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Katya Update and a Few Questions


Cindy in C-ville
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SO thankful for all the input!

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/446902-three-years-with-katya-and-all-is-not-well-would-love-input/page__st__50#entry4580645

 

Here's an update:

 

1. Taking sugar and flour out of her diet already seems to have made a difference. She is just generally more calm. So, here's a question for you ... other than eggs, what can I give Katya for breakfast? She loves eggs, but is going to burn out on them, I'm sure.

 

2. I don't know if the fish oil is helping yet, but I am changing it to the morning, as some you suggested. I have one more bottle of Omega Brite. After I'm done with this, what brand would you suggest?

 

3. We have a meeting with her team at school on Monday to discuss testing, a plan, etc. Would love your prayers for this.

 

4. We visited Hope Reins (http://www.hopereinsraleigh.org) this morning and she loved it. They offer sessions at no charge for children who are dealing with difficult life situations. They do not offer "equine therapy" in the technical sense of the word, but rather pair rescued horses with children in need to provide hope and healing. Our whole family went out for a tour and I think it will be a place for us all to be involved.

 

5. I'm a bit conflicted about what to do about sleep. Several of you expressed concerns about melatonin. Is there anything I can safely give her to help her with the sleep issues? I agree with many of you who talked about how critical sleep is.

 

6. Wouldn't you know that our income is just barely above the line to be able to qualify for NC's insurance program, Health Choice for Children. So, we're just trying to find an option that will enable us, or at least Katya, to get insurance sooner rather than later.

 

7. Another really fun thing that happened today - we started piano lessons back this morning and our piano teacher, who is also the pianist at our church, told us about her new neighbor. Her new neighbor is a woman who moved from Ukraine ~ 4 years ago and has a 20 year-old daughter named Katya. She came over and spent a little time with us and may start doing some cooking lessons with Katya. She had a pastry business in Ukraine, but knows all the traditional dishes and would love to teach me and Katya.

 

8. Beyond Consequences arrived yesterday and I have started reading it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Anything else you think we should be doing right now until we get the insurance piece in place? Thanks so much!!!

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Wow, you are so proactive--I really admire that.

 

Breakfast--If you are trying no wheat, then you could do various oatmeals, quinoa, or rice.

There are gluten-free flours you can use,or mixes--pancakes, muffins, etc.

Dd doesn't eat breakfast very often, but likes berries and cream (or milk--we just happen to have some cream in the house since the holidays)

Yogurt layered with fruit in a pretty parfait glass is lots of fun to eat!

Fruit kabobs and some dip are good.

Peanut butter on gluten-free bread (toast)--natural nut butters go well with apple slices, too

Smoothies--add in some protein powder or an egg (if u are ok with raw egg--I am)

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Protein in the morning is a challenge here as well. I make egg frittatas with different veggies or cheese a couple times a week...they can last a couple days. Pre grill organic chicken sausage, make protein smoothies with fruit, or an organic protein bar in a pinch. I even have been known to put protein powder and flax into chocolate muffins to get my kids to eat morning protein!

 

We use Nordic Naturals for Omega 3s and are very pleased.

 

I have spoken with several doctors, including a developmental ped, who highly encourage melatonin for my kids. It works great for us, no side effects. I wouldn't count it out just yet.

 

The barn and the cooking lessons are strokes of genius, really! Way to go, Mom!

 

The insurance situation stinks...I am so sorry. I will pray for you guys.

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Gosh, Cindy! You are amazing!

 

Is she getting enough physical activity every day? That might improve the sleep issue a bit.

 

Take care! You're doing awesome!

 

 

Thanks! I'd like for her to get more physical activity. We had an outdoor tramp, which she loved. But last summer a tornado-ish kind of a something picked it up over the backyard fence and slammed it into a tree. :( We've been missing the tramp!

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I read the other a thread a bit, but did not see what concerns were posted about melatonin.

