Oh, Enema

One major part of the GAPS learning curve involves enemas. Oh yes. That's right. Enemas. As if we don't deal with poop enough in this house. Apparently in some holistic type granola-ee communities enemas are all the rave. And colonics. In our house we are 9 months into GAPS for Ellie and still getting used to the enema idea.

What is that you say? You really didn't want to read an Ellie Belly Update full of enema speak? Well picture me jumping out from behind a curtain and yelling ENEMA at you as loudly as I can. Did you jump? Were you frightened? yeah, you and me both. But here is the deal. We NEED to talk about it more. Poop in general. Because it comes out of our intestines which is the root of all our immune system. So in an effort to provide an update and perhaps even a little education, here is our enema-capade.

Enemas. They get toxins out faster. Period.

Before giving Ellie her first enema I was scared to death. I had read a bunch of Dr. Google on how enemas are bad and can be addictive and damaging and blah blah. Ok YES. If you dont do it right. So please for the love of everything FPIES, be sure that you have information on how to do it right. (email me for resources on that if you are interested, but please don't go buy a standard enema in the store and use it- otherwise check your GAPS book for more info)

Ellie hates anything near her butt, and can you blame the girl? For the first 18 months + of her life anything that came out burned her skin into blisters. (side note: anything in your body can show up in your urine, so major hints on toxicity there)

We are well into the introduction of coconut oil. She is up to 3/4 teaspoons of raw, unrefined coconut oil per day. In addition she gets a full rub down morning and night, with occasional touch ups during the day. When we increased her from 1/2 tsp to 3/4 tsp oil...she didn't poop. I let her go one full day, and the next morning her eczema had increased to be full body, and very painful. It was also not the typical rashy eczema she gets. This time it was cyst like, bumps under the skin that seemed fluid filled.

So yesterday she was not feeling very well. By evening she still had no pooped, and luckily during a phone chat with another FPIES mom the light bulb finally turned on - she hadn't pooped! Crap! (harhar) She was detoxing and not getting it out the fastest and correct way via her colon, so her skin was doing the work. ugh. Detoxing through the skin is painful and nooo fun.

So last night we enema'd her. Twice. It took one kids enema and then one adult enema to get her to go. And the girl never cried. In fact when I said 'ok Ellie we have to tickle your belly again because you didn't go poopoo' the girl clapped and yelled 'yaaaay!' (At that point I gave my husband a very puzzled look.)

Enema-capade complete. Detox bath of epsom salts. Rub down of coconut oil. Off to bed.

This morning I was stunned at the improvement in her skin. We are talking dramatic. Most of it is localized back to her legs now where she has her trouble spots.

Bye bye toxins! Hello healing! Oh enema, you saved the day!