{"id":383,"date":"2025-12-28T16:38:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T16:38:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingtimes.online\/?p=383"},"modified":"2025-12-28T16:38:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T16:38:47","slug":"my-sons-belly-ached-after-every-family-dinner-grandmas-secret-was-the-reason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingtimes.online\/?p=383","title":{"rendered":"My Son\u2019s Belly Ached After Every Family Dinner\u2014Grandma\u2019s Secret Was the Reason"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">It started subtly. A slight frown, a hand tentatively touching his tummy. Then the cries, sharp and sudden, tearing through the quiet after a family dinner. Every Sunday, same pattern. We\u2019d laugh, we\u2019d eat Grandma\u2019s legendary roast, her famous potatoes, her sweet, thick gravy. Then, within an hour of getting home, the pain would hit him.\u00a0<\/span><strong class=\"text-purple-300\" style=\"font-size: 1rem;\">My son\u2019s belly ached after every family dinner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;\">\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1703020\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">At first, I brushed it off. Toddlers get upset stomachs. New foods. Maybe too much dessert. But it became a ritual of misery. His face would contort, pale and clammy, his little body curling into a tight ball as he sobbed into my chest.\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">It\u2019s just a bug, I told myself. He\u2019ll grow out of it.<\/em>\u00a0But the \u201cbug\u201d was remarkably consistent, only appearing after Grandma\u2019s dinners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">We saw doctors. So many doctors. Pediatricians, specialists, allergists. We ran tests. Blood work, stool samples, scans. They found nothing. NO ALLERGIES. NO INTOLERANCES. NO PARASITES. The doctors, kind but ultimately stumped, suggested IBS, or anxiety, or just a sensitive gut.\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">A sensitive gut that only acts up after Grandma\u2019s food?<\/em>\u00a0The suspicion, once a tiny whisper, grew into a roaring presence in my mind.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Image_wrapper__1NP9g\">\n<div class=\"Image_container__oHMMQ\">\n<div class=\"Image_ref__XcBnw\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/Y2ZNjIG3gdxi6T7Dvu3DAPtLKZFuhV0B4cnZoeaGNBg\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjNmZTg0ZjQ0ODZiMzk0ODcwODU2YTdjMTM1ZTgxYjcwNmU1MDBhMDhlMDljOGE0OTA1ZDlhYjAyMjZlYjU0Yi5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDQ.jpg 375w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/e3DkRkJ8sDISNLFMyDf4kbiW6mcIUYRa256iS8Y1xJE\/rs:fill:576:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjNmZTg0ZjQ0ODZiMzk0ODcwODU2YTdjMTM1ZTgxYjcwNmU1MDBhMDhlMDljOGE0OTA1ZDlhYjAyMjZlYjU0Yi5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDQ.jpg 576w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/66e9I7Vo2Oi_cEpNj_cXDA0YjLUNEvWbAsrGyJaFcZ8\/rs:fill:768:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjNmZTg0ZjQ0ODZiMzk0ODcwODU2YTdjMTM1ZTgxYjcwNmU1MDBhMDhlMDljOGE0OTA1ZDlhYjAyMjZlYjU0Yi5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDQ.jpg 768w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/VKuBTGPxOy-now9P_DkOtILRoaYWRaj8FxEhQa871S8\/rs:fill:992:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjNmZTg0ZjQ0ODZiMzk0ODcwODU2YTdjMTM1ZTgxYjcwNmU1MDBhMDhlMDljOGE0OTA1ZDlhYjAyMjZlYjU0Yi5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDQ.jpg 992w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/bepEuQENofEYF46ESMg1Nzsin3yfBDV5UPDncqK8twA\/rs:fill:1200:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vYjNmZTg0ZjQ0ODZiMzk0ODcwODU2YTdjMTM1ZTgxYjcwNmU1MDBhMDhlMDljOGE0OTA1ZDlhYjAyMjZlYjU0Yi5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDQ.jpg 1200w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 835px) 100vw, (max-width: 1279px) 830px, 830px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image_image__11E9V Image_post-image__qnTn0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/b3fe84f4486b394870856a7c135e81b706e500a08e09c8a4905d9ab0226eb54b.png\" alt=\"Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent\" width=\"795\" height=\"444\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Image_title__T6_we\" data-testid=\"image-source\">Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;\">\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1703020\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">Grandma, bless her heart, was oblivious. Or so I thought. She\u2019d cluck over him, offer ginger ale, rub his back. \u201cPoor little lamb,\u201d she\u2019d coo. \u201cMust be a touch of something going around.