Extinguishing Eczema

Published NAET Study

2012-02-02T16:35:00.001-05:00

There is a study published in the October/November 2011 issue of Integrative Medicine—A Clinician’s Journal comparing two groups of 30 autistic kids, ages 2.5 to 10 years, all in special education classrooms. One group received NAET treatments for a year and the other did not, so it wasn't actually a blind study (it would be hard to fake a treatment.) Both groups were allowed to continue their other therapies.

Twenty-six of the 30 NAET kids completed the year of treatment. Twenty-three of those were able to return to regular school classes with their non-autistic peers after one year of treatment (that's an astounding 88.5% of the once labeled 'autistic' kids being introduced to regular classrooms. You may recall how I wrote of my pediatrician's expereince with NAET, he had 60 of 63 autistic children under going NAET that were being mainstreamed--95%.) Meanwhile all of the 30 children in the untreated control group continued to need special education.

“We found that NAET is an effective, safe and simple treatment for children with allergy-related autism,” said Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, head author. “In human terms, NAET can provide profound and dramatic benefits, giving children with autism and their families their lives back.”

The Vaccine Battle

2012-01-26T09:21:00.001-05:00

I had typed up a response to something a friend posted on Facebook, but in the end I really didn't have the energy to battle it out all day so I decided not to hit the submit button and to just post on here. A friend had posted a link to 'Proof Vaccines Didn't Save Us'. Of course she had to know that she'd face some backlash, but she was also getting some support as well. I was going to share the following with her, but in the end it was just best to get it on paper and hit delete, that was until my husband said, "You should put that on your blog." Great idea, so here it goes:

"I unfortunately have had the opportunity to witness first hand a violent reaction to a vaccine. It’s not a situation I chose, but none-the-less one that has forced me to research to make my own educated decisions instead of blindly following the doctor’s advice as I had initially done. My doctor didn’t believe vaccines caused injury until she witness my son’s 12-day anaphylatic response to a DTaP. From that point forward she wasn’t willing to continue vaccinating him. Our allergist has also agreed, and stated that “as a society we’ve basically eradicated diseases such as chicken pox, mumps, and measles but have created a whole slew of new ailments like asthma, allergies, and autism.” That statement has always stood out to me because he’s implying that these current epidemics are a result of vaccines. I have since been given 2 medical opinions and waivers from MDs stating that my child is not to receive any further vaccinations due to adverse reaction. From my standpoint, if vaccines really do work then let the rest of the population get them to continue to protect my child. But I am so grateful that our state still allows people to make a decision that’s in the best interest for their child because it’s clear that vaccines are not right for everyone. The scary part is that so many pediatricians do not know what is actually in the vaccines, that they just accept the general blanket statement that everyone should be vaccinated as guidelines put forth by the medical community that is heavily backed by the pharmaceutical companies who are making and profiting from the vaccines. ‘The Vaccine Book’ by Dr. Sears does a nice job going through each vaccine pamphlet and identifying the adjuvants, then weighing the risks of the disease verses that of the vaccine. He’s actually pro-vaccine, but believes it should be done with caution.

According to the federal government’s own data, vaccine injury is real. That’s why they created the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System that has paid out over $2 billion dollars in tax payer dollars to vaccine injured victims. Their own site states that VAERS receives around 30,000 reports annually, with 13% classified as serious (e.g., associated with disability, hospitalization, life-threatening illness or death) (CDC VAERS Master Search Tool, April 2, 2008). Since 1990, VAERS has received over 200,000 reports…http://vaers.hhs.gov/about/index"

Lungs Continued

2012-01-17T21:18:00.000-05:00

As we continue to work on my son's lungs, yesterday he did a combination treatment for a vial labeled 'Bronchus' and the emotion 'Fear.' NAET is weird enough, and then you throw the emotions in . . .Anyways, if you want to talk about weird or coincidental about 15 minutes after leaving the office my son had excruciating pain in the lower portion of his right rib cage. He was crying and holding his side asking to be carried. That lasted for about a half an hour. In addition his right eyelid turned bright red and the skin appeared irritated. This is the same eyelid that use to be our telltale sign of an allergy encounter, except this time he hadn't eaten anything. We haven't seen that eyelid sign in many months. The eyelid subsided at the same time the rib pain did. Was it the treatment or just perfect timing? We may never know, but my husband and I just looked at each other an shook our heads.

Hershey Kisses Revisited

2012-01-16T12:13:00.001-05:00

One thing I've encountered more times than I can count is how everyone likes to give kids candy. They do it as a nice gesture, to be the good guy, and to appease kids. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, as I know I've done it myself. But nine times out of ten they offer candy without asking the parent's permission, and through the years I have consistently been put on the spot to be the bad guy whether it's at the grocery store, the hair salon, the pharmacy (recall when the pharmicist offered my kid peanuts of all things!), etc. Around the holidays, it's even more prevalent. This past Christmas a friend made gift bags with Hershey kisses in them. In October 2009 I had made the mistake of giving my son a Hershey kiss, as I wrote about it here. Two years have passed and about 135 NAET treatments later, and after a lot of begging from my kid, I thought we'd try it again. Afterall, the ingredients are pretty minor in comparison to most candy--containing sweet or semi-sweet chocolate, cocoa butter, sugar, milk, vanillin, milk, nonfat milk and soya lecithin, (and I'm sure there's potential for cross contaimination with their other lines of kisses.) After eating one he said his lip was itching and had a small hive on his face, even though he's treated for each ingredient individually. I home treated him for the kiss, had the doctor test him which she said he passed, and he tried another one. This time without any issue what so ever. Sometimes the combination treatment is necessary for reasons beyond me. I'm just glad he's able to enjoy the little things in life again.

Birthday Cake!

2012-01-15T10:38:00.000-05:00

You can't even imagine my delight in watching my son devour 2 pieces of real birthday cake! We're talking straight from the bakery white cake with raspberry filling and white buttercream frosting. He loved every bite of it! Everyone stood there in amazement as we had never seen someone eat cake like that, it was gone in seconds. And if there would have been anything left on the plate to lick, I'm sure he would have licked it clean! Of course the best part of it all is that there was absolutely no reaction of any kind.

Am I going to miss making my gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, food coloring-free cakes? Absolutely not!!

Peanut Allergy

2012-01-12T21:13:00.001-05:00

The first article I read today was on the little 7-year old girl who passed away last week after a friend gave her a peanut to eat on the school playground. Her body went into cardiac arrest after ingesting the nut. My heart breaks for her and her family. I literally have a pit in my stomach. I read that just after sending my son to school today and instantly wanted to go get him and bring him back home to keep him safe. It is so very scary. I know he knows, but what if someone offered him a peanut M&M or some other enciting looking peanut-laced candy? These thoughts are terrifying to me. I'm going to talk to his NAET doc tomorrow about proceeding on to nuts. From what I've read, some NAET practitioners do not treat nuts but mine does and has had a lot of success with anaphylactic kids and nuts. The thought still scares me, but if it could be safe for him to be around them that would be so comforting--like our egg experience with the accidental ingestion and everything turned out okay.

Technical Issue

2012-01-12T20:57:00.002-05:00

Just an fyi . . .There appears to be an issue with the latest Windows updates put out and blogger, the comment section is freezing up while using Internet Explorer . . .Firefox and Safari are fine.

Question About Lungs

2012-01-11T21:24:00.000-05:00

I seem to be having some technical issues with my last post. There was a comment left on the "Lungs" post which the computer is not letting me reply to, so I'll address it here. The question was if NAET has helped the asthma? Here's what I can tell you, in 2008 when my son was 2 years-old we had 6 straight months of rushing to urgent care/ER for uncontrolled asthma attacks. I then sought the help of an naturalpathic doctor (ND) as we weren't getting anywhere with traditional MDs. With the introduction of various supplements the asthma subsided but would still rear it's head with colds and viruses. At the age of 3 1/2 we started NAET, vitamin D, fish oil, and probitics and there was a huge difference in my son. He no longer would get asthma at the sign of a cold, and for the first time his body was able to handle a cold with productive coughs and not asthma. Last year he hit his inhaler a total of 4 times. His allergist was so impressed that he wanted us to take him off the Flovent since the dosage was already very low. We trialed that in August, but within a few days he had some wheezing. With school starting we decided to try again later. We do go days without the inhaler, but I'm still hesistant to go off it all together.

My husband is a lifetime asthmatic and has been working on his lungs, too, with NAET. I've noticed a big difference in him as of late, but need more time before I'm ready to claim any sort of victory.

Lungs

2012-01-09T17:24:00.001-05:00

Hubby took himself and the boy to NAET today after a couple weeks off. Our goal is to get our son off his asthma meds altogether. He currently takes 1-2 puffs of Flovent 44 per day. They each worked on their lungs, hubby treated for lungs and sinuses while the boy treated for lungs and stress. Afterwards, they enjoyed lunch for the first time together at Chipolte and my son did great with his chicken taco!! And he enjoyed every bite :)

Road Trip Complete

2012-01-08T21:44:00.000-05:00

We just wrapped up our road trip, and what a great time was had. The best part was watching my kid enjoy life and food! As I reported previously, he's been enjoying so many new foods and he really didn't let up the entire trip. Great news is that there was no eczema or scratching! We tried out a couple different pizza joints and he was fine, both with & without pepperoni. He had more waffles. And the most recent item was bread. Real bread. He had a turkey sandwhich on a slice of whole wheat and he said it, "Totally Rocked." He's put on 2 pounds in about two weeks--one of these days he'll reach 40 pounds. Tomorrow it's back to NAET!

Is it a milk allergy or a reaction to bacteria?

2012-01-01T13:15:00.003-05:00

I was reading this article on raw milk, and a line stood out at me:
"...bacteria killed by pasteurization are not removed, so their dead carcasses remain in the milk to ignite immune reactions in those who ingest them, which is one major cause of milk allergies. It isn't really an allergy to the milk itself, but to the organic cell fragments it contains."

I've never thought of it like that before, just always assume it was an allergy to the milk protein. Then again, if milk is pasteurized then the protein is likely killed off.

We haven't jumped on the raw milk wagon, partly because we've grown accustomed to using coconut milk (although I realize it does not have any protein.) The other reason is that I grew up working on a dairy farm, and after seeing those conditions I would not consume raw milk from those cows! First you wipe their bags with a soapy rag to remove the manure, then apply the milker, sometimes they'd have mastitis and would require injection of antibiotics right up into the teat. So you can see what that wouldn't be an appealing image. But as the article points out, commercial dairy farms are much different from cows providing raw milk.

Got a little behind

2011-12-31T00:22:00.002-05:00

I meant to post an update on my son's NAET treatments before we left for our trip. He's recently treated for : wheat and egg/dairy and egg, and we had planned on treating for wheat, egg, and dairy but he proved strong to the trio and the treatment wasn't required. Before leaving he treated for neurotransmitters. My husband accompanied us that day and as we were getting ready to leave he commented, "What did this kid treat for today? He's going crazy." Apparently that can be one of the side effects of the neurotransmitter treatment.

On a side note, my husband has had a few recent NAET treatments. His lungs have always been an issue, along with his sinuses. He's spent some time treating for sinuses, viruses, bacteria, lungs, pnemonia and combinations of such.

Road Trip

2011-12-29T10:22:00.001-05:00

We've taken a little road trip for the holidays, and with the road trip comes all kinds of food challenges--usually. I say usually because I've witnessed my kid eat a variety of foods that were once taboo. We're talking kids meals from Wendy's (burger with bun and fries), more burgers from Cracker Barrel, pizza from Sbarro, ham pannini and Baked Lays at Legoland, and hotel waffles with syrup. There's been no hives, rash, itch, or breathing issues. Defintiely no Benedryl. The only thing that I think I see is a little bit of dark circles under his eyes, but that could very well be from the fast pace we've been keeping. He still takes his daily supplements--viatmin D, krill oil, probiotics, and Juice Plus+ vitamins, and will pick up on the NAET once we get back home.

Oh yeah, and he's had blueberries on a handfull of occassions now without issue! 2012 is going to be a great year!

Blueberries Revisited

2011-12-19T08:27:00.000-05:00

Blueberries and my kid go way back. They were the first food with a noticable immediate allergic reaction--vomitting and asthma. Looking back, I still recall not knowing really what was going on as I had no idea that food could cause such a violent reaction. I've talked about our journey with blueberries before here, and the home NAET treatments I've tried that helped but didn't provide 100% relief. Well last Friday he officially treated for blueberries, waited the 25 hours out, and tried to eat them on Sunday. Drum roll please . . . he ate 3 blueberries without any reaction at all!

Not only that, but he's eaten pancakes from restaurants the last 2 weekends in a row, he's had more egg lemon rice soup, and has had his fair share of wheat as of late. All this without any skin reaction or itch. His skin is perfectly clear--no rash or bumps, it's just awesome to see him so happy!

Sinuses, Smoking, and Wheat & Dairy

2011-12-10T22:35:00.000-05:00

After holding up just fine from our cat experience, we've proceeded with some other treatments: sinuses, smoking, and a combination of wheat & dairy. If it seems like we're all over the place with these, we are a bit due to our personal schedule and what we have going on later that day.

I didn't realize that one could be treated for 'sinuses' but apparently it's possible, the vial holds diluted energy of inflammed sinus tissue. I've know the smoking allergy has been an issue for a long time seeing how he would break out into hives on the rare occassion he's around smoke. And the wheat and dairy combo was at my request as I'm trying to get to the root of the pizza issue. He treated for that on Monday after a weekend of pizza parties that left the back of his legs behind his knees raw. Come Tuesday his legs were completely clear. Coincidence? Not sure, so we ordered pizza from the same place and he's eaten 4-5 pieces between this Friday and Saturday. At last check he was looking great. We're going to treat for a couple more combos, namely: wheat and egg, dairy and egg, and then wheat, egg, and dairy. That's the issue with NAET-- the treatments work best when they're done in the simpliest form; so jumping to do all 3 together may not work as well which is probably why I'm not getting the results I want when I treat for the actual pizza itself at home.

Cats?

2011-12-05T18:30:00.001-05:00

I've been dreaming of the day I could write this post. The day my son was able to play with a cat without any issues. Today was the day! Previously he hasn't been able to even be in a house that had cats without swollen, watery eyes that require Benedryl to bring relief. Last week he treated for animal dander along with a sample of cat hair from my mom's cats (she has 3.) We never visit her house, although she lives a mere 2 miles from us as the cats were too much to handle.

