Saturday, July 31, 2010
Rounds 34 and 9
This round has been challenging. We get this every now and then for some reason. I am not sure why the rounds are all SO different, but I have heard that this inconsistency is pretty common with chelation. Oddly, for both kids, this round had resulted in a lot of hyperactivity, emotional outbursts and a new one for us, excessive loudness! Couple this with my own die off from my own treatment and it's been one heck of a day. One day at a time....
A day of exhaustion
I typically like to keep a level head when it comes to all of this craziness around us, but today is an exception. Today I think I actually know what it feels like to be my kids during treatment. I have decided to treat myself for pathogens like yeast, bacteria, viruses and parasites. I started two days ago with grapefruit seed extract (GSE) and yesterday I added black walnut hull, I had already been doing olive leaf extract (OLE) periodically before all of this too. So today I took all three twice and I have felt extreme exhaustion like I could sleep standing up, worse than when I was pregnant, I have severe brain fog, I'm highly irritable and I almost feel like I don't care about anything around me. It's no fun I tell ya! And I can't even imagine adding in chelation (moving metals) while trying to cope with all of this. I won't even share the details of the physical symptoms I have had, lol, I will spare you those details. Let me just say, something is brewing for sure.
Sometimes I feel like the hermit family. We don't go out as often as I would like, but that is because it's such a chore and we often don't feel well on weekends from chelation (us being tired from all night dosing and the kids just being effected to some degree by the chelation itself). We have to pack all of their foods, snacks and meals, drinks, supplements (especially during chelation when they are SO important, which is on weekends when we would normally be on the go more), enzymes and chelation dosing. It involves an insane amount of preparation and space, lol, our diaper bag is barely enough room for it all. Then we have Gavin's nap right smack in the middle of the day so when we go through all of this preparation to go out, we are limited on free time. Unfortunately, it's just easier to stay home. We hope to use this time to enjoy their youth while we have them at home with us.
Sometimes I feel like the hermit family. We don't go out as often as I would like, but that is because it's such a chore and we often don't feel well on weekends from chelation (us being tired from all night dosing and the kids just being effected to some degree by the chelation itself). We have to pack all of their foods, snacks and meals, drinks, supplements (especially during chelation when they are SO important, which is on weekends when we would normally be on the go more), enzymes and chelation dosing. It involves an insane amount of preparation and space, lol, our diaper bag is barely enough room for it all. Then we have Gavin's nap right smack in the middle of the day so when we go through all of this preparation to go out, we are limited on free time. Unfortunately, it's just easier to stay home. We hope to use this time to enjoy their youth while we have them at home with us.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Hemp milk recipe
My cousin has actually sparked this post. When she told me that she has decided to try gluten free for her son and that she is avoiding some dairy, I shared my hemp milk recipe with her. I realized than that I never shared this on my blog!! Shame on me! It's such an easy recipe and by using this in place of commercial hemp milk or all other commercial substitute milks, you are bypassing the yuck factor...what is the yuck factor you ask? Preservatives, thickeners, refined sugars and cross contamination! You pay an arm and a leg for this junk and you are using something that has been created to have a shelf life in a box, unrefrigerated....can you say yuck?! Not to mention, it tastes nasty compared to the good old QUICK home made recipe I am about to share with you. But before I do that, let me just share some information about the benefits of hemp, versus those other high carb, sicky sweet milk subs like rice milk and soy milk....
For starters, hemp has the perfect blend of omegas 3 and 6, and aren't we all looking for healthier ways to add omegas to our diets?? I know I am! Hemp milk is bursting with varied range of amino acids, important nutrients and trace minerals that make it the complete protein package. Hence, the best option for growing children. Hemp seed is one of the plant kingdom's most concentrated, complete and balanced sources of essential amino acids (EAA's) and essential fatty acids (EFA's). Hemp seeds are high in essential nutrients including chlorophyll, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, histidine, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin. It contains linoleic acid which is inflammation reducing, therefor it is great for those with arthritis, eczema and allergies. Hemp also helps maintain an ideal blood sugar balance, reducing hypoglycemic symptoms.
Then there is the added benefit for those who are eco-minded, it uses less water in the growing process and NO pesticides, because hemp is naturally pest-free! Hemp nut is the most nutritious and easily digestible food on the planet, the only complete source of all the following: protein, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. Hemp is the only food which supplies all of our dietary needs in one source -- the only food which can sustain human life without any other source of nutrition. Now, would I be willing to try living off of hemp alone, most definitely not, but it sure makes using it as our "milk" source an easier decision! Check out this fabulous amino acid profile...