 

My concerns would be that you don't want to force/medicate someone to sleep when there is an underlying sleep disorder. That sleep disorder (if any) needs to be ruled out.

 

Does she have tonsils? If yes, then she could have easily treated obstructive sleep apnea. Easily treated by removing the tonsils. Obviously this is just one possibility.

 

My dd takes a good bit of melatonin, but she's had 3 sleep studies (initial diagnosed sleep apnea, second confirmed surgery cured the apnea, third just checking a few years later) and does not have any sleep disorders. Ds occasionally takes melatonin, but half of what dd takes. He only takes it once in a while.

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Protein in the morning is a challenge here as well. I make egg frittatas with different veggies or cheese a couple times a week...they can last a couple days. Pre grill organic chicken sausage, make protein smoothies with fruit, or an organic protein bar in a pinch. I even have been known to put protein powder and flax into chocolate muffins to get my kids to eat morning protein!

 

We use Nordic Naturals for Omega 3s and are very pleased.

 

I have spoken with several doctors, including a developmental ped, who highly encourage melatonin for my kids. It works great for us, no side effects. I wouldn't count it out just yet.

 

The barn and the cooking lessons are strokes of genius, really! Way to go, Mom!

 

The insurance situation stinks...I am so sorry. I will pray for you guys.

 

Thanks for the prayers. There's no saving egg frittatas around here! They're quickly gobbled up by the tribe. She doesn't like anything spicy and so sausage has to be super-mild. Is there a particular brand you like. Muffins and protein bars won't work because of no wheat, no sugar, unless you have a recipe or a particular brand that fits the bill. I would love that!

 

How much melatonin do you give your kids? She still wakes up with 3mg, but it does help her get to sleep sooner.

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I read the other a thread a bit, but did not see what concerns were posted about melatonin.

 

My concerns would be that you don't want to force/medicate someone to sleep when there is an underlying sleep disorder. That sleep disorder (if any) needs to be ruled out.

 

Does she have tonsils? If yes, then she could have easily treated obstructive sleep apnea. Easily treated by removing the tonsils. Obviously this is just one possibility.

 

My dd takes a good bit of melatonin, but she's had 3 sleep studies (initial diagnosed sleep apnea, second confirmed surgery cured the apnea, third just checking a few years later) and does not have any sleep disorders. Ds occasionally takes melatonin, but half of what dd takes. He only takes it once in a while.

 

 

Here's what Katy said:

 

I would be careful with the melatonin. If it hasn't made a huge difference already it won't help and might actually harm her. I can't recall all the details but there was a doctor on Dr Oz in the past couple months with the warning that it might be more dangerous than previously thought.

 

Because of our insurance situation, we can't investigate anything medical at this point. The advice was to just get the poor child some sleep, and keep her safe at night. If you didn't read through, you may know that she wanders at night, destroys things, and takes people's phones and tries (sometimes successfully) to watch movies and play games in the middle of the night. She has an amazing ability to figure out passwords and has learned how to erase history. Urgh.

 

So, I'm just trying to do what I can at this point without medical support. Hopefully that will be resolved soon and we'll be able to check out tonsils, meet with therapists, get a sleep study done, etc.

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Dahl or dal, or however you want to spell it, is legume soup or stew. There are plenty of tasty spices you can include. Chilli and cayenne pepper aren't mandatory! Usually I put red lentils and quinoa in a pot with some veggie stock and call it done, but if I'm feeling festive I might put a bit of effort in. :p It really doesn't take much effort, it's just a matter of getting into the habit of pre-soaking the beans, though it is handy to keep the quinoa and red lentils around for the days when you have forgotten to soak beans. If you soak them for 24 hours, or thereabouts, you can boil them for five minutes while you are cooking dinner, then if you have a well fitting lid, switch them off and they'll be fine to eat by morning.

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I love your proactivity too!

