When we first moved here I met a woman, who told me her daughter had severe crippling rheumatoid arthritis several years ago. She was eight at the time and could no longer walk. They began taking the child to a doctor of Chinese medicine in Canada, and the girl is now a teen with no signs of the disease.
Riley had been been making steady progress. I don't like to mess with her when she is in a good place so I never made an appt. I filed the info in the back of my brain.
But no one can figure out this thing with Seth. And I'm sick of it. Every time he gets sick he gets another tic. And I feel like I'm watching something slowly happening to my baby. And I don't believe long term heavy antibiotics will benefit him. And I have big reservations about IVIG, a blood product, because it may help but it isn't getting to the real route of the problem.
Sunday night as I was going to bed, Todd and I were talking and I told him about a fear I have. You see I have this area of soreness, on my left breast. Almost my armpit really. It has been there for years. It is very tender. I have had mammograms. Breast exams. Nothing ever shows up. No gynecologist ever takes it seriously. But my sister had breast cancer (though she has the gene for it and I don't) and what if there were environmental triggers that contributed to it? We drank the same water growing up. Anyway, Todd knew about the breast, but didn't know the extent of my fear. Fear that I will die of breast cancer and not be here for my kids. He listened. Tried to reassure me. We put it away and went to bed.
Monday we left for Middle Bass Island on Lake Erie. Two days there, and then we would head up to Canada, for Seth. Middle Bass Island was a disaster. We stayed at a roach motel (well not really roaches but spiders and ants), and left one day early. More on that another time. Or not. Not sure I want to give it more energy.
In Canada, we met the doctor and it was all very "alternative" which we are used to, because we have done a ton of alternative medicine with Riley. I made appts for both kids because what the hell? We were already there.
She told me Riley is not in her body. It's more like she's observing it from a few feet above, and with a critical eye. She said things that ground her, in the body, like the therapeutic martial arts she's doing and music, (and a sweet dog planting its head in her lap) are all very good things. She also very firmly told me Riley is stronger than I think.
The doctor suspects genetically modified foods are the underlying factor with Seth. I KNEW IT WAS DIET! I'm not sure if I'm describing it right but from what I understood she said antibiotics are used in the "modification" process, and they escape into the food and wreck the normal flora in very sensitive people, causing all kinds of systemic problems. She said my kids are both ULTRA sensitive in every way. But we knew that, didn't we?
Afterward, when we were talking, and the kids were playing on the floor, I asked what she thought of bio-identical hormones. Told her just the tiniest two second bit about my early journey into menopause. She was sitting at her desk, Todd and I were sitting across from her. She looked over the desk at me, then looked down with a confused but focused expression as she abruptly clasped her hand over her left breast, over the exact spot mine has been sore for years, and said, very seriously, "What's going on with your breast?"
I had said nothing about my breast.
Todd and I immediately looked at each other. I grinned. He almost fell off his chair.
She got me up on her table, and did some things. Assured me I am not dying of breast cancer. Gave us three bags of supplements to take (one for Riley, one for Seth, one for mommy). The soreness in my breast is almost completely gone two days later.
Eastern medicine has been around for thousands of years.
Western medicine, two hundred.
For the most part, Western medicine seems like a cocky teenager to me.
Eastern medicine seems like a wise old grandparent.
I always loved my Gramma.
~
*Photo from Niagara Falls. We stopped there for a picnic on our way to the doctor. Riley had never seen a real rainbow before. It was something she'd been wishing for forever. Though she did make it clear she would have preferred the rainbow to be reaching across the sky rather than merely hovering above the water.
28 comments:
So amazing!
I feel the same way with Eastern/Western meds.
And what do we do about the food?
This agribusiness - it's out of control.
You must see Food, Inc.
Love your metaphor of Eastern/Western medicine/healing. BTW, don't get off your "high horse," if it weren't for your steady, strong message, I wouldn't be where I am today with this attitude. Keep doing what you do well.
Some day I'll get around to blogging about this wonderful couple I know who homestead off the grid in NY...out of a sheer desire to know where their food comes from. We've gotten so far away from the land, and thereby ourselves.
Wonderful. So happy you are almost pain free and, hopefully, worry free. And about the E/W medicine issue--I. Totally. Agree.
I get more concerned about the food we're eating all the time.
What a find that doctor is! So glad you are already seeing improvement. And I completely agree with you about the food - we try to eat as much organic as possible here, but sometimes I question the labeling. Wish I had more time to grow my own food.
Just read Tanya's comment. We try to eat organic as much as possible, too. However, it is my understanding that organic does not guarantee that it is not GMO. Does anyone else know about that?
So glad you got some help. Interesting tho', I read sensitive to antibiotics not sensitive to GM food from what you wrote. It's a very different thing. and You knew it was diet?? What did you think it would be? As I say, rubbish in, rubbish out. Can't be any other way.