Today we purposly made a visit just to see how he'd do with cats. One cat was very friendly and let my son pet her for a good 20 minutes. The cat was long-haired, and my kid was putting his face in her fluffy tail. I kept watching for reactions, but all the happened was that MY eyes started to itch. He was fine, even after the cat licked him (remember his arm after the dog licked him over the summer, looked like hornets attacked!)

Last Christmas while celebrating Christmas at a relative's house that had a cat, my child so intelligently decided it was a good idea to put his face in the carpeting. After a split second he looked as if he had taken on Rocky Balboa--eyes puffed out and swelled shut with streams of tears rolling down his face from all the eye watering. So as crazy as it sounds, I asked my kid if wanted to try that again today to see if anything were to happen. And he did. And nothing. No sniffle, no itch, no watery or swollen eyes. He's so excited!

Since our last post he's treated for the animal dander, sinuses, pneumococcal bacteria that the vaccine is made for, and wheat/dairy combo. He's still struggling with pizza that's not from WF, as he breaks out on the back of his knees.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend!

2011-11-25T20:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to you! We had a very successful dinner experience!! This was the first year that my son was given the go ahead to try some of the traditional dishes made in the conventional ways. Of course in typical kid fashion he didn't care of most of it, but none-the-less he wasn't that restricted. He ate real mashed potatoes made with milk & butter, was allowed to eat green bean casserole (which I made with an organic cream of mushroom soup that still had milk & wheat), real gravy with milk and wheat flour (last year I used rice milk and tapioca startch), stuffing with wheat bread & butter, cranberry sauce (he recently cleared a home cranberry treatment), whole wheat rolls from Trader Joe's, and pumpkin pie that was made at a gluten-free bakery. So as you can see, lots of wheat and butter. (Not to mention the 4 pieces of pepperoni pizza from Whole Foods he had this week.) All of this and not one bit of scratching, scaly skin, or bumps--his skin looks remarkably clear!

Doughnuts

2011-11-21T20:31:00.000-05:00

Still work ing on the diseases within the DTaP, we completed the last of the 3 today. But that's not what I want to update on. I think I mentioned a few posts back the my husband has been taking my son to Biggby's and they've secretely been sharing a donut. As my kid puts it, "just enough to get a little taste, not over doing it." He hadn't seem any worse for the wear, but once I found out I had my husband bring me a piece to treat for, which we did. Then Biggby was nice enough to give us the label off the donuts to see all the ingredients. And wow are these things loaded: wheat, egg, soy, milk and everything in between, but he's pretty much treated for it all. I took the sample and list to NAET today and had the doc muscle test for it. Strong as a rock I tell ya. She couldn't believe it (and neither could I) so she did it a second time, and still strong. That was in contrast to the sample of store-brand soft tortillas that I self treated him for--still weak, needs 3 more treatments for them. The only reason I bought them was because a classmate was bringing them in for a class snack (elephant ears made with them.) So I tried to be pre-emptive about it as he's broken out to them before, but didn't matter as my kid didn't like them anyways.

List of donut ingredients, not the best picture but you get the idea that these aren't organic and healthy:

Been On a Break

2011-11-16T22:50:00.000-05:00

Haven't posted in a couple of weeks, as we took a much needed break from everyday life and jetted off to Disney World. It's SO incredibly nice not to have to be anywhere or on any type of schedule. I get so tired of twice weekly doctor appointments for NAET, but I see the benefit so we persevere.

And boy did we reap the benefits while on vacation! We ate our every single day without issue. The second we hit Disney World I bought my son one of those colorful swirly suckers. I had tears in my eyes as I paid for it, and the look on his face when he realized it was for him was priceless. We're still careful when it comes to food, but he did try some orange/vanilla twist ice cream and he couldn't believe what he's been missing. He also ate lots of pizza, a different variety of Annie's cereal without issue, and a hotel waffle made in a Mickey Mouse waffle maker with fake syrup! (Seriously, does anyone really realize what they're putting into their bodies these days?! I only buy the 100% pure maple at home, and the extra cost is worth it to me.)

We're now working on the various components of the DTaP. His first treatment back was for tetnus. I'm hoping he can treat for the P (pertussis) this week as there's been a case of whooping cough at his school. It was the DTaP that he experienced anaphylatic shock to when he was 2 years old, so we may need to take this one slow.

Influenza

2011-10-28T15:10:00.000-04:00

Today he treated for all the influenza strains and recent vaccines. There had to have been 10 vials in the glass jar that he was treated for. The hope is that if he were to encounter the flu virus, that his body would fight it off more easily instead of succum to it. Time will tell.

On another note, he ate the Fruity Bunnies for breakfast for the second day in a row and all is good! No eczema.

And just like that . . .

2011-10-27T19:31:00.001-04:00

And just like that . . .he can eat Annie's Fruity Bunnies cereal without any issue. He treated for it last Friday after having an immediate reaction--eczema in all the joint creases. Today he tried it again for the first time since treating, and so far nothing. It's like magic.

A Pause from Vaccines--Flouride

2011-10-25T17:36:00.000-04:00

At NAET today we experienced another first. We almost didn't get to do a treatment today because my kid's body wasn't willing to proceed with anything virus or vaccine related. Seems like it needed a rest from these more demanding treatments. According to the doctor, this is a bit unusal for children but not so uncommon for adults who's bodies need more time to heal. Fortunately we were able to get in a treatment for Flouride. So that meant distilled water and non-flouride toothpaste, which isn't an issue since he uses Tom's non-flouride toothpaste already.

Life's Good

2011-10-21T19:12:00.000-04:00

Life's been good the last couple of weeks. My son is growing and gaining weight, he's suddenly filling out a bit. He's still doing NAET twice a week; recently he passed Hep B, HIB, and thimerosal. He wasn't showing weak to the flu vaccine I received when pregnant in 2005, but I'm going to have him tested for influzenza in general to help strengthen his immune response to the flu. He did have one reaction to something new since my last update. It was to a new Annie's cereal-Fruity Bunnies. It appears it's the 'natural flavoring' that caused the eczema to breakout on his knees and crease of his arm. One bath and some Cera'Ve took care of that. Considering how he use to be in constant break out mode, this is really good. He treated for the cereal with the 'natural flavoring' vial, and is looking forward to eating his new favorite cereal in a couple of days.

Quick Update

2011-10-08T16:39:00.000-04:00

Since treating for polio, the kiddo then treated for the polio injectible vaccine (which he did receive 4 doses of as a infant/toddler) and he held strong to the nasal dosage and didn't require treatment to that. Friday he treated for HIB (which he was also vaccinated against.) My arm was so weak to the muscle testing. Even though we've done this over a hundred times (literally), it still amazes me. The plan is to keep working on vaccines that he received; so we still have flu, Hep B, pneumococcal vaccine, and DTaP. I'll be interested to see if we're require to wait on the DTaP given his previous anaphylatic reaction.

He's recovered from his bout of asthma and is doing well once again. He did get some pepperoni pizza from some pizza joint last night and had mild itching this morning but his skin is still looking gorgeous. Pizza from Whole Foods continues to be fine, so it's definitely an issue with the quality of the ingredients.

Vaccines, finally

2011-10-03T00:05:00.000-04:00

We've been waiting a couple of weeks for the okay to treat for vaccines. The ok comes from the body's response to the muscle testing to say it's ready to accept these treatments. Yes, I'm aware of how weird that sounds. In the mean time we've treated for artificial sweetners and digestive enzymes (and he was tested for each individual enzyme, but at this time doesn't require treatment.) We got the go ahead to treat for vaccines on Friday, and started with Polio. Our doc said this is a good because it affects the gut--something to do with the way it's transmitted (the fecal-oral route--gross!)

This treatment also timed with my kid coming down with 'sniffles', which I'm sure were triggered by the change of weather we're experiencing. Out of no where came the ashtma Saturday morning. What a bummer. It's been many months since we've seen that, well over a year. I even had bumped him back up to 2 puffs of Flovent a day about a week ago once the weather changed. Must not have been soon enough. Our allergist has me keep a bottle of prednisone on hand in case something like this happens, seeing how we're old hat at this anymore. I did give a dose, which seems to be doing the trick of getting things moving with a productive cough. Curious timing though of the asthma and vaccine treatment, although it's probably just a coincidence.

Donuts!

2011-09-23T20:54:00.000-04:00

My son got to experience the taste of cinnamon donuts fresh from the cider mill, and without reaction. Well, actually he had a donut from there a couple weeks back and had a terrible outbreak on his legs. I worked hard to clear it up, using peroxide baths and moisturizer. I knew he had a class field trip to the same cider mill coming up, so I made a special trip out there to pick up a donut. I did a home naet treatment on him with the donut on Monday, and he enjoyed his donut with his class on Wednesday. It's Friday night now, and his skin still looks great. The best part was that he got to partake in what all the other kids were doing! He didn't need any special food, and I didn't have to tell him he couldn't have something. It was as if everything is normal. As I chaperoned his trip, I sat back and watched him just be a kid. It was wonderful.

Strange Reaction to Something so Innocent

2011-09-16T12:48:00.001-04:00

The day started off happily. My husband took our son to Starbucks and purchased him a bottle of Very Berry Naked Juice. Sounds simple enough--apple juice, banana, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries--AND natural flavor. He's had all the fruits before without issue. He's even had other types of Naked Juice like the Strawberry Banana. But it was clear that this particular bottle didn't agree with him. Within minutes of drinking it, my kid was panicking that his throat felt swollen and complaining that his heart was racing. He dropped to the floor in agony and was gouging at his eyes, which had turned extremely red all around the outside. Mind you this was 7 in the morning and I was hardly awake. I flew out of bed to try to help him and get a handle as to what was going on. I gave him a Benedryl and after a few minutes he calmed down and seemed ok. I couldn't help but wonder if he had came into contact with peanuts while at the coffee shop. We had a NAET appointment scheduled for 9 am, and I took the juice with us. He was showing weak to the juice, especially in the lung area which is rare for him. Wish I knew what this particular 'natural flavor' consists of, as my post from a year ago proves, it could be anything.

A Quick Update

2011-09-12T10:09:00.003-04:00

A quick update . . .My son did eat a blueberry, and although the results weren't exactly what I was hoping for, he did do much better than his previous attempt a couple weeks ago before his treatment. This time he had one hive on his lower cheek that cleared up with a small cold pack and rubbing his pressure points, all while he was begging for more. Pre-treatment he had hives all over his face that required Benedryl. Obviously there's more work to be done, but it's a start.

Soy sauce has slowly crept back into his diet. I've been cautious with it as the reactions use to be so horrendous and I wanted to make sure I was certain it was now safe. Seems to be as he's consumed it a dozen times without issue, and I was even using a brand that had wheat.

I've pinpointed an ingredient commonly used in baked goods, and especially in packaged gluten-free foods that is causing my son to have allergic reactions on his legs (many tiny, itchy hives.) It's 'sodium acid pyrophosphate', and is a common leveling agent. He reacted terribly to the Glutino brand gluten free pretzels and more recently to Trader Joe's gluten free waffles, each which have this ingredient. I've home treated for each, but it would be nice to get my hands on the actual culprit. Might be a little hard to do, as it seems like it has to be ordered in bulk from China. I'm going to check the grocery store baking powders, as some may have this in it. My son actually seems to do better with regular pretzels and waffles, but in my attempt to limit his wheat intake we tried these brands.

Our experiment to take my son completely off his asthma meds didn't last as long as I had hoped. We tried this in mid-August, and noticed an increase in coughing (where typically he doesn't cough.) He also had a few days where it seemed he was having trouble with environmental allergies, namely ragweed. I actually started him on zyrtec, but that only lasted 4 days and he was fine. Not sure if the NAET treatment for 'late summer weed's played any role, but he did treat for that during this time. We did decide to put him back on 1 puff of Flovent 44 per day for now. The coughing has stopped and he seems fine, his allergist recommends trying again in the spring.

At our most recent NAET appointment we treated for the 'eczema' vial. Seems like we should have done this a while back, but none-the-less it's now complete. Thought it was interesting that my kid's former trouble spots immediately flared. I'm going to have him treat for insect bites/stings since all the bees out are making me a bit nervous. Then we'll treat for eczema combined with rutin. We did rutin a few weeks back, but he's showing weak when both of these vials are put together. The doctor thought to check this combination as I used rutin as a natural birth control for many years prior to trying to conceive.

On another note, I reached out to the mom in the video below. I was curious as to how many treatments her son has had. She lost count, but over the course of about 5 years she estimates 200-300. She also said that her kid seemed to clear his eczema from the head down, which I found very interesting because I had it on my list to ask our doctor why when my kid does react to something that it's his legs that are affected these days. The doctor said in chiropractic school that they're taught the body heals from the inside, out and top, down. Seems to be the case for both these boys!

Picture Update

2011-09-08T20:35:00.001-04:00

Back in January I wrote that my ultimate goal was to get my kid as prepared as possible for Kindergarten so he (and I!) could feel confident as he ventured into this new phase of his life. While we still have a ways to go, I'm happy to report that he is doing wonderful and enjoying every second of his new school. He's in a full day program, which means he's eating lunch in the cafeteria. The idea was a bit frightening for me, but he's handled it great. He sits at the peanut free table and knows not to share food (it helps that this is also a school rule.) Take a look at this happy boy, and check out his gorgeous skin!

Once Labeled "The Most Allergic Child in the World"

2011-09-05T11:56:00.001-04:00

I stumbled upon this video documenting a child's journey with allergies and NAET. This was all too familiar to me; I have pictures of my son looking just like this child. Once labeled "The Most Allergic Child in the Wold," her son is now healed and his skin looks fabulous--thanks to NAET!

Bluberries and Pesticides (not related)

2011-09-02T10:50:00.001-04:00

We're working with the NAET doctor on doing some home treatments for items that I can easily assess as I need to speed up this process I treated my kid for a long time nemesis last week, blueberries. They were the first food that ever caused him vomiting and breathing problems. At the time his allergist had told me he's never heard of anyone being allergic to blueberries and he didn't seem to believe me. I then had a chance encounter with a nutritionist who explained that blueberries have a protein called malvin (if I spelled that right) that do cause some people issues, especially kids under one as their bodies do not produce the enzymes to breakdown the malvin. I haven't seen any research documentation on this, so I'll just have to go with his reaction. Anyways, today he muscle tested strong to them and we'll give them another go 'round. We did sample one a couple weeks back that resulted in his face breaking out, so this will be interesting.