Hemp seed contains all 10 essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Hemp seeds contain 33% pure digestible protein, providing readily available amino acids for building and repairing tissue. Hemp seed protein is comprised of 65% high-quality edestin protein, the most potent protein of any plant source, 35% albumin protein and glutamic acid. The globulin edestin in hemp seed closely resembles the globulin in blood plasma, and is compatible with the human digestive system. It is vital to the maintance of a healthy immune system and is also used to manufacture antibodies. Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver that is supportive of liver and kidney health.
For those using soy as their alternative milk, check out these facts. Soy protein contains high levels of enzyme inhibitors blocking the uptake of trypsin and other enzymes the body uses for protein digestion. Eating a diet high in enzyme inhibitors, such as those contained in soy, can result in chronic amino acid and protein deficiencies.
So with that said, here is my easy, no frills hemp milk recipe! Tweak it to your particular taste buds.
- 1 tablespoon of organic shelled hemp seeds
- 8 ounces of filtered water
- I like to add about 1.5 teaspoons of xylitol to sweeten it up, this is entirely up to you
Blend, strain and enjoy! Feel free to also add some variety with a teaspoon of vanilla, a sprinkle of cinnamon, some cocoa for chocolate milk, fresh strawberries for strawberry milk, go on....get creative!
For starters, hemp has the perfect blend of omegas 3 and 6, and aren't we all looking for healthier ways to add omegas to our diets?? I know I am! Hemp milk is bursting with varied range of amino acids, important nutrients and trace minerals that make it the complete protein package. Hence, the best option for growing children. Hemp seed is one of the plant kingdom's most concentrated, complete and balanced sources of essential amino acids (EAA's) and essential fatty acids (EFA's). Hemp seeds are high in essential nutrients including chlorophyll, magnesium, potassium, sulfur, phytosterols, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, calcium, fiber, histidine, iron, potassium, phosphorus, riboflavin, niacin and thiamin. It contains linoleic acid which is inflammation reducing, therefor it is great for those with arthritis, eczema and allergies. Hemp also helps maintain an ideal blood sugar balance, reducing hypoglycemic symptoms.
Then there is the added benefit for those who are eco-minded, it uses less water in the growing process and NO pesticides, because hemp is naturally pest-free! Hemp nut is the most nutritious and easily digestible food on the planet, the only complete source of all the following: protein, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids. Hemp is the only food which supplies all of our dietary needs in one source -- the only food which can sustain human life without any other source of nutrition. Now, would I be willing to try living off of hemp alone, most definitely not, but it sure makes using it as our "milk" source an easier decision! Check out this fabulous amino acid profile...
Hemp seed contains all 10 essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Hemp seeds contain 33% pure digestible protein, providing readily available amino acids for building and repairing tissue. Hemp seed protein is comprised of 65% high-quality edestin protein, the most potent protein of any plant source, 35% albumin protein and glutamic acid. The globulin edestin in hemp seed closely resembles the globulin in blood plasma, and is compatible with the human digestive system. It is vital to the maintance of a healthy immune system and is also used to manufacture antibodies. Albumin is a protein manufactured by the liver that is supportive of liver and kidney health.
For those using soy as their alternative milk, check out these facts. Soy protein contains high levels of enzyme inhibitors blocking the uptake of trypsin and other enzymes the body uses for protein digestion. Eating a diet high in enzyme inhibitors, such as those contained in soy, can result in chronic amino acid and protein deficiencies.
So with that said, here is my easy, no frills hemp milk recipe! Tweak it to your particular taste buds.
- 1 tablespoon of organic shelled hemp seeds
- 8 ounces of filtered water
- I like to add about 1.5 teaspoons of xylitol to sweeten it up, this is entirely up to you
Blend, strain and enjoy! Feel free to also add some variety with a teaspoon of vanilla, a sprinkle of cinnamon, some cocoa for chocolate milk, fresh strawberries for strawberry milk, go on....get creative!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Writer's block
Every now and then, I just drop off the face of the earth for a few months. I'm not sure, if it's just a build up of exhaustion (I have no shortage of that!) or if I just need a break from writing everything I experience once in a while. Either way, I have some catching up to do now, lol.
Gavin is now on his 7th round of chelation and we have finally been able to add in ALA (alpha lipoic acid). We tried twice before and had MAJOR meltdowns, probably adrenal fatigue. Through some trial and error, we have settled on Ashwagandha to address adrenal fatigue and we reduced the ALA dose by half, so he is only on 1mg of ALA every 3 hours! He is doing fairly well this time though, a little emotional, but overall, he is handling it well.
