5 Y/o Sick Since Starting School

[margie]

My son started kinder and has had diarrhea ever since. Actually, it started to clear up when we took him for a 4 day weekend, but then once back at school his stools started getting progressively looser and we're now at the critical point again where I want to give him another long weekend just to give his little body a chance to heal.

He absolutely loves school so it's not emotional. There have been no changes anywhere else in his life that I can track. It's been too long to say maybe he has some stomach bug. He is not a cheater and really tries hard to do self-care and to advocate for himself. The teacher and cafeteria staff are working w/ us extensively to keep cross-contamination from those areas, and I've done all the classroom stuff one is supposed to do. Heck, I'm the most participatory mom at the school I've seen. This week we've even decided to shampoo the classroom rugs! I have celiac and he's been diagnosed since two, so it's not like we're new to the lifestyle. I haven't kept him in a bubble; he went to a family daycare w/o problems, has always gone to parks and classes and all the regular kid things w/o problems. I never considered him super sensitive and on the occasions he did get gluten to varying degrees he always has healed up rather quickly.

I am at a total loss on what to do next. Or maybe I just am feeling overwhelmed about what the next step entails. This an urban school. That means a smaller yard space with many, many children using it. The schoolyard gets totally contaminated with smooshed crackers and cookies. I've noticed this after morning snack and recess on the yard, after lunch and lunch recess, and although he is not in the after-school program, I see them eating their glutenous snacks on the yard as well. Could this be the issue? So much gluten floating around that it gets all over the little critters and can't be contained? Is it realistic to ask the principal and teachers to keep all gluten food off the schoolyard? What are our legal rights concerning such requests?

Has anyone else had this experience? Any ideas? I'm calling the doctor again today to give the dismal update, but other than signing a legal health form for the school, I don't know how much more they can do. I guess run some new tests to see if there is some new intolerance, but the fact that he seems to get better when given a break from school makes me doubt this as a possibility.

I'd really like to hear any feedback. My son loves his new school and so do we, but I can't allow him to continue on getting sicker and sicker. He's been an amazing little trooper through all this. I just want him to be able to go to school and be healthy as well as happy. Oh yeah, we are in San Francisco.

[Darn210]

A couple of things came to mind . . . and you may have already ruled it out if you're in his classroom a lot.

Are they working with playdoh a lot? Do they have a sensory table filled with (uncooked) pasta shells? Does he get to wash his hands after he comes in from the playground AND before he goes to eat? In my daughter's kindergarten class, everyone got a squirt of antibacterial gel before going to lunch which is NOT the same thing as washing their hands!!!

Good Luck to you and your lil' trooper!!

[Guhlia]

Hopefully one of these will help:

art supplies (paint, glue, play-doh, etc)

other kids hands

playground equipment

teachers' hands

eating a snack in the car/bus on the way home with unwashed hands

not using soap when washing hands

not washing hands well enough

not using a fingernail brush after touching gluten???

macaroni projects

My daughter got glutened for the first time yesterday. I am going to start sending her to school with a wet one in her pocket. Obviously its no substitute for hand washing, but its better than nothing and it will help her to feel safe. She got REALLY sick and is worried about going back to school because she has no idea how she got glutened. With a wet one always on hand she can wipe her hands down if she needs to wash up, but can't get to a sink. If your son is constantly getting sick from school perhaps it would help to observe for a day and see if you can figure out where he's getting gluten.

[margie]

Yeah, that's all being addressed. However, maybe I should go through art supplies a bit more closely. Which are the danger brands?

I still am prone to blame the yard where hundreds of kids everyday are eating their snacks and treats that consist of crackers or muffins or cookies. It's loads of gluten crumbs everywhere. I teach at another school that has a much bigger yard and kids don't customarily get fed snack on the yard in mass like at his school. I notice the difference in the quantity of gluten on the ground. Am I crazy to be zeroing in on this as the culprit?

[dilettantesteph]

Yeah, that's all being addressed. However, maybe I should go through art supplies a bit more closely. Which are the danger brands?

I still am prone to blame the yard where hundreds of kids everyday are eating their snacks and treats that consist of crackers or muffins or cookies. It's loads of gluten crumbs everywhere. I teach at another school that has a much bigger yard and kids don't customarily get fed snack on the yard in mass like at his school. I notice the difference in the quantity of gluten on the ground. Am I crazy to be zeroing in on this as the culprit?

You might want to check to kind of soap used in the classroom and bathroom. They could implement a food free area in the playground. My son got sick at school a lot too, and they kept insisting that it was school phobia. Very annoying! There should be a food free area in the classroom. We are working on that at my son's school. Is he bringing his own lunch? Hope so. Maybe it is something different that you are packing in his lunch that he doesn't eat at home. Do you get sick in the playground? Good luck.

[margie]

The teacher has been great in cooperating with us and is very concerned. She has him wash hands frequently w/ soap I provided, has the tables wiped down w/ wipes I provided, only uses gluten-free playdough I continuously seem to be making and I've meticulously scrubbed every play dough accesory. She actually is trying to create a gluten free classroom. I actually fell apart and cried in front of the principal after a pta meeting this week. He was generous w/ the hugs and we are meeting to walk the school grounds and discuss things further on Friday. I plan on requesting a SST meeting to address this and I will come equipped w/ doctor's notes, more info on celiac and the school nurse from the school I work at (the school nurse at his school is out on maternity leave until March and the district won't provide a sub!)

This morning I am taking my son to the doctor. Yesterday he came home from school w/ diarrhea caked all the way to his ankles. It happened in the afternoon and he didn't tell the teacher. The diarrhea has become extremely watery. When he goes to the bathroom he leans over and we have to hold his hand and rub his back and sooth him. In this position the splattering is quite messy and I must clean the toilet afterwards. I feel so bad for him, but thus far he is handling it extremely well.

