During the best week of my life, this was simultaneously happening…
Have you ever heard of Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome or FPIES? Well let me tell you, in a nut shell it is a non-IgE reaction from food protein that causes gastrointestinal symptoms in a person. In this case it is some protein in banana causing projectile vomiting and diarrhoea in Xavier.
When Xavier was a baby, he periodically would projectile vomit, with no rhyme and reason. It took a while for us to pick it up but we started noticing that it would happen on days when he would have banana. Eventually we caught on. NO MORE BANANAS FOR YOU XAVE. Banana is his listed allergy at the nursery. What a weird and sad allergy to have.
Periodically, being the brave and daring Mummy that I am, I dare to give him a small piece of banana. “Maybe you’ve gotten over it, you are almost 3.” A few hours later – at least 3 episodes of projectile vomit!
The Sunday before the Marathon, David was at work. Xavier wanted a banana and I was in my daring, yea you’re over it mode. So Maya had an apple and Xavier and I split a banana. A few hours later, I noticed that Xavier’s stool started becoming lose (No Vomiting…yet). Then he went again and again. Then Maya’s stool started becoming loose. Then she went again and again.
When David got home, Maya immediately said, “Xavie had banana Daddy!” “Mon….” Well, nothing yet. After dinner, we all were watching TV in the living room, I was cuddling Maya and Xave on David’s lap. They’ve both just had a bit of oat milk when…. BOOM! Projectile vomit all over David…
“MONNN WHY DID YOU GIVE HIM BANANA?!!!
A major clean-up operation ensued. Showers for father and son. Me scrubbing the floor, Maya crying because she does not want to get sick.
The rest of week was chaos…
Monday – had to leave in the middle of clinic as both now have diarrhoea and Maya upset that she didn’t get to the toilet quick enough.
Tuesday (PACES Results Day) – When I got home from the Fareham clinic, my stomach started to cramp – around the same time when I was about to find out about my results. After finding out I passed, I spent the whole day in foetal position.
Wednesday – kids were still home as needed 48-hours. I couldn’t go in to work so I had to do clinic from home. I had also changed my address to our toilet. I sat there for so long, so scared that I might not be able to run on the Marathon on Sunday.
Thursday – The kids managed to get back to nursery. I thought I would have been over it. Wrong. This was so bad – I NEVER get any gut issues, never had diarrhoea. But David and I managed to get some food, we went out for burgers for lunch. This was out of my system by dinner time. I managed a 2-mile run.
Friday – Kids okay. I finally was okay. Managed to go back to work and no had no movement. I had also called my Mom and asked if she could fly in from NY so she can be with me at the Finish Line.As I was meant to be carb-loading by now and had to catch up by miles, I made pasta dinner – Chicken Pesto. A few hours later, David started feeling nauseated and his tum started to grumble.
Saturday – Kids woke up ay 545am. I went downstairs – David had spent almost all night in the toilet, had zero sleep. I was planning to leave by 930 for the Marathon Running Show to pick up my bib. And we had also planned for kids to meet friend and go to baby cinema and watch Luca (now cancelled). Now here I was, in a panic coz I couldn’t leave David (who by now is half dead) to look after the kids. I had very limited people to call. The only solution I could come up with was that Mom should come here straight from the airport rather than be with me at the race. Her plane has landed but she was not answering her phone. At this point, I was frantic around the house because the kids also chose to throw at least 5 tantrums each, they were fighting, and demanding all sorts. The latest I could leave to get to the ExCel Centre on time was 1300. I managed to get a hold of Mom in the most convoluted way possible and told her the plan. I made the kids some pasta for lunch and they had ice creams for dessert (I gave up fighting them at this point). I took them upstairs to David with an iPad set up (David still dying). Then I really had to leave. My heart completely shattered.
In sum, in this week, my role and Mum, Medic, and Marathon Runner had perfectly and chaotically intertwined. Whilst I was having the most perfect week in my career as a doctor, in the background my whole family suffered a violent bout of the runs. Almost risking me not running the London Marathon. I blame this really for not achieving the time I wanted. I had lost so much water and electrolytes and didn’t gain a lot of it back in time.
All because of… “Here Xave, you are almost 3, maybe you can now eat Bananas…”
Reach for the Seven Stars 