Grayson is doing GREAT! Since my last post, he has been started on his constitutional homeopathic remedy and we added lithium orotate to his supplements. His moods are better regulated, he is sweet and consistent, just doing great! That doesn't mean we don't still have yeast and bacteria flares, we do, but they are manageable. I hope this means his chelation is showing real success and we are rounding THE corner!! He is on round 33 and typically when kids reach between 40-50 rounds, they start showing signs of managing their own pathogenic balances!
Speaking of pathogenic balance, our newest experiment is water kefir. We LOVE it!! The stuff grows out of control, but it's oddly fun to take care of. I find serenity in transferring the little live grains to their next home full of sweet broth to gobble up and grow. They are a symbiotic relationship of yeast and bacteria that give off highly beneficial probiotics into the kefir water we drink daily. Then comes the all natural flavorings I create like: green tea kefir, mojito kefir, lemonade kefir, cream soda kefir (one of my favorites). We are hoping to add to our gut health by drinking our new home made brew daily!
Sorry to be so brief about the past three months, but I feel like this post would be too long, if I went into too much detail about everything, so I thought I would ease into the big topics and then I can focus on each a bit more in the future. We are going on vacation, so things are a bit crazy right now, not to mention some mold repair work we have been in the midst of for months....When things slow down a bit, I promise to get back on track with my blogging!
Gavin is now on his 7th round of chelation and we have finally been able to add in ALA (alpha lipoic acid). We tried twice before and had MAJOR meltdowns, probably adrenal fatigue. Through some trial and error, we have settled on Ashwagandha to address adrenal fatigue and we reduced the ALA dose by half, so he is only on 1mg of ALA every 3 hours! He is doing fairly well this time though, a little emotional, but overall, he is handling it well.
Grayson is doing GREAT! Since my last post, he has been started on his constitutional homeopathic remedy and we added lithium orotate to his supplements. His moods are better regulated, he is sweet and consistent, just doing great! That doesn't mean we don't still have yeast and bacteria flares, we do, but they are manageable. I hope this means his chelation is showing real success and we are rounding THE corner!! He is on round 33 and typically when kids reach between 40-50 rounds, they start showing signs of managing their own pathogenic balances!
Speaking of pathogenic balance, our newest experiment is water kefir. We LOVE it!! The stuff grows out of control, but it's oddly fun to take care of. I find serenity in transferring the little live grains to their next home full of sweet broth to gobble up and grow. They are a symbiotic relationship of yeast and bacteria that give off highly beneficial probiotics into the kefir water we drink daily. Then comes the all natural flavorings I create like: green tea kefir, mojito kefir, lemonade kefir, cream soda kefir (one of my favorites). We are hoping to add to our gut health by drinking our new home made brew daily!
Sorry to be so brief about the past three months, but I feel like this post would be too long, if I went into too much detail about everything, so I thought I would ease into the big topics and then I can focus on each a bit more in the future. We are going on vacation, so things are a bit crazy right now, not to mention some mold repair work we have been in the midst of for months....When things slow down a bit, I promise to get back on track with my blogging!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
A new chapter in our lives and in this blog
So on to a new chapter in our lives in this household. We have always focused on treating Grayson's health concerns and tried to prevent with Gavin although some genetic things are inevitable, I am sure. With my mouth full of amalgams, I expect some of that to effect him, at minimum. He is completely unvaccinated with the exception of the vitamin K shot at the hospital. We made the educated decision to allow that considering he would be circumcised.
Little signs that things weren't completely right showed themselves over the past 22 months of his life. He has always caught illnesses with such ease that it has made it hard for us to enjoy trips that include any number of people all getting together, one of the illnesses even resulted in a febrile seizure when he hadn't even had a high temp, in fact, he was at the end of his illness. It was Grayson's 4th birthday and I will never forget that day! A ride in an ambulance resulted in a two day stay at the hospital with tubes and tests galore. The happy ending was us going home with a healthy child who had no underlying conditions to set this incident off, yet another reason to consider the possibility that genetics, immune function and heavy metals factored into his inability to stay healthy.
We decided to have Gavin's hair tested for toxic and essential elements based on some concerns we have had with mood swings, aggression, bloating, problems with chronic yeast and bacteria, slow growth, and what seems like a slowing in his developmental progression. It's so hard to assess this age, since there are normal variances in development, pains associated with teething and changes in growth patterns. There was a sale on the Doctor's Data, Inc. hair test which pushed me just over the edge of the fence I was sitting on. Getting 2 grams of hair from his fine wispy head of hair (only below the ears in back) was no easy task. I kept cutting and snipping and trying to place my scissors in locations far enough away from where I took other chunks so it wouldn't be noticeable. I just wasn't ready to snip off his wispy baby curls yet.
