About a month ago, at Veronika’s regular visit with her dietitian from the hospital at the hospital…she decided she wanted me to try the RPAH Failsafe Diet, because we have tried everything else in an attempt to get Veronika to eat….

FAILSAFE stands for Free of Additives, Low in Salicylates, Amines and Flavour Enhancers.

I then spent the next 2 weeks trying to get my head around the new restrictions I needed to implement, not only was the list limited for the initial stage of the elimination diet, but I also had to take into account all Veronika’s food intolerances, so not only did in need to eliminate so much, then I had to take out dairy, soy, eggs, gluten etc….so I talked with Elisa, a wonderful friend of mine who has used the RPAH diet before with her children to help with skin irritations. Elisa was an absolute wealth of information, and I went home after talking with her with a clearer idea of a food plan, and of course Elisa had a jar of pear jam for Veronika too(pears are the only fruit you can eat on the strict elimination diet).

I had come up with a rough idea of what Veronika could have at each meal and snack(well to be offered, because she has never really eaten anything much). Veronika refused her breakfast for the 1st week, I alternated between orgran custard made with her formula, and home-made gluten-free bread….after a week I was wracking my brains trying to think of something else to offer her. I thought maybe i could adapt a muffin recipe to be gluten, dairy, and egg free…so I made pear muffins, and she ate half a mini one for breakfast….I was so excited that Veronika had actually eaten something, so for the last week she has been eating pear muffin for breakfast. I have been making potato and leek soup for tea(and some times she has it for lunch too)…and I also made up a recipe for chicken ‘fingers’ with chicken breast that I minced with pear, celery, potato, then I added potato flour and rolled them in rice crumbs. I feel like I have spent all the time that I have been home, in the kitchen making up recipes or modifying recipes……

but if it works and Veronika eats then it is so worth the effort. We have another 2 weeks to go, but I am confident we will get thru the 4 weeks that the dietitian wanted her to try Failsafe for….then we will back to see her and tell her the results.