Motherhood: The Perpetual Learning Curve

Acne, Eczema and Krill oil.....hmmmm?

2014-09-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

Since the beginning of our journey I have thought that maybe whatever was causing my acne flare ups maybe what is causing J's eczema flare ups. I have recently begun seeing a new doctor who took more blood from me than Dracula would have taken from an open vein. He tested a whole host of things and found that my homocystein levels were high. This makes sense given my heterozygous status for MTHFR. He recommended that I take a probiotic, b complex, D3 and krill oil. I have taken all of these things at one time or anther with the exception of krill. It has really made all the difference. I have started the girls on the D3 and probiotics on a more consistent basis, they have always taken them to some degree. Now we are religious about remembering them. We are seeing much improvement and I have moved towards finding a kid version of the krill and b complex. I must take a specific B due to my malformation and I will post an affiliate link to the krill and b complex I take. My face is so clear and I have high hopes that it may help the girls.

Krill oil:
http://www.amazon.com/Viva-Labs-Formerly-Everest-Nutrition/dp/B004TBCT4G/ref=zg_bs_6943347011_1

B Complex:
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Encapsulations-Complex-Plus-Vegetable/dp/B0017L3BO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1411755368&sr=1-2&keywords=pure+encapsulations+b6+complex

Pickles, Kraut and the Gut....

2014-09-26T13:13:00.000-05:00

Who knew that real homemade pickles and saurkraut where such powerhouses? I sure didn't until I was introduced to the GAPS diet by Dr. Natasha McBride. I have been obsessed with consuming literature by this woman as well as listening to her interviews. If you have ever heard of the GAPS diet you probably already know about this beautiful source of live and active cultures found in these powerhouse jars of fermented goodness. I however did not. I was raised on the Standard American Diet and had no idea that the gross smelling mush that my dad put on his bratwurst was packed full of gut healing goodness.
I have tried two times to ferment my own kraut and pickles, but I can't seem to perfect the art. I will have to call in the reserves to learn in person. In the mean time I buy mine from Bubbies and my oldest daughter gobbles it up!!

For more on the GAPS diet:
http://www.gapsdiet.com/

For more on Bubbies:
http://www.bubbies.com/

NAET Friend or Foe....

2014-03-05T13:11:00.000-06:00

About 8 months ago my BFF called me over to her house because they had a friend visiting that I "just had to meet." I rushed over to her house to meet this person who knew a doctor that is indescribably good. I sat and listened and was immediately turned off when I heard "muscle testing." I had done muscle testing, I had been to this type of doctor and he turned out to be the same old. Well a couple months went by and I couldn't stop thinking about the passion in which this guy spoke about his doctor. I called and made an appointment for myself. I knew I wouldn't rest until I tried. After all, there are good doctors and bad ones in every specialty. Well this doctor's specialty is NAET. If you have never heard of NAET you will have to look it up because it is too detailed and too confusing to run through. I still don't fully understand what is going on when I am going for treatments. ;-)

The office visit finally came and I sat down with the doc. I instantly loved him. He listened with interest to all of my concerns and was even very interested in my "hypothesis". He ordered a ton of blood work and spent an extreme amount of time going over it all. I wanted to start with myself because I felt like J is always the guinea pig and it is impossible to fully know, through her, if something is successful. I had horrible acne and have always felt that our family's skin issues are interrelated through inflammation.

After all the testing, we started "treatment". He was treating me for all of the foods that I tested weak too. Meanwhile he had me on krill oil, D3, a Methyl B complex and a pro biotic. My skin was sprinting to clarity! I couldn't believe my eyes. I am certainly still a skeptic and am flabbergasted as to how it is working, but it is clearly working for me! I ONLY break out when I consume the triggers that he has yet treated me for. Its quite insane.

Three weeks ago I started taking J to see him, he immediately saw exactly what I described and had instant answers for me. J has always run hot, she has always gotten hives from extreme temperatures. She has also always been super sensitive to everything. He described this as "toxic heat" in terms of Chinese Medicine. He prescribed a kidney tonic saying that she has too much yang and not enough yin. Below is the link:
https://www.acu-market.com/showproduct.aspx?tcid=19&ProductID=7887
Again, I am still skeptic, but we played soccer Sunday for a straight hour in long sleeves and pants in a warehouse setting, with no blotching or itchiness. She has had what we call a "glowing face" pretty much consistently since day three of taking a half tsp two times a day. I can't wait to get her blood work and start her on NAET!!!

We shall see....

Pastured Beef Tallow and Eczema.....

2014-03-03T12:55:00.001-06:00

It has been about 3-4 months now since we heard of the idea of using tallow and tried it with our daughters. I am finally comfortable in saying we have seen a HUGE change, in J's skin especially. Where we once saw bone dry alligator skin, we are seeing some major progress in terms of healing. She doesn't mind putting it on because it doesn't burn her at all. I happened to stumble onto this product through my facebook feed from the following site:
http://www.mommypotamus.com/tallow-for-skin-care/
She was promoting a company and provided a discount for the following company:
http://www.vintagetradition.com/
Although I was blown away at the price, I was willing to pay anything to make the dryness disappear. I was super happy with the product and saw an immediate change. We used the totally unscented one and a little really does go a long way!! I will be placing another order soon. I tried another vendor and was not as pleased with their product so I will definitely be paying more for Vintage Traditions!
If interested in making your own they have a great tutorial that I may try using :)
http://www.vintagetradition.com/how-to-make-tallow-balm-at-home.php

Vitamin D3 and Langerhan suppression!!!

2013-04-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

Soooooo remember how I told you about these Langerhan cells, well in my "langerhan and" searches, I found a connection. I constantly google key phrases together. When I say key phrases I mean whatever new term I am looking into with the addition of "and MTHFR", or "and B vitamins", or "and methylation". Today I googled "langerhan and B vitamins", since that is the major deficiency with MTHFR, and found this......

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9627697
Concluding with :
"It is proposed that the inhibitory effects of the vitamin D3 on Langerhans cells may induce immunosuppression in the skin."