Results.....drum roll please....yes, mercury is at play here, along with a few other co-contenders, namely antimony, tin, phosphorus and titanium. He also had a slew of low essential elements like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and strontium. It's never quite that simple though, since there is a whole host of factors at play. The end result it still the same, so we chose chelation. We are old pros at it by now and his supplements are already on par with one who needs chelation, so we just dove right in. His first round was nothing short of remarkable. It started with the expected and the usual increased irritation then slowly progressed into improvements that just could have not developed overnight. His speech improved by leaps and bounds, his cognitive clarity was completely unreal, even his physical development jumped in a matter of one day. He has always been afraid to explore steps while standing. He is comfortable on steps, as long as he is sitting. On his third day of chelation, Grayson yelled to me, "MOM!!! Mom, Gavin just went down the stairs without holding on". I turned to find him coming down the three steps at the bottom plateau of our kitchen stairwell, standing up and not holding onto anything. He was so impressed with himself that he continued to repeat this feat over and over with ease! It looked as if he had been walking down huge steps with his tiny self for ages, when in fact, his body was able to allow him to process the event normally, without fear, for the very first time. Children with toxic metal overload tend to be delayed in fine and gross motor skills as well as harboring inappropriate fears, so this comes as no surprise to me. Something else we noticed while on this round is a connectedness that I would never have known he lacked in without seeing what he was capable of! You just don't know how unwell your child is until you see the comparison of well v.s. unwell in that same little person. Gavin has always been social, makes great eye contact when he is being social and loves people, so I never really gave this area much thought. I didn't think there was anything lacking, he was doing all the right things, but what I didn't realize, is how much more he is capable of! Dave couldn't believe his eyes and ears the minute he came through the door after work. He was promptly greeted with a wave of a little hand and a resounding, "Hi daddyyyyyy!" And every moment of the evening included direct and purposeful connections between Gavin and us. He smiled with delight and playfully interacted with each and every one of us. He showed his sense of humor, he waited more patiently, he goofed around with Grayson, he glowed with enjoyment fromt he world around him. It made us realize that he is often in his own world, tantruming about having to share with his brother, running off in a tirade of anger just to come back and start it all over again. Terrible twos seems to give us the rite of passage that entitles our kids to unruliness, but is this really a stage that deserves so much leniency? I learned otherwise this weekend!
To wrap up the round and finalize the proof that chelation is a smart step with Gavin, he is acting as would be expected post-round.....irritable, aggressive, emotional, clingy, hungry, tired and just plain difficult, along with some new activities like standing with his head on the floor and flapping his hands when distressed. Some of this is due to the redistribution of mercury/heavy metals, and some of it is directly related to the yeast overgrowth that comes with the joys of mobilizing mercury in the blood stream. So we now have to clean up the disaster left behind by the metals, increasing his yeast protocol, letting him rest more than usual and keeping his moods as level as is possible as he goes through this inevitable phase of the process. Reminds me of cancer chemotherapy in a way. We stir things up in the body to ward off the ickies, then have to deal with the ugly ramifications left behind.
In addition to starting chelation, we bought a multitude of products to help us reduce the kid's exposure to antimony, arsenic and phosphorus. While Gavin's arsenic levels were not out of range, they were on the high end of the normal range (along with a few others), which is again no surprise, since these metals, in addition to being part of the elevations caused by mercury, are also found in mattresses, carpet and furniture like couches, basically anything that is flame retardant, even their cute little jammies that aren't labeled otherwise!! Did you know that companies are not obligated to label products that are treated with these hazardous products?! We spent a small fortune on polyethylene mattress covers, one inch thick organic cotton mattress pads and organic sheets for the boys. My next step is going to be to purchase a cleaner/sealant for the wall to wall carpeting that covers more than half of our home, but I need to find a dealer for that product. One day at a time.
Grayson has started asking questions about biomedicine and why we do the things we do. I welcome questions, because with it comes the opportunity educate him and share information that will ultimately create the building blocks to ensure that they will have their own ability to continue the lifestyle on their own some day. The fact that he is asking questions also means that he is ready to hear the answers. I never want to push him so that he shuts down. He is very inquisitive and I love when he reiterates his knowledge back to us, surprising us with his level of understanding. So today, he wanted to know why he had to take two DMG tablets instead of one. In my explanation of how the the body works, I was trying to help him grasp the idea of us helping his body until his body can do this work on it's own. I explained that mercury is hindering some of the functions of his body, one in particular being methylation, so until we remove decent amounts of mercury from his body, we have to help the body function properly by giving him the DMG which is a methylator. Then, I told him that it is similar to driving. His head cocked to one side and he said, "Huh?!". I told him that until he gets his license, he still has to get around so in the meantime, we will drive him where he needs to go...until he is able to do it himself, some day in the future. We are helping him function until he can successfully function on his own without help. After some thought, his response was, "I get it." and I am sure he did.
