Our biggest concern was his chest pain, but his cardiologist said Malachi had no NEW cardiac issues, nothing that should be causing all the new problems he was experiencing. He referred us to the pulmonologist.
The pulmonologist didn't really have any great answers, but she did want to put him on a host of new medications, including steroids. I was VERY hesitant about so many new drugs, especially for a kid with heart defects, when there really didn't seem to be an answer to his problems.
The next step was a gastroenterologist. That proved to be a frustrating experience! In the end they said his problems were all caused by food allergies. We cut nearly EVERYTHING from his diet - they said he was allergic to wheat, rice, corn, milk, eggs, peanuts, tomatoes, and more. He not only couldn't eat these products, he couldn't eat anything with even a trace of these products such as the small amount of cornstarch in seasoning mixes and many other foods. Gluten-free products were no help because they usually contain rice flour in place of wheat flour. There was next to nothing he could eat, which made him even more miserable, and the changes in his diet did nothing to alleviate his problems.
Once I got a copy of the blood work for myself I believed there was no way food allergies could be causing problems as severe as what Malachi was experiencing. Most of his results were in the class 1 allergy category, with some of the values being just barely high enough to even be interpreted (e.g. 0.37, 0.38 - see the chart below to see how minimal these would be considered). Of the 2 test results that fell into class 2, they both were on the very low end of that category. It made no sense that allergies as minimal as these would cause so many problems, and that a change in diet hadn't helped him further justified that thought.
So the next step was to an allergy/immunology doctor. Here we received confirmation that Malachi's food allergies definitely should not be the source of all his problems. His food allergies were so minimal they didn't even show up with skin testing.
At this point we were at a bit of a loss as to what would be causing so many problems - stomach pain, diarrhea, weight loss, chest pain, shortness of breath, recurring strep throat, arm pain, leg pain, overall feelings of discomfort, lethargy, etc. What could we do?
It was about this time we pulled Malachi and his siblings out of school and began to homeschool them once again. I truly believe this was a tremendous help. Our kids went from being sick all the time to never being sick. They also started getting lots more sleep. The ones who do better sleeping later could do so, and Micaelyn (who is always an early riser) could take a much needed nap during the day.
We also started working hard to ensure a healthy diet for us all with a particular interest in Malachi. We limit packaged food products, and when we do use them (e.g. dried pasta, tomato sauce) we try to get ones that are truly all-natural. We're trying to cut chemicals out of our diet. Even something as seemingly healthy as whole-wheat bread usually has a long list of chemicals in it. We've discovered some nearby Amish markets where we can get freshly made bread, peanut butter, and a host of other products without any added chemicals. We've also switched to locally made fresh cheese, we search for apples without wax coatings, and we are very careful about where we go on the rare occasions we eat out. We've found the very best way to start the day is with a smoothie, and thankfully after years of making them I finally found a supplement for them I feel makes them both healthier and tastier! The smoothies also work great as afternoon snacks or evening treats so they provide a way to give the kids a snack without resorting to something unhealthy. Our diet was never bad (e.g. we have never had sodas and always limited junk foods), but I think the added nutrition from the frequent smoothies has helped a lot.
Over the past several months Malachi has gradually started feeling better to the point now where he rarely complains. He hasn't had anymore strep throat, nor has he had any other illness. He hasn't complained of chest pain or shortness of breath, and he says his arms and legs no longer bother him. Most significantly (since it was his greatest and most frequent complaint before), he rarely complains of stomach pain anymore, and when he does it's more discomfort than real pain. He no longer has diarrhea and has been steadily picking up weight again.
We will probably never know what was causing all of Malachi's problems. I do not believe it to have been a psychological issue with school because he really loved school. However, I do think taking him out of school was a big help since he no longer had to deal with the constant exposure to germs and frequent illnesses, and he could get as much sleep as necessary. I also believe the smoothies I give him has helped a lot. The supplement I use is super healthy on its own (it's designed to be a meal replacement shake), so combined with the other ingredients I use the smoothie becomes a super nutrient rich food source. Regardless, we are just grateful for Malachi's better health!
