Turn of events, my new "face"

You may have noticed that my blog has recently taken a dramatic turn from past entries.  I have always spent a lot of time reading and learning, but nothing has made more sense to us until we embraced homeopathy 100%.  Not just taking a remedy here and there, but truly embracing all it has to offer, believing in it, and learning from those who have created this fascinating ancient medicine.

The little-known facts that supplementation renders the body lazy while introducing new and potentially dangerous toxins, and that much of what we have done in the past has literally been aimed at suppressing symptoms, rather than providing true healing, have put me on a new path.  I will never again think in terms of eliminating symptoms, even with herbs.  I will never again consider ignoring the signs of degeneration and/or healing put in front of me by the body.

Our new journey stems from the deep understanding of where homeopathy and healing meet.  There is nothing more natural or more effective.  We have seen it on every level and most recently, our children have come off of EVERY supplement they have ever taken.  They no longer need anti-microbials (even natural) to keep their gut in check.  They no longer require digestive enzymes to digest their food.  Amazingly, homeopathy and SBOs (soil based organisms) have encouraged their own bodies to take over healing.  They are flourishing and they are growing (finally)!

I'm not suggesting my life is peachy every day, because detox is ugly, even when it's happening from a natural place within the body, and emotional detox can be even uglier than physical detox, but man oh man, the progress is permanent and it's complete! 

So as we move forward, my journal will take new shape, one of true healing from within.  If you are a loyal reader, you have probably seen everything we have been through.  If you are a new reader, you are have started in the right place.  Our past is a story, it's our story, but our future is riding on today.  Welcome to our new path.

The dangers of suppression

What is suppression and more importantly, what are the consequences of suppression?  Once you understand, really understand (and respect), the health consequences of symptom suppression, it will change your life.  Well, it should anyway.  It did mine!

Homeopathy has not only changed our lives physically and emotionally, but I am learning things that I have never learned from any other forms of healing in the past 5 years of biomed.  My research has unearthed information that should be shouted from megaphones everywhere, because without these little tidbits of knowledge, we are and will continue to harm our potential to remain healthy!!  We are literally sabotaging our own health!

Suppression.
The Webster Dictionary says to suppress is "to restrain from a usual course or action "

The "usual course of action" in this case would be symptoms, which in actuality, are the natural course of action being taken by our bodies to HEAL!  A symptom is bothersome to many, it prevents them from going to work, hanging with friends, feeling good, so we want it gone, but let's think about this for a brief moment.  Let's use the example of a burn.  When you burn your finger, it turns red and swells up.  What is your instinct...to run cold water over it and STOP the swelling, right?  Is this really the best course of action to take?  And what would happen, if you never ran that cold water over it?  Do you even know?  The swelling is called inflammation and inflammation is actually the way your body attempts to repair the damage that was done.  The human body is designed to heal itself!  By running cold water over it, you are literally stopping the body from doing what it needs to do!  So what should you do instead?  Believe it or not, you want to ENCOURAGE the direction the body is trying to take that damage, run very warm water over the burn!!  Not as hot as the original burn, but warm enough to be uncomfortable.  Guess what happens?  Nothing!  That's right, no blistering, no pain, although if the burn is bad enough (as was in one case when I grabbed a very hot ceramic pot and lifted it) you might have some mild residual signs left over, in my case, my burned skin was left a bit rough. Other than that, I had no blisters and no discoloring, it didn't even hurt!  

Or how about this scenario which I am SURE all of us have experienced.  FEVERS!  Why do we fear fevers so much?  A fever is the RIGHT action taken by the body when a foreign invader has taken hold.  Fever kills pathogens.  So the body knows what to do as soon as it encounters these bugs, it turns up the heat high enough to kill them!  Out of fear, most people immediately run for the fever reducers/pain relievers.  I bet you didn't know that fevers are self-limiting?!  The highest most fevers will go is 105-106 and once your body has reached this temperature, you are no longer at risk of a febrile seizure.  Fevers are misunderstood and the sales and marketing of fever reducers are aimed at fear.  The one piece of good advice I got from our worst pediatrician was to let fevers be, and that they ARE in fact self-limiting to about 105.  When you stop the fever or even just reduce it slightly, you are inhibiting the body from successfully fighting the pathogen.  So guess what happens?  It survives.  Common sense?  And don't even get me started on the topic of doctors who tell patients to use fever reducers in their kids pre-vaccination.  Good God, there is no more destructive advice than this!!  