Little signs that things weren't completely right showed themselves over the past 22 months of his life. He has always caught illnesses with such ease that it has made it hard for us to enjoy trips that include any number of people all getting together, one of the illnesses even resulted in a febrile seizure when he hadn't even had a high temp, in fact, he was at the end of his illness. It was Grayson's 4th birthday and I will never forget that day! A ride in an ambulance resulted in a two day stay at the hospital with tubes and tests galore. The happy ending was us going home with a healthy child who had no underlying conditions to set this incident off, yet another reason to consider the possibility that genetics, immune function and heavy metals factored into his inability to stay healthy.
We decided to have Gavin's hair tested for toxic and essential elements based on some concerns we have had with mood swings, aggression, bloating, problems with chronic yeast and bacteria, slow growth, and what seems like a slowing in his developmental progression. It's so hard to assess this age, since there are normal variances in development, pains associated with teething and changes in growth patterns. There was a sale on the Doctor's Data, Inc. hair test which pushed me just over the edge of the fence I was sitting on. Getting 2 grams of hair from his fine wispy head of hair (only below the ears in back) was no easy task. I kept cutting and snipping and trying to place my scissors in locations far enough away from where I took other chunks so it wouldn't be noticeable. I just wasn't ready to snip off his wispy baby curls yet.
Results.....drum roll please....yes, mercury is at play here, along with a few other co-contenders, namely antimony, tin, phosphorus and titanium. He also had a slew of low essential elements like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and strontium. It's never quite that simple though, since there is a whole host of factors at play. The end result it still the same, so we chose chelation. We are old pros at it by now and his supplements are already on par with one who needs chelation, so we just dove right in. His first round was nothing short of remarkable. It started with the expected and the usual increased irritation then slowly progressed into improvements that just could have not developed overnight. His speech improved by leaps and bounds, his cognitive clarity was completely unreal, even his physical development jumped in a matter of one day. He has always been afraid to explore steps while standing. He is comfortable on steps, as long as he is sitting. On his third day of chelation, Grayson yelled to me, "MOM!!! Mom, Gavin just went down the stairs without holding on". I turned to find him coming down the three steps at the bottom plateau of our kitchen stairwell, standing up and not holding onto anything. He was so impressed with himself that he continued to repeat this feat over and over with ease! It looked as if he had been walking down huge steps with his tiny self for ages, when in fact, his body was able to allow him to process the event normally, without fear, for the very first time. Children with toxic metal overload tend to be delayed in fine and gross motor skills as well as harboring inappropriate fears, so this comes as no surprise to me. Something else we noticed while on this round is a connectedness that I would never have known he lacked in without seeing what he was capable of! You just don't know how unwell your child is until you see the comparison of well v.s. unwell in that same little person. Gavin has always been social, makes great eye contact when he is being social and loves people, so I never really gave this area much thought. I didn't think there was anything lacking, he was doing all the right things, but what I didn't realize, is how much more he is capable of! Dave couldn't believe his eyes and ears the minute he came through the door after work. He was promptly greeted with a wave of a little hand and a resounding, "Hi daddyyyyyy!" And every moment of the evening included direct and purposeful connections between Gavin and us. He smiled with delight and playfully interacted with each and every one of us. He showed his sense of humor, he waited more patiently, he goofed around with Grayson, he glowed with enjoyment fromt he world around him. It made us realize that he is often in his own world, tantruming about having to share with his brother, running off in a tirade of anger just to come back and start it all over again. Terrible twos seems to give us the rite of passage that entitles our kids to unruliness, but is this really a stage that deserves so much leniency? I learned otherwise this weekend!
To wrap up the round and finalize the proof that chelation is a smart step with Gavin, he is acting as would be expected post-round.....irritable, aggressive, emotional, clingy, hungry, tired and just plain difficult, along with some new activities like standing with his head on the floor and flapping his hands when distressed. Some of this is due to the redistribution of mercury/heavy metals, and some of it is directly related to the yeast overgrowth that comes with the joys of mobilizing mercury in the blood stream. So we now have to clean up the disaster left behind by the metals, increasing his yeast protocol, letting him rest more than usual and keeping his moods as level as is possible as he goes through this inevitable phase of the process. Reminds me of cancer chemotherapy in a way. We stir things up in the body to ward off the ickies, then have to deal with the ugly ramifications left behind.