What does this mean? Why should we care? Well remember, Langerhan cells are antigen producing immune cells in the skin. This means they produce an allergic or inflammatory response in the skin. If we have too many of these we have inflammatory skin issues, in our case....eczema. I have noticed a consistent response in J's inflammation with the introduction of D3 drops. The other day I didn't realize the drops started and I gave her too many. The next day she was glowing and so much less red. Does this mean D3 is the cure to eczema, probably not. Do I think D3 is a must for ALL atopic kids, absolutely. I am glad to have found the "why" D3 was such a game changer for us.

In addition, the difficulty with starting to find the "why" in things that are not working correctly, is the common realization of our own role in the "why". I have found many things that I could have done better or different in many aspects of my pregnancy and motherhood. I try not to waste too much time with the "what ifs". What we know to be true is always true until we find out it is not. Hindsight is often 20/20. So please learn from my learning curve :). Here is an article that outlines motherhood D deficiency and fetal immune system. Sure wish I had known I was deficient!

http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/81/5/1177.1.full

Langerhan cells and eczema!!!!

2013-04-04T09:46:00.001-05:00

During my obsessive searching for today, I stumbled upon some interesting ideas. We are at the point with our little eczema princess that we pretty much have her allergies understood, to a certain degree anyway. So now I am onto the skin surface area issues. It has always been my strategy to heal J from the inside and then work on the skin. I felt as though I couldn't keep on top of her flares if they kept at the pace they were going. We now have them relatively under control, but she still shows so much dryness in her hands and feet. She still has flares of histamine when she goes out in the cold or rolls on certain surfaces and when she encounters certain things. This I think is due to the fillagrin piece. So I am throwing myself at you Mr. Fillagrin producer, I want to know how you work!!! While reading about Fillagrin and its function, I stumbled upon something called a langerhan cell, yeah I know, what the heck is that right??? Well langerhan cells are ANTIGEN PRODUCING immune cells IN THE SKIN!!!!

http://www.hkmacme.org/course/2010BW10-06-00/derma%20review_1010.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1385540
http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/The-Effect-Of-A-Hyperactive-Langerhans-Cell-On-Eczema/192961

So my new quest for information is centered around Fillagrin as well as langerhan cells, how they work, what the body needs to produce/regulate them, how to optimize regulation as well as what causes the deregulation (outside of the immune response due to vaccine adjudvants as previously discussed). It is my experience, that when doctors or science says its "genetic", what this really means is a malformation on a gene. All the reading I have done on malformations tend to be because of epigenetics and deficiencies caused by our toxic environment and food choices. There are obviously genetic pieces besides just malformations due to epigenetics, but for the chronic stuff it seems this is the place to focus If I can figure out what makes these processes work, what genes they are on etc.... then maybe I can figure out some supports!!! Stay tuned because I will share ;)

Going in circles that lead somewhere!!!!

2013-03-21T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today I made a decision that I felt would give me peace. I am constantly obsessing over my health and the health of my family. So today I decided to create a power point presentation regarding the genetic malformation that runs in my family (more to come on that) to present at Easter. So I started gathering information. In my quest for information regarding MTHFR I stumbled upon something called Pyroluria. What is Pyroluria??? Pyroluria is a genetic blood disorder, a chemical imbalance, involving an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis. Hemoglobin is a protein in the body, that holds iron in the red blood cells. The complex process regarding this synthesis abnormality results in a deficiency in B6 and zinc. This disorder comes with these symptoms: severe inner tension, ongoing anxiety, poor stress tolerance, digestive issues and difficulty digesting protein, frequent colds and infections, joint pain or stiffness, acne, eczema or psoriasis, mood swings and reactivity and poor short term memory.

The questionnaire provided by primalbody-primal mind:
1. Little or no dream recall
2. White spots on finger nails
3. Poor morning appetite +/- tendency to skip breakfast
4. Morning nausea
5. Pale skin +/- poor tanning +/- burn easy in sun
6. Sensitivity to bright light
7. Hypersensitive to loud noises
8. Reading difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)
9. Poor ability to cope with stress
10.Mood swings or temper outbursts
11.Histrionic (dramatic) tendency
12.Argumentative/enjoy argument
13.New situations or changes in routine (i.e., traveling) particularly stressful
14.Much higher capability and alertness in the evening, compared to mornings
15.Poor short term memory
16.Abnormal body fat distribution
17.Belong to an all-girl family with look-alike sisters
18.Dry skin
19.Anxiousness
20.Reaching puberty later than normal
21.Difficulty digesting, a dislike of protein or a history of vegetarianism
22.Tendency toward being a loner and/or avoiding larger groups of people
23.Stretch marks on skin
24.Poor sense of smell or taste
25.Feel very uncomfortable with strangers
26.Frequently experience fatigue
27.A tendency to overreact to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol or other drugs (in other words, a little produces a powerful response)
28.A tendency toward anemia
29.History of mental illness or alcoholism in family
30.Easily upset by criticism
31.Sweet smell (fruity odor) to breath or sweat when ill or stressed
32.Prone to acne, eczema or psoriasis
33.A tendency toward feeling anxious, fearful and carrying lifelong inner tension
34.Difficulty recalling past events or people
35.Bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion
36.Prone to frequent colds or infections

Among the highlighted areas above that affect us, in my recent blood test I had high levels of hemoglobin which usually means high iron level. The allergist once prescribed zinc for J's behaviors. These are the connections that I made today that I am kind of excited about because it puts me on another path for discovery. Pyroluria also presents similarly to histadelia which is high histamine, which is what I started out thinking J had. So alas.....the circle that lead somewhere!!

http://naturalinsight.hubpages.com/hub/Pyroluria-A-Hidden-Disorder
http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?p=398

Milestones...

