Melissa asked how the allergy testing went, and I discovered there's a lot going on. In responding to her, I was able to clear some cobwebs. So I thought I would blog it here, in case it may help someone else in a similar situation. We are looking at a method of treatment called NAET (Nambudripad's Allergy Elimination Treatment). It does rely heavily on Eastern traditional medical techniques, which we aren't averse to, but are also not entirely familiar with. So here are the thoughts that have coursed through my head in the last 24 hours. If anyone has any experience with NAET, I would love to hear from you!
This is one of those comfort zone things. Both boys came back allergic to almost everything they tested for. The list is HUGE. I don't know how to process it, let alone whether to believe it. Zorak looked at the results and said, "Are you sure this isn't just a random number generator?" The doc wants to do an additional battery on John to give him more options for what to eat. And, of course, she wants to do "the basic fifteen" therapies on both boys -to the tune of about $825 each.
Now, I know that sounds really, truly horrible to think that I'm going to list the price, right up there at the top of the list. It's not that I put a price tag on my children's health. It's that I don't buy brand name things just for the tag - and right now I'm not 100% certain this therapy is anything more than that. SO. I'm reading the book she recommended, and starting the legwork and research I need to do before I can comfortably say whether I think this is "great science" or "snake oil". For "great science", this is a wonderful thing and the possibilities are endless. For snake oil, I don't think Zorak would ever let me live it down. (This would be one of those stories told at Christmas parties twenty years from now... can you see it? Yup.)
One of the conflicts I need to address is the need to remember that this is just a new landscape, with new customes, and basically, a foreign language. That doesn't make it wrong, just weird. (How's that for PC? hee hee) For those whose panties bunched immediately on reading this, relax, depucker. It's weird/foreign to me. I am remembering that, rather than discounting it because of that. Big difference. They way I look at it is similar to if someone had spoken to me fifteen years ago about education and used the terms we now hold as our daily philosophy; I'd have probably given them the same, "You've been drinking again, haven't you?" look that I'm tempted to give the doctor now. Same thing with homebirth and vaccinations, yet here we are. So I'm keeping that in mind.
Also, one of the methods they use to test whether the allergen has cleared is a method I, personally, have always thought was so much smoke and mirrors. It's the kind of thing you expect from a flaky pharmacy-school drop out who works at the herb counter in the Whole Foods Market. You don't want her to touch you, let alone make a diagnosis. But here, I must admit a bit of hypocrisy, as it's been used on me... and it worked. It still creeped me out - it did at the time, and it does now. And I don't generally admit in mixed company that (a) I paid someone to it or (b) that it actually worked - because I know that for a person to do so in certain arenas is instantaneous credibility suicide. Suddenly, you're a freak, a flake, and what are ya gonna do next - hang crystals from your eyebrows to balance your chakra? Chanel the spiritworld? *pfftt* So how do you clear your prejudices, particularly when they persist in spite of your own personal proof that they're misguided? (And on another note, I'm rereading this and thinking - "Wow, forget about reputability, what about integrity?" Hmmmm. That alone is worth rethinking. Not that the family doesn't think I'm wacky enough already, but still, that envelope probably doesn't need to be pushed...)
And finally, I want to make sure that I'm not so busy bending over backwards to be understanding and willing to explore this brave new world that I check my brain at the door and end up willing to believe anything anyone will tell me as long as they promise to make my children healthy and happy and virile. (OK, just healthy and happy, but you get the point.) ACK!!! I told Zorak last night, "I didn't know I was going to have to get a degree in microbiology." He laughed and said, "To be a parent? Oh yeah, but you've passed the psychology courses and the team management reviews quite well. You'll do fine." Hmmm. Well, that's encouraging. At least he's confident I'll make the right choice.
There you have it. The disjointed thoughts of a woman with just one more thing on her plate. It's a good thing I believe in large plates and good-sized portions, eh?
Anyhow, we're off to look at more properties in the morning. I hope you all have a beautiful Friday!
Kiss those babies!
~Dy
6 comments:
Hey, if it works, it will have been SO worth it!And if not, at least you'll be able to permanently cross it off the list of possibile remedies/methods.
It's probably a silly example, but I tried Meissa's Garlic Tea potion on my sore throat this week and was amazed at the results. Apparently there's something to the voo-doo! LOL!