 

Green monster smoothies are one of my favorite breakfast alternatives. There's a post about them on the Iowa Girl Eats blog: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/01/04/my-top-secret-diet-weapon/

 

I eat spanish omelettes a lot, which is basically like a frittata: http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2738/real-spanish-omelette

They are traditionally served as a dinner in Spain, but I make them for breakfast. I change mine a little: I don't like to spend 20 minutes frying potatoes in the morning so once a week or so when I make baked potatoes for dinner I bake a few extras and put them in the fridge whole. When they are chilled again they resolidify. To make an omelette I slice a potato and reheat it in oil on the stove, add any other salad veggies that are in the fridge that look good, bacon bits if we have any on hand, mix some parsley, salt, pepper, and a bit of whole milk or cream with eggs, and cook. If you don't want to deal with messy flipping, bake it in the oven. If DH is involved, cheese and sometimes salsa goes on top of this.

 

You might try using coconut oil - the medium chain fats break down into ketones which supposively heal the brain.

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I read part of the last thread, and based on this one I'm guessing you are looking for more protein, no gluten or sugar. So some of this may not apply but some may help. In a desperate attempt to get more protein into my carb only eating kid (and really only wanting junky carbs at that) we created a whole list of protein options for breakfast.

 

The key was to step outside the 'breakfast box'.

 

 

Meatloaf (one of his favorites) - I make it in muffin tins so they are single serving and then freeze them you would just need a recipe that uses something other than breadcrumbs

Meatballs

deli style meat - ham and turkey and cheese

regular ham and turkey

cheese warmed on apples

edamade

sausage

hard boil eggs

lox and cream cheese on cucumbers

peanut butter

chocolate protein shakes

 

I'd love to get him to eat things like walnuts, fish, beans and green smoothies, but that's not happening right now.

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Here's what Katy said:

 

I would be careful with the melatonin. If it hasn't made a huge difference already it won't help and might actually harm her. I can't recall all the details but there was a doctor on Dr Oz in the past couple months with the warning that it might be more dangerous than previously thought.

 

Because of our insurance situation, we can't investigate anything medical at this point. The advice was to just get the poor child some sleep, and keep her safe at night. If you didn't read through, you may know that she wanders at night, destroys things, and takes people's phones and tries (sometimes successfully) to watch movies and play games in the middle of the night. She has an amazing ability to figure out passwords and has learned how to erase history. Urgh.

 

So, I'm just trying to do what I can at this point without medical support. Hopefully that will be resolved soon and we'll be able to check out tonsils, meet with therapists, get a sleep study done, etc.

 

I did see the wandering and alarm suggestions, just missed the melatonin problem.

 

How's your bedtime routine? Does she fall asleep and then get up, have problems falling asleep? Everything?

 

If falling asleep, have you tried a long relaxing night routine? Bath, reading, cuddling, low music or noise machine in the room, very dark, etc. If she can't stay asleep, maybe try a more sensory approach? Keeping the room cooler and very dark, a weighted blanket. I'll look for more but I don't have my books in front of me.

 

 

 

If this has all been covered, please ignore me! Lol.

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Sounds like you are making progress.

 

On the fish oils, the Omega Brites are one of the top brands. We switched to Country Life Omega 3 mood as they are cheaper and I have 3 people on them.

 

As to the melatonin, have you tried the time release version? that might help with her STAYING asleep. I know there are other medical concerns to look at but we have had 3 specialists all tell me GIVE the melatonin to my girls---psychiatrist, neurologist, and endocrinologist--so for my kids I feel the benefits are worth any risks. We do try to lower the dose slowly to use the minimum amount needed.

 

The horse program sounds great. Horses can be so therapeutic. No, they won't solve all of your issues but if they can help some, great.

 

Any chance of finding another trampoline on Craig's list or finding something else for her to get lots of exercise?

 

You might want to call around to local adoption agencies to see what, if any, help/resources they might have for you for medical help/therapy, etc. You want to watch who you see but there might be something out there.

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Quote-

How much melatonin do you give your kids? She still wakes up with 3mg, but it does help her get to sleep sooner.

