The Perfect Storm: Part 1 of Mandy's Food Therapy


Mandy: “What’s this?”

Me: “Mashed Potatoes.”

Mandy: “I don’t like mashed potatoes.”

Me: “Well, you need to eat those or your get no dessert.”

Mandy: “Okay, I did not want dessert anyways.”

Mandy: “What’s for dinner?”

Me: “Soup”

Mandy: “I don’t want that.”

Me: “Well it is what I am making.”

Mandy: “Okay, I don’t want dessert and will go to bed.”

For the past 3 years this was our life.  Those are mild examples, but you get the point.  I had a young child that simply did not want to eat what she did not want to eat and would give herself a punishment. 

Why did she not want to eat?  Your guess is as good as mine at this point. Especially, when you toss in situations like this:

Me: “Mandy I made Spaghetti!”

Mandy: “I don’t like spaghetti.”

Me: “You used to eat spaghetti all the time.”

Mandy: “I don’t like it.”

Mandy: “Mommy, what is this?”

Me: “It is chicken.”

Mandy: “I don’t like chicken.”

Me: “You eat Chicken Nuggets.”

Mandy: “Can I have Shells and Cheese?”

Me: “No, you need to eat what I made.”

Mandy: “I don’t want it.”

Me: “You will sit there until you eat.”

Mandy: **30 minutes later still sitting there** this would sometimes go on for an hour and then she would go to bed without touching her food.

I brought this up to her doctor each year at her check-ups.    

We even made a general list of things that she would eat.  Her list consisted of:

·         Hot Dogs       

·         Bacon

·         Grilled Cheese

·         Shells and Cheese

·         Cheese Sticks

·         Misc Raw Vegetables

·         Cheese Pizza

·         McDonalds Chicken Nuggets

·         Bananas

·         Mandarin Oranges in the containers

·         Applesauce

·         Sugar and Salty Snacks

·         Some bread

·         Peanut Butter and Jelly

·         Ramen Noodles

·         Certain yogurts

·         Donuts/Cinnamon Rolls

·         Select French Fries

Starting about the age of 3 ½ this is ALL she would eat. A strong eater before this and all of a sudden a switch flipped and this was ALL she would consume.

When I brought this up at her 4 year appointment I was assured that this was normal and she would grow out of it.  The same was said at the 5 year appointment.

Trying to deal with this at meal times was becoming exhausting.  We were a point where we would pack food for her when we would go somewhere for the holidays or if she stayed at someone’s house and we had to pick a restaurant based off of what she would eat.

We were met with disapproving glances and the occasional snarky remarks, like, “If you would make her eat what is in front of her you will not have to have separate meals.” OR “Just let her go hungry, she will eat eventually.”

I began responding back,
“Okay, let’s look at my oldest whose favorite food is STEAMED CLAMS! Now let’s talk again about what we are doing wrong in regards to Mandy?”

This shut the criticism down quickly. When faced with the fact that my first child not only was a great eater, but her favorite food was something most adults cannot stomach it made their opinions suddenly moot.

By the time I got to Mandy’s 6 year old appointment I was at my wits end.  I did not let up when the doctor inquired about her food.  I kept telling her that this was not normal and something has to happen and I don’t know what to do.  I even sighted the drastic difference between the two girls. 

Thankfully, the 3rd time was a charm and we received an evaluation to see an Occupational Therapist at Cincinnati Children’s.

At first I thought this solution maybe a bit drastic.  I always thought of Occupational Therapy for kids that had extreme sensory issues, not someone like Mandy that seemed to have a major case of stubbornness.  But, I embraced the decision with hope that just maybe it will help, even just a little!

On January 29th we had our evaluation and I was nearly in tears explaining the situation.  THIS was the moment that I realized how emotional this had been for Mandy and that this was not just stubbornness.

As the Therapist asked us questions Mandy’s reactions were heartbreaking! She was terrified! Food scared her! The thought of trying something out of her normal routine was the single most terrifying thing she could ever think of doing[CW1] .

Why was it so scary? How does it go from a simple dislike to total fear? How does a kid go from eating something one day to refusing to touch it the next?

In our situation, I think there was an incident that terrified her. Like gagging on something. For some kids that would happen and it would not phase them.  But, if you couple that with some sensory sensitivity it created a perfect storm for our current situation. 

January 29th was the day that my eyes were opened up.  It took me a few days to shake off the worst mom in the world feeling.  But once I got over it I realized that this is more than just about food. It is about a very brave 6 year old girl who has to face her fears and overcome them EVERY SINGLE DAY!

I will be sharing more about our journey in the world of Food Therapy over the coming weeks and months. But, before I close out this piece, I would like to say that I am amazed at the number of people that are interested in this part of our life and have requested that we share our story.  I hope that in sharing our journey you may find something that may help your family.  If you have any questions about it please feel free to ask.  Though I am not an expert in this by any standard, I can help guide you to resources that may help you in your situation. And it goes without saying, if you ever feel something is not right then please speak to your family doctor.  And be relentless in advocating for your child until you find something that helps.

****Next post in this series will be about our first Therapy session and what happened when we brought it into the home.****


 [CW1]y

Comments

Tiffany Klement said…
Do all OT’s work with situations like this, or do you have to look for a specialized OT?

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