NAET Review

We've been receiving treatments from our NAET (a.k.a. “voo-doo”) doctor for about a year and a half and wanted to post an update/summary to tell folks where we are and how we’re doing. We could write a book about it at this point but the important fact is that we’re “better”. We’re not bullet proof; we still struggle with food sensitivities, we still get colds, we have allergies… but we’re better. The following are some specifics if you’re interested.

Our youngest boy (2 years old last month!) has benefited the most from NAET. He was covered in eczema from one month old until he had been treated several times. I mean covered; head to toe. It is sheer joy to see his little tummy,thick little legs, arms and face free of eczema.  If you’ve seen this, you know what I mean.  Currently, he has no eczema, little to no rashing with foods (previously nearly all foods broke him out), only two recent outbreaks of hives/blisters (peanuts and a mystery food on vacation), and no breathing/upper respiratory problems (previously a regular issue).  He is sleeping at night (mostly), has no tummy issues (as long as he doesn't overdo it with fruit).  He is like a new boy.  It is true that he is bigger and some things he could have outgrown, but we still have things pop up to remind us how blessed we are that we have the NAET treatments to fall back on when he reacts badly to a specific food.  If he breaks out from a food, we have him treated for that food the next time we see Dr. Clifford.  (Example: he broke out with some eczema last month and we had to take a new cleaner to the doctor. No more eczema post treatment.)  Even after a year and a half, it sounds silly to say we get “fixed” for certain things, but silly or not, it has changed our world.

Our middle angel (our sensitive guy) is doing a lot better, too, but we are still trying to get to the bottom of his breathing problems.  He gets exposed to a combination of allergens and/or sensitivities and develops a persistent dry cough that we call the machine-gun cough; this apparently is a common symptom of childhood asthma.  To address the cough he was given approximately five courses of oral steroids last year.  To get a handle on the asthma we tried a recommended allergist and we are now treating him with daily meds for seasonal allergies/asthma.  Although this was not our first choice, the meds seem to keep things fairly even.  He is able to eat the occasional treat, some wheat, and a little dairy without upsetting the apple cart.  We attribute the food success to his NAET treatments.  It means a lot being able to have the birthday cake at a friend’s party or a scoop of regular ice cream on vacation.  Still must avoid the biggies – red dye, artificial sweeteners, chocolate – these are like a triple espresso for him and make him mean.  He’s been treated for red dye and chocolate but there are still issues there to work on.  We also avoid a dozen other oddities that don’t agree with our sensitive guy (i.e. no polyester pajamas/blankies…  I have no theories to explain this, but it’s true). After five years of this, we get weary sometimes.

Our oldest is our perpetual optimist.  It’s tough to get him down so he doesn’t act like any allergies bother him.  He still has a seasonal allergy issue we can’t pin down and dairy always makes him congested even though he’s been treated for it several times.  In general, if he lays off the dairy and a bunch of sugary treats, he’s a healthy kid.  Praise the Lord for a happy kid.

The rest of us still have some seasonal allergies, although Christian's are much better.  He was taking a Claritin a day about 30%-40% of the year and now only occasionally (note that this year is reportedly an epic allergy year).  Trina has some funny little things clear up, like the bumpy skin (the allergist said this is a sign of a very allergic person) on the back of the upper arms and front of the upper legs.  She's had that her whole life, but something Dr. Clifford did cleared it up.

Our general philosophy on food has changed over the years but has been shaped mostly by our family’s sensitivities (boys 2 and 3).  We give the boys good fruit instead of sugary stuff.  We pretty much avoid processed foods with more than five ingredients (the fewer the better), bleached flour and sugar, high fructose corn syrup and red dye.  Eat lots of veggies.  Buy the best meat we can afford or skip it.  As a result of our struggles the last few years, we now consider the money we spend on food as an investment in the health of our boys (and ourselves, I guess).

The greatest gift that we’ve received from Dr. Clifford is sleep.  Weeding out a couple of the big issues has allowed our middle and littlest boys to sleep through the night.  They both still get up sometimes but what a blessing a few nights of rest can be for a family (and especially a mom).

Even after a year and a half, we balk at trying to explain our trips to the voo-doo doctor.  I’m just the kind of skeptic that doesn’t abide by medical treatments that don’t make sense.  My friends do chuckle at my explanations of the treatments.  I don’t care.  I don’t really understand it all and I don’t have to.  I’m not taking my kids to the voo-doo doctor because it makes me feel good but because my kids are healthier and happier for having gone.  I hope someday to be done with all the food avoidance and playing detective as we figure out what caused our boy to react “today”, but until then, I’m awfully glad we found a treatment to remove some of these triggers from our world.  It gives us hope and sometimes a little hope makes all the difference.