In addition to starting chelation, we bought a multitude of products to help us reduce the kid's exposure to antimony, arsenic and phosphorus. While Gavin's arsenic levels were not out of range, they were on the high end of the normal range (along with a few others), which is again no surprise, since these metals, in addition to being part of the elevations caused by mercury, are also found in mattresses, carpet and furniture like couches, basically anything that is flame retardant, even their cute little jammies that aren't labeled otherwise!! Did you know that companies are not obligated to label products that are treated with these hazardous products?! We spent a small fortune on polyethylene mattress covers, one inch thick organic cotton mattress pads and organic sheets for the boys. My next step is going to be to purchase a cleaner/sealant for the wall to wall carpeting that covers more than half of our home, but I need to find a dealer for that product. One day at a time.
Grayson has started asking questions about biomedicine and why we do the things we do. I welcome questions, because with it comes the opportunity educate him and share information that will ultimately create the building blocks to ensure that they will have their own ability to continue the lifestyle on their own some day. The fact that he is asking questions also means that he is ready to hear the answers. I never want to push him so that he shuts down. He is very inquisitive and I love when he reiterates his knowledge back to us, surprising us with his level of understanding. So today, he wanted to know why he had to take two DMG tablets instead of one. In my explanation of how the the body works, I was trying to help him grasp the idea of us helping his body until his body can do this work on it's own. I explained that mercury is hindering some of the functions of his body, one in particular being methylation, so until we remove decent amounts of mercury from his body, we have to help the body function properly by giving him the DMG which is a methylator. Then, I told him that it is similar to driving. His head cocked to one side and he said, "Huh?!". I told him that until he gets his license, he still has to get around so in the meantime, we will drive him where he needs to go...until he is able to do it himself, some day in the future. We are helping him function until he can successfully function on his own without help. After some thought, his response was, "I get it." and I am sure he did.
The matter of choice - The harsh truth, yes, I am harsh!
Ok, so I hear this topic frequently and honestly, I'm a bit frustrated by it. The idea of not having the choice to eat healthier. Not having a CHOICE...? Really people? I understand there are some rural areas where choices really are a problem and I also understand that cost can factor into these "choices", but we do what we have to and I truly believe that, if you were faced with a tragic illness, that meant you HAD to make the choice to eat different, you would....would you not? Where there is a will, there is a way. And let's just say, if it was your child, you would go to the ends of the earth and you would mortgage your house over and over again, if it meant keeping him or her on this earth with you longer. That I know. There is no parent out there who would say, "Well, sorry kiddo, I just can't keep you healthy, I can't afford it". We make choices to prioritize the important things in our lives, eating healthy and making good decisions for the health of our families is OUR job, it is OUR responsibility, no doctor is going to provide you with a quick fix when you or your child comes down with an autoimmune disease, celiac, diabetes, or even cancer, will they? In fact, they don't WANT to, because they would lose their job, if they cured these illnesses, along with the drug companies and the researchers and scientists....they wouldn't have jobs either. I didn't write this to go down that road, but you get my point.
I can't stress enough how important prevention is when it comes to the vast number of illnesses we are seeing on the rise in North America. People, we HAVE choices, in fact, some of them SAVE you money. When you clean with white vinegar that costs a few bucks a gallon instead of paying an arm and a leg for small dangerous bottles chemicals that each handle a different job, one for the toilet, one for the glass, one for the wood, one for the floors, one for the sink.....see where I am going with this?? Do you really think that the microbes that infest your kitchen sink are all that different from the ones on your floors, or the ones on your door knobs, or even different from your toilet microbes...unfortunately, they aren't. Scary thought, huh? Yes, the surfaces are different, but when you are using something natural with disinfecting abilities, it works on ALL surfaces. If you want to save money in the long run then, keep yourself healthy and you will have less doctor co-pays, less prescription co-pays, less time out of work (if that applies)....people, buying an organic strawberry, potato, lettuce, etc, is not going to make or break the bank. You need to be smart about your decisions, not everything you buy needs to be organic and pricey, but there definitely ARE things that should be organic. And this isn't the only way to stay healthy. Wash your veggies. Clean your house smarter. Avoid plastics. Remove toxins. Stop smoking (more financial savings). Don't feed your kids or yourselves refined sugars by the boatloads (which means everything that is pre-made). Don't eat food colorings. Don't spray your lawns with expensive and unnecessary chemicals that you then track into your homes where your crawling baby is going to ingest them. This is the reality of what we need to consider. The bottom line is that living a healthier lifestyle is doable. Yes, it means possibly researching and buying a few books or looking things up online. Turn off the tv for a few minutes each night, do some reading... is your family's life worth it? We plan ahead for our futures by stashing away the 401(k) money, by setting up college funds, why can't we think ahead like that for our health? Probably because someone else isn't doing it for us. So I hope this might kick you in the butt and encourage you to do some research, make some plans, buy some supplements, throw out your harsh cleaners, eat fresh raw veggies, in fact, try something new, get creative, make a simple green smoothie, have fun and LIVE your life healthier. Do or die.....
