Ground Report – Grandson

This is big enough to be its own story and in unrelated to BIMD. A post on the daily will not do it justice or provide enough valuable information for all of the parents, grandparents and interested others on this wonderful site. It also seeks your assistance.

Historical Situation

Most of you know about this from my previous posts in openers. Summary – developmentally delayed physically, primarily due to being about 3 weeks premature with severe birth/delivery trauma.

During his life to this point – sensory issues that affect his eating and nutrition. 6 percentile on weight, normal height at 54″. Skinny is the operative word. Late walking at 21 months, never did crawl as a baby normally. Hands were uncoordinated due to poor nerve development. Needed PT to learn to walk. Has needed PT recently to do things like learning to jump, catch a ball, dribble a basketball, ride a bike, etc. Receives school OT for those motor skills. All baby teeth had grown in by 14 months (that’s way early). Already has his adult chompers. Adenoids and tonsils out by age 5. Tubes in ears twice already. GI tract biopsy to determine allergy conditions at age 4 because he had been put on reflux meds. Was lactose intolerant. Stopped the reflux meds and made dairy changes.

Developed silent (absence) seizures with the mandatory mask wearing at school two years ago. Hell naw, to clot shots. Never. Seizures would involve eyes fluttering and going into a trance for about 10-15 seconds, after which he would immediately zone back in and resume whatever he was doing. No pain, no recognition that it happened. Pediatrician gave a referral to a local pediatric neurologist. Diagnosed it after exam, blood panel and EEG. Prescribed Ethosuximide, which worked for a few weeks and stopped. Went back in for another EEG study with bloodwork 4 months later. Prescribed Divalproex, which we learned is near narcotic level and used for mental illness issues in adults while being told to also continue the Ethosuximide. Doesn’t help, they make dosage levels adjustments of both, made episodes worse with delusions and nightmares increasing over several months. At this point we were in danger of losing our boy.

Mamaw, Papaw, Mother and Father decide to put an end to over a year and a half of med poison. Mamaw and Papaw seek alternatives and discover some chiro techniques are successful for treating kids with gastric, physical development, etc. issues. Papaw had success recently using one to be able to walk again after his back went out. So, in late April of this year, right before he turned 9 years old, grandson goes to the chiro we heard about from other locals who is at the top of that game for an eval. X-rays and exam are completed and she is very excited. She knows she can help. Our grandson loves her, will do anything she asks. Does the first adjustment using the activator method right then. She makes him feel better emotionally as well as physically from that point on.

She is the first medical professional he has gone to who considered the spine and neck as the primary problem. The first to do an x-ray. All it took was observing him and asking medical questions. She laid out a plan one week later and we followed as recommended. She asks for videos of his progress and wants all medical information from others to evaluate to modify the plan as necessary. Despite all of the PT, use of a nutritional/sensory therapist, use of pediatrician, use of physician specialists, IEP meetings, OT at school – nary a sound from any of them in 9 years about a potential central nervous system issue.

All the while I went on many of his medical exams and IEP meetings with his parents. I explained in many of them about his first two years since Mamaw and I took care of him several days a week during the period while his parents worked. I told them about how he had always opened and shut his hands as a baby laying in the floor like he was trying to feel something. How he would stop and stare at the ceiling at times. We told them and they saw he was delayed on walking and never crawled correctly. He could not do much of anything with his hands that a normal two year old could do.

No response or suggestions other than take him to PT. Nothing.

He stayed on grade level academically except as it applies to physical development related activities. The happiest child ever since birth. The school admin and teachers love him. Plenty of friends and absolutely loves going to school.

Situation – 4.5 Months Later

He is now in monthly maintenance with the chiro. Chiro will do x-rays again the mid part of next month. She anticipates he is in acceptable range or nearly so in all areas based on her observations of his abilities to respond to what she asks him to do. Which is why she will go with monthly maintenance adjustments or as needed from this point on. She states his body will continue to go through retracing and retraining of the central nervous system. To describe, bend a water hose with water running through it together and what happens? The same thing happens to electronic impulses going through a body’s nerve system when there are issues with the spine, neck, etc. They are crimped for a lack of a proper medical term. The body has to retrace to work around the impacted spots. It will not be as effective as if it all flowed the way it is designed by the Creator. Now that it has been fixed for the first time since birth 9 years ago, his body needs time to retrace and be retrained into the proper responses.

Which was all being set back by the med poison given to him by the pediatric neurologist who violated the prescription protocol of the second drug, Divalproex. Who then refused to give weaning instructions to his parents and told them they would regret taking him off the poison meds. Still waiting to regret that decision, azzhat.

The pediatrician refused to override the specialist and give the instructions, said he could lose his medical license. But he fully understood our desire to do so because he had always expressed reservations about the diagnosis. The chiro concurred with our thoughts on how to do it after I consulted with all of you and did my research. Again – thank you! His parents were thrilled we were all in agreement, so they immediately began the process. In 4 weeks the weaning was complete and our grandson was so very happy to not take that nasty stuff.

