Hi Carrielee,
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s struggles. I am in a very similar position with my 2.5 yo and I also have autoimmune/gut issues. I am curious to know which blood test you had for your daughter to determine her allergies/sensitivities, especially since you mentioned she is feeling better since you have eliminated the offending foods. I have had several types of tests done over the years (ALCAT, Cyrex IgA and IgG and the more traditional RAST and IgE skin prick) – all with different and contradictory results. I have also read so much conflicting info about the validity of all these tests, leaving me so confused and frustrated.
I also wanted to let you know that we did GAPS (starting with the strict intro) for about 4 months last year, and it was a terrible and somewhat traumatic experience for my family. Although I actually felt pretty good on it, my daughters symptoms got significantly worse while on it (well past the die-off time). And although I did feel better initially, the stress of it took its toll on me and I am still recovering from it a year later. Although I am sure the stress of it is nothing compared to homeschooling 7 kids – if you can do that, I am sure you could handle the stress of a diet like GAPS (not that I’d recommend it though)!