I can't stress enough how important prevention is when it comes to the vast number of illnesses we are seeing on the rise in North America. People, we HAVE choices, in fact, some of them SAVE you money. When you clean with white vinegar that costs a few bucks a gallon instead of paying an arm and a leg for small dangerous bottles chemicals that each handle a different job, one for the toilet, one for the glass, one for the wood, one for the floors, one for the sink.....see where I am going with this?? Do you really think that the microbes that infest your kitchen sink are all that different from the ones on your floors, or the ones on your door knobs, or even different from your toilet microbes...unfortunately, they aren't. Scary thought, huh? Yes, the surfaces are different, but when you are using something natural with disinfecting abilities, it works on ALL surfaces. If you want to save money in the long run then, keep yourself healthy and you will have less doctor co-pays, less prescription co-pays, less time out of work (if that applies)....people, buying an organic strawberry, potato, lettuce, etc, is not going to make or break the bank. You need to be smart about your decisions, not everything you buy needs to be organic and pricey, but there definitely ARE things that should be organic. And this isn't the only way to stay healthy. Wash your veggies. Clean your house smarter. Avoid plastics. Remove toxins. Stop smoking (more financial savings). Don't feed your kids or yourselves refined sugars by the boatloads (which means everything that is pre-made). Don't eat food colorings. Don't spray your lawns with expensive and unnecessary chemicals that you then track into your homes where your crawling baby is going to ingest them. This is the reality of what we need to consider. The bottom line is that living a healthier lifestyle is doable. Yes, it means possibly researching and buying a few books or looking things up online. Turn off the tv for a few minutes each night, do some reading... is your family's life worth it? We plan ahead for our futures by stashing away the 401(k) money, by setting up college funds, why can't we think ahead like that for our health? Probably because someone else isn't doing it for us. So I hope this might kick you in the butt and encourage you to do some research, make some plans, buy some supplements, throw out your harsh cleaners, eat fresh raw veggies, in fact, try something new, get creative, make a simple green smoothie, have fun and LIVE your life healthier. Do or die.....
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Two steps forward, one back
This is just the story of our lives, isn't it? We think we are moving right along and then something has to remind you how easily things can change with the wind. We went home (my hometown in Connecticut) to celebrate my little sister's baby shower and the onslaught of 70+ guests has us reeling in the aftermath of careless illness somewhere from that crowd....along with my sister's fiance. It amazes me how many people think it's ok to attend functions when they are "under the weather", she's pregnant for crying out loud!! Sorry, one of my soapboxes!
So upon our return from our fabulous celebratory weekend, Grayson began vomiting all night, fever the next day, sure enough, he contracted strep throat. He was actually perfectly fine the by the time I brought him into the walk-in clinic and everyone there thought I was nuts, but the nurse even said, "Your intuition was right, mom!" as she was signing our discharge paperwork with us. I had the baby tested too, just to be sure, but amazingly, he came back negative, even after sharing cups with Grayson all weekend!! There was one major difference in our maintenance ritual with the two boys before the illness....my husband stopped giving Grayson his Olive Leaf Extract (OLE), but continued it with his younger brother. He was afraid the yeast flares it can cause would be troublesome on our trip, so he backed off the usual 200mg we were giving. OLE fights strep, it's one of the few natural remedies that does! It's a wonderful anti-bacterial in addition to being an anti-viral!! So when we determined we were dealing with strep, I began increasing the baby's OLE by at least triple. He was getting about 50-75mg two to three times a day, for maintenance, I upped it to 300-400mg three times a day. He is doing GREAT still!! Unfortunately, Grayson required Zithromax....my worst nightmare! There are too many long term risks associated with the strep bacteria so I bit the bullet and went with the rx meds, afterall, this is why we should be avoiding them at all costs, unless they are NECESSARY....he is doing fabulous already on day two. Bloating is the worst of his symptoms of this illness so far! I have increased his yeast protocol to address the overgrowth caused by antibiotics and I am doubling his already massive amounts of probiotics at bedtime, so he is getting over 500 billion CFUs of probiotics!! In order to comprehend that, most generic brands of probiotics offer you about 10 billion CFUs per capsule. We brought out the big guns for the event!! I want to be SURE that we will not undo all the hard work we have put into balancing that precious little gut of his. We have come too far to let one round of antibiotics throw it all down the drain.