Going on to GM v non GM food - not all GM food is bad. On the other hand I do think the only way to ensure you know what you're eating is to produce it yourself.
OK, just read the organic food comments. Organic food is produced without the use of certain chemicals. This means it is kept weed free by burning the weeds in between rows and the weeds in the rows are removed by teams of people on minimum wage laying on trailers pulled along by tractors pulling weeds as they go. It's a modern slave labour.
Given that the most important thing about veg is the time it takes to get from the field to your plate (the shorter the time, the less nutrition is lost)I think it's more important to buy LOCAL than organic.
Sorry if that sounds preaching but this is a subject close to my heart. It is important to realise exactly what you're buying.
Amanda,
I try very hard to feed my family healthy foods and am disheartened at your suggestion I've been feeding them "rubbish."
So yes, I was thinking food allergy/sensitivity, but I wasn't thinking GMOs. BUT, if antibiotics are IN the GMO's then it is a GMO issue as well as an antibiotic issue.
Aside from that, I'd rather eat organic than local if local is filled with pesticides. But I am still learning.
Since genetically modified foods aren't even required by law to be labeled I will feed my family organic when possible. I do know of at least one organic farm that isn't run under the conditions you describe.
Michelle I'm sorry! I wasn't casting aspersions, my rubbish comment is a general saying I have to describe what people eat that doesn't agree with them. So, for me, chocolate comes in the rubbish category! :( Not ALL chemicals are banned under the organic remit. If only we lived next door! The way we produce veg is by using as little as possible, and certainly nothing directly to the crop, aside from blight spray to the potato crop and that protects the leaves.
At the end of the day a chat with your local producers can be a good thing. In my experience the majority of smaller scale producers like us work in a similar way.
If I was you I'd be buying a spade! At least here in the UK food labels have to say "modified" if it is. Lots of foods are now labelled GMO free. Think this may be one of those times when I'm SO glad to live where I do.
Oh, by the way, Scotland (being wet!) has the BEST rainbows EVER!!
Thank you so much for sharing this, Michelle. I have been going back and forth between an issue and it is Western vs Eastern. As an Eastern Philosopohy major, you know I lean more toward Eastern for the same reasons you do. You just helped me make a decision.
I am so ultra happy for you. LOVE this woman. I'm so glad you went. It's just amazing.
I forgot to ask...how do we tell what food are genetically modifed unless they say they are not? I mean, is it in our control or out of our control now? Scary.
Kathryn it seems you are in deep kacky poo. you're going to have to do serious research to be able to guarantee avoiding gm food. Got a garden? Got a fork & spade? Wanna save on gym fees? You know where I 'm going with this....;)
Michelle, please, please, please keep us all updated on how this plays out, will you? Otherwise, I'll bug you! I've pondered a little about Seth, actually, and I have a feeling you're onto something here. It's no more than a feeling, though.
Speaking of bugging, would you drop in over at my blog and offer your opinion for me? I'd appreciate it. Thanks you :)
WOW.
Chills.
GO SEE FOOD, INC. NOW!
Another goosebump-inducing true story from MO'N! Thanks for sharing. Glad y'all found this healer.
(previous post had a punctuation typo - sorry)
Ha, where should we have this conversation? Whose blog? I responded to you on mine, but I didn't know if you'd see it over there. I didn't want to just leave your question hanging there. I can answer it now, but I have to ask a few more first.
this souonds wonderful! for ALL of you!
Wow, that's amazing! I'm in total agreement with you about diet affecting us and our sensitive kids! Gonna go check out Food, Inc. myself.
Awww, You were in the right country but couldn't you have driven about 17 hours east? I'm so glad that you and your left girl are feeling better. PLS keep us all updated on how well the supps/diet changes that the doctor gave you, Riley and Seth worked.
Amazing pictures, amazing story
Great post! Beautiful RainboW! And hey, eh, :) I live in Canada-in Ontario-where is this doctor!?!?!?!?!
I have often wondered if many of the ailments our population seems to suffer from are related to the chemicals, anitbiotics, hormones, etc in our food, water and air. I look at how many of my peers have had trouble conceiving; how many children we know of with various cancers. I have tried to become a more aware and choosy consumer as a result, but it isn't easy to find the information you seek.
wow, wow, and WOW again!
i am a sincere believer in eastern, natural, holistic medicine. my daughter had a sty on her eye as a baby...the doctors wanted to do surgery to remove it. i called my grandmother and she said to try COD LIVER OIL. Within 2 weeks, it was gone.
I'm new to your blog -- through Hopeful Parents, where I also contribute. I blog often about "alternative" and integretive medicine as it has changed our family's life, particularly for my daughter, Sophie. I look forward to reading more and getting you know you!
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