So let's now think about a simple cold.  What happens, your body begins to purge from every orifice...not a pretty sight or feeling: snots, ear drainage, secretions galore.  Raise your hand, if you were ever guilty of taking something to eliminate this nastiness.  But again, let's think about what the body is trying to do.  It's eliminating the pathogen!!  Colds start in the nasal cavities and ears.  Mucus is designed to purge pathogens.  And common sense would say that when you stop this from happening....need I go on?  I don't want to sound like a broken record here, but really think about how ludicrous this even sounds when you think of it rationally!  Why hasn't anyone ever taught us to think about our health in this fashion?  Well, because it would hurt pharmaceutical sales, of course!

The examples of suppression are endless and we are often partaking in this dangerous act daily.  Putting creams on eczema, treating acne with topical gels, giving anti-inflammatory, pain relievers, DRUGS!!  All of these products are designed to make your life more comfortable, they do not get at the root of the problem, they don't cure anything, they only suppress.  Why do you have chronic inflammation Miss Fibromyialgia, what is causing those skin lesions Mr. Eczema....people, you are not only ignoring how your body communicates and heals, but you are downright fighting it!  Your body reacts and tries to heal itself and then you say, "Oh no you don't, I have work to go to work...I have a date to go on....etc!" and you do/use everything possible in your arsenal to eliminate the "symptoms".  Well you have just effectively eliminated healing too. 

We need to trust the body in doing it's job.  It won't have an overnight fix and you might feel yucky for a while, but when you stop the body from doing it's job, the consequences are great.  And maybe part of mother nature's magnificent design is to SLOW. YOU. DOWN.  You may not even realize that subsequent illnesses or symptoms are related to the act of suppressing other conditions, but I assure you, it is all related.  Your body is a fine tuned machine with all the equipment necessary to run optimally.  Your future health depends heavily on what you choose to do today!  I am not suggesting you shouldn't do anything at all when things run a muck, I am just saying that HOW you choose to deal with these imbalances is critical and either facilitates health progression or degeneration.

I also want to add that just because a product is "natural" doesn't mean it isn't suppressing a symptom and shutting down your body.  Anything that stops a symptom, rather than addressing it's cause directly, is suppressing the body from healing.  It's that simple.  I learned this the hard way and as we use homeopathy, which encourages natural healing, we are witnessing the host of suppression(s) we took part in, as we retrace old symptoms.  How completely and utterly eye opening.

So what are the consequences?  If you aren't addressing the reason the symptom arose in the first place and you are prohibiting the natural healing action designed by mother nature, what do you THINK is happening?  You are not only allowing illness to prevail, you are encouraging it on some level.  Sure, some minor things are superficial, but every time you eliminate the body from doing it's job, you are also reducing it's ability to learn how to respond next time, and the time after that and well, eventually, your body is going to learn to stop responding to illness.  It may take some serious research and experimenting to truly understand the underlying cause of symptoms.  It's typically not simple or cut and dry, but if you want to know more about the stages of natural detox and what they look like when they are suppressed, check out these incredible videos from Mary Coyle:

Video one

Video two

Our body is designed to detox illness, pathogens, and toxins.  When we hinder our innate healing abilities, things begin to shut down and where does this land us?  Cancer anyone?  Autism on the rise much?  Autoimmune disease is a PRIME example of suppression and inability to detoxify naturally.  HELLOOOOOO!!  This, my friends, is suppression at it's finest.  