My doctor recommended for me (take this with a grain of salt since he was prescibing it to an adult) To take one at 6pm to get me to sleep at bedtime and then another right before bed to help me stay asleep.
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For breakfast, we have a lot of eggs, but usually once a week I'll make buckwheat porridge (despite the name, it is gluten free and has a consistency a tiny bit bigger than cream of wheat). After I cook it according to directions (though I use half water and half almond milk), I'll add one egg yolk per person eating (usually 4-5 around here). It ups the protein a bit and helps when they sweeten it. Dh eats it plain. I like to put pecans, shredded coconut, and a bit of sweetener in it (raw honey works nicely). I do the same with gluten-free oatmeal (if you think the flour issue is gluten, make sure to find gluten-free oats as regular oats are 99% likely to be contaminated).

 

For sleep, you can try homeopathics; coffea cruda works nicely around here helping some of us calm our bodies and our minds to get to sleep. I've heard valerian root works also (we have not tried it), as can lavender essential oil (you could make a bedtime routine of that ... dilute it with some coconut oil or jojoba oil and massage or feet and hands in a darkened room). Epsom salts baths might be nice in the evenings before bed too, especially with lavender oil - the magnesium is absorbed directly and might help settle her whole system so she can get into a better sleep cycle.

 

I read but didn't comment in your previous thread, but wanted to know you are an amazing Mom! :grouphug:

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I did see the wandering and alarm suggestions, just missed the melatonin problem.

 

How's your bedtime routine? Does she fall asleep and then get up, have problems falling asleep? Everything?

 

If falling asleep, have you tried a long relaxing night routine? Bath, reading, cuddling, low music or noise machine in the room, very dark, etc. If she can't stay asleep, maybe try a more sensory approach? Keeping the room cooler and very dark, a weighted blanket. I'll look for more but I don't have my books in front of me.

 

 

 

If this has all been covered, please ignore me! Lol.

 

Bedtime is pretty basic. I'm sure she would love a long relaxing night routine, but I cannot even tell you how challenging that would be with all the other activity in the household, kids doing homework, etc. I would really have to believe that this was going to make a big difference, and I don't... not yet. I did a little bit of research on weighted blankets a couple of weeks ago, and think that would be beneficial.

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Here are some things we've done for our (adopted) DS with varying degrees of success. I will say his issues seem less severe than what you are dealing with:

 

1. Therapy for anxiety - of limited help if you don't have insurance (university's often have sliding scales and might be a place to start?)

2. Mindfulness course from The Great Courses - he really likes this - is working through it now - he specifically complained about being unable to turn off his brain and this is teaching him strategies for that - you need to be o.k. with discussion of Buddism for this to be o.k.

3. Melatonin at night - 1.5 mg - it worked miracles here - he insists on taking it - his Dr's have no problem with it

4. Limited screen time combined with lots of physical activity (we have an indoor and an outdoor tramp - he prefers the outdoor but uses the indoor daily as well)

5. Volunteering at a farm- possibly an option if the other farm does not work out - we just started this

6. Allergy testing - also of limited usefulness without insurance, although you can do elimination diets. He has always had gastrointestinal issues and he ended up having multiple allergies. Despite visiting an allergist at 3, it wasn't until this year when he had an emergency reaction that he was finally tested. Cleaning up his diet is making a huge difference.

7. Like you, we use Omega 3s and protein at each meal.

 

I have a weighted blanket. It was not helpful here. If you would like it, pm me. I can see how much it would be to ship (possibly a lot?, I can't remember, it's 8 or 9 lbs I think), but I would be happy to give it to you. It's a twin blue one.

 

Good luck!

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I'm glad you are already starting to see results, and that the horse program is available. It can do wonders!

 

Sleep- valerian root if the issue is staying asleep.

 

Breakfast- chex cereals, cream of rice, oatmeal, Bisquick makes a gluten free mix for pancakes. I love Arrowhead Mills gf baking mix for muffins; there are lots of other brands out there too. I have use Auntie's mix as a one to one substitution for flour when making cookies, and they come out just like they do w/ flour.