Over the past few years of having a kid w/ celiac there have been moments I've felt the stress or been somewhat sad or frustrated about the challenge this creates in his life, but he's become so well adjusted to it that it didn't seem like that big of a deal. Now, for the first time, I feel like I am struggling w/ the emotions of a parent who has a kid with a disability. That is not a term I ever felt the need to use before. Here I go getting all teary again. Time to put on the happy mommy face and go get the boy ready for the doctor's appointment.

[purple]

My son started kinder and has had diarrhea ever since. Actually, it started to clear up when we took him for a 4 day weekend, but then once back at school his stools started getting progressively looser and we're now at the critical point again where I want to give him another long weekend just to give his little body a chance to heal.

He absolutely loves school so it's not emotional. There have been no changes anywhere else in his life that I can track. It's been too long to say maybe he has some stomach bug. He is not a cheater and really tries hard to do self-care and to advocate for himself. The teacher and cafeteria staff are working w/ us extensively to keep cross-contamination from those areas, and I've done all the classroom stuff one is supposed to do. Heck, I'm the most participatory mom at the school I've seen. This week we've even decided to shampoo the classroom rugs! I have celiac and he's been diagnosed since two, so it's not like we're new to the lifestyle. I haven't kept him in a bubble; he went to a family daycare w/o problems, has always gone to parks and classes and all the regular kid things w/o problems. I never considered him super sensitive and on the occasions he did get gluten to varying degrees he always has healed up rather quickly.

I am at a total loss on what to do next. Or maybe I just am feeling overwhelmed about what the next step entails. This an urban school. That means a smaller yard space with many, many children using it. The schoolyard gets totally contaminated with smooshed crackers and cookies. I've noticed this after morning snack and recess on the yard, after lunch and lunch recess, and although he is not in the after-school program, I see them eating their glutenous snacks on the yard as well. Could this be the issue? So much gluten floating around that it gets all over the little critters and can't be contained? Is it realistic to ask the principal and teachers to keep all gluten food off the schoolyard? What are our legal rights concerning such requests?

Has anyone else had this experience? Any ideas? I'm calling the doctor again today to give the dismal update, but other than signing a legal health form for the school, I don't know how much more they can do. I guess run some new tests to see if there is some new intolerance, but the fact that he seems to get better when given a break from school makes me doubt this as a possibility.

I'd really like to hear any feedback. My son loves his new school and so do we, but I can't allow him to continue on getting sicker and sicker. He's been an amazing little trooper through all this. I just want him to be able to go to school and be healthy as well as happy. Oh yeah, we are in San Francisco.

This chokes me up. What is your sons name? I want to pray for you guys.

[AMQmom]

I am so sorry to hear about your son's experience. I send my girls to school with a closed plastic conatiner of crayons, pencils, erasers, soap, markers, glue, scissors, etc. I wrote on the lid that hands must be washed well before opening the container to avoid cross contamination. Only my girls use their supplies. I included soap because the top of the soap bottes get contaminated easily. So far this year they have not gotten gluttened (second grade thumb sucker and pre-schooler). I also requested that my preschooler sit alone on the bus since I watched her with other preschoolers one day and they were in her face and touchy (as they should be - just not in our situation). This made a huge difference - no more throwing up. I instructed the staff to be cautious about touching her after snack (their own and chilidrens') - touching places on her that she will not lick or put in her mouth like the top of her head and her back rather than her hands. I hope that your son's problems at shool are resolved quickly!

[curlyfries]

You said you're working with the cafeteria staff, so I assume he is eating school-prepared lunches.

I would pack his lunch for a while and see what happens.

[dilettantesteph]

You are justified in getting teary. I thought I had it bad! At my kids school there are lots of assistant teachers following kids around. I wonder if your child could get one until you can get the situation resolved. Of course it would have to be someone willing to learn about celiac. There must be some contamination coming from somewhere. Or could you take off work and follow him around awhile. It is hard for most people to think of all the tiny possible sources of contamination. I noticed in my child's case that they sit really close together in the lunch room. The kid who liked to sit next to him would spit a lot when he talked. I think he was getting gluten that way because when he switched to a different table and ate by himself he got better. He didn't mind eating alone if it meant no more feeling sick. I feel for you.

[home-based-mom]

Is it realistic to ask the principal and teachers to keep all gluten food off the schoolyard? What are our legal rights concerning such requests?

It is my understanding the school is legally required to provide a safe environment for every kid, and you have every right to demand that they do so. Search the board for other posts on 504's. Start the process of getting one for your son and absolutely insist there be NO food on the schoolyard playground. You should even be able to request that each child wash their hands after eating before going out to play. Each and every time. No exceptions.

I hope your son is feeling better soon! Poor little guy - he sounds like a trooper!

[Lukalovescats]

So sorry you are going through this. It definitely sounds like the playground to me. I teach kinder and have celiac myself. This year we took snacktime out of the day which helps. No playdoh (unless I make it) and same with the pasta stuff. As careful as I am, I've used my anti-spasmadic med more times than I should have this year and spent many days itching away. The kids come in with snacks in their backpacks for afterschool programs, crumbs on their clothes, and I'm sure they don't wash their hands before coming to school. Being the teacher, I get lots of hugs and hand holding even on the way to the room. Constantly wash my hands but I've caught myself licking my finger to turn a page after it's too late. Get the 504 and work on having no food on the playground. This should be a no-no automatically. Maybe the teacher could send a note home about handwashing before school? Check the computer keyboards as well for cleaning.