Next time you have a headache, or inflammation, or a fever, or anything that is uncomfortable for that matter, stop and think, "what is my body trying to do?".  Don't reach for that over the counter toxin to stop your body from working.  If you love your life and your future health, just don't.  Tough it out, learn the signs of your body and do something to support it rather than tearing it down.  Think of what you have to gain from trusting your body!

Let's remember too that suppression doesn't occur only on a physical level.  We can suppress emotions and feelings which will ultimately wreak havoc on our psyche, as well.  If you can't release these emotions through discussion, consider other spiritual forms of emotional detox such as yoga, meditation, quite time for yourself or some other form of spiritual release.  Even kids can be guided to partake in these activities.  =)

Why now?

Why now?  Why didn't I find this path with homeopathy sooner?  Especially when homeopathy was the very FIRST therapy we tried with both myself and Grayson 6 years ago.

My best friend and I have discussed this at great length recently, because we wonder, could we have avoided all of the bumps in the road that lead us here?  Could we have healed ourselves and our children sooner?  Should this have been the first treatment we tried?  We unanimously agree, NO!!

We needed the path we were on.  We are who we are today, because of the path we have traveled.  We saw glimpses of who our children could be, and it drove us harder.  We learned about anatomy and physiology, because of the path we traveled.  Our diets are healthy, our environment is cleaned up, because of the research we did.  We researched and experimented and we came to incredible conclusions due to the roads we visited.  And most importantly, we met the people we needed to meet to find this path.  It wasn't put in front of us sooner for very valid reasons, we just weren't ready for it!  Every single day of our pasts have lead us to this very point in our lives.  I wouldn't change a thing. 

I am a dedicated researcher and a dedicated parent, no...that is an understatement, it might be more appropriate to define myself as anal retentive and controlling, and a little over zealous at times.  ; )  This is why it's even more undeniable that for the first time in our healing journey, we are in the right place.  I am ready and able to let go.  I am ready to hand the torch to someone else and jump on the waves.  I am ready to trust and look inside myself for guidance and confirmation that we are on the right path finally!  I'm ready, and so are they...

360 degrees of homeopathy

There are times in our lives when we have that little voice inside saying something doesn't feel right.  Do you follow that?  Or do you shove it deeper, using your brain rather than your instincts to rationalize your choices?  This little voice isn't far from the suppression of disease states.  Listen to it and you will heal, suppress it and well, you drive the disease in deeper.

We have to learn to trust our instincts more!

We have always felt like homeopathy has the potential to really get to the root of our health, regardless of what ails us.  It's been the one constant on our path, the one source of healing that we never abandoned, even through all of our biomedical choices.  But...we have never relied on it 100%.  Why?  It's clear to me now that we hadn't found the right practitioner for our children.  We had only used classical homeopathy, trusting in it's ability to make subtle changes that would perhaps cause long-term healing.   But the wow-factor was never part of classical homeopathy for us.  I have since learned that for the healthy people, classical homeopathy can be incredible, but our kids are so inundated with layers of toxins and familial illness that we can't reach the core of the person to treat classically.  Autism and autoimmune diseases are the result of an overflowing bucket of toxins and dangerous emotional states.  We need so much more than one classical remedy to heal us.

Ironically, it was our parasite journey that brought us full circle, back to homeopathy.  I had been increasingly disturbed by the recommended meds and found myself reaching for the homeopathic dilutions more and more.  I also felt like the boys' extreme reactions to either die off or the meds themselves encouraged me to seek out methods that would support the organs, remove blockages and detox the body more safely.  A diseased body houses pathogens, all kinds.  If we just keep chasing the bugs and we don't correct the immune system where it was damaged in the first place, we are chasing our tails, round and round.  I don't know about you, but I am ready to get off this merry go round!