Today's treatment at the doctor's was for pesticides. Usually just his kidneys show weak to most substances, however today it was his kidneys, spleen, and pancreas. While we were waiting our 20 minutes out, my son uncharacteristically requested to lay down and have a blanket put on him. He then said his head was hurting, that he was nauseous, and his throats was starting to feel funny. Both the doctor and I took that as a sign that the treatment was working and that the energy was moving through his body like it's suppose to. By the time we got home he said he was feeling better. We'll see how the rest of the day goes, at any rate the food avoidance on this one is pretty tough.

Alternaria

2011-08-29T18:36:00.000-04:00

I had never heard of Alternaria until last week when my son's skin prick test showed positive to it, and actually it was his worse showing allergy (that and dogs.) According to Wikipedia, Alternaria is a genus of ascomycete fungi. Alternaria species are known as major plant pathogens. They are also common allergens in humans, growing indoors and causing hay fever or hypersensitivity reactions that sometimes lead to asthma.

Here's an excerpt from a research article on Alternaria:

“The Arizona Respiratory Center has determined that sensitivity to Alternaria spores is the single factor that most significantly correlates with the onset of childhood asthma in the Tucson area,” Pryor says. “After following childhood cases for over 20 years, this was one of the findings that really piqued their interest in Alternaria.”

Alternaria is one of the most common fungi worldwide, found literally everywhere, both indoors and outdoors. It produces long chains of spores that are easily dispersed through the air. “There is really no way to get away from it— it can live almost anywhere..."

So with that, we treated for Alternaria today.

Preparing for Kindergarten

2011-08-28T00:11:00.001-04:00

Monday is my son's first day of Kindergarten! I'm a little anxious given his medical history, but he's doing much these days which brings me some relief. After talking with his doctor as to how to handle the peanut allergy, I then met with his new teacher. The school is very accommodating to peanut allergies and already has safeguards in place such as a peanut free lunch table and hand washing after lunch. His classroom will also be peanut free, and all parents have been made aware.

There's a great Food Allergy Action Plan form that the doctor completed for me that I will be providing the school with, in addition as to making copies to keep in my son's emergency packs. An emergency pack will also be kept in the office and in his teacher's desk. This kit contains epipens, benedryl, and ventolin. In addition, the school has asked that I type up a profile sheet on my son that will be shared with all staff so that they are aware of his conditions.

On the NAET front, my husband has always had an itchy throat reaction to cantaloupe. Just the other day he ate some and not only did his mouth itch, but his arms, too. I gave him a home treatment, and two days later he tried cantaloupe again (he ate 1/4 of the melon.) Magically, there was no reaction at all from what he told me. So weird.

My son has treated for herbicides, late summer weeds in our area, and a bioflavonoid called rutin that I use to take a lot of before I had him. Rutin is in his new supplement, and since he showed weak he was treated for it. I want to work on latex, insect stings, pesticides, and then move onto dioxins.

Skin Test Today

2011-08-19T00:33:00.004-04:00

Following up on our allergist visit last week, my son had a skin test done today. He had 4 panels: A) Trees/Grasses; B) Weeds; C) Other environmentals including dust mites, dog, cat, etc; D) Food (beef, milk, chicken, egg, corn, wheat, soybean, peanut); and some tree nuts: walnut, almond, pecan, and cashew.

So what did I learn? Once again reaction trumps the tests. To my amazement there was absolutely zero reaction to the peanut/tree nuts. Actually out of all the foods, only egg showed a very mild reaction (the nurse wasn't even going to mark it, but I was certain I saw a small welt.) His trouble spots were shown to be ragweed, a fungi called alternaria (more on that in a later post), a tree called red top, dust mites, and dog. I knew dog would be a problem after my kid was licked on the arm by a dog over the weekend and it looked like he put his arm in a hornets nest. Fortunately the old emergency pack with benedryl did the trick.

So what to do from here? The peanuts are still a concern, especially since the RAST blood test shows a level 6 reaction. Because of that, we're not going to challenge any time soon and we're to stay away from all nuts and continue to carry the epipen. There are some new tests that we could look into in the future. One being "you know peanut test" that was FDA approved a month ago. It's a blood test that not many labs are doing right now that IDs which peanut proteins are triggering the reaction. There's a genetic microbiology test that can be done which shows peanut proteins 1-3 that cause a reaction and 4-6 that relate to a positive test (but no reaction, if I understood the doctor correctly.) The doc ruled out immunocap as there's a 5-10% change of anaphylaxis which he says is too much of a risk. He did say that due to the negative skin test my son is now is the" 20% chance of out growing his peanut allergy" category.

As for NAET, our last treatment was for "Immune Modulator" which deals with aligning the misaligned T-cells of the immune system. When the T1 cells over power the T2 cells the immune system goes into overdrive and overreacts, causing inflammation resulting in various ailments like asthma and eczema.

My son has had soy sauce a handful of times in his stir-fry and has done fabulously. Prior to NAET he was breaking out in huge hives and his skin would turn thick and scaly. We also just bought a new supplement to try at the recommendation of our Ped, it's called NeuroProtek by Algonot. The doc was pretty excited about this one as he was seeing positive results with some of his autistic patients. It's all natural containing flavonoids rutin, luteolin, and quercetin that's suppose to reduce symptoms of gut and brain inflammation, and nerve and tissue damage.

Wheat Again

2011-08-12T15:54:00.000-04:00

We've gone back to revisit wheat. It's clear that the kid can handle wheat in small amounts, but has difficulty with his skin after eating more than a cookie or something small. Over the last couple of weeks we've done an additional 5 treatments for wheat with various combinations: wheat w/yeast, wheat w/ DNA, wheat w/RNA, wheat w/DNA,RNA, Base, and wheat w/trypsin (a digestive enzyme.) Don't get me wrong, I am frustrated at the lack of quick results and having to re-treat wheat so many times. But I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet as I keep reminding myself of all the foods we've gotten back because of NAET: tomato, yogurt, oats, chickpeas, soy, citrus, pork and I'm sure there's more that escape my mind right now.

We also had a good visit with the allergist. I'm happy to report that it's been one year since any asthma issues!!! I think NAET and vitamin D have a lot to do with that. The doctor is taking my son off his daily asthma meds (flovent) for a 2 week trial to see how he does before school starts. Speaking of which, I will have a kindergartner is about 2 weeks! My main purpose for the allergist visit was to get help with a medical plan before starting school. The nut allergy still has me worried and I want the doctor's input as to how to address it. Next week we're going in for a skin prick test and then we'll be able to come up with a plan from there.

GAPS Nutritional Program

2011-07-31T10:29:00.001-04:00

A very enlightening interview with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, the founder of the GAPS Nuritional Program. GAPS stands for 'Gut and Psychology Syndrome.' From the article, Dr. Campbell is a medical doctor with a postgraduate degree in neurology. She worked as a neurologist and a neurosurgeon for several years before starting a family. Her first-born son was diagnosed autistic at the age of three. Looking for an answer for her son, she ended up getting a second postgraduate degree in human nutrition. As a result of her work, her son fully recovered and is no longer autistic. She now has a clinic in Cambridge, England, where she treats children and adults with autism, learning disabilities, neurological disorders, psychiatric disorders, immune disorders, and digestive problems.

Article: A Warning to Parents: DTaP Vaccines Can Cause Shock in Milk Allergic Children

2011-07-29T22:21:00.003-04:00

It's really disheartening to continue to learn of the components of vaccines. I say disheartening because I don't understand why my son's medical doctors at the time never raised any flags or advised caution knowing how allergic my son had become. My only guess is that they were not educated themselves and were just doing their job of vaccinating the masses. I also take some blame because I initially blindly trusted the doctors and did not initially do my research. My son had a 12 day anaphylactic reaction to his third DTaP injection. This entailed breathing difficulty, welts and hives, and vomiting; and was my wake up call that it was going to be up to me to help my son.

Soy Sauce?

2011-07-17T20:04:00.001-04:00

We had our first encounter with soy sauce since treating again for it mid-April. Our neighbors invited us over for dinner, and they served the most delicious pork tenderloin marinated in steak seasoning and soy sauce. I held my breath a bit as my son ate two pieces (not bites, but actual slices) of meat. No reaction! He'll have to try a stir-fry before I'm really convinced he's good with soy sauce, but it's a good start.

Since my last post my son has treated for animal fat, candida w/mucus membrane (trying to get rid of the itchy privates that still make an occasional appearance), and he re-treated for egg whites & yolks after the RAST test came back.

Blood Test Results Are In

2011-07-04T22:23:00.000-04:00

I finally received the recent RAST/IgE blood test results from mid-June. Since starting NAET and the last RAST test 22 months ago, all his levels with the exception of egg and peanut have decreased a level. There's no doubt that he still has lots of IgE, but take a look at a couple of examples:

Honey has gone from 28.4/level 3 to 4.55/level 2

Soy has gone from 24.2/level 4 to 6.87/level 3

Brazil nut was 21.91/level 4, now 5.24/level 2

Tomato and Wheat were formerly testing at level 2 and are now level 1.

The big surprise was egg. While yolks stayed the same, whites shot up from 12.3/level 3 to 28.4/level 4. We have a long history with egg, and he's been eating them in baked goods and with french toast for many months now without reaction. I've always been told that RAST testing produces a lot of false results, and that reaction always trumps the test, so the test can be fairly inaccurate. In the allergy world, it's one of the main tools available however it doesn't appear to hold much significance from what I can gather due to all the inaccuracies. I've read that it can take a number of years for RAST results to show a decrease after NAET treatments even though the patient is no longer reacting. This update was ordered by our Ped, but our allergist is opposed to the test.

Peanuts still tested at 100+/level 6. We have yet to do any work with peanuts, or any nuts for that matter. However, all the tree nuts were also down a level from August 2009.

Vitamin D levels were also tested, and came back as 65 ng/ml, which is the high end of the optimal range. This is great news, as everything I read says just falling within the range is still too low; D levels need to be at the high end for D to combat inflammation.

2011-07-02T16:59:00.001-04:00

Since the MSG treatments, my son has treated for his own blood, my dad's dog, aluminum, and small intestines. We were able to get a few drops of blood from when he had his lab work done a couple weeks back. The phlebotomist thought it was a weird request when I asked for a small vial. I told him I wanted to hang it around my neck. Just kidding! After I explained we were doing some alternative treatments he obliged. For years I've said that my son is allergic to his own blood, it's as if he has fiberglass running through him. He showed weak to his blood sample, so we treated.

For the last month my son has been having issues every time we visit my dad's house, with each reaction proving to be more intense. The first three times it was a mystery. Finally with the last and most severe breakout of bodily hives and itching my dad made the connection that the dog had been groomed the beginning of June and the groomer applied a finishing spray that in the past has made my dad's eyes itch (and he's not an allergic person.) I was really hoping this would prove to be the culprit, because if it wasn't that could mean that a new allergy has emerged. We cut off some dog fur and treated for it last week. After clearing we made a trip over to my dad's and just hung out in the yard to slowly test for any reaction. That worked fine. Then today we ventured back over and spent some time in the house. NO REACTION!

As for aluminum, I thought this might be a beneficial treatment due to all the aluminum injected via the vaccines. Our practitioner said this was a really hard one for her daughter, who woke up in the middle of the night with diarrhea after treating for it. After clearing aluminum, we proceeded onto treating for small intestines. My son didn't experience any adverse reactions with either.

So what's on tap? We're looking at treating for DNA, RNA, neurotransmitters, and enzymes over the next few weeks.

MTV: True Life, I'm Allergic to Everything

2011-06-24T17:53:00.002-04:00

This episode takes a look at two young people coping with food allergies. The one girl actually seeks alternative help that looks similar to NAET and seems to be getting some relief. From the very beginning of the show when they were showing their pantry, etc I was thinking that she has an MSG allergy. At the end she has an anaphylactic reaction to chinese food, which convinced me even further that MSG is a major culprit for her. I was appalled that the head of immunology at John Hopkins had the nerve to tell her it's in her head. Right, like it's been in the head of my two, three, four, and now five-year old.

I'm glad to see mainstream TV taking on this serious subject. It really hit home for me, I must have had tears in my eyes the entire time I was watching. I could totally relate to all the benedryl, inhalers, food preparation, and excitement when a new food is added back. Fortunately we've never had to use the epi pen.

http://www.mtv.com/videos/true-life-im-allergic-to-everything/1666298/playlist.jhtml#series=2211&seriesId=5232&channelId=1

Going out on a limb

2011-06-19T13:29:00.002-04:00

Back in December a good friend of mine was battling eczema in her then six month old son. I gave her the low-down on my best arsenal of products and routines which included bathing, moisturizing, and diet. I also told her that if she got desperate enough we could talk about the hocus-pocus called NAET. I was hesitant because it's weird and one really needs an open mind to take the steps to try it. I was also hesitant because what if it didn't work for them, and because it's so weird that they'd think I'm a complete nut job.

Well, she did reach the point of desperation and has been undergoing treatments for her son for about the last month. Yesterday was the baby boy's first birthday party which I attended. I was approached by the dad and grandma as they were so thankful for the recommendation to try NAET because they are seeing such an improvement in their boy's skin. WHEW, what a relief!! The dad has gone to a handful of appointments and said after their first visit he was ready to throw in the towel because it seems like such a hoax. But, he knows what I've been through with my son and the vast improvement we've seen, my kid is walking proof that this weird stuff works. Everyone was commenting on how great my kid's skin looks!

What a week

2011-06-17T23:37:00.002-04:00

This week started off with a NAET treatment for MSG, which my son woke up in the middle of the night nauseous thinking he was going to be sick--usually a good sign that something is working. As the week progressed he had 2 outbreaks: one to vegetable soup at a restaurant which he's never had before, and one to a single blueberry. Blueberries and him go way back to when he was 12 months old. They were his first major reaction, triggering asthma and vomiting. The definition that I've been told of anaphylaxis is two or more body systems have to be involved, so this would classify as such. He has since had a random blueberry encounter and has been fine. This week though he broke out in hives all over his face, same with the soup. I guess it's good that the hives are on his face where they're visible rather than his torso--gotta look for the silver lining in these cases to keep from going crazy.