This has also sparked some thought, because I once thought he could have PANDAS (AKA - Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections)
which often manifests as a form of OCD accompanying this autoimmune disorder. It happens when the same bacteria that causes strep throat and scarlet fever confuses the immune system, causing it to attack an area of the brain called the basal ganglia. Abnormalities in the basal ganglia have been associated with OCD. 25% of kids with OCD are effected by PANDAS. It's is often linked with kids on the spectrum, as well. The symptoms were so closely related to Grayson's symptoms that I thought a bout of scarlet fever he had after his vaccinations at a year might have been related. The kicker though is that anytime someone with PANDAS is exposed to strep, they have a severe attack of symptoms with aggression, OCD, sleep disturbances, fine motor problems, increased anxiety and tics. This happened when he contracted strep at the start of his first year in preschool, almost two years ago now. He was sweet as pie throughout this illness!! Does this mean he doesn't have PANDAS at all? Very possible. Does that make me feel relieved? You bet it does!! PANDAS requires kids to be prophylactically treated with low dose antibiotics continuously, not good for a child who struggles with an imbalance in gut flora!! The alternative is risky and expensive plasma exchange treatments. So while I am sad that Grayson had to experience strep, that he had to be out of school for a week, and is on antibiotics, I am THRILLED to see that he didn't have the reaction to strep that I would have thought possible. Another possibility is that our journey through biomedicine has brought us far enough over the hump that he is onto recovery...no looking back!! Round 26 of chelation is right around the corner, moving on, happily!!
So upon our return from our fabulous celebratory weekend, Grayson began vomiting all night, fever the next day, sure enough, he contracted strep throat. He was actually perfectly fine the by the time I brought him into the walk-in clinic and everyone there thought I was nuts, but the nurse even said, "Your intuition was right, mom!" as she was signing our discharge paperwork with us. I had the baby tested too, just to be sure, but amazingly, he came back negative, even after sharing cups with Grayson all weekend!! There was one major difference in our maintenance ritual with the two boys before the illness....my husband stopped giving Grayson his Olive Leaf Extract (OLE), but continued it with his younger brother. He was afraid the yeast flares it can cause would be troublesome on our trip, so he backed off the usual 200mg we were giving. OLE fights strep, it's one of the few natural remedies that does! It's a wonderful anti-bacterial in addition to being an anti-viral!! So when we determined we were dealing with strep, I began increasing the baby's OLE by at least triple. He was getting about 50-75mg two to three times a day, for maintenance, I upped it to 300-400mg three times a day. He is doing GREAT still!! Unfortunately, Grayson required Zithromax....my worst nightmare! There are too many long term risks associated with the strep bacteria so I bit the bullet and went with the rx meds, afterall, this is why we should be avoiding them at all costs, unless they are NECESSARY....he is doing fabulous already on day two. Bloating is the worst of his symptoms of this illness so far! I have increased his yeast protocol to address the overgrowth caused by antibiotics and I am doubling his already massive amounts of probiotics at bedtime, so he is getting over 500 billion CFUs of probiotics!! In order to comprehend that, most generic brands of probiotics offer you about 10 billion CFUs per capsule. We brought out the big guns for the event!! I want to be SURE that we will not undo all the hard work we have put into balancing that precious little gut of his. We have come too far to let one round of antibiotics throw it all down the drain.
This has also sparked some thought, because I once thought he could have PANDAS (AKA - Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections)
which often manifests as a form of OCD accompanying this autoimmune disorder. It happens when the same bacteria that causes strep throat and scarlet fever confuses the immune system, causing it to attack an area of the brain called the basal ganglia. Abnormalities in the basal ganglia have been associated with OCD. 25% of kids with OCD are effected by PANDAS. It's is often linked with kids on the spectrum, as well. The symptoms were so closely related to Grayson's symptoms that I thought a bout of scarlet fever he had after his vaccinations at a year might have been related. The kicker though is that anytime someone with PANDAS is exposed to strep, they have a severe attack of symptoms with aggression, OCD, sleep disturbances, fine motor problems, increased anxiety and tics. This happened when he contracted strep at the start of his first year in preschool, almost two years ago now. He was sweet as pie throughout this illness!! Does this mean he doesn't have PANDAS at all? Very possible. Does that make me feel relieved? You bet it does!! PANDAS requires kids to be prophylactically treated with low dose antibiotics continuously, not good for a child who struggles with an imbalance in gut flora!! The alternative is risky and expensive plasma exchange treatments. So while I am sad that Grayson had to experience strep, that he had to be out of school for a week, and is on antibiotics, I am THRILLED to see that he didn't have the reaction to strep that I would have thought possible. Another possibility is that our journey through biomedicine has brought us far enough over the hump that he is onto recovery...no looking back!! Round 26 of chelation is right around the corner, moving on, happily!!
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