We have made the break!!  We left biomed and have fully embraced homeopathy and boy does it feel right!  We researched methods we feel comfortable with and with each day of treatment, we had enough confidence to eventually remove everything other than SBOs (which have been significantly reduced to 2 capsules a day for the boys) and just a few basic minerals.  We couldn't be happier with the progress we are seeing.  I always thought these stories were only for those who wrote books, the rare lucky cases who hit their remedy just right.  I've been proven wrong and couldn't be more happy with our choice.  And this time, treatment isn't reserved just for the kids, I've jumped on board too.

If you have that little voice telling you something, don't ignore it, embrace it!

Autisms' bigger picture, who benefits?

When you are scanning ingredients to feed your ASD family safe and nutritious GFCFSF allergen-free, low oxalate, Failsafe, SCD, or GAPS meals, when you are injecting your child with his nightly MB12, and when you are traveling to and paying out of pocket for yet another "specialist" to consider more out of the ordinary treatment options to recover your sweet child, you don't give it a second thought.  This is second nature now, this is what our children need, so we do it for them.  We are going to recover our kids, period!

Unfortunately, not every ASD family is making these changes for their family. 

I don't even think we consider, for one minute, the sheer magnitude of our actions.  Think of throwing a rock in a lake, that ripple effect is much like recovering our ASD children.  I hear many families talk about the massive changes autism has encouraged their family to take on, changes regardless of how hard, they are incredibly grateful for, ironically.  Changes that may have even saved another family member's life!  I know that I am even more grateful than words can express, for the knowledge we have gained as a family, but it doesn't stop there.  The learning carries on when we influence other families in our large network.  We hold on tight to our ASD community families and we would do anything to help other families heal their children.  Of course, we want to see all of these children recover, that is certainly where my heart is, but each individual family makes up the bigger picture. 

But what if we DON'T carry this movement forward enough to grab a hold of the reigns on this frightening epidemic, what then?  Have you thought of that?  It won't be JUST the ASD families who are effected by the ever-growing rate of autism.

No one says it better than a fellow ASD mom, Florence Iwegbue, who is on a quest to change this movement.

"I come from a 3rd world country--Nigeria with MANY economical and social issues and like the NJ Senator mentioned during the hearing, a Nigerian Govt. official approached him about the rapid rise of Autism. Why? because, it is now a Global National Security issue; Possibly the worst epidemic in modern day medicine. At these rates, this country will not have men to go to war, marry, reproduce or support the economy of this nation. For all of us that are made to feel guilty when we use the word recovery, these are the problems we're worried about. For those who criticize, they have no idea the magnitude of the problem. When an official (probably even corrupt) from a 3rd world country like mine, with: waring tribes, abject poverty, astronomical rates of crime, perpetual recession and zero economic growth becomes worried about an Epidemic like Autism and flags down a U.S official to question him, be VERY FREAKING WORRIED and ya better be living and breathing RECOVERY & CURE. 
 
I come from a very proud and hard working tribe and my people are on the edges of their seats because they send their children to the West to make something of themselves and help out their fellow villagers back home by way of sending money to help educate the younger generation. When we stop sending money, because it is being spent on Whole Foods, ABA Programs, Supplements and Health care bills, more families back home get hungry, sick and kids are left on the streets without education. This is the consequence of my son's Autism. It is no longer just a disease that he has, it is a disease that many family members have inherited. So whenever anyone chastises you for seeking recovery for your child, send them my way so I can explain to them why it is a Global epidemic that needs to end NOW!"

Florence is a warrior mother.  She is fighting for the world and when she looks into her sweet boy's eyes, she knows that all of world is depending on his recovery.  His recovery matters to the world as much as it matter to her family.  The ripple effect.

Florence's family is so driven to help the world, in fact, that her husband has also developed an iPhone application to help parents help each other.  What's more impressive is that they are providing this app for free.  What could be more beneficial to the big picture?  

In their LiveWello social health app for iPhone (and iPad coming soon!), families are able to create a little village around the person they are caring for.  You can invite and label people with important roles, share medical records, videos, pictures, etc.   It's the ASD medical recovery ripple-effect in the making.  

Watch the ABC interview here. 