2013-03-12T14:18:00.000-05:00

When the clock strikes 7:15 the kids get a second wind of hunger. Last night when they requested a snack I created a "new" treat. We have been recently eating an Enjoy Life new cereal that are cute little balls that have the texture of grape nuts, meaning you could break your teeth chewing them! So I put about a 1/4 cup in a bowl and a couple of blueberries and then poured in a tad bit of coconut milk. The kind with only 2 ingredients, not the one in the box, we aren't there yet. The girls were so excited to be eating "cereal". This made me realize that not only has M NEVER eaten a bowl of cereal but J hadn't had one in over 2 years!!! I was so happy. Here I was watching my girls eat something that I never thought they would be able to enjoy! J had a second serving and then ate the remainder of M's because, lets face it, the little lady is picky as she can be (while still being able to eat raw broccoli for fun).
So not only were the girls eating cereal, but they were eating berries with a non-dairy milk!! There was a time, not too long ago, when we couldn't tolerate anything from a package let alone a milk alternative. This was also the time the only fruits on our plates were plums, pears, apples, melons and banana with the occasional grape. Both girls could not have all of these, this is the whole list for both girls included. Now we have added minimal amounts of blueberries, avocado, honey dew and tomato. I have given myself so much more flexibility when cooking and it seems to be going okay so far. But of course when I write it down the jinx is not far after.
Our animal reactions have reduced so much. At the beginning of our journey J wasn't able to be around a dog for more than 5 minutes on her biggest dose of antihistamine. She is now able to spend the day with a dog on 3/4 dose of antihistamine. At one point she would actually react to sitting on someone's lap who owned a dog!!
After this reflection.... all I can do is thank God and all of those in our lives who have given us strength through our long journey. I look at my girls today and smile... for the laughter that my little M brings and the strength I see in my little trouper J. They are a great example to me about what life is all about and have taught me more about myself and LOVE than I could have ever imagined!!

First, Do NO HARM....

2013-02-12T17:25:00.001-06:00

I haven't posted in a while, the only reason I can give is... life. Through our journey one constant has persisted.....why??? Why us? Why J? Why M? Why did I question the doctor? What is our path? This journey has to have a reason? What is God teaching us? He is calling me to something. I am not sure what, but hopefully it will become clear to me soon.
The other night I was watching a documentary about psychotropic drugs. It ended at about 1:30 a.m. at which time I was enraged with frustration. It made me have such a combination of feelings. I felt so thankful and relieved that something made me question our dermatologist. But it also made me feel so angry that someone would prescribe one of these drugs to my little girl. I was also sad for all of the parents who don't understand that they have the right to informed consent, that may have given the drug and may be suffering without knowing why. I was compelled to write this letter. I needed to tell the doctor what she could have done!!! I needed to feel that I at least put it out there. I wanted to share it with you. I hope I can empower you to look at the package insert, read the side effects and research the prescription. But please do this AFTER you ask the doctor for all available options and talk to them about your family history! We are their consumers, they work for us. We are our own, our children's, our sister's, our brother's and our friends' advocates. Make sure they are treating you with what is best for YOU!!

Dear Dr. -------,
My daughter was a patient of yours over a year ago. We came in to be treated for eczema with extremely high histamine levels, obvious by sight. You were the witts end of our journey to treat her condition, referred to us by a family member. In our first visit you prescribed Atarax, stating that her "issue" is that she needs to be out the minute she hits the pillow because nighttime was when she did the most damage. You even stated the Atarax was a go to for you when you travel with your own kids, I guess justifying to me the safety. What you didn't do in this visit was inquire about the family history that we may be a part of in terms of any health related issues. You also prescribed derma-smoothe again assuring the safety of this very mild steroid. I took both home, with a renewed spirit that maybe my daughter will find peace and our whole family will get the rest we so desperately needed. I used both products ASAP. The derma-smoothe created hives, which you very rudely requested evidence of these hives, I showed you a picture. I tried Atarax for a full month. During this time, my typical 3 year old became scared of the world, paranoid, defiant, restless. This scared everyone that witnessed it. I had stopped the meds by the time our second appointment came. When I gave you the reasoning for our discontinued use you scoffed at me in front of your two medical students, my mother as well as my child. I stated that she woke with a hang over, was wired after 3 hours and completely not herself. You couldn't imagine a hang over after 8 hrs. Well I am 32 and get a hang over 8 hrs after 1 glass of wine. Not only did the appointment start 1 hour after it was schedule, during which time I saw you leave the office for 30 of those minutes and return with a restaurant soda, but you spent all of 10 minutes with us. You requested no family history, questioned my judgement the entire time, made observations of my daughter including "her histamine levels must be through the roof." Then stated to your students "I'd hate to do this, but I think she needs it." Following this up with prescribing a psychotropic drug that is not suggested to be used in kids under18, not FDA approved for kids under 12 to a 3 year old who has a family history of clinical depression and a close relative who committed suicide. I left your office beside myself. I thank God everyday that for some reason I questioned your judgement, because we have a 4 year old today that sleeps through the night, with minimal eczema who was later diagnosed with several food and environmental allergies. On an allergen free diet, she requires an over the counter antihistamine only when she encounters dogs. We were left to our own devices after many doctors failed us. Not only did you fail us, but I shudder to think of where we would be today had we gone down your prescribed route! Every bit of information I read on the drug states that doctors will want to follow the patient weekly during the intro phase and these are adults it was referring to. You prescribed a psychotropic to a 3 year old over a year ago and we have not heard from you since. I called 3 pharmacies in my area and not one of them had ever heard of prescribing to such a young child. Maybe practicing medicine makes you numb to the fact that everyone who walks through your door is someone. Well this child is my world and I thank God that she wasn't lost in your in and out, impersonal and un-proffesional treatment. That I realized that my whole world, to you was just a clinical trial! What happened to informed consent? What happened to first do no harm? What doctors don't realize in their specialized body systems approach is that every aspect of human life works in synergy of the body's other systems. What would I have sacrificed in my child to treat her skin condition? You provided not one other option to me and listed not a breath of what possible and PROBABLE side effects of this treatment were. I am troubled almost daily of the fact that I questioned your treatment, but who out there hasn't? Who has suffered, and conveniently for you, doesn't know the source of that suffering. I hope that my child was the exception and not the rule. I hope that I get some sort of valid response to this email because I will keep trying until I do!