\u201d And I\u2019d smile, forcing the words back down:\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">No, Grandma. It\u2019s not something going around. It\u2019s something IN your house. Something ON your plate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">I started trying to subtly investigate. I\u2019d watch her cook. I\u2019d ask about ingredients. \u201cWhat\u2019s this herb, Grandma? Is that a new spice?\u201d She\u2019d just wave me off with a smile. \u201cOh, just my special touches, dear. Old family secrets.\u201d She loved her secrets, her mysterious recipes passed down through generations. They were part of her charm. Now, they were a source of creeping dread.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">I tried to limit his intake. \u201cHe\u2019s not very hungry today, Grandma,\u201d I\u2019d say, trying to steer him away from certain dishes. But Grandma was relentless. \u201cNonsense! A growing boy needs his strength! Have some more, darling.\u201d And he, loving her fiercely, would often succumb, forcing down another bite, another spoonful of whatever concoction she\u2019d prepared. My heart would sink, knowing what was coming. The drive home became a silent vigil. The waiting game for the pain to strike.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-2\" style=\"margin: 8px auto; text-align: center; display: block; clear: both;\">\n<div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1703020\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">One Sunday, I made an excuse. \u201cI forgot my purse, Grandma. I\u2019ll just run back in.\u201d I left my son with my partner in the car, promising to be quick. The house was quiet, the scent of roast still lingering. I walked through the kitchen, my eyes scanning, searching for something, anything. And then I saw it. Tucked away in a small, unmarked jar in the back of the spice cabinet. Not a common spice. Not something you\u2019d find in a supermarket. It looked like dried leaves, dark and crumbly, with a strange, medicinal smell.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\"><em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">What is that?<\/em> A cold knot tightened in my stomach. My grandmother had always been a proponent of \u201cnatural remedies,\u201d but this felt different. She\u2019d never mentioned this. I took a small pinch, sniffing it. Bitter, earthy, foreign.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Image_wrapper__1NP9g\">\n<div class=\"Image_container__oHMMQ\">\n<div class=\"Image_ref__XcBnw\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/68xa2PA_g20r2UgdlT24xcNN-Rmm0o-5-kktAZJnEEM\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMjk4N2I1YTMwYWM0MTZhNTU3YTk0ZWE0MzMzN2Q4YzJjMGNkOGM1MmNmYjU2YmI4NzdlYzFkNmIwYzkyMzEwZC5wbmc_d2lkdGg9ODAwJmhlaWdodD00NTY.jpg 375w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/F6BjVzCdyXBxmae14b7cWPgeBQn_R8qNebDuikiMjeY\/rs:fill:576:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMjk4N2I1YTMwYWM0MTZhNTU3YTk0ZWE0MzMzN2Q4YzJjMGNkOGM1MmNmYjU2YmI4NzdlYzFkNmIwYzkyMzEwZC5wbmc_d2lkdGg9ODAwJmhlaWdodD00NTY.jpg 576w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/zjwOXgmaj8-4cUUeLc4VZJsJvixLzIrP7V2oA7F36HI\/rs:fill:768:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMjk4N2I1YTMwYWM0MTZhNTU3YTk0ZWE0MzMzN2Q4YzJjMGNkOGM1MmNmYjU2YmI4NzdlYzFkNmIwYzkyMzEwZC5wbmc_d2lkdGg9ODAwJmhlaWdodD00NTY.jpg 768w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/HI5iIYHDWZQCsC7OX2umKOgvSrU7mh7aEBlUY-vJmNw\/rs:fill:992:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMjk4N2I1YTMwYWM0MTZhNTU3YTk0ZWE0MzMzN2Q4YzJjMGNkOGM1MmNmYjU2YmI4NzdlYzFkNmIwYzkyMzEwZC5wbmc_d2lkdGg9ODAwJmhlaWdodD00NTY.jpg 