INSIDE OUT

So, today... as my 4 year old son came up to me in the light of the window, waving his open mouth and tongue out, I noticed something I hadn't even taken the time to think about with him. HE HAS A WHITE FILM ON THE BACK OF HIS TONGUE!!!

Not only that... but, so does my husband?!

Unbelievable.

I've been thinking about an overabundance of yeast with S for some time now. It first started when I joined a GFCF Yahoo Group. I'd see some people discussing yeast and I'd roll my eyes, thinking, "these people won't stop at NOTHING"!!

Then, one particular post hit me. It discussed a citrus diet and yeast. Well, THAT got my attention!! My kids have been off of citrus for years. It all started with my now, 4 year old, who we suspected had mild asthma at 2 but, couldn't get him tested until he was older. J had eczema, high-whistled coughing, rashes at the HINT of perfume, bloated belly, diarrhea, etc. Back then, he was the only one with "real issues" compared to what I'm now dealing with for S.

When J was 3, we put him on an elimination diet (which, minimized gluten for everyone in the family and we now realized, contributed to S's language explosion at age 4). I thank God Joah had all of those issues. If it wasn't for Joah and all of the things I eliminated from our lives since he was a baby (preservatives, perfumes, dyes, dairy, citrus, toxins, etc), who knows how far along S would be down that Autistic Spectrum.

Any time my kids ate anything citrus, that very same day or the next, they would have round, red, perianal rashes and rashes around their mouth. I've always known citrus was a culprit. I hoped it wouldn't happen to my daughter, who is my most healthiest but, of course... her too. :(

Well, after reading about how citrus FEEDS yeast and seeing the DRASTIC change in S after eliminating gluten (when you eliminate gluten and citrus you eliminate many things "yeast" from their diet), I suspected that an overabundance of yeast might be part of the puzzle for my son's Autistic Symptom from that moment on.

ANTIBIOTIC HAPPY WORLD

-When S was three months old, he had thrush.
Antibiotics
-Before S was 18 months old, he had FOUR separate ear infections.
Antibiotics FOUR times

After one particular ear infection did not heal from a 7-day round of antibiotics and they tried to prescribe a SECOND round of antibiotics, I had it!! It was from then on I've only used garlic to cure my son's ear infections.

THE FAMILY CONNECTION - S's FATHER:

About ten years ago, B started getting headaches. LONG story short, he still has them. Here's a little history:
2000 - A cold turned into an ear infection: Antibiotics
Headache began shortly thereafter with frequent low-grade fevers
Sinus infection suspected - Antibiotics
sinus infection - Antibiotics
sinus infection - Antibiotics
sinus infection - ANTIBIOTICS!!!!

FIVE ROUNDS OF ANTIBIOTICS IN LESS THAN SIX MONTHS!

APRIL 2001 - FUNGAL INFECTION REQUIRING SURGERY UNDER HIS LEFT EYE WITH TWO TYPES OF FUNGI FOUND IN HIS SINUS CAVITY!!

Diagnosis by ear/nose/throat specialist??: "This probably isn't causing your headaches."

Okay, let's think about this for a second. You have a man who has TWO different types of fungi, which somehow is allowed to grow and take up shop in your sinus cavity SO MUCH SO that you need SURGERY... and you are not going to investigate further?

Do you know that an antiFUNGAL was not even prescribed to him!!

Something is seriously wrong with this picture.

THE CANDIDA CONNECTION

Even though I've suspected a yeast overgrowth in S for some time now, I didn't want to introduce or take away anything too fast. As well, I didn't want to spend all of our dollars on concoctions that didn't have a valid, scientific test to prove it even existed.

So, I've been waiting. Until now.

Did you know that up to EIGHTY PERCENT of our immune system is found in our intestine? If there's something wrong in your gut... you've got trouble. You may very well be only using twenty percent of a functional immune system not to mention proper digestion of all SORTS of foods.