Sincerely,
M

** The author is not a medical practitioner, does not advise to ignore medical attention and is not providing medical advice. Simply suggesting to ask questions and get informed as much as possible.***

Genetic Modification/Engineering and Allergy:

2012-10-03T14:16:00.001-05:00

One thing in this whole process for me that has been INCREDIBLY frustrating is the lack of oversight and regulation that the FDA, CDC and USDA have over our health. I really should call it selective oversight and regulation, because it is there for the right price ;) There is very little needed to prove a product safe for consumption (another post another day). It has turned into our job, as the consumer, to either die or get sick in great numbers to prove the product otherwise, once the product is on the market. Even after this occurs, if the producer has enough money/power it may still be consumed. Case in point would be GMO’s. The United States is one of a few countries that allow GMO’s to be sold without labeling. Coca Cola and many other big names produce a different product without GMO’s for places like Europe that required labeling, because the product won’t sell if GMO’s are used. Crazy right?!?!

The process of GM, in its simplest terms, is the extraction of one organisms’ DNA for injection into another organism. This is done to control certain aspects of the production of the desired final product. At times this is done with pesticides, such as round up, to produce a seed that is resistant to round up. This process is a HUGE step with very limited research into its safety by the FDA. There are many people who believe this is one reason for an increase in allergies, not to mention the even more severe implications this process has on our health. Here are just a few articles on the topic:

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_5296.cfm

http://www.livestrong.com/article/230667-gmo-allergy-concerns/

The problem here is that when research is done, the majority of Americans want it to come from a big name to motivate them to move in a passionate direction. This will not happen if the research being done is being done by biased sources. Monsanto’s roots spread far and wide and their interests affect the interests of many powerful people. When a third party does come out with shocking revelations such as this study:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-19/lifestyle/sns-rt-us-gmcrops-safetybre88i0l0-20120919_1_monsanto-s-roundup-nk603-female-rats

They are contradicted and discredited by people, who appear to be the authority, read the bottom of the article for the “top scientists” who disagree. But I urge you to follow up any anti GMO reading that has been contradicted by “leading scientists” with a Google search for that “leading scientist” with the name Monsanto following it. I am sure you will find at least one link to tie them to the leading producer of GMOs. Here is an example of the links between the “leading scientists” from the above article to their beloved GMO roots.

http://redgreenandblue.org/2012/09/30/yes-scientists-are-attacking-the-latest-monsanto-study-but-not-because-of-the-science/

It is not hard to do; you just have to want to see the connection. GMOs should at the very least be labeled so that I can choose not to purchase them. I believe that the allergy epidemic, to name one, is tied to the mass consumption of foreign proteins and organisms!

Acetaminophen, the liver and atopic...

2012-09-22T00:25:00.000-05:00

When you have a fever, aches, pains or soreness what do you most commonly reach for, especially for babies? You guessed it....Tylenol. Tylenol's active ingredient is Acetaminophen also known in the UK as Paracetamol. According to experts the actual way in which Acetaminophen works is unknown, they believe that it increases the threshold of pain so that the pain would have to be greater for a person to feel it. They do know how it works as a fever reducer, acetaminophen acts on the area of the brain that regulates body temperature. It orders the brain’s thermoregulation center to lower the temperature when it is elevated. So essentially it is telling your body to stop doing something that is a natural response to combat invaders in your system (another topic for another day). When J was a very colicky baby, as a first time mom, I often thought the worst. Is she in pain? Is she teething? What is wrong? I used tylenol at the very least, once a month, thinking she was in pain from teething. After all, it must be safe if the doctor prescribes it, its available at most stores and the whole world seems to use it and they are "fine". WRONG!! Here are some interesting facts I did NOT know about Acetaminophen that I wish I had:

-Acetaminophen causes three times as many cases of liver failure as all other drugs combined.
-Acetaminophen is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States.
-Acetaminophen is metabolized in the liver, resulting in a by-product, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI), that can damage liver cells, but is typically converted into a harmless substance by an antioxidant glutathione. However, large doses of acetaminophen overwhelms the body's supply of glutathione, resulting in destruction of the liver cells. (caffeine can triple the amount of, N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine)
-40% of the population, including my family, has a genetic malformation called MTHFR, which can impact production of glutathione. The very antioxidant needed to convert NAPQI into a harmless substance.
-Acetametaphin has a cumulative affect and overdose threshold is very small.
-Acetaminophen use linked to atopic conditions: For medium users the risk of asthma 43 percent higher than non-users; high users had 2.51 times the risk of non-users. Similarly, the risk of rhinoconjunctivitis (allergic nasal congestion) was 38 percent higher for medium users and 2.39 times as great for high users compared to non-users. For eczema, the relative risks were 31 percent and 99 percent respectively. (Frequent use considered to be one or more times a month.)
A handy chart:

43% higher asthma risk among medium users compared to non-users
31% higher eczema risk among medium users compared to non-users
2.51 times the risk of developing asthma among high users compared to non-users
99% higher risk of developing eczema among high users compared to non-users

None
Medium - at least once over the last 12 months
High - at least once a month

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tylenol
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100813082713.htm
http://www.medpagetoday.com/AllergyImmunology/Asthma/10967
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/197712.php

In my opinion it is essential to question everything and not just assume the FDA is doing that for you. In my opinion the standard for approval is very low and its my family's health that we are talking about. So my rule of thumb from now forward is to research everything, even if it is "safe."

Driving force...

2012-09-19T14:01:00.000-05:00

The driving force in our journey with the girls' allergies, eczema and other issues, for me anyway, has been to find the cause. To figure out what went wrong... What could we have done differently... Yes I know that we are born with a set of predispositions, a set of genes that respond differently etc.... But can we prevent or change certain aspects?!?! It is my belief that we can! I get myself into trouble often with friends and family due to my heated passion for my ever broadening knowledge for things that I preach about. But to me, health is too important to stifle knowledge. It is easy to get over whelmed and it is easy to blame ourselves for past decisions... Hind sight is 20/20... I look at it this way... We do the best we can with the knowledge that we have, yet our knowledge is ALWAYS changing!!! We can't blame ourselves for decisions that we make with lack of knowledge or the wrong knowledge if that is what we know to be true... BUT we have to want to learn to better our decision making in the future!! On that note, I am beginning a series where I will post information that I have learned through my driving force in our journey, while questioning decisions I made in the past.... More to come, stay tuned....