992w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/cI4RELT9E9csFxd0l5t8TVDEHKrg08eWUEJRcLb3djA\/rs:fill:1200:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vMjk4N2I1YTMwYWM0MTZhNTU3YTk0ZWE0MzMzN2Q4YzJjMGNkOGM1MmNmYjU2YmI4NzdlYzFkNmIwYzkyMzEwZC5wbmc_d2lkdGg9ODAwJmhlaWdodD00NTY.jpg 1200w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 835px) 100vw, (max-width: 1279px) 830px, 830px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image_image__11E9V Image_post-image__qnTn0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/2987b5a30ac416a557a94ea43337d8c2c0cd8c52cfb56bb877ec1d6b0c92310d.png\" alt=\"Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent\" width=\"800\" height=\"456\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Image_title__T6_we\" data-testid=\"image-source\">Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">I carefully replaced the jar, my mind racing. That evening, as I held my son through another excruciating episode, a new, terrible thought blossomed.\u00a0<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">Grandma\u2019s secret was the reason.<\/strong>\u00a0It wasn\u2019t just a secret ingredient. It was something she was deliberately adding. But why? WHY would she hurt her own grandson? My mind reeled. It had to be an accident. A misunderstanding. Maybe it was an old herb, harmless to most, but not to him.\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">It had to be.<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">The next Sunday, I made sure my son ate only a minimal amount, distracting him, telling him he\u2019d get a special treat later. Still, a small portion of Grandma\u2019s special gravy, her famous roast. And again, the pain. Less severe, perhaps, but still there. It confirmed my worst fears.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">I couldn\u2019t ignore it anymore. I drove back to her house later that week, my stomach churning more than my son\u2019s ever had. I found her in the garden, tending to her roses. She smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. The loving, gentle woman who baked him cookies and told him stories.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">\u201cGrandma,\u201d I started, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. \u201cWe need to talk. About\u2026 about what you put in the food.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">Her smile faltered. Her eyes, usually so warm, hardened just slightly. \u201cMy special touches, dear? Just giving the boy a bit of flavor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">\u201cNo, Grandma. The jar. The dark leaves. What is it? He gets so sick. After\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">every<\/em>\u00a0dinner.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">She turned from me, busying herself with a thorny stem. A long silence stretched between us. The air grew heavy, thick with unspoken things. Finally, she sighed, a deep, shuddering sound that seemed to carry years of sorrow.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">\u201cIt\u2019s a special herb,\u201d she whispered, her voice barely audible. \u201cAn old remedy. My mother used it. I thought\u2026 I thought it would help him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">My heart pounded. \u201cHelp him with what, Grandma? The doctors say he\u2019s fine. It\u2019s clearly making him sick!\u201d<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Image_wrapper__1NP9g\">\n<div class=\"Image_container__oHMMQ\">\n<div class=\"Image_ref__XcBnw\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/POUsmyJ7WAeDe4jIyjQBpMcXqHxITEVxaU6U0DYQ9qU\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNDE1NDgwMjQxYzhhZGE1YzlkODk4MzZhZTkyZmJlYzg1NGRjNjUzYTU5ZWY1ZGZhOGJmOTBlZTg4MjQ2MTUwMy5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDk.jpg 375w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/yiD6LgVsBlke2NH7pJATJvw4nSG1-0to3lzwYQQcp94\/rs:fill:576:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNDE1NDgwMjQxYzhhZGE1YzlkODk4MzZhZTkyZmJlYzg1NGRjNjUzYTU5ZWY1ZGZhOGJmOTBlZTg4MjQ2MTUwMy5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDk.jpg 