Fast forward to today. We went for our second NAET treatment of the week and, low-and-behold, he didn't pass MSG. The doctor muscle tested my arm three times and I couldn't provide any resistance. Not passing a treatment or being stuck in a treatment can cause other reactions (so I'm told), which is what he may have been experiencing. So we re-treated for MSG. On the car ride home my son was completely spaced-out, said he felt weird which was evident by the look on his face.

Then this afternoon we had his 5-year well child exam with his Pediatrician. Our wonderful Ped has been accepted into a fellowship program to further his knowledge, so we're going to be losing him for three years. It's quite a blow to us, but we're now on the right track and will manage. It's been almost two years since any blood work has been done, so the doc wanted to run another IgE screen to compare. He's also going to blood test for some other areas like vitamin D levels, lead levels, etc. We spent about 45 minutes at the lab where they took 9-10 vials of blood. I was floored at how much they needed. Last time it was only 4 and I thought that was absurd. Of course my poor son screamed all the way through it. Why is it always mom that has to do these awful tasks?! I'm definitely eager to see what the results determine.

MSG is on tap

2011-06-10T23:25:00.002-04:00

MSG has been on our list to treat for via NAET for some time, and the more I read about it the more I want to get this treatment over with asap. Not that I voluntarily feed this stuff to my kid, but it's so hard to avoid. Check out this list of ingredients with hidden MSG. It's almost completely unavoidable unless you're preparing all your own foods from scratch. I'm pretty good about that these days, making all my own broths and using fresh veggies and such, but it's pretty much certain that anytime you eat out you're going to get some form of MSG, or packaged food for that matter.

The problem with this stuff is that, according to this article and Dr. Russell Blaylock, a board-certified neurosurgeon and author of “Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills”, MSG is an excitotoxin, which means it overexcites your cells to the point of damage or death, causing brain damage to varying degrees -- and potentially even triggering or worsening learning disabilities, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease and more.

Some of the adverse reactions to MSG include:

Cardiac arrhythmia
Obesity
Eye damage
Headaches
Fatigue and disorientation
Depression

The FDA acknowledges that “short-term reactions” known as MSG Symptom Complex can occur in certain groups of people, namely those who have eaten “large doses” of MSG or those who have asthma.

According to the FDA, MSG Symptom Complex can involve symptoms such as:

Numbness
Burning sensation
Tingling
Facial pressure or tightness
Chest pain or difficulty breathing
Headache
Nausea
Rapid heartbeat
Drowsiness
Weakness

Knowing how sensitive my kid has been to everything, MSG is definitely on the radar.

Where are the environmental allergies this year?

2011-06-09T21:37:00.002-04:00

Do I dare say it out loud? I've been thinking it for some time, especially as I've had 2 spring allergy colds and have heard from many others about the tough spring they're having. But my DS has been great. No sniffles, no post-nasal drip, no cough, no asthma, and no eczema! Oh yeah, and NO ZYRTEC! Can this be the same child? I'm so happy for him; all of his hard work is paying off.

We've been targeting NAET treatments that tackle the remnants of his itch. His latest treatments were for Fungus (which his eyelids immediately lit up beet red, but were back to normal the next morning) and thyroid.

2011-05-27T10:40:00.001-04:00

Did I mention we've been eating tons of pizza around here? The other night my kid ate 3 pieces with pepperoni from a restaurant without issue, so maybe the processed meat treatment combined with heat worked? However another night we were over a friend's house where he had a garlic breadstick, and his privates itched right after for a couple of hours until he fell asleep. I wish I knew what was in the garlic butter.

We've been introducing more and more foods lately. Broccoli, the once forbidden favorite, is now a common staple. He's also been eating provolone cheese with his wheat wraps, and has done well with cornbread muffins and Trader Joe's version of Oreos made with wheat. Recently we've treated for histamines, cow milk from home, chemicals (consists of detergents, soaps, and chlorine bleach), and today was lymph & lymph vessels.

After the first trial of milk that lead to a stomach ache, we treated with the actual milk and are slowly trying to reintroduce it again. So far he's been able to tolerate a few sips without any issues, we'll get a better idea over the course of this week.

All of this hard work is paying off, he's grown a couple of inches this year and has put on some weight recently. It's such a relief to watch him enjoy food.

Birthday Boy!

2011-05-17T19:38:00.002-04:00

Happy 5th Birthday to my son! We celebrated with LOTS of pizza. For one party he had pizza from Whole Foods, as we're confident that he's doing well with the more natural stuff. For the other party he had 2 pieces of Chuck E Cheese pizza, and did fabulous--I was shocked that there wasn't any itching. We did skip the pepperoni just to be safe. Check out his clear skin, it's wonderful!

After all the trouble with processed meat that he was having, we did a combination treatment for heat and processed meat. We haven't tested it out yet. He's also been eating yogurt every day for the past 4 weeks, and is tolerating pure cheeses (still some trouble with shredded that has additives.) He's been persistent about wanting to try "cow milk" as he calls it, so we finally did yesterday. There was no skin reaction as in the past, but he was almost in tears over a stomach ache. I'm a bit disappointed as I even bought Guernsey milk as the proteins are easier digested by some than Holstein milk (A1 vs A2 proteins.) And on another occasion he tried cottage cheese, and complained of his lip itching. It's clear we have more work to do with milk. I'm thrilled with his progress, I just wish it was faster.

Salicylates

2011-05-04T18:53:00.002-04:00

It's been a few weeks since I've posted as we were out of town, and quite frankly I need a break from the allergy world from time-to-time. Although it's impossible to fully escape it at this point, we're getting closer. There were a few reactions while out of town. It's clear that my son has an issue with processed meat as he reacted to conventional pepperoni and mild italian sausage. He does fine with certain brands like Applegate Farms pepperoni and Whole Foods sausage, but breaks out in hives to the regular stuff. I'm thinking there's an issue with nitrates, so that's on our list of things to treat for. He also got a hold of a juice box with splenda, which he's never had before. I totally detest artificial sweeteners, but I had left without his Honest Kids juice box and all the other kids had one so I caved--immediate hives.

The good news is that he ate plenty of broccoli without issue after I did a home treatment (we have a long history with broccoli, my kid's most favorite food in the world.) I also attempted to treat him for blueberries and cumin which we have yet to try.

Our last treatment was for Salicylates, as they're natural chemicals found in most fruits, vegetables, and various other food and non-food items. According to this WebMD site, Some people have a low level of tolerance to salicylates and may have reactions if more than a small amount is consumed at one time. Symptoms of a salicylate allergy vary but may include:

Asthma-like symptoms, such as trouble breathing and wheezing
Headaches
Nasal congestion
Changes in skin color
Itching, skin rash, or hives
Swelling of the hands, feet, and face
Stomach pain

In severe cases, a salicylate allergy can lead to anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction involving a severe drop in blood pressure, loss of consciousness, and organ system failure. Avoiding products that contain salicylates is the best defense against an allergic reaction--I'm hoping NAET is actually the BEST defense!

Body Image and Self Esteem

2011-04-16T23:55:00.000-04:00

As a parent I try so hard to instill self confidence and positive self esteem in my child, while at the same time avoiding arrogance. I worry though about the effects of food allergies on his body image. Food is the center of his universe, along with toys, of course. But at the tender age of 4 3/4, it's apparent how much food means to him and how much I control his world. He would so love to have a happy meal with chicken nuggets, which often leads to discussions about wisely choosing good fuel for his body and eating treats in moderation. I can't expect him to comprehend this or that these discussions will diminish his cravings any. I just wish I didn't have to come across as so over-bearing when it comes to food because I'm afraid of the long-term consequences. If he was a girl I think the stakes would be even higher, as I can see how focusing so much on food could lay the foundation for eating disorders.

When I was a child my mother never let me have candy. Nothing to do with food allergies, she was just watching out for my overall health. Then one day I decided to take it upon myself, and at the age of five I was caught stuffing bags of jelly beans in my coat while my mom was grocery shopping. It was an embarrassing situation for everyone, but I wanted candy DAMMIT!

I just want to avoid him feeling negative about food. Food should be enjoyable. The problem is that food has been a major safety issue and I know every ingredient that goes into his body. I hate it. I know we've come a long way and he's eating more foods, which I am SO thankful for, but it's a slow process. And knowing what I now know, how can I ever let him eat "food" that contains anti-foaming agents? The problem with being persistent is that once you learn the truth it's really hard to stick your head back in the sand. *sigh*

Do you know what's in shredded cheese?

2011-04-14T23:07:00.004-04:00

I made a rookie mistake the other day and learned the hard way that all cheese may not be cheese. The string cheese that my son has been eating without issue is made from milk, enzymes, and salt. However, the shredded cheese that I foolishly fed him consists of milk, enzymes, salt, potato starch, cellulose powder, calcium sulfate, and natamycin. Turns out natamycin is an antibiotic used to treat fungal infections, and in the case of cheese it's to prevent mold. Apparently it's also a medication for use in the eyes, and the possible side effects include: Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; itching; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue.) Fortunately, it was just the hives and itching that my son experienced which were cleared up with a benedryl. It's just so unbelievable all the crap added to food. There's just not an eloquent way to put it. We NAET treated for this "cheese", not because I want to continue feeding it to him but because it will be almost impossible to avoid at some point. I can see how this will be an uphill battle with a food as simple as pizza. Each place will have it's own unique ingredients, with it's own additives added in. Why can't cheese just be cheese?!

One Step Back, 2 GIANT Steps Forward

2011-04-05T22:18:00.000-04:00

And when I say GIANT, I mean G-I-A-N-T! We're talking pizza. Real pizza with real cheese with real crust and real sauce and pepperoni! Yes, he finally got to have his pizza, and boy did he LOVE it. He was sure to point out how the crust was so much better than the ones I've been making for him, and he's absolutely right! It's not his birthday yet, but we since we've treated for yeast, gluten, wheat, cheese, milk, pork, and tomatoes we decided to do a trial run in case any further treatments are needed. He ate a giant piece, and wanted more but we convinced him to save it for another dinner. He's had it two days in a row for dinner, and will again this weekend at a family party. So far, so good!

The one step back was due to an unexpected allergic reaction over the weekend to a cracker that had some tamari soy powder in it. It was really scary for about an hour as he started saying his lips were tingling and then small hives appeared across his forehead and his eyes and eyebrows turned bright red. Fortunately a benedryl and ice packs took care of it within an hour. Really brought back old memories of how things use to be everyday, sure does get the adrenaline going. We're going to treat for the cracker and soy sauce at the same time. He was rechecked for soybeans and soy mix, which he was fine to, but there seems to be something else lingering.

Cheese, Milk, and Grains Update

2011-04-01T14:47:00.001-04:00

Continuing on with our NAET treatments, the kiddo treated for cheese on Monday and milk today. He can't wait to try "cow milk" as he always refers to it. We saw our main practitioner today for the first time in about 5 treatment, as there are two doctors in the office. I asked her if we could revisit grains to check for individual grains because I knew he had been weak on buckwheat from past testing. She proceeded to test for every grain vial imaginable, including things like spelt, amaranth, sprouted wheat, buckwheat, different rices, different corns, millet, barley, sorghum, and others that I can't remember. Surprisingly my kid was strong to all of them, I honestly couldn't believe it. As she was testing him using me as a surrogate I could tell my arm was very strong and she applied the same amount of pressure each time. Then she tried milk, and I literally had no control over my arm. Not only did it go completely weak, but I was use to her pressure from the grain testing and my arm went flailing into my pubic bone and about knocked the wind out of me. I just started laughing because it's so weird! And mind you, I'm not a weakling either--I've been working on doing pull ups lately and have conquered 6 in a row =)

Anyways, the good news is that we seem to be past grains. My kid even ate some corn muffins made with wheat and egg today, as he's been doing well with the pretzels and oyster crackers. I can't wait to make him a sandwich made from real bread or wraps. I still have a list of about 30 items that he needs to be checked for, and once we're through all of those we can treat for nuts. Because he's been anaphylactic to them in the past, we need to treat them last. Basically get his immune system in tip-top shape first, then deal with the biggest trouble makers.

Kids with Food Allergies Starter Guide

2011-03-30T19:01:00.002-04:00

Here's a free guide to parenting a child with food allergies published by the group "Kids with Food Allergies." To learn about coping with diagnosis, signs and symptoms, treatment, nutrition information, allergen avoidance lists and much more, click on the 'starter guide' link: Kids with Food Allergies starter guide

Flowers & Pollen

2011-03-26T21:23:00.001-04:00

For our last two treatments we moved away from foods and segued back to environmentals before the flower and pollen season really takes off. It's been quite cold where we live, so I especially wanted to get these out of the way before we're forced to spend a beautiful day inside during the treatment period.

We've slowly been introducing wheat. I found some Annie's pretzels that have a minimum amount of ingredients in them, so my son has been having a handful each day. He also got to have some ostyer crackers from a restaurant, which was a big deal because I didn't have to tell him 'no' yet again. Did I tell you we also found a gluten-free bumpy cake cupcake?! It's incredible. Even though we're introducing wheat, I'm still proceeding with cautious in case more work needs to be done, hence the 'gluten-free.' Over the past couple of weeks I noticed that he had some purplish circles set in under his eyes, and his eyelids were looking a bit red. At first I thought it was probably one of the new foods, but then I recalled that each March he looks like this. I can look back at pictures from this time of year going back to when he was 10 months and he has huge shiners. One of the office ladies commented on it while at our NAET treatment yesterday, which we treated for pollen. By the time we got home the purple and red were gone, and a day later are still gone. It's really amazing. This summer will be a true test of NAET, and I'm looking forward to it.

Children With More Severe Eczema Less Likely To Outgrow Milk, Egg Allergy

2011-03-19T15:48:00.001-04:00

This link takes you to a story published by Medical News Today discussing the findings in a recent egg allergy/eczema study conducted by researchers from Duke, Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, National Jewish, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the University of Arkansas on over 500 children.

Children With More Severe Eczema Less Likely To Outgrow Milk, Egg Allergy

A Day In the Life since NAET

2011-03-18T20:26:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting here thinking about all the foods my kid has enjoyed today, many of which have been recently reintroduced since his NAET treatments. Here's what his day looked like today:

Breakfast:
Granola Bar made from Oats, Soy, and Honey--all of which use to cause mega hives.
Taste of egg yolk--he did fine, but waited too long and they got cold.
Corn Flakes w/coconut milk--Corn was a big no-no, always causing a tummy ache

Snack:
Turkey stick from Whole Foods with lots of spices.