 

This recipe for banana bread got 2 thumbs up from everyone in my family. I added cinnamon to it: http://www.dashrecip...hasselbeck.html

 

My favorite homemade sandwhich bread (very versatile- I don't put the sorghum in, I use tapioca instead of arrowroot, and use white or sweet rice flour for the quinoa flour- it's very forgiving and easy to make): http://www.thegluten...wich-bread.html

 

Cooking gf really isn't that hard- don't let it overwhelm you. Start w/ basics: corn starch, potato starch (not pot. flour!) and tapioca flour/starch can all be interchanged equally- you don't need to buy all of them. I prefer potato and/or tapioca. White rice and brown rice flour, xanthan gum, and that's all you really need to get started, maybe add millet or quinoa flour.

 

best cookbook ever- Gluten Free Baking for Dummies- it explains how everything works w/ regards to the flours. Another great one to get you started is The Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread. Check your library for available books too.

 

Buckwheat is great for making pancakes or tortillas.

 

Oh, and if you don't already have a stand mixer- invest in one! You'll want/need it for making breads. It was worth every penny and more

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My special needs son has been taking melatonin, with the geneticists advice, for 5 years now. He takes just .5 mg a night about 30 minutes before bed. Melatonin is good for going to sleep and not so much staying asleep. You could try an extended release form. I have dosed my son again with wake ups occasionally though that's not usually his issue. I'd be tempted to give another small dose with a consistent 3 am wake time to see if it helps.

 

Our restrictions are different but I would think outside the breakfast box with her. We almost never eat foods most people would think of as breakfast for breakfast here.

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I do actually have some recipes for no wheat, no sugar muffins, but I can do you one better and point you to some bigger sources! Most Paleo websites have great ideas for muffins made with alternative flours such as high protein almond flour! A good place to start is Everyday Paleo. They have a searchable recipe site that will give you some really great ideas, not just for breakfast but also for some things like pizza...not just gluten free but totally grain free...that will really rock your dinner table! Yum.

 

Here's one recipe to get you started. There are dozens of them that pop up on a general search, but this one will get you looking at the Everyday Paleo site! She also has awesome cookie recipe and a few other desserts that we love!

 

 

http://everydaypaleo.com/server-problem-solved-and-paleo-apple-muffins/

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So my mother got on the aromatherapy bandwagon recently. I thought it silly. And I was thinking I couldn't do it because of my chemical sensitivities.

 

HOWEVER, she brought me three samples. The last few days I've been *really* using the bergamot. It is a pleasant smell and doesn't irritate me. AND IT WORKS!!!!!! Seriously works! I'm amazed really. I went on Amazon today to buy a diffuser necklace (they are nice looking too!). And my mom sent me a link to buy the oils: http://www.aromasens...nsations.com/Ă¯Â¿Â½Ă¯Â¿Â½ (btw, I also used the muscle mist and found it helpful, though possibly not miraculous).

 

Anyway, I'm also considering using it some with the kids. Seriously, it seems GREAT. BTW, my mom is using 3 or 4 different ones for different things (including one for sleep). She really did seem SIGNIFICANTLY better (some may remember that she had some trauma earlier in the year, significantly affecting her mental health and personality).

 

As for the melatonin....she should only be taking as much as it takes to fall asleep. There are side effects possible, including nightmares and such, so you wouldn't want to take more. The job of it is not to stay asleep, but to fall asleep. If it takes 1mg, fine. Waking up wouldn't mean to take 3mg though. I think someone had that wrong idea about my 8yo. He was on 6mg when I got him. He doesn't need it at all (falls asleep fine).

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Guest submarines

Awesome progress! We also found that eliminating gluten led to very quick and obvious results. Horses are fantastic for for my DD--just spending time with horses is very therapeutic.