576w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/c0k3tz6YqlHbB75uvu1TU7i45_cCx0kXOBjp20wukmk\/rs:fill:768:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNDE1NDgwMjQxYzhhZGE1YzlkODk4MzZhZTkyZmJlYzg1NGRjNjUzYTU5ZWY1ZGZhOGJmOTBlZTg4MjQ2MTUwMy5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDk.jpg 768w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/DzG2o3cGLOSfsg-Eu2LnoPYyyKse6dkN2_aQe6Fjwzs\/rs:fill:992:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNDE1NDgwMjQxYzhhZGE1YzlkODk4MzZhZTkyZmJlYzg1NGRjNjUzYTU5ZWY1ZGZhOGJmOTBlZTg4MjQ2MTUwMy5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDk.jpg 992w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/ufrBuuzDIr8pZcCFm-TM78ylzR1uxqrVwYbeeURY0n4\/rs:fill:1200:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vNDE1NDgwMjQxYzhhZGE1YzlkODk4MzZhZTkyZmJlYzg1NGRjNjUzYTU5ZWY1ZGZhOGJmOTBlZTg4MjQ2MTUwMy5wbmc_d2lkdGg9Nzk1JmhlaWdodD00NDk.jpg 1200w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 835px) 100vw, (max-width: 1279px) 830px, 830px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image_image__11E9V Image_post-image__qnTn0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/415480241c8ada5c9d89836ae92fbec854dc653a59ef5dfa8bf90ee882461503.png\" alt=\"Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent\" width=\"795\" height=\"449\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Image_title__T6_we\" data-testid=\"image-source\">Violet Affleck advocates for COVID-19 protections in her UN address, from a post dated September 24. 2025 | Source: Youtube\/@theindependent<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">She turned, her face etched with a pain I hadn\u2019t seen before. Tears welled in her eyes, tracing paths through the wrinkles on her cheeks.\u00a0<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">\u201cHe has it, you see. The same affliction. The same weakness.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">\u201cWhat are you talking about?\u201d I demanded, a cold dread washing over me. \u201cHe has nothing! He\u2019s a healthy boy!\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">She shook her head, her gaze distant, fixed on something in the past. \u201cNo, you don\u2019t understand.\u00a0<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">My first son\u2026 your uncle\u2026 he had it too. The stomach pain. The fevers. He was so delicate. So fragile.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">A jolt went through me. My mother\u2019s side of the family never talked about the uncle who died young. It was a taboo subject, a tragedy buried under decades of silence.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">\u201cGrandma, what does that have to do with my son?\u201d I asked, my voice barely a whisper.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">She gripped my arm, her frail fingers surprisingly strong. \u201cHe was meant to be strong. To live. But the pain\u2026 it took him from me. I tried everything. Every remedy. But I was too late.\u201d Her voice broke. \u201c<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">But this time\u2026 this time I know better. This time, I\u2019m starting early.<\/strong>\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">My blood ran cold. \u201cGrandma, what are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">She looked at me, her eyes clouded with an unspeakable grief, a desperate, fierce love.\u00a0<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">\u201cThe herb\u2026 it makes them strong. It cleanses the weakness. It makes the body fight. It made him sick, yes, but it\u2019s a necessary sickness. It\u2019s what I should have given your uncle. It would have saved him. And now\u2026 now it will save\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">your<\/em>\u00a0son.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">I stared at her, utterly horrified. The herb. The pain. Her first son\u2019s death.\u00a0<strong class=\"text-purple-300\">She wasn\u2019t trying to hurt my child. She was trying to\u00a0<em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">save<\/em>\u00a0him, believing he carried the same fatal weakness as her lost child.