Meanwhile, we had been taking him to PT for the coordination issues. Literally, all at once he began to do things he could not do before. The chiro visits were multiple times per week in the first month, which was at the same time as PT. It went so well with PT they had nothing left to accomplish after about a month and released him. The silent seizures began changing to more frequent, but much shorter 5 second at most day dream type events with no eye flutter and trance. He also began noticing he was having them for the first time. This was predicted by the chiro who has a niece who suffered from silent seizures that she was also able to help. We learned through the process that stress and anxiety created the seizure events about 90% of the time in our grandson. No stress, no seizure for the most part.

This process has continued all spring and summer. He is no longer lactose intolerant although we are still limiting its intake as a precaution. He absolutely loves goat milk. His appetite has improved although he still needs prompting to eat at times. Chiro recommended pediatric vitamin type supplements with pediatric level fish oil, which were added a month ago. School began in mid August. The supplements seemed to induce more anxiety driven focus events as they hyped him up more than should be happening in a classroom setting. So we stopped them to observe while keeping the chiro informed. The pediatrician gave a referral to a much more respected, successful pediatric neurologist two hours away should he be needed. An appointment was made for December subject to the grandson’s progress. The pediatrician has marveled at his progress since the chiro treatments began.

The chiro teaches other chiros in their professional association nationwide with CE and other events. With his parents permission, which we endorse, she now uses our grandson as a teaching example for their industry. He has become quite the star at their office and has increased their patient load from folks who have witnessed his turnaround.

Current Status

We requested the pediatrician do a full blood panel work up with his annual physical since weaning him off the meds and now that he is entering maintenance with the chiro. We were surprised, not surprised at the results that arrived yesterday. He is about 6 weeks removed from the med poison. His liver, BUN/Creatinine (kidney function) and red blood cells got hit harder. The rest are normal to near normal ranges.

The liver: AST/SGOT is at 44. It should be 15-40. ALT/SGPT is at 45. It should be 10-35.

The kidneys: BUN/Creatinine ratio is 28.6. it should be 7-25.

Red blood cells were visually seen to be larger than normal. The pediatrician says this is somewhat to be expected considering the meds he has been taking and expects it to return to normal.

The pediatrician has ordered a follow-up full panel blood test for early next month to spot trends and determine if a liver study is needed.

His mother called an IEP meeting last week with the school. They now understand what has been happening to our grandson and what the plan is going forward. They are 100% on board and promised to do a better job of logging focus events and activities causing them going forward. One on the team assigned herself to make sure he eats his lunch and has his snack daily as they seem to be keys to reducing the events. They are no longer fearful of his health and see him growing out of the focus issues at some point. They believe he will be a normal student and achieve his academic goals.

We were thrilled he wanted to actually eat the cafeteria food for the very first time instead of packing his lunch this school year.

Favorite food – beef or chicken soft shell tacos. Starting to love to eat good ole comfort food kids love – pizza, hamburgers, corn dogs, spaghetti, along with the tacos. He can have all of that he wants. Wish I could say the same.

Physically he has exploded with activity. He has turned into quite the basketball player. His joints have loosened and he now has fluid movements instead intense jabs and tense muscles. He can jump high and run normally. He mimics his favorite golfer’s swing, Jordan Speith, with fluidity instead of punching at it now. He’s finally a more normal kid physically.

Tears and laughter flow watching it all unfold.

That has increased his confidence greatly. For the first time he is talking back to his parents (chip off the old block – proud Papaw), playing one against the other, and making fun of others including Papaw. Puberty things are happening. Started whining about having to do homework for the first time. In short, he’s developing a bit of a personality and sense of humor – we love it. Of course we get to spoil him and send him home. His Mom and Dad are less enthused, but understand it is a good thing.

Another positive is he is not nearly as jealous of his bossy younger brother. As his confidence has grown he asserts himself. His younger brother is highly intelligent, physically athletic, and an instigator of getting others in trouble. Big brother now believes he can take him.

He had his best day that school academically so far yesterday. His teachers were thrilled. Just a couple of 2 second focus losses. His parents had a serious talk with him over Labor Day weekend about what was going on in his body and mind. They removed the internal pressure he felt to make good grades. He now understands they just want him to give his best efforts, be respectful to his teachers and to treat everybody else well. He seemed relieved and as happy as we have seen him in quite some time yesterday afternoon.

We Still Need and Value Your Input

Please offer your counsel on how to improve the blood functions described. We are focusing on increasing his food intake, which is helping. We know to keep him hydrated with non-kidney damaging fluids. We know to keep him active, which has increased exponentially. He sleeps well for the first time in his life now. We all believe he will outgrow the focus lapses now that his CNS and spinal functions are fixed.

Using pediatric level doses of CBD is on the table if needed for anxiety at some point. Would rather try that as opposed to using poison meds. My wife is successfully using CBD with turmeric. She has weaned totally off BP meds as well as fluid meds for her Meniere’s condition as a result.

We feel like the next blood test will trend the right direction, but do not know for sure. Any advice you can give that may assist this transition we greatly appreciate. Life is in the blood. We need to restore it to normal ranges.

We also covet your prayers and well wishes. I am always available to return the favor.

Cautionary Tale

I write this to also inform and seek your counsel as you know. Please, never accept medical advice from a supposed professional as the gospel. Look at all alternatives for yourselves as well as others you care about. Chiropractics worked in this case, traditional medicine or something else may work best in others. Check things out, dig, consult with trusted others, consider, meditate and pray.

Thank you!