Let's embrace the fact that our children are going to change the world one way or another, do you want to be a part of that?  I sure do!!

Parasites. The root of ALL evil?

Bold statement, eh?  I know, I know...I've been gone for months at a time and now I come back and throw this at you.  I've spent these months researching and experimenting and I am here to tell you that yes, I believe the subject heading is one area to consider.  Perhaps one of the biggest ones, especially, if you are dealing with chronic anything.

So how did I come to this conclusion?  My children were a mixed bag of fluctuating concerns and the confirmation that their yeast and bacteria seemed to be under control, but so many other things were not, had me looking for more.  But then again, I am ALWAYS looking for more.  =)  There were two things, specifically, that really sent me on the hunt for what I was missing.  Grayson's PANDAS flare was getting worse rather than better and Gavin's mood swings, anger and violence appeared to be untouched.  Why parasites though?  I mean, I have treated for them bi-annually with Humaworm and heck, we even all used Alinia for over a month for Gavin's Dientamoeba Fragilis, right?  How could it STILL be parasites?


Let me just put it out there in black and white.  If you have a compromised immune system in any way, shape or form, you DO have a parasite issue.  I promise you!

Parasites are masters at survival, their SOLE purpose in life is to survive, that's it!  They complete their life cycle by changing the neurology of their hosts just enough to ensure survival, but usually they are also smart enough to not kill it, usually.  If they can adapt to their environment, which they can (give them access to a child with a faulty immune system due to heavy metal toxicity and reduced gut flora), they root themselves deeply in your system and continue their life cycle by making you crave the foods that feed them, creating the itchies where it counts for spreading eggs under the nails, they can even force you to be attracted to certain people and yes, this is documented!  In fact, MUCH of what I have found out about parasites is widely known by certain professionals, but don't ask why treatments aren't effective.  I don't even want to go there.  You are free to dig deeper, if you wish.  I'm satisfied with dealing with the details I can control from my own home base....treatment!

A few doctors to research, who have made waves in the medical community by successfully treating illnesses that result from parasitic infections, are:  Dr. Klinghardt, Dr. Simon Yu and Dr. Fry.  These men are pioneers in this field.  Dr. Klinghardt focuses on Lyme Disease, PANDAS and Autism, Dr. Yu has recovered people from major diseases like cancer, CFS and pancreatitis among others and Dr. Fry is a researcher who has even discovered a new malaria-like parasite that is responsible for diseases like MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis and perhaps Autism, among others.  Google any of these doctors and you will get more information than you know what to do with!!  Literally!  It can be overwhelming, because there are really so many directions you can go with treatment, but the one constant I am seeing here is that a periodic cleanse here and there just doesn't cut it for someone who is chronically infected.  Treatment NEEDS to be from 6 months to a year, STRAIGHT!  Seems harsh, but parasites are much smarter than we give them credit for, in fact, they may even be smarter than us.  They have certainly been around longer.

This blurb is from an article written by Dr. Simon Yu:
"In this modern age, do you think parasite problems are limited to third world countries and don’t exist in the United States, Canada or Europe? Think again! Who does the cooking and cleaning of dishes at restaurants? Food from all over the world comes with no strict regulations for pesticides, herbicides and potential parasite eggs embedded in the food.

I have seen patients from Germany, Canada, Australia and most of the United States. People from all over have parasite problems. I’ve written numerous articles on parasites and parasite related unusual medical symptoms. Some of the conditions responding to parasite medications include allergies, eczema, asthma, migraine headache, nightmare, bedwetting, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, arthralgia, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome, seizure, mental illness and even cancer.
The idea of de-worming everybody seems a de-lovely concept and does not seem appealing but it is not a far out concept even in the United States. Americans are suffering from a silent epidemic of parasite related medical conditions. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends massive de-worming of populations especially in schools whenever over 20 percent of the population is suspected of parasite infestation."

Dr. Simon Yu has written a fascinating book called Accidental Cure.

