About a year ago when Natalee was 2 I looked at her and realized it been a long time since I'd seen her without dark circles under her eyes. She just didn't look "healthy." That broke my heart.
Our babysitter, Lora Jean, was becoming more active in her side business of selling herbal supplements and I was getting very interested. Natalee had had 2 sets of bilateral ear tubes, specialist appointments with her ENT, a neurologist, and an allergist. It seemed we were constantly off to a doctor and she constantly had a runny nose, fever, and randomly vomited for no good reason.
At 15 months Natalee was diagnosed developmentally delayed and at 18 months her neurologist diagnosed her with muscle spasticity of the lower extremities (legs). She began PT services at 19 months and came leaps and bounds in a few short appointments were we got tips for how to help her. But still, she wasn't healthy.
As the months went by and I became more knowledgeable in herbal health I began making subtle lifestyle changes. Keeping the family away from food dyes and processed foods - trading pharmaceuticals for herbals. I rekindled a friendship with a family member who I consider to be a "naturalist" and she became a great resource for me.
The summer of 2011 I started Natalee (then 2 1/2) and Xavier, 1 on a daily multi-vitamin and Omega-3. These quickly became a normal part of our supper time routine and the children enjoyed their "gummies" very much.
I can't remember when I finally noticed that Natalee didn't look as "delicate" anymore. Certainly the summer weather took some merit for that, but I also attribute it to her vitamins.
Additionally we had her adjusted by an OMM, using a gut instinct I got when reading an ad in the newspaper for the new doctor at the local clinic in town. I immediately warmed to Dr. Waddington as he took time to talk to Natalee and then me and had a kind and gentle manner with both of us.
Prior to our visit with Dr. W., Natalee's primary language was to repeat what I told her to say. Mike & I had worked hard to give her the skills she would need to be functional in society, however she had difficulty understanding when to use the language phrases and social cues we had taught her. When we arrived at Dr. W's he bent down and asked Natalee how she was. After giving her the usual wait time, I prompted, "Natalee, say, 'I'm fine, thank you.'" She did and we went on.
During the visit Dr. W. manipulated huge knots out of Natalee's neck and spine. While he worked we also talked about her nutrition. I assured him she ate good meals - neither Lora Jean nor I were processed food cooks. But when he asked if she ate many green leafy veggies or nuts I chuckled and "um, no." As he finished her treatment he suggested we try Epsom salt baths with Natalee. He suspected that she was magnesium deficient based on my report of her leg muscles spasming at night, meaning she (nor Mike & I) ever got a full night's rest, and my report of her diet void of leafy veggies & nuts.
Epsom salt is magnesium. I didn't know that! What did we have to lose? If it worked we would all rest better and she would be more functional during the day. I went straight to the pharmacy and bought Epsom salt...4 pounds. We started with a high does (per Dr. W's instruction) - 2 pounds per tub every other night for the rest of that week. The FIRST night she slept all night. Since then (about 6 months ago) I can count on one hand the number of times she's gotten up in the night. After we got her levels back up with the high doseage baths, we tapered them off and currently do a regimen of one a week with only 1/2 pound in the water.
At our 2 week check-in with Dr. W., the change in Natalee was dramatic. She had climbed on a piece of furniture (the TV stand) for the first time...not that the TV stand was an appropriate place to climb but this was the first time her body felt the urge to try!, she was talking in fuller sentences using her own individual thoughts - not pieces of information we'd taught her that she was parroting back, she was SLEEPING at night and more alert during the day.
Our visit with Dr. W. further encouraged my belief that maybe I really could help Natalee feel better by using natural avenues...and better the lives of the rest of the family in my efforts.
The magnesium added a third supplement that we were giving Natalee in some way.
And so fall continued and we found a happy medium for awhile. I continued to watch with weary eyes as Natalee grew and I began picking up on more and more sensory seeking behaviors. I noticed she didn't quite "get" some things - she was very black & white. While the magnesium had made a huge difference we still had some obstacles.
Fall spiraled into winter and my concerns grew as Natalee neared age 3. As an ECSE teacher I know the importance of early intervention. I live and breathe it. Natalee had long since been dismissed from PT services, but I was starting to see that gap widen again too. She began flapping her hands but not as often as she jumped - slamming her feet into the hardwood floor. That and other negative behaviors started sending the warning bells off in my head - so much screaming, melting down, drama & trauma. The house was unsettled all the time. She would cry. Xabe would cry (b/c he's a baby!)...Mike and I couldn't wait to put them in bed every night. I HATED that feeling. I live for my babies and want to enjoy every minute - not wish them away. Lora Jean was seeing the same trouble - grouchy Natalee, pinching, hitting, tattling, sensory seeking, etc.
Out of desperation I asked our dear Lora Jean for help. She dug into her company treasure chest and brought out the autism card. Literally, a box she has with cards on it that have treatments for different conditions. We discussed it and decided to begin after the new year.
We're currently on week 2 of a 2 week sugar fast. It's been successful enough that I'm in no rush to go back on sugars. The whole family has done the fast (dad & I were not as diligent as we have been with the children) and only once has Natalee asked for something sweet. We're using Stevia as our sweetener for things and adjusting to it just fine. It's helped that Lora Jean is changing her life style for her own personal reasons but they correspond with what we are doing. In addition to the fast the children are taking a Probiotic to help build back the good bacteria in the gut. I face a lot of guilt with myself for allowing the children to take so many antibiotics when younger (especially Natalee)...especially after I learned yesterday that it takes 24 months for the "good guys" to grow back after a round of antibiotics! Can't go back so must move forward...
For various reasons I've added in other supplements gradually to the children's regimen and realized yesterday that they have quite a pile they take! Xavier needs calcium for teething relief and I can't see as how it hurts Natalee so she gets some too. Vitamin D to help absorb the Margnesium and a Vitamin B for energy & metabolism (I'm not great about giving the Vit B to them daily for some reason). So the rundown, for my own records of what the children get daily:
Natalee:
Omega-3 (brain & eye health)
Multi-Vitamin
Probiotic (healthy bacteria!)
Calcium (also takes these sometimes)
Vitamin D
Vitamin B
and her treatments from the Autism card:
Thai-Go
Metal Detox
Xavier:
Omega-3 (brain & eye health)
Multi-Vitamin
Probiotic (healthy bacteria!)
Calcium (also takes these sometimes)
Vitamin D
Vitamin B
he's also currently taking Elderberry chews as he had a runny nose & I am trying to be more preventative.
So there you have it. I'm the crazy mom who gives her kiddos a pile of yummy, good for you vitamins everyday.
Up next - what I learned at my conference yesterday, more lifestyle changes, integrating sensory processing into our everyday lives, Natalee's journey into ECSE, and much more!
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