Thursday, September 25, 2008

Back from vacation....lots to share


First of all, thank you guys for reading and commenting. It really is encouraging to hear from others and know others are praying for us.

We've had an interesting couple of weeks. Both girls' skin has gotten really bad with eczema over the last month or so. I tried parasite syrup since in the past that is what caused a bad flare up, but it didn't help. I took them to our Doc that practices homeopathy / NAET allergy treatments / kinesthesiology. He diagnosed them both with candida, an overgrowth of yeast in the digestive tract.

I was aware of this since I have friend that struggled with being very ill for a couple months and doctors couldn't figure out what was going on. (Antibiotic use is a major risk factor since it kills the bacteria that keeps the yeast under control.) Finally, she went to see our doc and he diagnosed her with it. It's been two months now and she is feeling much, much better...although it is a long road to recovery.

The treatment for this is to starve the yeast (which feeds on sugar) and take an anti-fungal to help kill the yeast. Well, we were leaving for vacation in a few days, so we started the anti-fungal and eliminated the obvious sugars, but we haven't started the candida diet yet. I didn't see a way to do it on vacation in a house full of other people eating things they couldn't have with only a few days to get recipes and research and shop. It's seems nearly impossible to me to start it at home now that we are back! No sugar, no yeast, no wheat, no artificial sugars, nearly no fruit. And the information varies with what you can and can't have. My girls live on fruit!

We are now home and I'm trying to find info on what they can eat and recipes I can make to help them get in better balance. My 8yo is not showing symptoms besides her eczema flaring up. The doc said she just has a little overgrowth, so I think between eliminating obvious sugars and making sure she is getting pro-biotics and anti-fungal, she will be within normal soon, maybe even now.

My 4yo has much more yeast overgrowth. She is showing symptoms. Her tummy hurts a lot, she complains of not feeling good and asks me to take her to the doctor. She is also hungry all the time...even just after eating.

Now for MRSA update: Still no antibiotics! However, we did have some MRSA show itself. Before leaving for vacation I felt a little sensitive spot on my leg. The next morning it was MRSA. I had taken my turmeric with me and decided to try it. I took 6 pills morning and night, and I think it really helped. It was completely gone within 3 days after being about 6" in diameter (the redness part). I was glad to try the turmeric on myself since it's hard to tell with kids. I did notice a considerable difference. It still drained a little, but not as much as most and the drainage was different, more clear liquid came out. I could also tell a difference if I hadn't taken the turmeric. I noticed the pain subside after taking it, but it would start getting painful again when it was time for my next dosage. We are all taking it right now. It's so cheap, and has other health benefits.

Since both girls eczema was bad, vacation was not too relaxing. We went to the beach and both of them had rashy areas from head to toe, literally. Of course the sand and salt water made them sting. Then some of these places started getting infected with MRSA. I was glad to get home and back on a routine. Both of them are looking good now, with just a few small places on my 8yo that are now drying up. We did use Hibiclens on spots though. It was getting so bad, we had no other choice that I hadn't tried yet.

I'm sure there is something I'm leaving out....I'll write more later. Thanks for all your suggestions...I may try a bleach bath with the girls instead of hibiclens this week.

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Progress....

Although I was really thinking we may have to use oral antibiotics, we didn't!!! Whoo Hoo! We just used Hibiclens, but only on spots, not all over like in the past. We also used the Turmeric. Can't say for sure if that helped, but we will use it again if needed (although it's possible there won't be a next time, I still have hope!) I ended up giving my 8yo 6 capsules at a time. it did seem to help with inflammation, so we'll see.

Thanks StingRay for your prayers. They mean a lot to me! I have friends here that are very supportive and pray for us, but no one can really understand unless they've been there, so your prayers are very meaningful!

My 4yo's eczema seems to be a little worse lately, although we haven't been to our alternative Doc for a while, just so busy. I'm hoping to get them in soon so we can continue the progress we have seen.

More later....