From Dr. Klinghardt...I love this info, because I have always been intrigued by what drives us, what creates our "personality".  I've come to this conclusion myself recently, and Dr. Klinghardt has just confirmed it for me!

• We are all a composite of many personalities. Our consciousness is a composite of 90% microbes and 10% us. Our thinking, feeling, creativity, and expression are 90% from the microbes within us. Patients often think, crave, and behave as if they are the parasite. Our thinking is shaded by the microbes thinking through us. The food choices, behavioral choices, and who we like is the thinking of the microbes within us expressing themselves.
• Patients will reject all treatments that affect the issue that requires treating. Patients will not guide themselves to health when the microbes have taken over.
• Parasites induce changes in our system to make us a comfortable host.
• Mimosa pudica (Sensitive plant) powder is an Ayurvedic herb that is 30 times stronger than the best medical drug. Start with 1/2 teaspoon twice a day two days a week and work up to 1 teaspoon daily for 3 months.
• The endothelium is the largest organ in the body and is “bug heaven”.

Since Mimosa Pudica is so hard to find, here is a link for you to purchase it.  I have nothing to do with this company, I am just passing this on, because the search for a reputable product was very hard and I would like to make it easier on you!

An incredible overview of a conference called "A Deep Look Beyond Lyme" includes data from each of these famous doctors!  I HIGHLY recommend taking the time to read this one.  Lyme is not the only focus here.  Dr. Klninghardt even mentions PANDAS.

This is an interview with Dr. Fry about the parasite he discovered, it is phenomenal information about a marlia-like protozoa called Protomyxoa, which is Greek for “slime forming protozoan”.  In this interview he also discusses the diseases it's heavily linked to, biofilm, the herxheimer effect, how it is transmitted (tick bite is one of the vectors, and to think we aren't testing for this infection when we tell people they are clear of Lyme Disease), etc.  Remember, we can only find things we are effectively testing for. Dr. Fry also has a lab where various testing can be ordered.


The oxymoron between biomedicine and parasites
Here is where it gets interesting.  So we think we are doing the right thing by our kids, supplementing their nutritional deficiencies with hoards of vitamins and such.  But did we ever stop to think about WHY those deficiencies are there to begin with?  Ok so yes, heavy metals play a role and limited diets too, but why are ALL kids on the spectrum low in B vitamins, particularly B12 and why are ALL kids on the spectrum deficient in minerals like zinc and magnesium and why oh why is their benefitial gut flora so depeleted....the common denominator I have uncovered is that parasites THRIVE on this stuff.  Yup, every time you put another supplement down your child's throat, consider the possibility that you are FEEDING a parasite, possibly even big fat and very happy worms.  A thought you can't fathom....well you better get ready, because when you pick yourself back up off the floor after witnessing one of these fellas coming from your own child (or yourself), you have some major accepting to do, lol.  Use that fear to drive you forward.  So, if we are feeding these fookers with our children's cravings, the supplements we use and we certainly aren't using anything strong enough to kill them, what are you left with in the end, continued nutritional deficiencies in your kids (because they don't get much of the nutrients) and a fat case of parasites, resulting in symptoms you can't seem to gain control of.  Geez, it's a wonder we can't seem to get past chronic cases of pathogenic overgrowth!!

Oh, and one last note on yet another common thread here is that it has been documented that the Ascaris worm can and DOES cause gluten-intolerance.  Things that make you go hmmmmm.

