Photo: Great grandparents at their farm in Blandinsville, IL, with five of their six children .. my grandpa was yet a twinkle in grandma's eye. Stable boy and governess also pictured. Hodges farm, circa 1903-4

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Nutrition DOES Matter

A few posts ago I wrote about my youngest son's visit to the pediatrician.  Last week we had another visit with a specialist .. hematologist .. blood doctor .. at our local Children's Hospital.  I'm not going to lie that it was easy to walk into this part of the hospital .. the pediatric oncology dept. with beautiful children being treated for cancer.  Our son's white blood count has been dangerously low the past 6 years but has not had the markers of leukemia or cancer.  As a parent my heart was in a very low spot.

So in April I began giving him a few supplements and continued with the farm fresh food.  His test results from this past week's blood draw show a remarkable improvement in his WBC.  It's gone from 2.7 to 4.  Four is the bottom end of NORMAL.  His hematologist does not think a bone marrow test is needed.

The only change:   SUPPLEMENTS ~ fermented cod liver oil, magnesium, a ten day gut cleanse to help eliminate any overgrowth of fungus .. followed by a good probiotic and two essential oils rubbed on his feet at night.

 Diet ~ fresh farm eggs with bright orange yolks.  NO PROCESSED foods .. Lots of organic green cabbage, asparagus, oranges, brown rice, pastured chicken/pork/beef.  Homemade buttermilk/ranch dressing for good gut bacteria.

In two months he's gone from being a lethargic teen to having ENERGY!  So the next time I hear his doctor mutter under his breath that my attention to my son's diet sounds boring I may not be able to still my tongue.

13 comments:

Kathryn said...

Hooray! Good for you!

BTW - i don't think you SHOULD have to hold your tongue. Your son's doc showed a marked lack of respect for you and your choices and i don't think you should have to tolerate that. I have a marked lack of respect for HIM as most docs are incredibly ignorant of what constitutes a good life, diet, and health.

And i say that, but i'm not good at speaking up myself. Instead i move on until i find someone i can tolerate, but not every one has that option.

I'm doing the "happy dance" for you. :) Glad that Nathan is feeling better, more alive.

Dani said...

So glad that Nathan's WBC is improving. A natural, 100% nutritious diets is what ALL children should be eating - not the diet of junk / over processed food which seems to be the norm is most first world countries.

Sue said...

The way you feed your family is the way we all should be eating. That doctor was a QUACK---diet IS everything! Good for you for doing what's right. You're a great mom!

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

What great news!

That's a good photo of Nathan. He looks happy.

What are the two essential oils that you use on his feet?

Love and hugs to you ~ FlowerLady

Humble wife said...

Wonderful!!! I know this too as we transformed our entire family's diet and have seen so many improvements!

May you continue on as mother knows best~cheers to you all!

Jennifer

Stella Jones said...

So glad you've seen an improvement in Nathan. Makes it all worthwhile doesn't it. Home cooked food is so good for us. I like the sound of your buttermilk. Is there a recipe in your blog for that? How to make it, I mean and what to do with it. It's something I don't use at all. Perhaps I should!
Doctors don't always know best, do they!

Rebecca said...

Thanks be to God! (And kuddos to YOU!)

Sandy said...

Praise God! This encourages me, Cathy, as I have started Shaun on fermented cod liver oil, magnesium, probiotics, digestive enzymes come next, and, as always, good natural organic foods. We are still trying to rid him of the anger and aggression and finally have a holistic psychiatrist who has recommended all these supplements. Unfortunately, he thinks one drug may also be in order...find out tomorrow. I do not want to go that route but we have to get Shaun settled.
So happy for you and sweet Nathan!
Love,
Sandy

Mrs. Mac said...

Flower Lady .. I've been consistently using vetiver and lavender oil each night before bed.

Star .. buttermilk is easy to make here's a link .. http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Cultured-Buttermilk

to make the buttermilk/ranch dressing take equal parts of mayonnaise and buttermilk .. add flavorings such as a crushed clove of garlic, salt/pepper, fresh or dried herbs (dill, thyme, etc) a dash of lemon juice or a little grated lemon peel. Mix well and store in the fridge for about two weeks.

Sandy Livesay said...

Mrs. Mac,

Oh what fabulous news, your son is fine and you made this happen.

Doctors need to listen to parents more often than reading those damn text books.

Ever consider being a doctor?

Tanya Murray said...

Yay! Another win for you Mrs Mac. I believe in you and I'm behind you all the way. You are a wonderful mother. x

Anonymous said...

A few weeks ago, during my son's doctor visit here in Coeur d'Alene, I expressed my concern about putting him on the medication the doctor was prescribing. The doctor told me, "You're talking out both sides of your mouth." As insulted as I was, I decided I don't need to like this guy for him to help my son. On the follow up visit, when I clarified the dosage he was prescribing for my son, the doctor said, "You're hovering!" I told him that I will not stop being a concerned parent, and I will not stop asking questions either. Needless to say, we are in the market for a new doctor. I fired him.

Good for you. You are healing your son with food, a concept many doctors are ignorant about.

Mrs. Mac said...

@ Kim .. that is horrible .. and I wonder if we had the same doctor?? We will have to compare notes over coffee.