Our Story - Any Thoughts?

[Wellness Questions?]

Hi there, I am new to the forum.  We have been on quite a journey since my DS was born 5.5 years ago.

 

A quick run down:

 

- Born 10.2 ounces

- low blood sugar

- fed some formula (dairy) to help get his blood sugar stabalized (at the doc's insistence)

- nursed from day 1, but had LOTS of trouble

- he did NOT want to be held or nurse from the moment he was born

- he arched his back, stared at lights

- first BM at 36 hours

- several more in the hospital but once we got him home (four days later) he did not have a BM for 8 days

- ped said it was "in the range of normal"

- he cried so hard and wore himself out for the first week of his life that by the 7th day we were home he passed out so hard we COULD NOT wake him.  we took him to the ER where the doc pushed on his belly and he cried out.  Doc said he was distended *sp?

- colic for months

- horrible sleeper

- stared at lights, cried, arched during nursing

- refused eye contact

- thought he would end up with autism

- pattern of constipation for days then HUGE explosive BM with diarrhea and a few moments of happiness until the pattern started again

finally realized he was lactose intolerant and allergic to soy and cow dairy

- put on goat's milk at 10.5 mo. and saw improvement

 

- at 2 years put back on cow's milk not realizing that he was still having metabolic issues

- started going down hill

- 3.5 series of high fevers, swollen testicals, "my feet aren't working", exhaustion, sensory issues, ADHD behaviors, etc.

- put on feingold for a week until someone on the forum mentioned SCD

- started SCD on March 10, 2009 - he was barely 4 years.

 

- second day of intro he vomited four times - eyes cleared, calmed down, BM's fully formed

- one year later SCD has been a life-saver.  goat's yogurt fermented for 24 hours helps immensely

 

- we occassionally have moments where he is what I call "100%"  and i can tell he is feeling great and "this is the kid I know is in there"....however, the days are few and far between and I want to start seeing days stretch into weeks, weeks stretch into months.

 

- we started andy cutler's low dose ALA only chelation protocol a few weeks ago.  it is very gentle

 

son still can't tolerate many fruits.  we eat a lot of raw goat's cheese, raw goat's yogurt, (start kefir this week), veggies cooked, tons of smoothies, meat, eggs, some raw eggs.  we are totally gluten, soy, corn, potatoe, sugar, etc. free

 

- i have amalgam fillings and my mom was tested for mercury and tested very high, so i strongly suspect mercury is a cultrip.  i am RH- and had flu shots while preggers.

 

i also have twin girls who are two and one of my twins has identical symptoms to her bro.  The other also has candida and some food sensitivites but not nearly to the same degree (she is ADHD also)

 

i am hoping that the chelation protocol in conjunction with the fermented, nourishing foods will heal my kids and allow them to have great weeks/months instead of great days.

 

Thanks for any insight you may have.

 

we supplement with CLO, Coconut oil, mag/cal, zinc, vit C and D and E, yogurt and now kefir.  we also use digestive enzymes

[Pat Robinson]

I have been occupied all day and want to respond. I'll reply tomorrow, I didn't want you to feel overlooked!

Pat

[Pat Robinson]

Wow, what a heart-wrenching start for you all and a long journey. I'm glad he is doing well on SCD. I know they are very strict about sequence of introducing foods. And the chelating protocols are tough all around.

What sources of the following essential nutrients are you using to optimize effective and safe detoxification? Zinc, B6, B12, food folate, vit C, vit D, iodine, magnesium, zinc, molbdenum, sulfate? Those are the key ones off the top of my head. Here are some foods to consider including for these nutrients. I see you mentioned clo. http://heal-thyself.ning.com/notes/14_Steps_for_Healthy_Guts

Personally, I'd stop the coconut oil as it kills off candida and releases more mercury into the system. Fermented veggies will do that gently, the ALA additionally pulls the mercury from stores. All in all, that is a lot of toxins dumped into blood circulation needing to be removed from the body, alongside probable nutrient deficiencies due to the duration of SCD on top of the four years of gut issues and mercury/microbial imbalances.

The detox system is like a funnel, we can dump a lot into the blood circulation but it only has so much ability to empty out of the body. Then the mobilized toxins and mercury are redeposited and stored into brain, organs, gut (fetus and breastmilk). So, I'd be uncomfortable with the ALA, personally, until you had a lot of foods and nutrients.

Have you considered Classical Homeopathy? It could really help improve the rough days, ime.

Also, Epsom salt baths.

HTH, Pat

[Pat Robinson]

jessica, it sounds like you are very informed. I really haven't investigated the specific nutrients of concern on the SCD diet. I have seen many people staying on it for long durations and not being able to progress off of it. The mercury and candida/gut Catch 22 is difficult, I agree! I believe the limitations of any diet which avoids large food groups for long durations has risks of developing nutrient deficiencies. Biotin, B12, molybdenum, zinc, chromium, manganese, iodine, B5, choline, selenium are a few concerns to consider.

I know that it is 'common practice' to attack the candida and to "cleanse" mercury. Unfortunately, we've seen a lot of folks who have headaches, brain fog, insomnia, eczema and autoimmune issues develop after mobilizing mercury into blood circulation with big "die-off". Mostly, the body protects itself and just sequesters it into organs and gut, and the candida flares some time after the "cleanse" and it is repeated again and again, and again.

Here is more about mobilizing mercury: http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/amalgam-removal-risks-and

Beans and legumes are huge for molybdenum and folate. Epsom salt baths help to process the sulfur into sulfate. Magnesium is critical too. Nettles infusions are another alternative to consider adding for nutrients.


HTH,


Pat

[Pat Robinson]

Please keep updating so we can learn from your process!

Thanks for sharing.

Pat