Transitioning from exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) to Chron's disease exclusion diet (CDED)
Our twelve-year-old child just completed a full 8 weeks of EEN (exclusive enteral nutrition) for Crohn’s. It’s time to transition back to a limited array of foods (CDED- Chron's disease exclusion diet + PEN partial enteral nutrition), but eating solids is causing significant stomach aches (and anxiety).
So far we have only tried bananas, apple sauce (home-made, organic), and potatoes (home-made, organic, mashed and cooled as directed). We’re kind of in uncharted territory, as the doctor and nutritionist made it sound like taking up solid foods again would be an easy transition. **Can anyone who has gone through this process share their experience? **
Anytime the kid gets a stomach ache, she fears the worst, but at the same time, it stands to reason that after 8-weeks of shakes, the stomach might be challenged by solid foods.
Thanks!
My heart goes out to you and your daughter,
! What a journey it sounds like it's been to get your daughter to where she is. It makes sense though, that she's apprehensive and afraid to try solid foods after how much pain and suffering they've caused her in the past. Have you had a chance to reach out her doctor and nutritionist about how this has been a challenge for her? And, I'm not sure if this is something that would be feasible for you, but would a therapist be an option for her?
(I know this isn't nearly the same, but my child was diagnosed with Celiac at 12yo and we had a heck of a time with the anxiety around eating after having months and months of pain after every meal and snack. We saw a therapist who specialized in working with kids with medical conditions/challenges and it seemed to help us manage some of that anxiousness. I will be quick to add it wasn't a cure-all though.)
I do hope that others in the community here can share their experiences and tips and tricks with you. It's so painful to see our kids struggling and suffering. As a parent we just want to be able to take the pain away, and you are doing an amazing job advocating for your daughter! I hope you also feel supported while you're working to support her! Our community is here for you both and I hope she can start to feel more at ease as she adds more foods to her diet. Sending you both gentle hugs! -- Warmly, Christine (Team Member)