---Christian  

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NAET Update

The answer is Yes.  NAET is working for us.

Sure, we've heard great reports from friends and acquaintances, but it's hard to believe unless you've seen it first hand.

Christian has seen a significant improvement in his Spring-time allergies.  Only four Claritin this season gives us reason to celebrate. Since he approaches everything from a science background, he was skeptical.  But even he has confessed this week, "The voodoo works."

Our middle angel (4 years old) is now able to handle eating foods that contain gluten!  Major cool.  He still isn't having it with every meal but we're introducing it into his diet with success and no apparent tummy or skin issues as before.  You should have seen his face when he had his first donut.  We are trying to start with whole grains, but you have to live a little when you can't remember ever having a cracker or a piece of bread in your lifetime.  It was a Krispy Kreme yeast donut, by the way. :)  

The baby's eczema has cleared up.  We keep finding new things that trigger it but, as we figure out the trigger foods, we take those items to the NAET doctor and have the baby treated.  Then I am able to eat those things without affecting baby's skin negatively.  It's quite amazing.

It's been a miracle for us straight from heaven.

Thanking God for His grace,
~Katrina

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Eczema: not the perfect baby skin

Our baby's skin isn't perfect, but it is improving.  By God's grace, we have discovered most of the foods that trigger his reactions.  At 8 months old he is downright refusing solids so we know exactly what he is eating.  As long as Mommy steers clear of trigger foods, the baby skin is sufficiently clear without using a topical steroid.

Sometimes we are even able to give only one bath a day, instead of two (see previous post with tips that have helped us manage little man's eczema).  Mommy still has to avoid certain foods, but he is much less sensitive to fabrics.  We still have issues with heat/sweating causing a rash.  And, once the skin is just a little bit irritated, baby will start scratching... which results in a rash.  Overall, he has improved significantly.

The general consensus is that baby boy will be less affected by foods and environment the older he gets and the stronger his body becomes.

Although we seem to have the eczema "managed", we'd like to do better.  By better, we mean it would be easier (and cheaper) if baby and Mommy could eat some of the no-no foods like dairy or gluten. We've exhausted the avenues available through traditional sources, so we thought "why not try some of the kooky hocus pocus, too?"

This sounds far-out so don't think we're too crazy... It is called N.A.E.T.  We'd never heard of this particular practice of revised eastern medicine, but here we are... trying one more thing.  It's kind of like acupuncture without the acupuncture.  The jury is still out on this one, so stay tuned.

We'll share more later.
~ Christian & Katrina

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Eczema: Six Month Progress Report

There are so many potential factors that go into making our baby's atopic eczema a reality.  We're trying to take notes and not obsess. Our allergist, the internet, good books and friends--plus a little bit of trial and error--have taught us much.  We've noticed a few things that are helpful.

Smiley Shark on a Good Day

1.  Take extra baths.  For us, it is true that extra baths help. Soaking in a warm (not hot) bath for 20 minutes is supposed to be key, but that is not doable for us (more like 10 minutes tops).  We use Dove Sensitive Soap to cleanse the skin and Vaseline (unscented) to seal in the moisture after patting skin dry.  The rash will begin to flare up further if we give one bath a day. Skipping a day is not an option at all.  We have noticed that although he loves being in the bath, he starts itching immediately after he is dried off (i.e. clawing at "hot spots" like the backs of the knees).  We found another blog that mentioned this and they recommended "distracting" baby after you get him dried off and dressed as the initial 5-10 minutes post bath are the itchiest.  We have no real explanation for this, but it seems to be the case for us.

2.  Keep skin covered.  We try to keep the little man in sleepers to cover most of his body.  If skin is exposed, he will often scratch it or rub it on material (anything non-cotton) which irritates the skin.  Our theory regarding direct contact exposure exacerbating the rash is supported when we see the rash clear up on his trunk but flair up on face and neck after he cuddles with pretty much anyone other than the ever-diligent mommy.

3.  Moisturize often.  Smearing Vaseline all over his little body between baths helps.  We're tried various moisturizers.   Because they contain the least allergenic ingredients, our allergist recommends Vaseline, Crisco (yes, really), Cetaphil or Aquaphor for moisturizers.  We still had to try a few. Our baby's skin broke out from Aveeno (we think it was the oatmeal).  He broke out in serious hives from Cetaphil (citrus or macadamian nut oil?).  And Aquaphor didn't really do the trick.  It's pretty greasy, but we have been pleased with the cost and effectiveness of Vaseline.