<\/strong> She was repeating a tragic, delusional ritual, forcing my son to endure the very symptoms of the illness she believed she was preventing, fueled by a lifetime of guilt and unprocessed grief.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"Image_wrapper__1NP9g Image_wrapper-vertical__PwZAR\">\n<div class=\"Image_container__oHMMQ\">\n<div class=\"Image_ref__XcBnw\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/4HvcJGz1Qrd6vt6H0E2SaPyVcX2HIFWgjlgflw6rZxA\/rs:fill:375:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2I1MTA0MzE3MGJjZDFiYTBkNzFiODMxYTI3NDUxMjI4MmM1ZmRlMTBlNjIzNjBjOWE5YjkwMmZkOGJiNjE4Zi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjA2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg 375w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/WXL5p0K1H8kAGWT7RH9gVu9NE2die8A8tA3ObtuT06E\/rs:fill:576:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2I1MTA0MzE3MGJjZDFiYTBkNzFiODMxYTI3NDUxMjI4MmM1ZmRlMTBlNjIzNjBjOWE5YjkwMmZkOGJiNjE4Zi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjA2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg 576w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/QIh3JSlwFb3udpHCV5CMum-PG04idk6SWJrLhwukQ7w\/rs:fill:768:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2I1MTA0MzE3MGJjZDFiYTBkNzFiODMxYTI3NDUxMjI4MmM1ZmRlMTBlNjIzNjBjOWE5YjkwMmZkOGJiNjE4Zi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjA2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg 768w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/y-toCUGy6k9MYpwOjrtyN_ECnvCyi3IIq_pDP9TuT1Y\/rs:fill:992:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2I1MTA0MzE3MGJjZDFiYTBkNzFiODMxYTI3NDUxMjI4MmM1ZmRlMTBlNjIzNjBjOWE5YjkwMmZkOGJiNjE4Zi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjA2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg 992w,https:\/\/imgproxy.amomama.com\/SCDUxz9IDYG0sgHFzwpinihcBGafKHM8jWCk4szWmAk\/rs:fill:1200:0:1\/g:no\/aHR0cHM6Ly9jZG4uYW1vbWFtYS5jb20vY2I1MTA0MzE3MGJjZDFiYTBkNzFiODMxYTI3NDUxMjI4MmM1ZmRlMTBlNjIzNjBjOWE5YjkwMmZkOGJiNjE4Zi5qcGc_d2lkdGg9MjA2NyZoZWlnaHQ9MzEwMA.jpg 1200w\" type=\"image\/jpeg\" sizes=\"(max-width: 835px) 100vw, (max-width: 1279px) 581px, 581px\" \/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image_image__11E9V Image_post-image__qnTn0\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.amomama.com\/cb51043170bcd1ba0d71b831a274512282c5fde10e62360c9a9b902fd8bb618f.jpg\" alt=\"Violet Affleck spotted out in New York City on August 14, 2022. | Source: Getty Images\" width=\"2067\" height=\"3100\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"Image_title__T6_we\" data-testid=\"image-source\">Violet Affleck spotted out in New York City on August 14, 2022. | Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"text-lg\"><strong class=\"text-purple-300\">MY GRANDMA WAS POISONING MY SON, CONVINCED SHE WAS CURING HIM OF A GHOSTLY ILLNESS THAT HAD TAKEN HER OWN CHILD, AND SHE HADN\u2019T SEEN THE TRUTH IN FIFTY YEARS.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\">My knees felt weak. The smell of roses suddenly nauseated me. I saw not a loving grandmother, but a woman trapped in a perpetual nightmare, replaying her deepest trauma on my innocent child.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-lg\"><em class=\"text-purple-200 opacity-90\">And I had just discovered that the reason for my son\u2019s agony was her desperate, heartbreaking delusion.<\/em>\u00a0My throat tightened. HOW COULD I EVER EXPLAIN THIS TO ANYONE? HOW COULD I PROTECT HIM WITHOUT BREAKING HER? It wasn\u2019t malice. It was a love so twisted by pain, it became a poison. And I suddenly understood that the real sickness wasn\u2019t in my son\u2019s stomach, but in her heart. And it was incurable.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p> &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family-drama-stories"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>My Son\u2019s Belly Ached After Every Family Dinner\u2014Grandma\u2019s Secret Was the Reason - Reading Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/readingtimes.online\/?p=383\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"My Son\u2019s Belly Ached After Every Family Dinner\u2014Grandma\u2019s Secret Was the Reason - 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