Candida is found in our body in a healthy balance. We need LOTS of GOOD bacteria and a small amount of candida to have a healthy gut. So, when given multiple rounds in a short amount of time, what do you think happens to the yeast in your system? Well, the yeast have nothing controlling its balance and the environment is perfect for growth.

I just read this short excerpt today from this website which explains, briefly, the candida/intestinal/autoimmune connection:
"...the blood can be overwhelmed by fungus and poisons, severely stressing the immune system. In addition, digestive difficulties often prevent the proper breakdown of PROTEIN."

See here for further explanation:
http://www.candidafree.net/resource_34.htm

Can we just stop and think now... if removing the wheat protein (gluten) and the dairy protein (casein) is having THIS MUCH of a drastic effect on our kids with the Four A's Epidemic (Autism, ADHD, Asthma, Allergies) on this North American Continent, can we at least stop and think that CANDIDA OVERGROWTH might just be part of this problem??

TESTING

The issue I've been having is that there's no sure-fire way to test for yeast overgrowth. At least not through our conventional labs. Yet, I now have enough evidence with my family to suspect that this is something I've got to treat.

For further reading:
http://www.yeastconnection.com

As already discussed, here are a couple of reasons yeast can set up shop in your system.
1. OVER prescribed antibiotics (antibiotics kill off the bad bacteria, yes... but, it also kills off the GOOD bacteria we need to keep these yeasts in balance).
2. OVERuse of antibiotics in the very same cows, which give us dairy.

THE DAIRY TOXIN

Listen, every time you drink cow's milk; EVERY time you eat cheese or yogurt that does not come from an organic dairy farm, understand this: These cows are treated with antibiotics. The next time a nursing mother is told to go on antibiotics, ask her doctor if those very same antibiotics will go to her nursing baby. Bet your life they do!

Do we think those very same antibiotics given to those cow-mamas (whose milk is meant for a 300LB CALF, by the way, and not our less-than-10lb babies... think about that) is not found in the very same dairy we feed our babies and doesn't affect their intestinal systems as it passes through?

Ever since our family went vegan, S has not had ONE ear infection... minus the one time someone ELSE gave him cow's milk during a cold. I've said this elsewhere: it's not that cow's milk CAUSES ear infections. However, if a child has any issues whatsoever with dairy (lactose, casein, etc), when our kid's immune system is lowered (colds, flus, autoimmune disorders, etc), the introduction of these "foreign" substances to their bodies will contribute to ear infections and who knows what else.

Lets stop pretending that what we've been feeding our kids is not somehow affecting their "whole" system from their stomach to their intestine to their bloodstream and eventually, for some, to their brain where I now believe is contributing to affecting my son.

WHAT CAN WE DO

I'm done thinking the government is going to stop allowing things to be given/sold to us, which are harmful to our health. Heck, we all know how harmful cigarettes are to us and to those who inhale the second-hand smoke around them. Yet, we don't see our government pulling THOSE off the shelves anytime soon, do we.

Look, we are our kids' only hope.

We can't trust doctors to look further into our kids' issues. When told, by more than one doctor, that if they don't "see" the typical of symptoms then they don't run tests, it was then I decided to take my family's health in my own hands.

I've been to several different doctors and specialists. Many tell me the symptoms they see in my children are "normal". Yet, I wouldn't let my DOG continue without being tested for the symptoms I see in my children: Chronic ear infections, chronic diarrhea, chronic constipation, and chronic rashes in children is NOT normal. If doctors won't do anything, I am FORCED (yet, very willing) to take my children's health in my own hands.

I seriously feel terrible for many families who don't have the wherewithal to take their kid's health into their own hands like we have. To put it in monetary terms though (might put some people's minds in perspective) our health care system would not be so bogged down if doctors actually spent more time in preventative care. As it is, however, they just don't have the time. Mind you, it would certainly be difficult at first but, wouldn't it be worth it? We then could prevent some of these kids from being stuck in the system when they become adults as well!! Lifting another huge burden on society!

Ugh.... yet another post.

Well, now, I just go to the doctor and TELL them which tests I would like them to run. If they won't run the tests I want, I go elsewhere.

And so it is.