Lunch:
Rice Noodles with Tomato Sauce--tomatoes use to cause hives but are now a favorite.

NAET treatment for yogurt and whey. We're moving on to milk products! Next week we're planning on treating for cheese, possibly milk, and pollen before spring really arrives around here.

Snack:
Annie's Pretzels made from Wheat--this was a first after passing his wheat mix NAET treatment from Monday. It's been a few hours and so far so good, we'll see if there's any itching at bedtime.

Dinner:
An old standby, grilled chicken & sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon.

Snack:
Veggie Straws, introduced about a week ago as they were previously avoided due to the tomato.

He's made lots of progress and enjoying more foods then ever. I can't wait for him to have REAL pizza on his 5th birthday, which is coming up in 7 weeks!

Aaachooo!

2011-03-18T10:25:00.005-04:00

The following is written by Dr. Sue McCreadie, MD of NourishMD; she's a board certified pediatrician specializing in holistic medicine practicing in Ann Arbor, MI.

Allergy season is upon us, so my next few blog posts will focus on how you can help your child re-balance his immune system.

I work with a lot of children who live with allergies: food allergies, asthma, eczema and hay fever to name a few. Since the majority of the immune system lives in the gut, I always focus on re-balancing these children's digestive systems as well.

This is a difficult connection for some to make: what do allergies have to do with digestive health (or lack there of). The basic connection is this: around 70% of your child's immune system is in her digestive tract! That's pretty amazing don't you think? Who knew?!? Not me, until a few years back. Initially when working with children suffering from allergies, I would just focus on re-balancing their immune systems. Never realizing that the quickest way there, was through their gut. Now I know better, thank goodness!

The easiest way I know to get a snap shot of a person's digestive health is through a test called the Comprehensive Digestive Stool Analysis. I currently use a lab called Genova Diagnostics to do this test, and you can find a practitioner in your area to order this test for your child as well. This test evaluates how well your child digests and absorbs food. It also evaluates your child's bacterial balance, if he has enough beneficial bacteria (to support a healthy immune system) and/or if he has non-beneficial bacteria, yeast or parasites upsetting his bacterial balance. The beauty of this test is that it also measures two markers of inflammation. This is most enlightening. It allows a peek into a child's body to see how much, if any, inflammation is occurring. This is key since inflammation is at the root of most chronic disease, and must be reduced and eliminated to experience REAL health.

If your child is suffering from allergies of any kind, please find a practitioner in your area and have his stool analyzed. Sounds gross I know, but digestive imbalance is a problem vital to uncover if your goal is a healthy immune system.

Blesssings,
~ Dr. Sue

Eggs & Spices

2011-03-13T19:50:00.001-04:00

I'm happy to report that my kid is now eating baked egg! We've tried it a couple times with turkey meatloaf and eggplant parmesan, and absolutely no reaction. He was also treated for the 2 NAET spice mixes on Friday as I've noticed a couple mild breakouts on his eyelid (his trouble spot indicator) after eating foods with chili and garlic powder. Tonight for dinner I made fish tacos with homemade taco seasoning which consisted of :

1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper

And there was absolutely no reaction. He was yelling "WE'VE GOT A WINNER! THIS DINNER IS AWESOME!"

In case you're interested in the rest of the recipe:

1 lb cod or white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 t taco seasoning

In medium bowl, combine cod, vegetable oil, lemon juice, and seasoning; pour into large skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.

I made 'Riced Spanish Cauliflower' to top the fish:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green or red pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
8 ounces canned tomatoes, chopped
Salsa to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

For the cauliflower, I use my mini food processes/magic bullet to grate it (small handfuls of florets at a time.) Or use the 'S' blade on your food processor. Microwave in a glass bowl for 5 minutes.

MEANWHILE in a large skillet, heat the olive oil on MEDIUM til shimmery. Add the onion and green pepper and cook, stirring often, until golden. Add the garlic and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and stir in. When the cauliflower is cooked, stir it in and continue to cook, breaking up the cauliflower and tomatoes with the edge of a spatula while stirring. After cooking awhile, stir in the salsa. Keep cooking, keep tasting, adding more salsa and salt and pepper as needed. The dish is 'done' when the liquid has cooked off, the salsa and seasoning are perfect, and the rest of supper is done too!

I added 1-2 teaspoons of my taco seasoning that definitely gave it a kick! You can top the 'rice' with cheese, salsa, sour cream, etc. And it's all gluten free if you use lettuce wraps.

The Vitamin D Council Newsletter, Oct 2010

2011-03-11T19:06:00.000-05:00

Vitamin D Newsletter October 2010

go to newsletter archives

Asthma, Eczema, and Vitamin D

Dear Dr Cannell:I have a few questions which I hope to you will be able to help me God willing:

Firstly, My wife is currently breast feeding our first child who is a 5 months old girl and she has is currently suffering from a very, VERY common condition called eczema or atopy, which seems to be affecting almost all new born babies and toddlers in the UK. She also has asthma, which is getting worse. My wife has cut out everything from her diet that it is typically linked to the causes of atopy and she is currently taking vitamin tablets which the NHS in the UK give out free to all women who are pregnant and are breast feeding the content of each tablet is as follows:

Vitamin D: 10 ug (400 IU)
Vitamin C: 70 mg
Folic acid (Folacin): 400 ug

and we are currently giving our daughter 'Children Vitamin drops' which we instructed to give 5 drops and the 5 drops contain in total:

Vitamin A: 233 ug (700 IU)
Vitamin C: 20 mg
Vitamin D: 7.5 ug (300 IU)

Now would this amount be enough for both mother and baby's Vitamin D level and could there be a link between the eczema/asthma and Vitamin D level?

Secondly, I myself suffer from eczema for a long time since about 2003 and I am 30 years old now. It has been on and off and it especially flares up in winter indifferent places on the body, I have generally managed to control it by watching what I eat especially at winter, now I have read quite a lot from your website and as far as i can understand that i should be taking 1000 IU of Vitamin D for every 25 pounds of body weight and as for the blood test I should take that after 8 weeks of starting the Vitamin D supplement.

Thank you for reading my rather long email but I am learning to avoid that winter fatigue and maybe find out if I can get rid of a few other problems for myself and loved ones.Thank you Geoffrey Bingham Birmingham UK

Eczema is a form of atopy, a disease characterized by a tendency to be "hyperallergic". A patient with atopic allergies often has atopic eczema or atopic dermatitis since infancy and asthma as they grow older. Atopic eczema is an extremely itchy skin condition with a hallmark rash that can involve almost every region of the body. Crusty, scaly, flattened, reddened lesions of atopic eczema can appear almost everywhere, but are worse in certain areas or after exposure to certain irritants (e.g., allergenic soap, freshly cut lawns).

The single most important feature associated with atopic eczema lesions is that they are extremely itchy, and the itch can occur even before the lesions erupt on the skin and are visible. The itchiness often leads to secondary infections.

Atopy and asthma have a complicated relationship to vitamin D, with some studies showing vitamin D — especially cod liver oil in infancy — making eczema worse in later life. However, one would be silly to stay vitamin D deficient, and all that entails, on the chance your eczema will not worsen. Furthermore, in my experience atopy, including asthma, will slowly improve with physiological doses of vitamin D. Like asthma, eczema can become life-threatening if infection occurs. Such infections are thought to be secondary to reductions in the skin of naturally occurring antibiotics, such as cathelicidin.

Recently, Dr. Tissa Hata and a group at UC San Diego conducted a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated a remarkable seven-fold increase in cathelicidin in the skin after adult eczema subjects were given 4,000 IU per day for 21 days.

Hata TR, et al. Administration of oral vitamin D induces cathelicidin production in atopic individuals. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2008 Oct;122(4):829—31.

Even more important, Dr. Urashima and colleagues at the Jikei University School of Medicine in Japan conducted a randomized placebo controlled trial of young teenagers and found that those with asthma were much less likely to have an attack if they were on vitamin D. Asthma attacks are not an uncommon cause of death among children. They also found that vitamin D significantly reduced the risk of influenza A, which can be much more severe in asthmatics.

Urashima M, et al. Randomized trial of vitamin D supplementation to prevent seasonal influenza A in schoolchildren. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 May;91(5):1255—60.

Geoffrey, both you and your baby need to stop all vitamin A supplements, as they will interfere with the vitamin D, and begin taking vitamin D; your infant needs 1,000 IU/day and you need 5,000 IU per day. I wish I could tell you the eczema will rapidly disappear; it will not. However, over a period of several years I predict both the eczema and asthma will slowly improve. More importantly, both you and your infant will have a decreased likelihood of getting a secondary infection in both your skin and your lungs.

John Jacob Cannell MD  Executive Director

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Peanut Patch?

2011-03-05T21:10:00.001-05:00

Came across this interesting article:

Can your peanut-allergic child be treated by simply wearing a patch? That’s what researchers at National Jewish Health are investigating. National Jewish Health, along with four other institutions in the Consortium of Food Allergy Research (CoFAR), are currently testing the safety of a peanut patch.

The peanut patch would seek to desensitize allergic patients by exposing them to increasing amounts of peanut protein, similar to the way allergy shots can desensitize people to pollen. The protein would be delivered through the skin from a patch, like nicotine patches used by people trying to quit tobacco.

Read the full story at:
http://www.nationaljewish.org/about/mediacenter/pressreleases/2011/peanut-patch.aspx

Big Score Today at Whole Foods!

2011-03-04T13:59:00.003-05:00

Each and every Friday morning starts off with a visit to the NAET doctor and then to Whole Foods. Today feels like we struck gold at the store--3 new products to try! Plus they had a bunch of samples out that my kid could actually enjoy--popcorn, beef sticks, and fruit. The kid was grinning ear-to-ear!

We found a new item by So Delicious Coconut Milk--it's juice box style chocolate milk! Last week we found the So Delicious Cultured Strawberry Coconut Milk which tasted like a thick smoothie, and this week we noticed a chocolate flavored one on the same shelf. The other major score is an all natural jello without any fake dyes or gelatin, but uses a vegetable gum instead. It's by Natural Desserts, and we picked up a box of raspberry and strawberry. So exciting to find new, tasty foods!

As for NAET, we're still plugging along. Over the last few weeks he treated for artificial colors, artificial preservatives, and dried bean mix. The bean mix contained various beans along with peas and chick peas, which the doctor didn't have vials to test specifically for so I brought in my own samples. Turns out he needed to be treated for peas & chickpeas as well, which is what he did today. Seems like it's a tough treatment for him, as he says he feels the itch, is rubbing his eyes, and wanted to take a nap. Usually those are signs that it's working.

Egg Update

2011-02-16T07:34:00.002-05:00

We've done a lot of work with eggs. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, our first NAET egg treatment was in December 2009. Egg is the second scheduled treatment in the NAET protocol because of the underlying proteins in them and how prevalent protein is in our diets. When we started NAET, my husband and I were extremely skeptical, leery, and just plain desperate. We didn't expect to really see results, but thought we didn't have anything to loose. To our surprise, the morning after the egg treatment all the hives on my son's torso vanished and have never returned. Mind you, these hives had been there for a couple of years and no matter what we tried or changes we made they persisted. We were in awe, but still not completely sure if it could have been the treatment. However, we couldn't deny that his body was now hive free. Even though he passed the treatment we still were reluctant to trial any eggs given how reactive he was to most everything else, so we continued to avoid them.

Fast forward to last summer when I accidently gave him some soup that unknowingly contained egg. It was Lemon Rice soup from a restaurant, which he tried and really enjoyed. After a couple bites a small patch of hives appeared over his eye/forehead. It's one of his main trouble spots that always flares when he has a reaction. That's when we found out he accidentally trialed eggs. The good news was there was no projectile vomiting like his first egg encounter.

This fall we continued to work on egg. It took four times to pass egg yolks and egg whites with emotion combinations. We have yet to try an egg. However last night we were back at the same restaurant with the lemon rice soup. He tried it again, loving every bite he took. The best part---NO HIVES! I'm cautiously optimistic. Maybe now we'll be ready to try egg in baked goods?! My mind still has a hard time picturing him eating scrambled eggs, it's something he's never done before. Oh the possibilities. But we'll still proceed with caution, we've come so far but still have work to do.

Granola Bars are "Super Duper Good!"

2011-02-12T14:31:00.010-05:00

I posted my kid's old RAST results in the previous post to provide some validation that I'm not making this stuff up. Something is working for him, and I've seen proof with NAET. Today was a big day, he got to try my granola bars that he's had his eye on for quite some time. Problem is that they contain oats and soy. He had a NAET treatment to oats yesterday and soy a while back so we went for it. But I should have probably started out with a more pure food like oatmeal in case there was a reaction.

Here's the ingredient list:

In the past he's reacted with hives and eczema to: oats, soy, and honey. His RAST rated oats a level 3, and honey & soy at a level 4. He has had NAET treatments to oats, sugar (including honey), soy, salt, and soy lecithin.

Here's the granola bar trial. I know I should have only let him have a crumb, but he was loving it and ended up eating one whole bar. If he would have had any previous anaphylactic or breathing issues with any of these foods we wouldn't have tried these at home. I'm looking forward to working with the allergist on such foods.

And the results . . .Granola bars are "Super Duper Good!" It's been a few hours and NO REACTION of any sort! Here it is from the 'horse's mouth' (excuse his bad manners, he was eating lunch):

RAST results

2011-02-12T14:05:00.001-05:00

We had RAST testing done in August 2009 because I could no longer follow the allergist's advice of "if you think he's allergic to it, just avoid it." Looking back, it was the day I jumped off the deep end but instead of a crash landing it turned out to be the start of a new beginning. The test validated to me that I wasn't crazy, that I wasn't making this stuff up, and that I really needed to find health professionals that were willing to help. My 3 year-old at the time had 4 vials of blood taken, and screamed all the way through it. He was tested for 40 different food allergens at a cost of $1250. When the results came back it was clear why we were having a hard time avoiding things I thought he was allergic to. 19 of the 40 came back at a level 2 or higher, 7 were categorized at level 3, 4 at level four, and good old peanuts at level 6. Here's a partial snap shot of his results, followed by the rating chart:

It was also at this time that his eczema was at it's absolute worse to the point that the doctor suggested we consider flying out to National Jewish hospital in Denver to have him hospitalized for his skin:

Fortunately we found a wonderful Ped who deals primarily with inflammation issues such as allergies, asthma, and autism. I'm so thankful for his open-mindness, persistence, and desire to get to the root of problems. He's the one that started us on Probiotics, Vitamin D, LDN, and NAET and has given our family so much peace of mind. I am forever grateful for his help.