Hang in there. You guys are in my prayers. :0)
Aw, Thom ... garlic tea is not voodoo. It *is* science. Herbs (counting garlic her) are not voodoo ... they're medicine. Honest injun.
Dy, I don't know anything about NAET. Of course you're doing the right thing by researching the ideas to death - some of these things *do* turn out to be snake oil. But some of the alternative therapies available really do work. You know that :)
Good luck. I'll have to see if my friend reads your blog. Her children are similarly allergic to a great many things.
Dy,
I don't have a problem with skepticism, especially where allergy tests are concerned. I went thru a couple of batteries of tests from medical doctors. Those tests show I am NOT allergic to anything but ragweed. HA! My nose knows immediately when the farmers drive into their fields and begin to stir up the soil and/or corn pollen, I sneeze continually when the "cotton" flies from the cottonwood trees, I wheeze from asthma around any mold from any source, and ragweed bothers me very LITTLE. And I dread housecleaning because of my reactions to the dust! For a person who did NOT react to allergy tests, I spend most of my life sneezing and with my ears plugged up from excess sinus goo.
I DO know that YOU will be the best judge of whether or not your boys are reacting to any certain substances, tests or no tests. Listen with one ear, but keep both eyes open, and trust your gut feelings. ;-)
I've followed your blog since we "meet" when expecting our youngest children.
I just wanted to jump in here and say that our family doc gave me great advice about my daughter's many and scary allergic reactions. He said some children are just very reactive - and that those who are reactive from a very young (toddler) age are also those that will naturally grow out of those reactions.
"Allergic" is not a life long fact, nor is it even necessarily the correct way at looking at all reactions.
He said - and I've seen now since I didn't initially listen to him - that allergy testing is very unreliable in young children. That it is something that is more reliable in adults but even then isn't something he'd do anything radical based on. That children can test allergic to something one day and the very next day have no reaction at all. I've even seen the same in Lexi in "real life" - she gets ant bites one day and her entire leg swells, the following week there's barely a reaction at all.
Are your children healthy? Functioning well? Comfortable most of the time with only occasional issues? Then why not simply address problems as they come up? Why would you do anything systematic at all?
Medicine - whether eastern or western - is still invasive into the bodies own natural processes.
I started trusting that my daughter's body would learn to understand the difference between safe "allergens" and issues that her immune system really needed to attack. She still has problems occasionally - and some are big and scary - but she lives a healthy and happy life otherwise. Those occasional incidents are bleeps on the big scale of things.
I don't give her Tylenol or herbs to lower her fevers, I don't medicate herbally or otherwise every sniffle, so why wouldn't I trust God's design of her body to handle acclamting to these stimulis?
It's been a journey from exploring everything to, realistically, doing nothing...and I feel confident and happy that we are on the right road.
So I just wanted to share in case there is anything their you can glean from in your decision making process.
Dy, I have no idea what you're going through, but it sure sounds overwhelming! I'm praying for you! I am sure you will think through things, and handle everything just fine.
{{hugs}}
Dy,
Your boys sound like my ds. He seemed to always have a case of the sniffles, until we moved to a house in the woods. Then, once summer hit, he was a mess. His personality changed, he was always itching, twitching, eyes watering, etc. We had him tested and he reacted to EVERYTHING! The only things he didn't react to were things he wasn't tested for!
We were stunned! Once we started treating ds, we had our boy back. And MANY of the things about him we'd attributed to quirks turned out to be symptoms and disappeared.
Can I offer a suggestion?
While you're researching and getting other opinions, perhaps you could put them on a prescription antihistamine, dust-proof their bedrooms, etc. Take the steps you need to remove the allergens from the home, especially the bedroom. This may give their systems a break. They'll be feeling better while you research.
These treatments are expensive, and while I know it *seems* urgent, you've got time to explore, ask questions, and talk to LOTS of different experts. But while you do that, take steps to give the boys some temporary relief.
Our ds did well by simply allergen-proofing our home. He was able to stop taking Allegra twice a day! But then we moved here, and things got worse. We finally got to the point where meds weren't working and are now giving him immunotherapy injections. We've done this for 2 months and have already seen improvements. (He's off the steroid spray.) The injections have a 90% success rate in children, and we spoke with countless adults who had the shots as children and have no sympyoms (or mild ones) as adults.
All this to say, I know it's overwhelming. Start with the small things you can do to get you through the summer (I have a list if you need it) and then take your time deciding about long-term treatment.
Blessings,
Hillary
Post a Comment