Symptoms and How we got the test!

Here's how we became a fructose free family:

Nathan, our first baby, is a football loving, sports playing, lego building awesome kid! Born healthy, he's had a rough go with 3sets of ear tubes & all that goes along with that but it was his lack of growing, his "failure to thrive" his "not following his growth curve" that freaked us out. The kind of words you replay over and over and ask yourself why???.

He was around 4 when the belly aches really got bad and when he stopped growing. His sister's were growing- but our little man was actually loosing weight. It would get really scary when he would get the flu- already rail thin...just thinking about it brings tears to my eyes. Nate would play a great game of flag football or munckin soccer and come home and be sick in the bathroom for 30 minutes- it was heart breaking and so puzzling. Then the tests began...and the doctors...and pills...powders....2 a day boosts...fast forward 4 years and we now have an answer- FRUCTOSE!!! Thank God we have (what we hope) is an answer.

Nate's doctors at the Cleveland Clinic are awesome. How were they to guess fructose. His symptoms were as follows: poor weight gain, stomach aches, sometimes throwing up after eating, an inability to eat that much in a sitting (at 7 he ate as much or less than his 2 year old sister) and the smelliest puffers (f*rts) you've ever smelled in your life. It embarrassed him and luckily wouldn't happen in school (2nd grade now). But whew- that stank was intense!! Dealing with his ears and the constant infections masked these symptoms. Doctors though Nate had skipped growth spurts because he was fighting infections, or couldn't eat much cause his ears were filled with fluid. Nope, it was fructose.

Last year his doctor thought he was lactose intolerant- so we bought box after box of lactaid pills and before he'd drink his 2 boosts a day (to gain weight) or eat dairy he'd have his pill. Which was a little deal when going over buddies' homes but do-able.

Well that didn't work- still had bellyaches & all the other lovely symptoms & still hadn't gained much weight. The little weight he did gain was thanks to a magical powder  that tastes gross called DUOCAL.  Last doctor appointment we were told we have to up the powder- Nate still hadn't gained enough but we were still so happy that finally our boy hadn't lost weight!! At 7 Nate was the size of a 4-5 year old- and now having just turned 8 we are proudly up to 48 pounds! Still very skinny for his age but we're getting there!

So what made us think fructose test? My persistent mommy mouth! It was doctor visit no. 6 with our specialist- a routine weight check and to discuss why Nate's symptoms were still happening when I just would't stop asking why. Why why why was my son experiencing these symptoms- no one should have to live with belly aches, powders, stinky-ness, poor weight gain, belly "problems"- there has to be an answer- and that's when our doctor ordered the fructose breath test. I'll never forget it- we were getting ready to leave- finally Nate had gained weight and that was good- we were told to up the DUOCAL and leave it at that. But oh no- a momma knows. I just knew that something was up with Nate- it had to be something making my baby boy sick. Making my son loose weight- FRUCTOSE. WHo would have thought?