 

What my kids lately love for breakfast is a healthy version of a rice pudding. I make rice (usually the night before), then beat eggs (1 egg per portion) with a couple of tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. I add milk to the rice, heat it up, warm up the egg mixture with a couple of tablespoons of the rice / milk, and then add the entire egg mixture to the rice and cook on low for a couple of minutes. Then add vanilla. Can be served hot or cold.

 

This way there's always some protein in their breakfast.

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Does she like ham?

 

When I cook a ham, I use the ham bone to make 15-bean soup, which we sometimes eat for breakfast. The recipe is on the lackage. We also eat scrambled eggs with diced ham several mornings in a row. If she likes it, you could freeze some diced ham and thaw it out the night before you want to add it to the eggs.

 

 

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Thanks for the prayers. There's no saving egg frittatas around here! They're quickly gobbled up by the tribe. She doesn't like anything spicy and so sausage has to be super-mild. Is there a particular brand you like. Muffins and protein bars won't work because of no wheat, no sugar, unless you have a recipe or a particular brand that fits the bill. I would love that!

 

How much melatonin do you give your kids? She still wakes up with 3mg, but it does help her get to sleep sooner.

 

You can make bread / muffins with spelt (an ancient grain and quite different from regular flour), kamut or buckwheat. With buckwheat, you have to add in some other flour or the product gets too dense. Also, soak the flour you are going to use the night before in buttermilk and leave at room temp overnight.

If you absolutely want to avoid any grain/flour, you could do veggies like spinach with eggs and rotate through several veggies, stir-fried or baked or raw if she likes them that way.

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SO thankful for all the input!

 

http://forums.welltr...50#entry4580645

 

Here's an update:

 

1. Taking sugar and flour out of her diet already seems to have made a difference. She is just generally more calm. So, here's a question for you ... other than eggs, what can I give Katya for breakfast? She loves eggs, but is going to burn out on them, I'm sure.

 

2. I don't know if the fish oil is helping yet, but I am changing it to the morning, as some you suggested. I have one more bottle of Omega Brite. After I'm done with this, what brand would you suggest?

 

3. We have a meeting with her team at school on Monday to discuss testing, a plan, etc. Would love your prayers for this.

 

4. We visited Hope Reins (http://www.hopereinsraleigh.org) this morning and she loved it. They offer sessions at no charge for children who are dealing with difficult life situations. They do not offer "equine therapy" in the technical sense of the word, but rather pair rescued horses with children in need to provide hope and healing. Our whole family went out for a tour and I think it will be a place for us all to be involved.

 

5. I'm a bit conflicted about what to do about sleep. Several of you expressed concerns about melatonin. Is there anything I can safely give her to help her with the sleep issues? I agree with many of you who talked about how critical sleep is.

 

6. Wouldn't you know that our income is just barely above the line to be able to qualify for NC's insurance program, Health Choice for Children. So, we're just trying to find an option that will enable us, or at least Katya, to get insurance sooner rather than later.

 

7. Another really fun thing that happened today - we started piano lessons back this morning and our piano teacher, who is also the pianist at our church, told us about her new neighbor. Her new neighbor is a woman who moved from Ukraine ~ 4 years ago and has a 20 year-old daughter named Katya. She came over and spent a little time with us and may start doing some cooking lessons with Katya. She had a pastry business in Ukraine, but knows all the traditional dishes and would love to teach me and Katya.

 

8. Beyond Consequences arrived yesterday and I have started reading it. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

Anything else you think we should be doing right now until we get the insurance piece in place? Thanks so much!!!