Then and Now

2012-09-13T22:28:00.001-05:00

After a seven month hiatus we are back. Life got in my way and I became over whelmed and ready to lose my mind. J went down hill, m started showing more eczema and I was just discouraged. BUT we started to question everything, challenged foods we thought were safe, found a new Ped and upped her vitamin d. So now we are on a good track! J has been clear for some time, few flares and m is growing like a weed!!! So I will list where we were before the hiatus and after.....
Before:
-Three doses of supplements a day: Kirkman lab probiotic gold, cal/mag, vitamin d and digestive enzyme.
- unsure of all food allergies
- at least 1 tsp Xyzal
- three night wakings at least
- parent in bed every night
- constant flared feet, joints and hands
After:
- morning pro biotic, calcium and vitamin d
- food allergies under control
- 1/4 tsp Xyzal maybe once a week
- in own bed every night with no night wakings most nights and only one that can be easily redirected if at all.
- clear more than flared and flares last maybe a day.
We have come a long way with skin and behavior and are so very happy! More details to come!

Chemical food allergies.... (Mini series 3)

2012-01-24T09:07:00.000-06:00

Disclaimer This is my opinion based on research and our experience! It will probably rub people the wrong way or annoy some because they disagree, but this is my media ;)

A whole foods, made from scratch diet created in your kitchen at home, by you, is the best way to control all avenues. A food journal and close watch over cross contamination is key to eliminating the trigger, figuring out the triggers or excluding a trigger! It is crazy hard, aggravating, stressful, overwhelming, annoying, tear inducing, ulcer creating, gray hair producing!!!!! BUT its a productive way to help you/your child heal without the fear of side affects and the frustrations of lathering on the steroids and gulping down the preservative rich, god knows whats in them antihistimines that DON'T cure anything!!! (BTW I do use steroids when needed (rarely) and antihistimines daily when needed to help keep comfortable during the process).

The following is a list of food chemicals that can cause allergy symptoms INCLUDING eczema!!! If you have not tried taking all of these things out of your/your child's diet you can not say eczema is not FA related! MSG can be hidden in many different names! (http://www.rense.com/general52/msg.htm)

Preservatives (to give food a longer shelf-life)

The SulphitesThese chemicals in the form of gases cause lung irritation and may trigger asthma. They are commonly found in liquid form in cold drinks and fruit juice concentrates, but also in wine and sprayed onto foods to keep them fresh and prevent discoloration or browning. They are used to preserve smoked and processed meats, dried fruit (apricots) and salads. In the solid form, sulphites can cause urticaria when ingested. ( E220 – E227)
Sulphur dioxide, Sodium sulphite, Sodium bisulphite, Potassium bisulphite and Potassium metasulphite.
Benzoic acid and ParabensBenzoates and Parabens have antibacterial and anti fungal properties for prevention of food spoilage. These agents are added to pharmaceutical and food products such as drinks (sugar free Coke) and occur naturally in prunes, cinnamon, tea and berries. They may cause urticaria, asthma and angioedema. (E 210 – E 219 )
Sodium benzoate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben and Heptylparaben.
AntioxidantsFat and oils in food turn rancid when exposed to air. Synthetic phenolic antioxidants (BHA and BHT) prevent this spoilage happening but can trigger asthma, rhinitis and urticaria. (E320 – 321 )
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT)).

Flavour enhancers (to enhance food palatability)

Aspartame a low calorie sweetener can occasionally trigger urticaria (nettle rash), itchy hives and swelling of the body.
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which can trigger the “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome” of headache and burning plus tightness in the chest, neck and face. Found in packet soups and instant drinks. (E 620 – E 635)

Colourings (make food visually more attractive)

All colourings must now be labeled. They can trigger hives, urticaria, asthma and generalized allergic reactions. ( E 100 – E 180 )
Azo dyes (Tartrazine) and Non-azo dyes (erythrocine)
Nitrates and Nitrites give meat a pink colour to look more attractive and found in bacon, salami and frankfurters. ( E 249 – E 252 )

Emulsifiers and stabilisers

Stop oil and water components separating, as in ketchup and mayonnaise, but do not cause adverse reactions.

Naturally occurring substances in food causing adverse reactions

Vaso-active aminesNatural Histamine, Serotonin and Tyramine occur in some ripe cheeses, fish, cured sausage, red wine, chocolate and pickled vegetables and can induce cramping, flushing, headache and palpitations in a dose related manner.
Caffeine found in foods, medication, tea, coffee and Coca-Cola induces dose dependent agitation, palpitations, nausea and tremors.
Salicylates (aspirin-like naturally occurring chemicals)Salicylates induce urticaria, asthma and nasal polyps to develop. They are found in Curry powder, paprika, dried thyme, oranges, apricots, ginger, honey, berries and fruit skins, tea and almonds. Salicylate sensitive individuals also tend to have adverse reactions to benzoates and tartrazine.
Always read all packaged food labels, legislation now ensures that additives must be clearly labelled. E Numbers – all additives used within the European Community must be allocated an E number.
Colourings: (E100-180)Tartrazine E102, Sunset Yellow E110
Flavourings: (E620-635)Monosodium Glutamate E620
Preservatives: (E200-297)Benzoates (E210-219), Sulphites (E220-227), Nitrates (E249-252)
Antioxidants: (E320-321)BHA (E320) & BHT (E321)

General rules for preservatives and additives:

Many E number additives are completely harmless. Safe E numbers include: E101 Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), E200-203 Sorbate derivatives, E260 Acetic acid, E280 Propionic acid, E300-304 Ascorbic acid derivatives (Vitamin C), E330-333 Citric acids, E412 Guar gum and E578 Calcium gluconate are just a few examples,
No accurate diagnostic tests are yet available – so be suspicious of any advertised in the media.