Corn Flakes

2011-01-31T13:48:00.001-05:00

Just had to share this little story that warmed my heart . . .

I bought some Organic cornflakes from Trader Joe's for my husband and myself. Of course my kid wanted to try them, so I cautiously let him. In addition to corn they also have barley malt which he's never had. Well turns out he LOVES them. And the best part about it as it seems to be a mutual relationship. Last night at bedtime my son asks me, "Mom, how come the cornflakes don't make me itchy?" Good question, as we are talking corn here--the stuff that usually causes him stomach aches, hives, and itching. I can only chalk it up to NAET as he's been doing really well with all corn since the treatment. It's just really cool to see him eat some 'normal' foods, and even better to not have to be medicating him with benedryl and atarax at bedtime (or anytime for that matter.)

Food Allergy Action Plan

2011-01-30T12:53:00.001-05:00

For kids with food allergies, it's a good idea to have an action plan in place. Even if you've verbally gone over one with a caregiver--I can't tell you how many times I've had to remind my own mother (who is very supportive with my son's issues) of what to do or what foods to avoid. Here's a good place to start:
http://www.foodallergy.org/files/FAAP.pdf (thanks to another food allergy mom who has this listed on her blog!)

I would also suggest keeping a list of allergic foods and benedryl on hand. I have made an emergency pack from a plastic pencil holder kit that has benedryl, epipens, an inhaler (albuterol), and a list of meds along with doctor information. I taped the epi pen instructions to the inside lid so they can be immediately located--hopefully it's never needed, but always be prepared!

Moving Forward

2011-01-28T20:22:00.001-05:00

Here's a brief update on what we've been up to. We treated for artificial and natural flavoring last week, and within 10 hours my son had a fever of 102 and a terrible headache. At first I thought the illness was related to his treatment since we've seen that in the past, however the fever lingered for a few days and then turned into a cold so he obviously had a virus. The nasal congestion moved into his chest which always spells trouble for him, but not this time!!! He actually got a normal cough like non-asthmatics get. There was no tightness or wheezing or breathing treatment. This is the FIRST TIME EVER a cough didn't require any special care. What a relief, as anyone who's ever dealt with asthma knows how scary it can be.

In other news, we've had success with the little guy taking krill oil which is a form of shellfish. No reaction at all. And we were able to trial his zinc supplement that has a "natural tangerine flavor" which every time he took it he'd break out into hives above his eye, but he did fine with it. We also treated for soy lecithin, and today was a corn oil treatment. Actually, I spent $20 on a slew of oils to take in and test against. Of the 10 oils, he held strong to all of them but corn oil and palm oil. We'll treat for palm oil next week, and then I'm hoping to move into oats and other grains unless something else creeps into the picture. We've been at this for about 13 months now--I just counted 56 treatments!--but to see the change in him has been incredible. The itch is controlled, lately he's been telling me it's gone but I think it's still going to be a while before this beast is conquered. He's not covered in hives and his eyes aren't swollen. This past December was the first time we didn't need to have his Christmas pictures touched up to remove the eczema (we always take our family portraits that time of year.) The next couple of months will be very interesting as we move onto wheat and dairy . . .stay tuned!

Vitamin D, the immune system and asthma

2011-01-20T20:30:00.002-05:00

In reading other eczema blogs, I stumbled upon a paper from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812815 which I will try to accurately summarize:

Vitamin D, the immune system and asthma

which is dated November 2009 and written by Nancy E Lange, MD, MPH, Augusto Litonjua, MD, MPH, Catherine M Hawrylowicz, PhD, and Scott Weiss, MD from Brigham & Women's Hospital. I'm not familiar with the authors or any of their previous work, but I did find this interesting. Here are a few excerpts:

This article will summarize some of the emerging evidence on the complex role of vitamin D in the immune system relevant to asthma, and provide an overview of investigations thus far linking vitamin D and asthma.

Key issues

Recent evidence points to vitamin D as an essential immune system regulator.
Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency are widespread, regardless of latitude.
Low vitamin D levels have been linked with many immune-mediated diseases and cancers.
Basic science and animal models demonstrate the multiplicative effects of vitamin D on cells of the immune system and cytokine profiles.
Genetic and epidemiologic studies have shown an association between asthma and vitamin D.
The rising prevalence of asthma may be linked to vitamin D deficiency.
Further investigation is needed to fully understand the role of vitamin D in the development of allergy and asthma.

Extraskeletal effects of vitamin D

In humans, vitamin D is obtained through ultraviolet B exposure, diet and supplement intake. It is converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ by the liver. Circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D₃ is converted to the active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃, in a variety of sites including the kidney and cells of the immune system. Experimental evidence suggests an effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D₃ on multiple different processes and cell types. In the immune system it leads to a decrease in the Th1 response, thought to be the mechanism involved in the association between low vitamin D levels and a variety of autoimmune diseases. It modulates the Th2 response affecting cytokines such as IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13. This is one possible link between vitamin D and allergy/asthma. It has been shown to upregulate T-regulatory cells, leading to an increase in the synthesis of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In macrophages, vitamin D upregulates synthesis of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin, which may enhance the ability to fight infections. In airway smooth muscle cells, it has been shown to modulate chemokine release. Vitamin D may play a role in fetal lung development and in the differentiation of type II pneumocytes and surfactant secretion. Vitamin D has also been associated with a lower incidence of and mortality from a variety of cancers.

The paper concludes with "The role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of immune-mediated diseases such as asthma is only beginning to be understood. Several ongoing or planned human clinical trials are aimed at clarifying this link in the next 5 years. . . The elucidation of the precise roles of vitamin D in the immune system and in the pathogenesis of multiple diseases has the potential to have profound effects on our ability to prevent and treat these disorders."

I hope my summary was an accurate account, and no disservice was done.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil Treatment

2011-01-15T14:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was our first NAET treatment of the New Year. My son's eczema flare from the shortening had settled down for the most part, but there was still some residual dry skin putting up of fight. I brought in a sample of the shortening, made from hydrogenated soy and cottonseed oils. Muscle testing showed a definite weakness, so we treated for the shortening plus a vial labeled "super heated vegetable oils." Within a couple hours of the treatment he was looking like a million bucks. His skin has a glow to it, like that "pregnant glow." I can't look at him enough, he looks wonderful! Words can't describe how happy it makes my heart to see the relief brought to my son.

He passed the soy bean treatment from last time, although we have yet to venture into soy. Maybe I'll make a stir-fry with some soy sauce and see how that goes. Last time I did (before NAET), I put in about a teaspoon just for flavor and the poor kid looked like Uniqua from the Backyardigans--you know, the pink splotchy one.

Ultimate GOAL

2011-01-14T18:07:00.000-05:00

In order to be successful in obtaining what I want, I find it very helpful in writing down my goals and keeping them front and center. This gives me clarity, focus, and passion to work at what is so important to me. So I'm going to state my ultimate personal goal for 2011 here:

Get my son to a good place with his food allergies so he's able to go off to kindergarten with confidence and no worries.

What will it take to get us to that point? Well, we're already in a much better place from 12-15 months ago. We have reversed the constant new food allergies as he is now able to eat previously forbidden foods. We're going to continue with NAET as it has given us so much to be encouraged about. We're going to continue making healthy choices when it comes to food. I am still making most of our foods from scratch as it's now become a way of life for us, and I love knowing what ingredients we are consuming. And we're going to continue with a handful of supplements that have made a positive impact--Probiotics and Vitamin D for sure. Like any parent of a food challenged child, I just want to know and have faith that my child will be safe when he's away from home and out from under my watchful eye. If he can get to the point where he doesn't have to announce that "I'm allergic, I can't have that", all the better.

Damned If You Do

2011-01-04T21:49:00.000-05:00

I go out of my way to find special foods and crazy expensive special ingredients, but the one time I cut a corner--BAM! Eczema. This time it is shortening. Yes, I know it's not healthy in the least bit. But we're out of town and I only had a couple days worth of coconut oil left and didn't feel like spending $13 on a jar to make a batch of cookies. It's just disappointing when my attempt to do something nice for my kid fails and he suffers for it. We now have something else to add to our NAET list, but at least we've identified it and can get past it.

Taking the Good with the Bad

2010-12-26T21:32:00.000-05:00

Hooray! My kid was able to eat the Sweet BBQ Sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings!!! This is another first. He loved it so much as he dipped his fries, wings, and celery in it. The sauce consisted of corn and tomato which used to be huge no-nos for him. He also had some organic corn chips earlier in the day which have always triggered a belly ache that lasted a few days. He hasn't mentioned any issues once throughout the day, so I'm definitely encouraged. We tested out the goggles yet again, and no eczema outbreak. He did have an allergic outbreak on Christmas Eve, which I believe was to a cat at my aunt's house. The kiddo was perfectly fine until he went downstairs where the cat hangs out. Within 2 seconds, I'm not exaggerating, the itching kicked in and his eyes were watering, red and swelling up. He hadn't had any unusual or new foods beforehand. Fortunately a benedryl cleared him up quickly and he was able to enjoy his evening.

Over the last week he had NAET treatments for shellfish and soy beans. We have yet to try either, and I'm particularly suspicious of shellfish as he once had a very strange reaction to crab meat. It wasn't the usual hives and itching, but little purple dots appeared all over his face. It was like someone took a felt tip marker and dotted him all up. His practitioner said we could test out shellfish in the office, and if he were to have a reaction then they would re-treat on the spot. Still makes me nervous.

Firsts

2010-12-16T21:24:00.000-05:00

We've had a few firsts around here as of late, and we're very excited! My son is 4 1/2 and last week experienced his first candy cane! I quote him, "This is way too awesome!" I found a natural candy cane at Whole Foods made by Tru Sweet. So what if there were "on sale" for 2 for $7, it was magical watching his face light up. We've avoided these in the past due to his corn allergy and the red dye, and will probably continue to go with the natural ones due to the dye. I also found a company called Pure Fun that makes natural cotton candy, I'm hoping to find a tub of it for a Christmas present.

Tonight was another big first--ketchup! Or should I say he thinks it's the first since he hasn't had it since it was about 24 months when he started breaking out into hives over tomatoes. He did fine with Heinz which has tomato and corn syrup in it.

We treated for his silicone goggles last Friday and he wore them on Monday at swim without issue, so the treatment seemed to have worked. We're heading out of town for the holiday and will be doing plenty of swimming, so we'll really get to put the goggles to the test.

I can't wait for January when our flexible spending account kicks back in and the monthly out of pocket cost for these treatments aren't so painful. There's so much we need to work on: soy, shellfish, milk, wheat, oats, broccoli, latex, blueberries, nuts, flavorings, dyes, palm oil, and I'm sure a few more. It is so crazy that I've seen every one of the listed items cause an allergic reaction, and some very serious. I have a theory on what is causing the spike in allergies amongst Western kids. I've probably shared it before, but here it goes . . .Todays mothers come from the antibiotic age where these medications were used frequently and excessively. Antibiotics kill all bacteria, including the good bacteria in the gut. And then good and bad bacteria repopulate the gut. We now know that about 80% of the immune system stems from the gut. However, I suspect that the balance of bacteria has been thrown off due to antibiotics. I wonder if there's any records of gut bacteria ratios throughout the century? I doubt it. Anyways, a newborn's gut is sterile until it passes through the birth canal and gets it's first exposure to bacteria. Or they're born to Strep-B mother's who are on antibiotics or via C-section, in either case they are not exposed to the bacteria. Now, not all kids born via C-section have these allergies and there are siblings born to the same mother where one is fine and the other is allergic. I would argue that genetics also play a role in this theory--some are pre-disposed for allergies and once they encounter the wrong mix of gut bacteria, then it's an uphill battle.

Where We're At Now

2010-12-12T20:34:00.002-05:00

I haven't updated lately mostly because we were out of town, there's been nothing major in my kid's health to report on, and he was stuck on the egg treatment with NAET.

Let me back up a bit . . .I wrote "there's been nothing major in my kid's health to report on." This is a major statement in and of itself! Do I dare jinx it to say there has been no coughing, runny nose, or any major or lasting eczema outbreaks?! He hasn't taken his daily dose of Zyrtec in many, many weeks. Which I give some credit to the change of season (summer is always tough on him.) He's sleeping much better at night, not even requiring any Atarax to go to bed. He doesn't lay in bed and itch like before or demanding his eyebrows be rubbed (they're a trouble spot for him); he actually falls asleep on his own. Come to think of it, the only prescriptions he's currently taking is his nightly dose of LDN, 2 puffs of Flovent to control asthma, and Epiceram cream after his baths on his known trouble spots and the Cera'Ve (not Rx) on the rest of his body. Aside from that, he gets a daily capsule of probiotics (it's awesome that he learned to swallow pills!), 2000 IUs of Vitamin D, and a multi vitamin. He's in such a better place these days, and everyone notices. The best compliment we've received is from one of the ladies that works at the childcare center at the gym who sees him every week. She said, "I know you're doing this alternative medicine stuff, and I don't understand it especially sine my dad was a medical doctor and my mom a nurse, but it's obvious it's working--he looks great!"

As for NAET, it ended up taking 4 additional treatments to get the all-clear on egg. Since egg was such an issue for him, we're eventually going to do some additional work on it and I'm not ready to introduce egg at this time. We have since treated for corn which he cleared and we're ready to try. This past week we actually treated for silicone as his eyes were breaking out to his new swim goggles. So we'll see how that goes tomorrow at swim class. He's been eating clementines by the box full, sometimes 2-3 per day, and doing great with tomatoes and pork. All these foods use to cause immediate hives. Next up is either soy or shell fish (as I want to be able to give him a krill oil supplement which is more shelf stable than fish oil, and more nutrient dense.)

Boy, what a difference a year has made!

The Vitamin D Council's rebuttal of the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB recommendation

2010-12-02T23:39:00.002-05:00

The following post was taken from Dr. Jacqueline McCandless' Yahoo Group LDN and Autism. Dr. McCandless began using LDN (low dose naltrexone) on autistic children after she discovered their blood panels were coming back identical to that of MS patients who were having success on LDN. Dr. McCandless is also heading up a study in Africa on LDN and AIDS.

