Gingerbread Mama Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 I just had to share with y'all. I know that none of the people at our old PS would understand what a big deal this is to me. DS8 has really been showing some remarkable improvements the last couple of weeks(, here's hoping it continues!) To start, this is my little guy. He is 8, but he weighs around 45 lbs and is about 45 inches tall. He's exactly the size my ODS was at FIVE. He has always had the worst appetite combined with atrocious cravings (carbs, sugar...) I have always tried to serve healthy foods, but the little bugger could go for for.ev.er without eating when it wasn't what he wanted. Add to that my super involved parents who would rush right out and get him McD's chicken, chocolate milk, candy bars, whatever he would eat. When I got really sick with systemic yeast, it just made sense to me to make my lifestyle change affect everyone :D I ruthlessly banned sugar, cut back carbs, even his beloved cheese has been restricted (mold). The only thing I haven't ever been big on is supplements, but we've started those in addition to the multivites they already took. Let me tell you, his eating is off the charts. He is constantly saying "I'm hungry. Can I have _________?" Fill that blank in with tuna, almonds, fruits, veggies.... Things that he hasn't even tried until now he is eating with a passion! I haven't weighed him but I can tell when lifting him that he is gaining weight and he doesn't look so terribly, painfully thin. Better yet, he actually seems to focus on what he's doing rather than "drifting around." He will make eye contact and have a full conversation with me, before he would always be shouting something (that didn't always make complete sense) as he ran by you. I see him thinking things through, that is huge. He was always a "do first, think later" kind of kid. He was always a terror to take anywhere. You never knew how bad his behavior would be, you just prayed for silly/mildly embarassing as opposed to the laying in the floor/running from you/complete baby talk that it could dissolve into. We went for haircuts today. I have always DREADED haircuts. With so many people in a small room, it's like he thinks he's on stage. He ALWAYS acted silly or wild and I would even have to have my mother take him home before I got my haircut lest he act like a complete cretin unsupervised. Today, he was darn near perfect. No running, no shouting. They have a little table with colored metal rods and wooden spools that you can move around the rods (can't remember what this is called, I'm sure that's a horrid description.) Basically, it's the kind of thing he would never look twice at. Today, he sat and watched his older sister play with it. He commented (nicely) on what she was doing. Then, he played with it for a while himself. He didn't wiggle/giggle/act a fool when he got his haircut!!! Those, alone, are pretty big for us. The final topper was that he has been drawing. This child HATED to draw. He wouldn't color a picture unless he just swiped a crayon over it to get it done. Forget actually DRAWING something on a blank sheet. The last few days he's been asking for blank paper and drawing on it with crayons when we finish his lessons. The first couple of days, it was just some random squiggles and shapes. He was really laboring over color choice and placement, though, so I would make sure to tell him how proud I was of how hard he worked. Well, today he took his colors and papers outside to the porch (did I mention it's 73 and sunny today? Yeah, it is!) He came running in to show me the picture he did "all by myself, no one had to help me!" It was a picture of a person and house, complete with grass, trees, clouds, and birds!! Not only that but, while the drawing isn't perfect, all of the things he drew are in proportion with each other and in the correct colors, they were in a nice landscape layout and arranged sensibly. He NEV-ER does this. He rarely draws. The few times he was coerced to draw at school he would draw things like tiny houses and huge people or he would draw randomly all over the page. To say it blew me away would be an understatement. Not only that, he was proud of it. He has never taken an interest in things he did. Once it's done he was always too busy going on to the next thing. Don't worry, I have praised and exclaimed over it. I took a picture on my phone and emailed it to my mother and husband (with a can you believe this? message LOL) and let him send it to his Papaw. I've also noticed that he is using his pencil more effectively. Before, he would barely grip it. The marks would be super wiggly and too light to read. The last few days he is pressing down with his pencil and the lines have been less wiggly and much darker. I don't know what is making the change. The better eating habits, the supplements he is now taking, getting better/more sleep now that we HS, being more relaxed about the work (it was like nightmare of the never-ending worksheets when he was in PS), or the excercise (we walk each morning before lessons and I kick them outside when we are done :lol:)........I just want it to keep on keeping on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 :party:This is great news! ETA: It is likely the elimination diet, from what I have been reading in Dr. Bock's Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, and probably the supplements too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Mama Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 :party:This is great news! ETA: It is likely the elimination diet, from what I have been reading in Dr. Bock's Healing the New Childhood Epidemics, and probably the supplements too! Yes, I think you are probably right. Now to just convince the rest of the family that, no, children do not NEED junk food to survive. If they want to spend money on them to make them feel loved they can always buy some curriculum ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Yes, I think you are probably right. Now to just convince the rest of the family that, no, children do not NEED junk food to survive. If they want to spend money on them to make them feel loved they can always buy some curriculum ;) :iagree: I remember when I was a working mom (before Adrian's second birthday) my mom used to look after him for me. She was so afraid of my reaction, she always asked before giving him anything, at times even calling me at work to check first. I had her well trained :lol:! Don't get me wrong, I love my mom, but I made it quite clear that just like she had the right as a parent to raise us the way she wanted, we have the same right and deserve the same respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterPan Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 Hurray for successes!!