Taken from: http://www.allergy-clinic.co.uk/food-allergy/food-additives/

MTHFR, Fillagrin Atopic links

2012-01-24T08:24:00.000-06:00

http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/35/4/954.full

http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2809%2900387-X/fulltext

http://www.copsac.com/userfiles/sites/copsac.com/files/Palmer_2006_Nat-Genet_38_441.pdf

Eczema....TREAT THE ROOTS!!! (mini-series part 2 1/2)

2012-01-06T21:57:00.000-06:00

*Disclaimer* This is my opinion based on research and our experience! It will probably rub people the wrong way or annoy some because they disagree, but this is my media ;)

The body is created to run synergistically in every way. It relies on certain nutrients, vitamins, minerals and exercise. Our blueprints formed by our genes are what determines the success in which our individual body gets the job done with no pain or issues. We live in a world that has evolved into something very different than the one in which our bodies were designed to encounter. This causes many kinks in the systems. Eczema is not normal, it is not something that just happens that we have to live with and patch up as it flares. It is the body telling us that something is out of line. Whether this be a genetic malformation, a deficiency of some sort or damage by an outside factor. The two genetic possibilities that I have found are the fillagrin deficiency and MTHFR mutation, both of which I have posted links about. The environmental factor that I have found is the use of Aluminum in vaccines as an adjuvant, which I have also posted about. These are all things that should be explored while treating!

An allergist, as described in the first part of this post, is a shot in the dark without thorough treatment of the gut. It is essential to heal the gut and aid in digestion to decrease reactivity to food as well as environmental factors. The skin barrier theory goes hand in hand in what happens to the gut in allergic people. Damage is done to the gut and foods are more likely to pass through and cause a reaction. It is impossible to make any permanent changes without changing the way you eat and healing the gut. The majority of foods on the shelves of our grocers are very close to plastic in make up and if not they are most likely GM and if not then they are processed to the point of cardboard and synthetic nutrients are added. These types of food are not suitable for maintaining life let alone healing!!! A whole food, nutrient dense diet is essential.

Supplements to research for aiding in the journey:
digestive enzymes
calcium
probiotics
vitamin d3
vitamins A,C,E
Vitamin B's
fish, flax, hemp oil

Eczema....GO TO THE ALLERGIST!!! (Mini-series 2)

2012-01-06T21:16:00.002-06:00

*Disclaimer* This is my opinion based on research and our experience! It will probably rub people the wrong way or annoy some because they disagree, but this is my media ;)

The definition of allergy (as defined by dictionary.com) A damaging immune response by the body to a substance, esp. pollen, fur, a particular food, or dust, to which it has become hypersensitive.

This means that ANYTHING can be an allergy. Allergy tests do nothing but tell you what a potential reaction to an object/food may be or the reaction to an object/food is at a particular time using a specific formula by the administrator to represent that object/food. It is by no means an exact science and results may vary depending on the doctor and the moment in time. A positive at least gives you a starting off point, but experimentation, elimination and challenge is the only real mode for an answer.

When you have an atopic condition your body has a "bucket" each allergen is a drop in that bucket and once it hits the brim ANYTHING can set off a reaction. This means that one day you could react to a mild allergy in a severe way and the next day you could eat/encounter it in excess and not show a thing. This makes life difficult to the person/people figuring out the allergies.

There are two theories in eczema....the skin barrier issue and the allergy issue. Well good news is they are both RIGHT! The Utopian treatment for eczema would be an allergist, dermatologist and natural practitioner. The skin barrier theory is that the body doesn't produce enough fillagrin which is imperative in proper skin barrier. But the very idea of this theory is an allergy!!! This root problem causes allergens to enter the body quicker and with more intensity.

It can not be said that allergies don't cause eczema unless in every case histamine levels were controlled, allergy tests were done and you have eliminated all processed foods from your diet. If diagnosed with multiple food allergies, it is likely that you are still consuming allergens if you have not seen a vast improvement. My daughter has been eating whole foods made at home for the last 9ish months and we have finally gotten her to a baseline with the realization that she is allergic to many real foods, but above all processed foods. You can be allergic to the process of production, you can also be allergic to food chemicals (MSG) which is in more than you know in various forms. She can eat apples, but not freeze dried apples!!! It is not possible to know your case of eczema is not allergy related until you have first worked toward gut healing (coming in part 2 1/2) and then scaled back to the foods that you are relatively certain are safe and given it a good 3 months or analyzed everything in your home that your child comes in contact with and experimented with changing it and the change in reactivity! Things you think are safe could be the very things flaring! In some cases it can take 2 days to flare from an allergen.

All this being said....a good allergist can help you to realize factors in the home, environments and diet that could be triggers. They are good guides into the journey to find causes to change instead of treating with topical steroids in an endless cycle of obsessive compulsive skin maintenance that we all get into! (Obviously this too is an integral part of treatment, but in my opinion is only a band aid).

Our Eczema Hypothesis (mini-series 1 1/2)

2012-01-05T13:57:00.001-06:00

In my CURRENT opinion, eczema is not caused by only one thing, it is a combination of things and is not the same cause for everyone. In our daughters' case I feel we have pinpointed a couple of things that could be the issue and cause.