 

Breakfast: PROTEIN, PROTEIN, PROTEIN! Sausage, bacon, natural peanut butter and an apple. Eggs. Leftover chicken from last night's dinner. Meatloaf (with gluten-free breadcrumbs). Ham. Peanut butter banana smoothies. PROTEIN! ;)

 

Sleep: I know a lot of people worry about melatonin for typical kids, but IMHO, we're raising kids whose neurological development is NOT typical. IOW, Katya's neurotransmitters (including those that convert to melatonin) are likely out of whack, so she might need a little help. Melatonin helped Danny fall asleep in a normal amount of time. Before melatonin, he would stay awake for HOURS. Literally -- hours -- every night. Once we started melatonin, he slept sooner, slept better, and was MUCH less oppositional during the day. (Edited to add: we gave him melatonin for about a year, then weaned him off. Once we got him into a better place in terms of sleep, he hasn't needed it since.)

 

Other ideas to help with sleep -- epsom salts baths at bedtime. Start by dissolving 1/2 cup epsom salts in a comfortably hot bath. Have Katya soak for at least 20 minutes, then shower, making sure she gets all the epsom salts off (or it will dry her skin -- nothing serious -- just itchy). Each night, add a little more epsom salts until you're at 1.5-2 cups per bath. Do this nightly.

 

Stress (from pre-adoption life and from attachment stress) depletes minerals, so she may need extra (more than RDA) in the short term. Epsom salts are magnesium (sulfate), which is why I suggested an epsom salts bath. Zinc supplements may also help.

 

HIH,

 

Lisa

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Really I love all the input. I'm trying to move from simple changes and see the impact before I move to more complex, or even just things that *feel* more complex to me. Pamela and Rosie, as wonderful as aromatherapy sounds, it just feels like too much to tackle right now.

 

Regarding baking, I have a grain mill, order grains from Breadbeckers, etc., but haven't experimented with much beyond wheat. I think we tried spelt one time, but the consensus was that it tasted like bird seed. Could that be right?

 

I do have almond flour I picked up at TJ's, but haven't used it yet. Does anyone have a no-fail recipe using almond flour for something like powerbars that would be good for breakfast or for a snack?

 

I also have buckwheat from Breadbeckers. I bought it because Katya talked about "kasha" when she first came home. It took me awhile to figure out what she was saying. There are a million kasha recipes, and I haven't found one that she loves. Does anyone make a type of porridge out of buckwheat? I'd love to make one that I can start the night before, maybe in the crockpot, to have for breakfast the next morning.

 

I do have several paleo cookbooks and those have great ideas. I've looked at Everyday Paleo briefly, but need to spend more time there.

 

Okay, here's a question. What do you no gluten, no sugar gals do for birthdays? Last night we celebrated Grace's birthday and her "special" cake is an orange marmalade cake. I didn't feel right about not fixing her "special" cake. And I din't feel right about not letting Katya have cake when everyone else was having cake, so I let her have a small piece. This morning was terrible. Worst morning we've had in a while. I don't want to attribute it to the sugar too quickly, but what do you think?

 

You ladies are the best! Thanks so much!!!

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Okay, here's a question. What do you no gluten, no sugar gals do for birthdays? Last night we celebrated Grace's birthday and her "special" cake is an orange marmalade cake. I didn't feel right about not fixing her "special" cake. And I din't feel right about not letting Katya have cake when everyone else was having cake, so I let her have a small piece. This morning was terrible. Worst morning we've had in a while. I don't want to attribute it to the sugar too quickly, but what do you think?

 

You ladies are the best! Thanks so much!!!

 

 

Gluten- and dairy-free flourless chocolate cake. I make this recipe with small variations. http://allrecipes.co...ke-gluten-free/

 

Instead of canned garbanzos, cook 1 cup dried garbanzos until completely soft. Drain the water, measure out 1 2/3 cups cooked garbanzos and put them back in the pan. Add one bag gfcf chocolate chips (Enjoy Life brand, for example), then the eggs, sugar, etc. Puree the whole mixture, then bake it as directed. Freeze any uneaten portions. (I make a batch of cupcakes instead of a cake, then freeze them. When Danny has a party or event where there's cake, I pull out one of these and frost it for him.)