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Everson Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I don't know what is making the change. The better eating habits, the supplements he is now taking, getting better/more sleep now that we HS, being more relaxed about the work (it was like nightmare of the never-ending worksheets when he was in PS), or the excercise (we walk each morning before lessons and I kick them outside when we are done :lol:)........I just want it to keep on keeping on! I'm curious whether the supplements include extra vitamin D3, and if so, how much? It's a topic I'm very interested in...Thanks Rod Everson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hwin Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 :D What an awesome post! So happy for you and your son. He must feel great about himself. And you give me hope... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Mama Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 I'm curious whether the supplements include extra vitamin D3, and if so, how much? It's a topic I'm very interested in...Thanks Rod Everson They don't....yet. I am, however, researching it and have a bottle on the way. We are in TN and it's been a bleak/rainy winter so they kids haven't gotten much time outside in the sunshine. I'm not sure they'd get "enough" in the sun, anyway (barring summer, perhaps, when we swim almost all day), so we all probably need it. I've read your posts on D3 with interest. Do you recommend having your doctor run a blood test to check levels before starting, as a rule? I know you said you differ your dose throughout the year - do you test before changing, or have you just found what works for you and know when to change up the dose? Luckily, we have a DO who is interested in this sort of thing and humors me when I ask for this or that lab work to be done :) I'll be happy to update on the D3 once we have tried it for a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SweetMissMagnolia Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) :grouphug: wonderful!!! sounds like some of what I've been hearing from my son lately-I can definately relate to having a very picky eater who could go days without a decent meal-(if I made something he wouldn't eat I tried to at least give him some nutrition with PBJ)--lately he's been asking to try scrambled eggs---ham sandwiches-green beans--:D so I can definately relate to your excitement! :grouphug: I was wondering what supplements you're using...I know everyone's different and all but was just curious...so far with my ds we just do fish oil supplements(need to re-order) and multivites Edited February 25, 2012 by SweetMissMagnolia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 That's awesome! :001_smile: Glad you're seeing such great progress. Diet changes and supplements made the biggest difference for DS8 out of anything we've tried, so I'm definitely a believer. Yay for your DS (and you)! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbara H Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 Bravo Mom! Bravo DS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyLittleBears Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 It really is amazing how much yeast overgrowth/too much antibiotics, etc.. can affect our health. Even more remarkable is our bodies ability to heal when the right things are put in! Happy for you!:party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 I just picked up Healing the New Childhood Epidemics by Dr. Kenneth Bock, from the library, after I saw it recommended here. I just started reading it but thought I would look up vitamin D for you. The quote is from pg. 251, titled "Possible Adverse Reactions from Healing Program Supplements". Vitamin D is another fat-soluble vitamin with the potential for toxicity at excessive doses. It can be toxic in adults who take more than 100,000 i.u. daily for several months, according to the Merck Manual. Infants can suffer toxic reactions to 3,000 i.u. per day, if taken every day for an extended period. I usually recommend no more than approximately 800 i.u. per day for children. Similarly to vitamin A, I monitor vitamin D levels periodically to ensure that levels are within a safe, normal range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Mama Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 (edited) Marie, thanks for looking that up. I think my best bet on that is to have our DO do a blood test and check his levels. It would be so easy to err either way. I wouldn't want to OD him, but it would also do no good to be supplementing with far less than he needs. Now if I could just get him to handle change/excitement a little better LOL My stepdad drives a truck and is in on weekends. I could tell yesterday that the "anticipation" of Papaw being home was making him act a little silly, today has been pretty bad when compared to behavior last week. Still, it isn't nearly as bad as it could be or has gotten to in the past. He just seems to be under the impression that rules go out the window when Papaw is home (as does Papaw, apparently...sigh.) As much as I appreciate him getting time with grandparents, I'm almost relieved to see Monday roll around so we can get back into the swing of things and not feel like I'm looking for someone to undermine me, however unintentionally. Edited February 25, 2012 by Gingerbread Mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rod Everson Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 . I've read your posts on D3 with interest. Do you recommend having your doctor run a blood test to check levels before starting, as a rule? I know you said you differ your dose throughout the year - do you test before changing, or have you just found what works