First and foremost....our eldest daughter started showing signs of food allergies early, we didn't even notice that they were signs! This will be a whole different post (signs of food allergies). I believe based on turn of events, observation and research that her last straw was her 2 year check up. We got her MMR and two flu shots. She never got more than one at a time before then and we were pressured into all three. People get very touchy about vaccines. Comments arise, such as why don't we all have autism, eczema, fill in the blank if it is the vaccine? How come we all are fine and we got them? The answers are...my generation got 10 shots this generation gets upwards of 30 (http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/recs/schedules/child-schedule.htm) and we all have different DNA and metabolic systems!! Anyway, a vaccine is designed to force the body to, through artificial means, create antigens to certain viruses. For this reason vaccines have aluminum as an adjuvant to increase B cell production and increase activity of T2 cells. These are the inflammatory cells that are the attack dogs. Eczema is directly related to over active T2 cells in EVERY case. On this note, those T2 cells are activated to create antibodies to fight off that one antigen, but how does the body know what to fight and what not to fight? How long are those T2 cells activated? It is my theory that at that junction our bodies don't know how and people with predispositions to certain thing over react and make antibodies to fight off everything in the vaccine as well as what the body encounters as long as those T2 cells are activated. (Who knows how long this lasts since we are administering this ingredient during the most important time for maturing immune systems). Shortly after this visit she developed pneumonia and was knocked on her rear for almost 3 weeks. During this time she was on three different rounds of antibiotics and 2 weeks of NSAIDs that further tore up her gut. It was awful. So this is the first part of my hypothesis and why J's so reactive to her environment. Now on to what I think may be her predispositions...

I am under the impression that my family has a metabolic malfunction for lack of a better word. I think we have issues with insulin resistance, IBS as well as predisposition for atopic disease and many other things that I believe are tied to the fact that we have a malformation on our MTHFR gene. This is a common malformation and can affect up to 40% of the population. It can affect many metabolic processes. I have posted a couple of articles about this gene malformation in another post. I am still learning a lot about this and hope to figure more out as I go. With this can come low levels of Glutathione, it is the body's natural ability to detox. If my girls inherited this from me or if Tom has it as well and they inherited the more complex malformation this could be a huge factor. Not only does folate deficiency cause increased IgE levels, but if she were low on glutathione it could explain why we started to see such severe symptoms after her multiple vaccines. The aluminum had a more lasting and profound impact on her body because she wasn't able to metabolize it at the same rate as other people.
Glutathione has multiple functions:

It is the major endogenous antioxidant produced by the cells, participating directly in the neutralization of free radicals and reactive oxygen compounds, as well as maintaining exogenous antioxidants such as vitamins C and E in their reduced (active) forms.^[17]
Regulation of the nitric oxide cycle, which is critical for life but can be problematic if unregulated^[18]
It is used in metabolic and biochemical reactions such as DNA synthesis and repair, protein synthesis, prostaglandin synthesis, amino acid transport, and enzyme activation. Thus, every system in the body can be affected by the state of the glutathione system, especially the immune system, the nervous system, the gastrointestinal system and the lungs.^[4]
It has a vital function in iron metabolism. Yeast cells depleted of or containing toxic levels of GSH show an intense iron starvation-like response and impairment of the activity of extra-mitochondrial ISC enzymes, followed by death.^[19
^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glutathione}

^{My hypothesis: Eczema is an atopic condition that is a result of an overactive T2 cell production as well as a disruption in the metabolic system that is caused by both environmental factors as well as genetic make up.}

^{The next few posts will include further experiences regarding these topics as well as supplements, products and strategies that we have tried to alleviate these issues. Some of these things have worked and some have not.}

It’s eczema…What do I do???? (mini-series 1)

2012-01-05T13:04:00.000-06:00

(Sorry for the lack of posting....I needed a vacay :))

I am currently participating in various forums regarding eczema. The forums are made up of people with eczema or parents with children who have eczema. It never fails, once a day someone posts “Help, new here…it is eczema, what do I do.” Every single person is so very nervous at the prospects of what this might bring to their child’s life. They ask themselves…"will she/he always have this, will their face always be rashy, will their skin always look like this, will they ever sleep again, will they be trapped in this skin forever????” The one common response to these questions is NO BODY KNOWS!!!! This is an unfortunate reality and what is even more unfortunate is that there really is no medical outlet for atopic kids. There are outlets to seek treatment, if you want to succumb to steroids, antihistamines, bleach baths, antidepressants and such. But there are very few accessible outlets to help in a journey to find what the cause is of YOUR case of eczema because EVERYONE is different, has different triggers and responds to everything differently. It is a scary diagnosis and in most cases the patient is sent away with no direction and a tool bag with a lot of tubes without a lot of instruction. So I am going to start a miniseries of what I would do from the get go if I were to receive the eczema diagnosis based on the knowledge I have from OUR journey. This may or may not be helpful. But God gave us these hurdles for a reason and as much as we have to keep searching for a cure for the girls we have to keep searching for the reason. Maybe that reason is to shorten the struggle for someone else that may benefit from skipping some frustration themselves. So here it goes…

Set backs and milestones....

2011-12-19T22:34:00.000-06:00

Ever since the hot dog two weeks ago we (I) have been on an emotional roller coaster. J went down hill for a while with a flare that we ended up taking her to the dermatologist for an inquiry. We thought maybe she had developed Eczema Herpeticum. It turns out that she did not (thank God) and she has slowly recovered and is actually starting to get baby soft again with just a few spots, even with a virus. In the not so distant past a cold/virus made her a mess, skin wise. But right now she is looking pretty good! We recently cemented another allergy for M....CARROTS!!!! Really?!?! Who is allergic to carrots. So with a flare under control, two little ones recovering from a cold, a new known allergen and Mommy finally in remission from whatever virus attacked me. We are looking up!!!
On a fantastic note....J had her Christmas show this past Friday. If you know J, you know that this time last year she was a mess.... eczema in full blast, paranoid behaviors and super anxious. To the point of not wanting to leave my side. I was SO nervous that she wouldn't allow us to drop her off at her designated spot before the show. Little did I know she owned the whole place. Before it was time to drop her in her assigned class she was running around completely oblivious that I even existed! The show began and J stood up there with the rest of her class and proudly sang "Jesus was born in Bethlehem." She humored me and made eye contact and gave me a cute little wave as she walked to her stage. Then sat with her class during the rest of the schools' performance. They then did a victory lap dressed as angels with wings and halos. She was so sweet! I was so very proud of where our little girl has come! I shed some tears, but most of all I was beaming at the confidence that she exuded and so thankful to her teachers and the staff at her new school for making a very special girl feel like she belongs. There are not words that I can find that describe what I felt when I watched her perform. I thank everyone who has been and continues to be a part of her healing. I am blessed to have so many people in my life who are willing to do, love, listen and share in our journey!!!