Today, the Food and Nutrition Board has Failed Millions

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif., Dec. 1, 2010 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was released today by the Vitamin D Council:
After 13 years of silence, the quasi governmental agency, the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) Food and Nutrition Board (FNB), yesterday recommended that a three - pound premature infant can take virtually the same amount of vitamin D as a 300 pound pregnant woman. While that 400 IU/day dose is close to adequate for infants, 600 IU/day in pregnant women will do nothing to help the three childhood epidemics most closely associated with gestational and early childhood vitamin D deficiencies: asthma, auto-immune disorders, and, as recently reported in the largest pediatric journal in the world, autism (1). Professor Bruce Hollis of the Medical University of South Carolina has shown pregnant and lactating women need at least 5,000 IU/day, not 600.
The FNB also reported that vitamin D toxicity might occur at an intake of 10,000 IU/day (250 micrograms), although they could produce no reproducible evidence that 10,000 IU/day has ever caused toxicity in humans and only one poorly conducted study indicating 20,000 IU/day may cause mild elevations in serum calcium but not clinical toxicity.
Viewed with different measure, this FNB report recommends that an infant should take 10 micrograms/day (400 IU) and the pregnant women 15 micrograms/day (600 IU). As a single 30 minutes dose of summer sunshine gives adults more than 10,000 IU (250 micrograms), the FNB is apparently also warning that natural vitamin D input – as occurred from the sun before the widespread use of sunscreen – is dangerous. That is, the FNB is implying that God does not know what she is doing.
Disturbingly, this FNB committee focused on bone health, just like they did 14 years ago. They ignored the thousands of studies from the last ten years that showed higher doses of vitamin D helps: heart health, brain health, breast health, prostate health, pancreatic health, muscle health, nerve health, eye health, immune health, colon health, liver health, mood health, skin health, and especially fetal health. Tens of millions of pregnant women and their breast-feeding infants are severely vitamin D deficient, resulting in a great increase in the medieval disease, rickets. The FNB report seems to reason that if so many pregnant women have low vitamin D blood levels then it must be OK because such low levels are so common. However, such circular logic simply represents the cave man existence of most modern day pregnant women.
Hence, if you want to optimize your vitamin D levels – not just optimize the bone effect – supplementing is crucial. But it is almost impossible to significantly raise your vitamin D levels when supplementing at only 600 IU/day (15 micrograms). Pregnant women taking 400 IU/day have the same blood levels as pregnant women not taking vitamin D; that is, 400 IU is a meaninglessly small dose for pregnant women. Even taking 2,000 IU/day of vitamin D will only increase the vitamin D levels of most pregnant women by about 10 points, depending mainly on their weight. Professor Bruce Hollis has shown that 2,000 IU/day does not raise vitamin D to healthy or natural levels in either pregnant or lactating women. Therefore supplementing with higher amounts -- like 5000 IU/day -- is crucial for those women who want their fetus to enjoy optimal vitamin D levels, and the future health benefits that go along with it.
For example, taking only two of the hundreds of recently published studies, Professor Urashima and colleagues in Japan gave 1,200 IU/day of vitamin D3 for six months to Japanese 10 year-olds in a randomized controlled trial. They found vitamin D dramatically reduced the incidence of influenza A as well as the episodes of asthma attacks in the treated kids while the placebo group was not so fortunate. If Dr. Urashima had followed the newest FNB recommendations, it is unlikely that 400 IU/day treatment arm would have done much of anything and some of the treated young teenagers may have come to serious harm without the vitamin D. Likewise, a randomized controlled prevention trial of adults by Professor Joan Lappe and colleagues at Creighton University, which showed dramatic improvements in the health of internal organs, used more than twice the FNB's new adult recommendations.
Finally, the FNB committee consulted with 14 vitamin D experts and – after reading these 14 different reports – the FNB decided to suppress their reports. Many of these 14 consultants are either famous vitamin D researchers, like Professor Robert Heaney at Creighton, or in the case of Professor Walter Willett atHarvard, the single best-known nutritionist in the world. So, the FNB will not tell us what Professors Heaney and Willett thought of their new report? Why not? Yesterday, the Vitamin D Council directed our attorney to file a federal Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the IOM's FNB for the release of these 14 reports.
I, my family, most of my friends, hundreds of patients, and thousands of readers of the Vitamin D Council newsletter, have been taking 5,000 IU/day for up to eight years. Not only have they reported no significant side-effects, indeed, they have reported greatly improved health in multiple organ systems. My advice: especially for pregnant women, continue taking 5,000 IU/day until your (OH)D] is between 50 ng/ml and 80 ng/ml (the vitamin D blood levels obtained by humans who live and work in the sun and the mid-point of the current reference ranges at all American laboratories). Gestational vitamin D deficiency is not only associated with rickets, but a significantly increased risk of neonatal pneumonia (2), a doubled risk for preeclampsia (3), a tripled risk for gestational diabetes (4), and a quadrupled risk for primary cesarean section (5).
Yesterday, the FNB failed millions of pregnant women whose as yet unborn babies will pay the price. Let us hope the FNB will comply with the spirit of "transparency" by quickly responding to our freedom of Information requests.
John Cannell, MD
The Vitamin D Council
1241 Johnson Avenue, #134
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
(1) Cannell JJ.. On the aetiology of autism. Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1128-30. Epub 2010 May 19.
(2)Karatekin G, Kaya A, Salihoglu O, Balci H, Nuhoglu A. Association of subclinical vitamin D deficiency in newborns with acute lower respiratory infection and their mothers. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009;63(4):473-7.
(3) Bodnar LM, Catov JM, Simhan HN, Holick MF, Powers RW, Roberts JM. Maternal vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of preeclampsia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2007;92(9):3517-22.
(4) Zhang C, Qiu C, Hu FB, David RM, van Dam RM, Bralley A, Williams MA. Maternal plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentrations and the risk forgestational diabetes mellitus. PLoS One. 2008;3(11):e3753.
(5) Merewood A, Mehta SD, Chen TC, Bauchner H, Holick MF. Association between vitamin D deficiency and primary cesarean section. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2009;94(3):940-5.

Probiotics and Skin Health

2010-11-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

Great article from Dr. Mercola on what science has yet to discover on the role of probiotics and skin health.

"Signals from these gut microorganisms are sent throughout your body and interact with organisms in your skin and gut mucosa. Researchers are now looking into how these interactions can help with skin conditions like dryness, improve collagen, or stabilize the microflora on your skin to help with irritations." Functional probiotics for the skin are being developed right now. Not sure what I think of buying probiotics from cosmetic companies, but hey if they want to jump on the bandwagon then that will draw even more attention to this exciting science.

I shortened the URL, as it was so long:
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2bfl5z5

Peanut Allergy Starts in the Womb & GMO Soy

2010-11-06T12:27:00.000-04:00

According to a recent study, "More than one million children nationwide have peanut allergies and that number continues to rise. That's why a study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology is getting so much attention.

It found that of the 500 children tested, the ones whose mothers ate peanuts during pregnancy had nearly a three times greater chance of developing a peanut allergy."

http://www.wvec.com/news/health/Study-suggests-peanut-allergy-starts-in-the-womb-106645529.html

Yep, that was me. Basically living off peanut butter everyday while pregnant. I started every morning with peanut butter on toast. Being a vegetarian, I also now realize that I ate WAY too much soy. Which I have since learned is largely GMO (genetically modified food.) It's estimated that 91% of soy is GMO, not to mention 85% of corn. Something about eating Round Up infused seeds doesn't seem appealing, or healthy. Not to mention the Russian study that found rats who were fed GMO soy produced offspring that had a 55% mortality rate. "Within three weeks, 25 of the 45 (55.6%) rats from the GMO soy group died compared to only 3 of 33 (9%) from the non-GMO soy group and 3 of 44 (6.8%) from the non-soy controls." I first learned about this from Dr. Mercola, but have since seen it published elsewhere:
http://www.savvyvegetarian.com/articles/GE-rat-babies.php

Salsa!

2010-10-31T14:51:00.000-04:00

Have you ever seen anyone actually drink salsa?! Well, I witnessed it today as my kid now loves the stuff. Last night he got his first taste of it and of course he wanted more today. He then proceeded to drink it out of the bowl. The best part--no reaction!! Seems as if the tomato treatment is holding, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Peanuts Scare Me

2010-10-27T14:19:00.001-04:00

I've become quite terrified of a little peanut. Maybe I read too much, but knowing that my kid is a level 6 on the RAST test to peanuts scares the hell out of me--that's the highest one can show allergic to. Oh yeah, and the fact that I've seen him go into anaphalatic shock after he took a supplement containing peanut (before the RAST test.) It caused him immediate asthma and diarrhea. I also recall reading in Dr. Kenneth Bock's book Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Allergies, and Asthma (which I highly recommend) that one of his colleagues had a daughter that could immediately tell if a peanut was in the room, as her chest would tighten and she'd have trouble breathing. That poor child passed away after an anaphalatic shock to nuts. How heartbreaking.

So yesterday as we're on the airplane, just as our tires start to roll to take-off, the man in front of me & my son opens a bag of peanuts. My heart sunk. They had such a strong aroma. We were going to quickly learn if my kid's peanut allergy was the airborne type. Thankfully it wasn't, but those few minutes were shear terror for me. There's only so much protection you can provide your child, and it's a constant up hill battle.

Taking a Break

2010-10-25T18:54:00.000-04:00

We're taking a break from our hectic everyday life and heading out of town for some fun. We all need some mental rejuvenation in our quest to extinguish eczema, although it's impossible to really escape it at least we won't be running to and from doctors. I got a glimpse last night as to what it would be like to not have to deal with the horrendous itch that rears it's ugly head at bedtime most nights. My kid fell asleep in the car and never woke back up. I had three hours to myself without him screaming how itchy he is and how he needs cream and oil rubbed onto his forehead and eyebrows. I know some of it's a ploy to get mom's attention and for him to stay awake a bit longer, but I also know he does have a medical condition. I keep telling myself to cherish this rare occasion, but part of me is so envious of others as this is how it should be every night. It saddens me that he suffers, and I wish it didn't take such a toll on me as I'm so exhausted by the end of each day.

Enough of 'woes me.' Our last couple of NAET treatments have been interesting, yet frustrating. We've gone back to work on eggs and are struggling with them. Today we had our third treatment for whites & yolks along with certain emotions--frustration, upset, anger, and sadness. I know I've mentioned this before, but eggs were the second treatment we did back in December. My son use to have this horrible rash on his torso, basically covered in hives that would not go away no matter how much steroid cream was applied or changes in diet we tried. And the rash was there for at least two years. Well, the morning after his first egg treatment the rash vanished and has never reappeared. I kid you not.

Before I knew anything about food allergies, his Ped was pushing me to fatten my son up with dairy and ice cream. At nine months his first taste of ice cream was followed by projectile vomiting. Turns out there were eggs in the ice cream. Eventually he had a RAST test (IgE blood test) done and rated a level 3 for both yolks and whites. RAST tests though can be very misleading, as they deal more in the probability of a reaction--so reaction always trumps any test. Given our history with eggs, I have been extremely reluctant to allow him to try eggs even though NAET said he originally 'passed' them. But he did ingest some recently by accident, as they were in some soup that I was unaware of at the time. And the only reason I know this is because he had a little breakout above his eye (his main trouble spot) that made me inquire further. But that was the extent of it, just a small rash. So if NAET can get us to the point where every food isn't life threatening, I'll take it. But I definitely would recommend working in conjunction with your allergist when it comes to testing foods that have been real troublesome.

Organic Delivery Service

2010-10-16T13:25:00.000-04:00

With the importance of avoiding food triggers and chemicals, my house has transitioned to eating organic whenever possible. Aside from my weekly runs to Whole Foods and Trader Joe's, I also frequently use an organic delivery service called Door-to-Door Organics, http://www.doortodoororganics.com/. This company operates in only a select few states, but there are other services and co-ops out there once you start searching. It's so nice to have fresh produce delivered to our house, especially with all the running to and from doctors! We're now going to NAET twice a week, it's definitely a time commitment that's for sure.

We had a treatment yesterday which I'll write about soon. It was very unexpected and I'm still mulling over as to how exactly to express it in words.

Tomatoes!

2010-10-13T18:28:00.002-04:00

Well, tomatoes seem to be a success!! I made a pasta sauce with homegrown canned tomatoes, as I wanted to get as close to pure as possible. We started slow, but after 30 minutes there was no sign of a reaction so my little guy proceeded to eat 2 bowls of pasta with tomato sauce! The whole time he kept saying how much he loved it, and how he wished his dad was home to see him eat =) Even cuter was when he woke up the next day asking for tomato sauce for breakfast.

It Worked!

2010-10-12T12:59:00.001-04:00

The pork treatment worked! To my amazement, he ate another pork sausage after completing his pork treatment and it really seemed to work. His skin remained beautifully smooth around his eyes and forehead. He did seem to have a little itching under his neck, but it was minimal. How wonderful if NAET holds the answers we've been searching for. We'll be trying tomato this week to see how his body will deal with them. We also did a citrus treatment this week, at the request of my kid. He's craving oranges but they don't agree with him, so we shall see how that trial goes, too.

Healing Power of Probiotics

2010-10-11T22:59:00.000-04:00

An interesting article on the healing power of probiotics. We use one by Klaire Labs. He was originally prescribed 100+billion CFUs/day in the powder form, but since he's learned to swallow pills he's only getting 50+billion. They're just so expensive and to take 4 a day would cost a fortune!

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/11/probiotics-healing-power-impresses-researchers.aspx

And Our First Food Choice Is. . .

2010-10-04T21:32:00.000-04:00

Tomatoes! We treated for tomatoes today. Why? Because I think we can get a lot of bang for our buck if my kid can eat tomatoes again without breaking out in hives. Oh the pasta sauces, soups, BBQ, chili, and salsas! Not to mention ketchup. This poor kid doesn't even know what ketchup tastes like!! Plus tomatoes shouldn't require all the work that wheat or dairy will need. So my plan is to get him eating more variety and then we'll tackle the biggies.

On a related note, I once again watched my child's perfectly clear skin breakout before my eyes. This time it was while eating a pork sausage. His eyelids and neck immediately became dry, red, and peely. About a week ago this also happened with a pepperoni stick from Whole Foods. Could it be pork? Yes, according to the muscle testing. It was quite amazing during the test--using me as a surrogate I held the 'pork mix' vial while my son touched the top of my hand. The doctor then proceeded to test the strength of my other arm. She could have used a feather, my arm had absolutely no strength in it what so ever. So our next treatment will be Pork. Then we'll work on eggs and soy as there's more work to be done there.