 

Make frosting with Earth Balance buttery spread, confectioner's sugar and a little bit of vanilla. :)

 

I realize this has sugar, but if she's "low sugar" most of the time, a treat now and then ought to be fine. In my experience, it's not the sugar that makes kids crazy -- it's all the additives that are included in processed foods that have a lot of sugar.

 

Lisa

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Coconut is a big favorite. She also loves anything with anything with caramel. Thanks!

 

 

 

I don't think it's possible to make caramel sugar-free and make it taste good, but here's a primal coconut cake:

 

http://beta.primal-palate.com/recipe/coconut-cake/

 

 

Honestly I think the gluten free thing is more important than the sugar thing. In fact, I'd probably make the cake with brown sugar rather than maple syrup because maple syrup is so expensive. I generally use the rule that it's okay to eat if it has a higher percentage of calories from protein and fat than from carbs. Snickers bars fit that rule if I'm in a bind. And most convenience stores these days carry fruit, nuts, hardboiled eggs and cheese too. Just always eat fruit with protein to balance blood sugar issues.

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Oh, I love recipes that use beans instead of flour too, but I highly suggest you don't start with garbanzo beans, they're too strongly flavored. I use canned black beans for chocolate cake, and instead of chocolate I substitute cocoa (there's a substitution chart on the side of the cocoa powder if you have Hershey's). It's super cheap and just takes a few minutes to blend together in the food processor.

 

PM me anytime if you'd like more ideas.

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You might want to try a microwave gluten-free muffin. I can't find my favorite right now, but if you do a search for "microwave gf muffin mug" you should get an idea. They are very versatile - you can make all kinds of substitutions and it still turns out well. Off the top of my head its ground flaxseed, egg, baking powder, gf flour, andwhatever flavor you want... banana, applesauce, maple syrup, brown sugar, etc. They're really good, even my non-gf-free kids love them.

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For DS it was definitely the wheat (allergy) and not the sugar. He also can't do nut (allergy). He loves cheesecake (crust is fairly easy to make GF) and this which is an extremely rich flourless chocolate cake. He doesn't like traditional cake with frosting anyway, so that's easier at parties. We try to avoid food colorings but have relaxed with so many food allergies diagnosed recently. His options are already quite limited.

 

Oh,. and I'll try to pm you about the blanket tomorrow.

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SO thankful for all the input!

 

We have a meeting with her team at school on Monday to discuss testing, a plan, etc. Would love your prayers for this.

 

How did the meeting go? Does she already have an IEP or 504 Plan in place?

 

Glad to hear that the horse experience was positive. I have found that what people mean when they talk about Equine Therapy is so varied. I definitely think there can be benefit just being around horses and building the connection. Our oldest two compete in equestrian eventing but during the period our daughter was sick and just really not physically in a position to be training I remember she still wanted to go to the stable and would promise us she wouldn't bug us to let her ride if we would just take her. We did sometimes and she really didn't attempt to push the issue. When she was better we all rejoiced that she was able to start training with her horse again.

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How did the meeting go? Does she already have an IEP or 504 Plan in place?

 

Glad to hear that the horse experience was positive. I have found that what people mean when they talk about Equine Therapy is so varied. I definitely think there can be benefit just being around horses and building the connection. Our oldest two compete in equestrian eventing but during the period our daughter was sick and just really not physically in a position to be training I remember she still wanted to go to the stable and would promise us she wouldn't bug us to let her ride if we would just take her. We did sometimes and she really didn't attempt to push the issue. When she was better we all rejoiced that she was able to start training with her horse again.

 

 

Sorry, I'm sure I wasn't clear. The meeting is THIS Monday. I'll let you know how it goes. That's neat about your daughter. At Hope Reins, they make a point of *not* calling it equine therapy for the reasons you're talking about, but also because if it's called "equine therapy" there are some pretty stringent regulations, from what I understand. As a former recreation therapist, I am completely supportive of the regulations, but don't mind that this is not technically "equine therapy." I believe that she'll benefit from simply being around the horses and in the "horse-y" environment. Katya's eager to get back out.

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