PANDAS and PARASITES?
BIG connection here.  In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, if it was ultimately determined that the helminth is at the root of every chronic case.  So let's explore why doesn't PANDAS go away.  Well, the immune system is definitely definitely THE root of this problem, but because of the immune system, the parasites are a massive problem.  The helminth is a worm, not microscopic, a visible worm that can be visibly seen when you are successful at evacuating them.  A helminth houses (provides shelter) for the smaller guys like bacteria (strep), yeast and viruses.  Biofilm protects all of these guys from your immune system.  You can't kill off a bacteria that has a nice comfy home in your body.  When a worm dies, it releases all of the house guests inside and initiates a flare.  Worms don't die easily unless they have reached their life expectancy and that can be years for many of them, about 2-6 years on average, or you do something to kill them off, hence the die off.  One of the big players is the Ascaris Lumbricoides.  Through my extensive network of connections, I have personally seen what other autistic, ADHD, and PANDAS kids harbor and this is just one of the more common ones!  Symptoms that have been historically documented by professionals as being associated with this particular parasite are: asthma, eczema, bronchitis, rashes, dilated pupils, hyperactivity among others that effect the GI tract, as well.  The Ascaris releases amphetamines, hence the hyperactivity and dilated eyes, and perhaps very much related to the ADHD symptoms we are seeing so frequently.

How can you learn what infections you may be harboring...well, like Lyme, it's VERY hard to successfully test for parasites. Just because you have tested and either found none or perhaps a few, that does not mean it's accurate.  Find yourself a GOOD infectious disease doctor who knows about parasites, or you can go see one of the doctors listed above.  Surprisingly, the most accurate form of testing to date, appears to be energy testing!!  And of course, visual identification under a microscope, but remember, this will ONLY be effective if you are passing the parasites/eggs in your stool.  90% of parasites remain OUTSIDE of the GI tract most of the time, only returning during full and/or new moon phases to procreate.  If you are going to experiment with treatment options, this is the time to do it.  The first 15 days after a full moon is when a portion of the parasites will generally be in the GI tract.

Our personal story
When we finally bit the bullet and went strong on the parasites with multiple methods of treatment at once, we began to unveil the children under these infections.  Hindsight is a beautiful thing, but unfortunately it also means we can't piece together our current story until we navigate past the event.  We have always seen glimmers of what it could be like to have our children without all their "extras", but we have never had that for any length of time, some dark veil has always stolen those moments from us.  When PANDAS hit our house hard this past year, I was thrown for an incredible loop.  We were doing EVERYTHING right, we never strayed, we never cheated on diets, never slipped on our chosen treatments, yet we had these crazy inconsistencies that fit no rhyme or reason.  And Gavin, poor Gavin...he was living in an inconsistent world of pain and confusion.  He wasn't "classic" in any way, he didn't fit autism or PANDAS, but he wasn't right, he was a loose canon!  He did however fit every symptom in the book for Oppositional Defiance Disorder (ODD). I often felt like, if we weren't doing biomed with him practically from birth, he would have been much worse off.  But we still weren't getting to the root of the problem by treating him like a mirror image of Grayson.  Something was different.  I wasn't satisfied with the recommended, "maybe it's just his personality".  No, I was not willing to accept that a person could be born "normal" and be SO angry.  Something was wrong.

When I pondered our successes from the past, it seems as though treatments that overlapped with parasites have given us that glimmer of hope, just long enough to steal it away again.  Why?  Because parasites are masters at survival!!  And our treatments were never long or strong enough.  The icing on the cake was when I read that Dr. Klinghardt considers the helminth to be at the root of PANDAS.  Low and behold....we found our new angle!

What I am excited to tell you, confirms Dr. Klinghardt's statement about PANDAS and helminth parasites, Grayson's PANDAS symptoms have responded slow and steady to treatment and now that the symptoms are mainly under control (with only 3 months of treatment so far) we have witnessed a direct correlation between his PANDAS symptoms (tics, OCD and rages) and the passing of worms.  He has an instant increase in symptoms as his body is trying to filter out the toxins from killing off worms.  I have photos of these guys too, there is no denying what they are!!  One picture was taken in a glass jar with alcohol in it and you can see the entire intestinal tract of the worm.  It was 8 inches long.  If you think that's bad, consider the fact that we also got one that was 21 inches long from our 36 inch tall child!