for you and know when to change up the dose? Luckily, we have a DO who is interested in this sort of thing and humors me when I ask for this or that lab work to be done :) First, I think it's going to turn out to be a huge issue for older people once they learn more about it, and about all the diseases low D3 have an impact on. This is partly because as we age some of us make less D3 from sunshine for some reason. I get outside a lot in the summer, though mostly it's just my arms getting the sun, and I'm finding I still need at least 3,000 IU in the summer to maintain the level I want (60-80 ng/ml). The only way I can know that is by testing, so I test at the end of winter (to see if I've been taking the right amount over winter when I get virtually no D3 naturally in Wis.) and again at the end of summer (to see if the lower amount I take in summer is enough...so far it hasn't been.) I don't see how one could figure this out without regular testing. However, without testing, taking around 1,000 IU's per 30 lbs of body weight is what Dr. Cannell recommends, then nothing in summer if you're getting plenty of sunshine. For me, though, I'd go into winter low doing that, so I test. I'm now at 5,000 IU winter and 3,000 IU summer and homing in on it I think, but that's only after a 3-year process of testing, changing doses, retesting, etc. As for your child, or any child experiencing developmental issues, I think it would be valuable information to have the level before supplementing began. Otherwise it's hard to know whether D3 should get the credit for a change. As you've indicated, people change a lot of variables all at once, and it's nearly impossible to figure out what really made the difference. For example, if you've had a couple of weeks of pretty good sunshine since you started "kicking him outside" when done with lessons, he might be making significant amounts of natural D3 in TN, more than he would get from a normal supplement. (That would definitely not be true up here in WI, but it might be in TN. I lived there for 4 years, and your Februarys are more like our Aprils.) If I had a child with some developmental issues I was hoping to address, I'd want a D3 test before I'd noted any improvement just to see if it's unusually low. Dr. Cannell gets reports from parents of autistic kids who note marked changes of behavior between summer and winter, for example, with summer sun being the likely cause of the changes. Interestingly, he also wonders if it might take getting their level up to the higher end of the range to have a treatment effect, that is to the 80-100 ng/ml level, which might require taking daily doses higher than the 1,000 IU/30 lbs for a time. Can I ask, just how quickly have the changes you've noticed happened? Was he already improving in early January, for example? Or did it happen extremely quickly. If it did, I'd suspect the diet/supplements/sunshine had something to do with it. If it's been more gradual, maybe just the change in daily routine had something to do with it. So hard to sort all this out, and all kids are different besides. It's even possible his D3 was high enough, but he was missing a cofactor, like magnesium for example, that helps with the utilization of the D3, and that the supplement provided the cofactor. Or it might not have had anything to do with the D3. Rod Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Marie, thanks for looking that up. I think my best bet on that is to have our DO do a blood test and check his levels. It would be so easy to err either way. I wouldn't want to OD him, but it would also do no good to be supplementing with far less than he needs. You're welcome. You are the parent, you have to do what you feel is best for your child :). Testing sounds like a great idea, and what Dr. Bock also does with the kids that go to see him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joyofsixreboot Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 Yeah! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gingerbread Mama Posted February 26, 2012 Author Share Posted February 26, 2012 Can I ask, just how quickly have the changes you've noticed happened? Was he already improving in early January, for example? Or did it happen extremely quickly. Rod This was not gradual at all. We have been out of public school since the middle of December. Honestly, things were so miserable (and we were making so little progress) that we were beginning to doubt our ability to homeschool him. We started coconut oil first, I also began weeding out the less healthy things he craved. It almost seems like an "overnight" change, but I'm sure it was more like over the course of 3 or 4 days.......he began to eat, hold genuine conversations, sit through stories, etc.. I would say we did coconut oil/eliminating foods almost exclusively for a week and a half to two weeks. We only began fish oil and the anti histamine last week. That seemed to kick things up to the next level, so to speak. Now he is a bottomless pit when it comes to healthy food, and, though we have "moments" of not the best behavior, his attitude/behavior has shown a remarkable turn around. I have noticed a large difference in his ability to focus on your face when you speak to him. I've been around severely autistic children, they wouldn't even look in your direction. DS wasn't necessarily like that, but he couldn't hold your eyes or look directly at you during a conversation. His eyes would slide around your face or look slightly above or to the side of you, they almost seemed to "jump", like he couldn't hold them on you. I notice he is beginning, more and more, to look AT me when speaking and meet and hold my eyes. FWIW, he has been around SpEd teachers at school, and seen several specialists and no one ever suggested autism or Aspberger's. I'm not sure his inability to focus on a person when talking was anything like an autistic's, all I can say is that I can tell a huge difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NittanyJen Posted February 26, 2012 Share Posted February 26, 2012 That is wonderful! It can be so hard for parents who don't deal with these issues to get how big some of these milestones are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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