blog but I've had lots to deal with and our recovery as a family is at the forefront. Tomorrow Damon will attempt to return to work on light duties as the medicine he is taking seems to be helping some. Still no firm diagnosis (appt on Thursday) but we're optimistic that whatever it is we can get it to manageable. The retracted their previous diagnosis of pancreatitis after a couple scopes and are now leaning towards colonitis or perhaps chrons. I'll wait a see what they say next...
Did I mention I have a cracked rib? :/ Apparently, there is nothing I can really do but rest and protect it. It is taking forever to heal!
Long post today :) I don't kid myself that everyone has their challenges just like us. I hope my readers are seeing a few less though and holding strong in their journeys! When things go all chaos on you: take a deep breath, a step back, and try to trail your way to the true root of the problem.
Cheers
CAT
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