4.  Apply Anti-Itch Cream.  When the rash gets angry, we have to apply a cortizone cream.  We have heard many others who are pleased with Elidel, but our allergist recommends a 1% over-the-counter hydrocortizone cream which is all we've tried so far.  It relieves the itching enough so that our little dude can sleep.  We apply immediately after bath (pat skin dry first) and apply the Vaseline right on top of it.  We've heard that daily use of hydrocortizone is bad for skin, so we really try to stretch out the length of time between days we use it (like one day on, two days off).

5.  Avoid Problem Foods.  Much can be said about foods.  Our allergist is sure that if we can eliminate the right foods in mommy's diet, our breastfed baby's skin will clear up.   So far, we are sure about the following problem foods: dairy, soy, eggs, nuts, oats, corn, apples, citrus. These will cause immediate flare ups.   It is amazing that these can cause such a problem in breast milk.  Such a sensitive little guy. Katrina is keeping a food diary and it has proven helpful, but progress has been slow.  Mainly by documenting foods eaten on good days and foods eaten on bad days, we are able to weed out the most problematic foods.  We've been at this for 6 months and are starting to have more good days than bad.  

6.  Use Less Laundry Soap.  Our allergist recommends using only Borax (or 1/4 recommended amount of laundry detergent) and no fabric softener on our clothing.  Double rinse the clothes and use 1/2 cup of vinegar in the first rinse to neutralize the alkaline nature of cleansers in wash.  This has worked surprising well for us.

It seems like a lot of detective work, but it is worth it to help keep our little pumpkin comfortable.  It goes without saying that a comfortable pumpkin means more sleep and more smiles for all parties involved!!!

For more detail on any bullet point, please comment below or email us privately.  We'd be happy to share with you what is working for us.

Happy New Year!

~ Christian & Katrina

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Eczema: the rash that keeps on giving

My sweet baby, Theo, is an eczema victim.  I'm so grateful that he's healthy and quite smiley otherwise, but it still stinks.

Theo, at 8-weeks-old, broke out with eczema all over his body the day after having his first immunization. The pediatrician says his body was reacting against the vaccination, not to it (I need to read up on this).  I knew I needed to investigate my diet since both my first- and second-born sons had food allergies or intolerances.  (Here was my go-to book* when I was frantically searching for answers to problems for my second son, Gabe.)  Before using the recommended steroid cream, we tried baths, no baths, various lotions and creams, etc.  Since I was breastfeeding, I was also trying to "weed out" potential foods that are on various food sensitivity lists.  The eczema did clear up for a few days.  But I went out of town and decided to abandon my diet for the weekend.  Since then, only a steroid cream will clear up the inflamed, itchy skin and it will come back as soon as I quit using it.

I took Theo to our allergist where we discovered he was allergic to dairy and eggs.  I had already been pretty careful with dairy because our family historically has problems with dairy.  Plus Theo would spit up all over the place and be pretty fussy if I ate any dairy at all.  The doctor recommended I also remove gluten from my diet since we already have one child whose blood tested positive for Celiacs Disease.

I must admit, I did shed a few tears the day the allergist told me to give my baby two or more baths a day, lotion often, and cut out diary, gluten and eggs.  But it has not been as difficult as I'd imagined.  I do struggle coming up with the necessary breastfeeding snacks without dropping big bucks in the "gluten free" aisle at Whole Foods.

Plus--you may not believe this--I feel better than I’ve felt in years!  I can’t remember a time in my life where my mind  felt this clear and I had so much energy with so little sleep.  Seriously, I used to always be exhausted.  I’ve heard people boast these marvelous rewards with a gluten-free diet before but, for me, it’s true!

The allergist gave me instructions for bathing and moisturizing that beg to be shared with other eczema sufferers.  It seems to make Theo more comfortable, especially helping him fall asleep easier.  We give him a bath twice a day in warm water, cleansing with Dove Sensitive Skin Unscented bar soap and then pat dry.  With skin still damp, we seal in the moisture with Vaseline.  I appreciated this advice in lieu of buying expensive eczema products, but I'm not sure if Vaseline is doing the trick.  However, the bath and mild soap really help!  

I'm still working on tricks to keep Theo from scratching his face raw.  I swaddle him during bedtimes, keep his nails short, and moisturize frequently.  This is a work in progress since he's only 4 months old.

The allergist is certain I should find a food that will eliminate the eczema.  The pediatrician isn't so sure.  For now, I'm avoiding what the allergist said to avoid and keeping a food diary of the rest.  A breastfeeding mom really has to consume mega calories, after all.

I'll keep you posted on our progress.  In the meantime, I'd love to hear from our readers...  Any secret eczema treatments?

~ Katrina

* We are paid a small advertising fee if you purchase off our link, but the point of the link is to provide easy access to literature we found helpful.  My husband says if you're gonna buy it anyway, he'll accept the sixty-seven cents! :)

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