NAET Recap, Where we are today

2010-10-01T21:51:00.001-04:00

We are now 9 months and 41 treatments into NAET. It's been a very interesting experience to say the least. Although I am cautious to give NAET too much credit, I can't deny that today my kid's skin looks and feels wonderful. It's smooth and creamy in color, just beautiful. I also know that the itch remains, but it is starting to subside "a tiny bit" as he would say. It could be just NAET, but I'm inclined to think that the cooler weather has something to do with it as well.

We're at the tip of the iceberg, as we still have yet to work on food allergies. We've spent a lot of time trying to conquer environmentals and other issues up to this point. I think Monday starts foods, and I can't wait. Since the basic 15, we've completed organs, fish mix, cotton, pool water (chlorinated and bromine), hypothalamus, heat, adrenals, probiotics, asthma, grass mix, mold mix, tree mix, staph, me, and virus.

It's a long process, but I do whole-heartedly believe his body is processing nutrients better. He's gained 5 pounds and 3 inches since starting NAET. This is huge for a kid that had fallen off the growth charts just one year ago. So we'll continue on this journey, and hope for the best with foods. I dream of the day he can enjoy pizza and ice cream. I know, unhealthy but he has worked so hard and this would make him so happy.

Changing Medications

2010-09-22T12:32:00.002-04:00

After visiting the allergist this week, we'll be trying out some new medications. My kid currently takes a morning dose of Pulmicort .5 via the nebulizer for asthma control, and we're going to try Flovent 44 with the chamber. We'll start with 2 puffs in the am and 2 puff in the pm for 3 weeks, and then hopefully drop the evening puffs. It will be so nice to be free of the nebbie! The other thing we started on is Epi Ceram, which I'm real excited about. It's a cremacide cream for eczema. Although my kid's skin is pretty much under control the itch is still there. There's a chance this stuff might help, although I'm not going to get my hopes up too much. The doc said we'll know within 2 weeks if it will for for him. Apparently there are 3 components that have to be aligned, something with the cremacide, the right cholesterol in the skin and one other thing that I can't recall. So we shall see.

Body Temperature Regulation

2010-09-18T09:33:00.003-04:00

For quite sometime I've suspected that my kid's body doesn't properly regulate his body temperature. He's constantly hot and wants to be where it's cold, even in the winter. I know infant's and children's' bodies can take some time to mature, for instance in the case of the digestive track and immune system, and I suspect that is the case for my kid when it comes to temperature regulation. Other tell-tale signs are the hives/rashes he'll get on his face after running around, which is followed by extreme itchiness.

So suspecting all of that, we are now focusing on body temperature with NAET treatments. Last week we treated for hypothalamus, which controls temperature, sleep, and appetite. And yesterday we treated for heat. As luck would have it, these treatments also coincide with cooler outdoor temperatures. So I'm not sure if my kid's skin is looking better due to the treatments or a change in weather as summer was a bit rough for him.

What I can tell you is that my husband has just completed treatment number 22. Since completing the basics he has treated for house dust, virus mix, lungs, weed mix, tree mix, me, and thyroid. During that time he also started taking an allergy supplement called D-Hist. His health has been noticeably improved (he travels a lot and has always been constantly sick), he told me his feeling of not able to get a deep breath has subsided, and he can tell something positive has happened to his body from within. Is it NAET or the D-hist? He tends to think the D-Hist is making a big difference. Now my kid was on the D-Hist jr. for quite sometime prior to NAET and I couldn't tell if it was helping at all, but our Ped told me that it was enough to cure one kid's terrible eczema. Just happened to be what the kid's body needed.

Vitamin D--fights off the flu better than the vaccine!

2010-09-10T11:43:00.000-04:00

Another reason to supplement with Vitamin D--it fends off the flu and asthma.

This Japanese study showed that children taking Vitamin D3 were 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A. That's a higher effectiveness than any flu vaccine can claim!

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62I3MK20100319

Ever wonder what are "Natural Flavorings"?

2010-08-22T10:31:00.002-04:00

Seeing how each of the three supplements contained "Natural Flavorings", I got to thinking what exactly are these flavorings that are so natural. I also took another peek at the ingredient labels of a few favorite foods in or house--Honest Kid juice boxes (although we limit these to only special occasions when other kids are around drinking juice), Rice Dream Organic frozen dessert, Breyer's Pure Fruit All Natural popsicles, and Pure Decadent Coconut Milk ice cream. Guess what, they all have "Natural Flavoring" listed as an ingredient. I've always assumed that natural flavoring just meant it came from a fruit or vegetable. WRONG! Apparently flavoring can come from byproducts of beef, poultry, fish, egg, and milk, plants, barks, roots, to name a few. I found this article online that lays thing out: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/4676616

Here's the definition of natural flavor under the Code of Federal Regulations: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional” (21CFR101.22).

Our practitioner was telling me how natural is actually made from chemicals. WHAT? Yep, it's true according to that article! "Artificial and natural flavors are made by “flavorists” in a laboratory by blending either “natural” chemicals or “synthetic” chemicals to create flavorings."

No wonder I've had such a hard time getting a grasp on what this kid is allergic to. And now it makes all the more sense to move onto treating for milk and casein (things I know my kid is allergic to, but we avoid at all costs, or at least we thought we were!) It just makes me cringe at what we have done to our food supply. It's no wonder allergies and reactions are on the rise and people like my child suffer.

How to decide what's next?

2010-08-20T11:03:00.002-04:00

It's funny how things work out sometimes. Hubby & I have been talking about what treatments should be next for our kid. He's eager to jump right in and conquer foods we've been avoiding, while although I know those need to be addressed eventually I keep thinking that he must be reacting to something he's currently being fed and maybe we start there. But where to start? Well sometimes the answers just fall into one's lap (as a friend of mine says 'is it God or is it odd?') I was out of town for two days, and when I can home yesterday I noticed that hubby didn't follow my precise written instructions to give the kid his supplements which I had separated into a pill dispenser. We also both noticed how awesome the kid's skin looked. At bedtime I gave my son three of the supplements--fish oil, zinc, and his juice plus vitamins he recently started taking. Within minutes he had an inflamed spot on his forehead above his eye, which is his big trouble spot. Hmmm, it couldn't be from the nutritious supplements that I spend thousands of dollars on and make sure he takes religiously every morning and night, could it?!

So that was last night, and lucky for us we had a NAET appointment this morning. We tested for all three supplements, and low and behold he tested allergic to all three. So today's treatment was for fish, something that he's been eating about once a week and taking the fish oil supplements every morning. Next week we'll try to conquer natural flavorings, which all supplements had in them. I was informed that natural flavoring can still mean artificial flavoring, so we'll be taking that route. Funny how a direction just landed in our laps.

Plugging Along

2010-07-30T12:12:00.002-04:00

Not much new to report these days. Guess that's a good thing?! Yesterday a friend asked me how my kid was doing and I actually replied "Awesome!" But I'm still very cautious as I've seen in the past how quickly things can change. But he has been doing well as of late, which is indeed AWESOME!

As for NAET, the focus is still on environmentals. The last two weeks have been spent working on Grass, which took two attempts to clear. Today we moved on to Weeds, since we're on the verge of Ragweed/Hay Fever season. I'm getting antsy to move on to foods. As for hubby, he's completed the basic 15 and today did the Organ treatment. With our practioner it's actually a 'basic 16', so next week he can start focusing on other areas (which will be his lungs.)

Don't know if I've ever mentioned what a hassle bedtime has become in my house? Ever since we had to start sleeping with my son a year ago when he went through the terrible eczema outbreak and yeast treatments bedtime has been so stressful, especially when it's mom that puts him to bed and not dad. One of us slept with him for 7 months until the skin issues got better. Since then whenever dad puts him to bed, there's no issue. But when mom puts him to bed it's absolute drama! Itching, crying, scratching, more crying. It breaks my heart because I know he has a medical condition, so I lay there and rub his face, ears, wrists--whatever he's trying to itch and dig at. Finally I decided to try a new tactic--a bedtime chart with a sticker reward system. Earn 10 stickers for going to bed without all the drama and earn a trip to Target to pick out a toy. Well, wouldn't you know it the last two nights the kid has gone to sleep easily on his own.

Why does it seem like we're always going to the doctor?

2010-07-18T19:31:00.000-04:00

BECAUSE WE ARE! I tallied up the last six months and we have been to the doctors 35 times. 4 were to see the Ped, 2 were to Urgent Care/After Hours, and the rest were for NAET. That's about $2500 out of pocket, not counting prescriptions. THANKFULLY not one was to the ER, and I guess that's all that matters. What a wild ride having a kid has been. We use to only go to the doctors once or twice a year--how times have changed. Hopefully we can get back to that!

Do I make my husband sneeze?

2010-07-16T18:16:00.000-04:00

My husband is just about finishing up the basic 15 of the NAET protocol. Today he was treated for Base. 5 hours after treatment it hit him like a ton a bricks. It's happened before, that's how we know it's NAET. He'll go from feeling fine to feeling completely sick and flu-like, only to rebound the next day.

While we were in the doc's office today I had her test myself and my husband to see if we're "allergic" to each other. Good news, I'm not allergic to him. Bad news. he's allergic to me. It actually came as no surprise to me, as the moment I read that people can actually be allergic to each other I suspected that would be the case with us. So one of these days we'll treat for that, but when we do it means no driving home together, one of us staying out of the house overnight, and no talking on the phone. So I immediately thought "great, I'll leave the kid with hubby and have a girls day/night" and he immediately thought it meant a chance for him to go fishing and drink beer. Go figure.

My kid passed staph, was checked for and ok with strep, and then treated for grass mix. After 3 hours all his typical allergy/eczema spots on his face were red. I'm taking that as a sign the treatment is working.

No Reaction at Swim Class Today!

2010-07-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

Could the pool water NAET treatments really have worked? I'm starting to believe they did. He's been in a chlorine pool just a couple of times since his treatment a few weeks back. I didn't want to write about it until he had a couple of lessons. He's done fabulous each time in the pool. No hives, itching, rashes, or anything of the sort while in the pool. It's awesome to watch him enjoy himself without all the scratching and rubbing. Do I dare say it, but his skin seems to look better after swimming than it does before going into the pool. Is that weird or what?

Maybe that's the little bit of proof I've been looking for. I'm such a skeptic, but we have had some small victories along the way. I just want my kid to be fully recovered, and now! Patience has never been my strong suit.

An update on his staph boils. . .he's still on antibiotics, but all 3 boils have drained and seem to be healed; (knock on wood) no knew boils have appeared. He did a NAET treatment for staph last week, hopefully his body can learn to live in harmony with staph as it should.

It's Always Something

2010-07-08T13:48:00.003-04:00

Seriously, it's always something with my kid. Right now we're dealing with boils. Over the course of the last week he has had 3 appear. First on his butt cheek, then one between his thigh and groin, and most recently one on the back of his leg that has him limping. We've been to the doctor's twice in four days. Apparently it's a staph infection that has colonized in his body. So far the good news is that it's not MRSA, but a strain treatable by many antibiotics which we started today. I just feel so bad for my kid, the doctor lanced one boil today to drain the pus and get another culture. That was not a pleasant experience, so afterwards I was talked into letting him pick out a new toy from Target all while hearing from my lil guy about what a terrible doctor she was and how he never wants to see her again. I don't blame him!! I never want to have to learn about another skin condition again, ever!

On a positive note, he's gained 2 pounds in 2 months!!

Beyond the Basic 15

2010-07-02T21:17:00.000-04:00

Seems like an eternity, but we have made it beyond the basic 15. We took a little detour towards the end with the cottonwood, and bromine & chlorine pool water. He's only been in a pool once since the pool treatments, and amazingly did great. I want to witness a few more times to really believe he's okay with the chlorine water. From there he cleared hormones and was treated today for organs. Seems his kidneys are a weak link. Also seems that environmental allergies have taken a hold of the kid (I'm right there with him this week.)

At this point there's nothing really new to report, but I'm anxious to tackle many of the known allergens my kid has. Hopefully we start to make some great headway over the next few weeks.

Food Substitution List

2010-06-23T22:30:00.003-04:00

Here's a great list of food substitutes when dealing with food allergies. Also, check out the rest of the site, awesome allergy friendly recipes:

http://www.livingwithout.com/resources/substitutions.html

Bleach Baths & Wet Wraps

2010-06-23T12:31:00.003-04:00

When my son was at the height of his eczema flares we frequently would use wet wraps to bring the skin under control. They worked quite well, even if it was a temporary fix. It sad though to put a baby to bed in wet pajamas, and even sadder once he could tell me that "mommy these are cold." But none the less, it was a way to bring some much needed relief to his skin.

The other thing that worked when his skin was infected was adding a very small amount of bleach to his bath, this would kill the staph infection on his skin. I hated doing this, but in reality it's like weak pool water. I eventually resorted to adding peroxide to his bath instead as his sensitivity to chlorine became apparent. After these baths it's so important to moisturize the skin with a good, non-irritating cream like CeraVe.

I mention all of this because I just read a good article validating all of the above, check it out:
http://www.tampabay.com/news/health/simple-treatments-help-boys-severe-eczema/1102859

Pool Water

2010-06-18T15:43:00.000-04:00

Pool water has always been an issue for my kid. He can barely stand to be in a chlorine pool as his brow breaks out in hives and he starts itching like crazy. Bromine pools seem gentler on his skin, but if he swallows too much pool water he'll develop asthma. I wish they were all saltwater pools, but unfortunately that's not the case.

Instead of completing the Basic 15, we decided to go for the pool water. I brought some of the bromine water back from our vacation, and he was treated to that earlier this week. Then we proceeded with treating him for the chlorine pool water today. Immediately after the treatment (before we even paid) he was complaining of his stomach hurting and not feeling well. From past experience, I'm taking that to be a good sign that the treatment is working. I'm anxiously awaiting to see what happens at swim lessons next week. I'll keep you posted!

The plan from here is to go back and treat for hormones. I brought up with the doctor today that it seems with every treatment he shows that his kidneys are weak and asked if it made sense to treat for that after the basic 15, and if so I'd be interested in having him treated for liver as well since I think his could use some help. She said that after the basic 15 she always does the organ treatment which should help with these issues. So that's our course of action.