We've seen glimmers of a reduction in oxalate issues.  This is HUGE for us, because prior to treatment, Gavin was increasingly dumping oxalates in enormous amounts through his urine.  Tablespoons of crystals at a time.  It had grown to become a weekly event.  He was having regular potty accidents, his urine was cloudy and thick with crystals.  It immediately came to a screeching halt!!  And how has Gavin been doing?  After going through a world of hurt with initial die off....I am AMAZED, truly and incredibly AMAZED by him.  I am falling deeply in love, all over again, with my baby boy.  I didn't even realize how the violence had driven an imaginary wedge between he and I, until it was gone.  The exhaustion of parenting such an explosive child is crippling.  Now, he is even more sweet, humorous and charming than I could have ever imagined!!  We've replaced the violence with hugs, kisses and frequent unprompted "I love you"s, we have replaced screaming confusion with sharp-as-a-tack cognitive function, we have replaced tantrums and meltdowns with rational cooperation....and there has been weight gain.  He was failure to thrive for so long, 27-30 pounds for years, literally.  He had lost the weight he gained with the camel milk when we stopped using it.  He has already gained 3 pounds back since reducing the parasite burden.  Grayson has done the same.  And if you are wondering whether I am lucky enough to share this infection with them, yes I do.  Parasites are incredibly contagious among family members and it's likely that I have had parasites all through my pregnancies, passing them on to my poor innocent children in utero.  There are too many connections I have learned in hindsight to list here.  It would take an entire book (hmmmm, there's that book idea again), but let me just say that I had NO idea these things were related.  So never say never!!

If you are doing everything possible and just feel like you aren't seeing the progress you think you should be seeing, I would encourage you to dig deeper, much deeper.  Parasites may be why.

UPDATE - if you are connecting with this blog entry from years ago, please also see my newer blog where I also address this topic, from a different perspective and with years more experience.

Does it ever end? Toxins, that is.

When we make the decision to clean up our environment, we think of the obvious....products we use on our skin, in our mouths and anything that might compromise the air we breath.  But what about all those little "touches" all day long?  For instance you don't think twice when you turn on your stove,  flick a switch to turn on a light, open and close the fridge, push down the tub drain in order to run a bath for your kiddo, open a file cabinet or a drawer...then close it.  We don't count how many times our hands touch something throughout the day that might be toxic.  You might think, geez, it's just a brief moment, do you really care about that?  Add it up!  Every day!  All day!  Now think about the materials everything around you is made of.  You will probably say, well, plastic, metal, whatever!

I plan to clear that up for you right now.  Thanks to a friend who gave me a list of XRF (x-ray fluorescence) testing results that were created by friends of hers in a mom's group, who rented an XRF gun, I have real solid evidence that will prove to you that it's not just "plastic" and "metal".  Instead, think along the lines of arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead among many other toxins.  And guess what?  It's just these things that we touch here and there every day that are made of the most toxic stuff! 

Of course, we aren't going to start wearing gloves around the house all day, heck, they are probably just as toxic, lol, but this certainly has me thinking more about what I buy and what I plan to use it for.  In fact, those handy little "safe" stainless steel cups you think are saving your kids from BPA, what about, if you knew you could be replacing the BPA with high levels of cadmium and sometimes even lead!!  Yikes!!  In particular, CVS brand stainless steel water bottles which were in the red for lead!

Some of THE most toxic things in our homes are: crock pots, knobs, drawer pulls and door handles, tile, mirrors, stainless steel anything, trampolines (so glad I decided against that one), luggage,  lamps and one of the most disturbing for me...all the parts of a faucet including the piece inside the tub where your child sits and soaks - MERCURY, LEAD, ARSENIC and CADMIUM, in the red!  Delta seems to be at the top of that list.  Another disturbing mercury source is your child's Nintendo 64.  IKEA seems to be on this list a lot too.

Why is illness on the rise...do we really wonder why?  Look around you!!  Better yet, look at some of these fabulous lists I'm honored to be able to share with you!  I wish I could add them all, but I know it's very hard to read anyway.  I chose many of the more telling pages.  Thank you Angela!  =)