Revolutionary war meets South Park/Modern Warfare

2011-12-15T22:48:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in my student's 7th grade social studies class. Their assignment was to draw a postage stamp from the revolutionary war. They had to draw three events. So I immediately started explaining this to my student and together we picked three themes and designed the outline of the stamp. Mind you he is using a camera that projects his paper onto a flat panel computer monitor to enlarge the image. So keep this in your head as you read.... He had no interest in hearing all of the options. He immediately asked me if he could draw the war. I told him no, but the Shay's Rebellion was an option and he could make that a battle scene. He started to draw his fighters. The first fighter started out looking a whole lot like Cartman, except with spikes! I told him part of the rubric was that the stamp had to represent the 1780s. I asked him if he thought George Washington wore his hair in spikes to the Constitutional Convention???? He looked at me with his Nystagmus(shaking eyes) serious as a heart attack and said yeah??? Then he added spikeman Cartman's gun....it was bigger than the fighter himself and looked like the gun you earn with like 50 gold stars in Halo and had a huge scope attached! Uhhhhh, I'm not real sure they had automatic weapons the size of a Hummer in 1780 Frankie ;) His response was "What??? Why??? Did they have grenades?" I think that's a negative old boy hahahaha. So you can imagine that he did not meet the rubric requirement on representation of the time period!! But he did have the best postage stamp if you ask me!!! I walked away very thankful that I have two sweet little girls!!!

Call me crazy.....I heart Ron Paul

2011-12-14T21:40:00.000-06:00

These days we hear more and more situations where parents' hands are being tied in regards to the caring of their children. Morals are forced through public school curriculum, medicine is pressured on them at the ped's office and their authority is compromised even as far as taking them to court. The following is a link about a family who tried a prescribed medication, found that it did more harm than good and removed the medicine from treatment of their daughter. They tried a more holistic approach. This is what is happening right under our noses and if the UN has anything to say about it they will create a child rights act for the world. But that is a topic for another day. I for one do not want the government in my business about what is or is not good for my child. Hell I would have been hauled off to jail months ago if I were held to the same standards this mother was......

http://www.ronpaul.com/2011-12-12/ron-paul-no-mandatory-mental-health-screening-for-children/

Filaggrin and eczema...

2011-12-12T21:55:00.000-06:00

I have found that there are two schools of thought when it comes to eczema....one is allergies and one is skin barrier. The two schools don't always play nice! Sometimes you can feel the tension when you mention allergies to dermatologists or visa versa. But can't we just play nice long enough to figure this out already???? I know the science is there. I found an interesting article about filaggrin.....Filaggrin is a
key protein that facilitates terminal differentiation of the epidermis and formation of the skin barrier. This definition was taken straight from the article and here is the link.

http://www.copsac.com/userfiles/sites/copsac.com/files/Palmer_2006_Nat-Genet_38_441.pdf

I just emailed this along with the MTHFR article to my allergist after speaking to him for 30 minutes via the phone about the problems with western medicine these days. He is about 80 :) I am hoping after he reads the three articles I sent him he will guide me to a place I can get some genetic testing done! I don't care if she might grow out of this! I have got to find out how to help her in the meantime and I don't want her next hurdle to be asthma like they predict with atopic conditions!

Crazy enough all of these things end up linking to autism studies because this condition is associated with lack of ceramides, fatty acids and cholesterol. The searches on this led me to a pp presentation about autism that I will touch on another day.

Some days :(

2011-12-11T21:28:00.001-06:00

So this week has been a walk in the wrong direction! Ever since the hot dogs on Monday J has been a mess. M is all snot and J is dry and patchy :( Weeks like these should be locked away in a vault and never allowed to memory!! Tonight we learned a lesson....never put lotion on a dry belly without first taking a bath. Poor J was convulsing. It was one of the worst lotion sessions of recent memories. Poor Uncle Pat had to witness it. It is usually something only mommy and daddy have to witness and it the hardest thing EVER! After the burning and convulsing stopped she let out a huge exhale with a sigh of relief. A sound only to break her mommy's heart more. I wanted to cry for her. Instead I told her I was sorry that she had to go through that pain and that she is brave and I was proud of how sweet and amazing she is. She told me "Its okay Mommy!" Tear :( But one good thing came out of tonight...I realize when she was getting good and healed, she was getting good and healed. I had almost forgotten the scenes of this week.

Folate levels and Atopy....

2011-12-08T22:13:00.001-06:00

When I was looking into my malformed MTHFR gene and its implications I stumbled upon a couple articles. This one was particularly interesting!! J's IgE level was 750 when she was tested.

http://www.jacionline.org/article/S0091-6749%2809%2900387-X/abstract

The results and conclusion of this study are as follows (copied directly):

Results

Serum folate levels were inversely associated with total IgE levels (P < .001). The odds of a high total IgE level, atopy, and wheeze decreased across quintiles of serum folate levels, indicating a dose-response relationship between serum folate levels and these outcomes. Each of these associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and poverty index ratio. Adjusted odds ratios associated with the fifth quintile of folate relative to the first quintile were as follows: high IgE level, 0.70 (95% CI, 0.53-0.92); atopy, 0.69 (95% CI, 0.57-0.85); and wheeze, 0.60 (95% CI, 0.44-0.82). Higher folate levels were also associated with a lower risk of doctor-diagnosed asthma, but this finding was not statistically significant (odds ratio for fifth quintile vs first quintile, 0.84 [95% CI, 0.70-1.02]).

Conclusions

Serum folate levels are inversely associated with high total IgE levels, atopy, and wheeze.

I sent these articles to our allergist and alt. health care provider hoping that we get somewhere with this. Hopefully both girls will be tested for MTHFR, 3/3 of my family members were positive. MTHFR comes with reduced levels of folate due to poor metabolizing. Keep your fingers crossed!!!