Wishing I could bury my head in the sand...

Last Thursday, we finally met with Jennica's naturopath to design our plan of attack on her amino acids results. Mike and I are pretty bright, and becoming pretty well-informed on how to read lab results. We knew the results weren't great. However, neither of us were prepared for the naturopath to tell us that Jennica's results are among the worst she's ever seen, and that she's at a bit of a loss as to how to proceed, since there are so many different things that need fixed, and they really need to be tackled in a methodical manner......rather than all at once.

So.........we're delving into the world of "compounding pharmeuticals." I've decided (in my immature, pouting manner at the moment) that this is a sign that your body systems are really really messed up......when they have to "create" substances JUST for you. And these things HAVE to be taken slowly, as we HAVE to be able to properly gauge the results. So.......we're starting with a specialty slow-release magnesium and B6 in pill form, and hoping that the levels climb. And we're administering a different nutrient through a cream, as its known to be able to be absorbed through the skin. And we wait. Again. And re-test. Again. Before we can "hit her" with more stuff, we need to make sure that her body is going to be able to absorb and utilize these few things, before we dump a ton more into her. There is no point to putting a lot of nutrients into her system if her body won't use them, which is precisely what its doing with food.

And we have to tighten the screws down even harder on her diet. We are now looking for "hidden" forms of gluten, casein, eggs, and peanuts in absolutely everything she eats. I had missed the fine print on the fact that eggs are in the bread we have been buying........so good-bye to that bread. We ran out of her organic maple syrup last week, so she has been eating regular syrup. Gone. All of those last-minute options for "minor" things have to go away. It is our best chance to heal her intestinal tract......which is the only permanent solution.

So until then.......we pray that her body is going to start responding to nutrients, but we also have to deal with the likelihood that it won't. The next options involve shots or IV therapies, that put these crucial life-supporting nutrients directly into her blood, and bypass her damaged digestive tract altogether. But there are risks to that, too, so first.....we have to try this.

And in the meantime, I feel the ever-present calendar staring down at us. The human body is designed (from caveman times) to focus on survival first. Her physical system is thriving. She gained EIGHT pounds between December and May, after the removal of the gluten. But the body will make a choice to survive first.......and feed the high-level brain functions last. In order for her to keep up with her peers and succeed in Kindergarten, we have to have her brain fed.

And then, I think to myself, thank heavens we found all this out now. What if she was a 5th grader? What if she was an 8th grader that had struggled all these years? How many children are out there that get treated as simply behavioral problems that have these types of drastic physical correctable things going on in their bodies?

So.......I guess I'm torn. We've come so far since last Fall. We understand SO much more. We have a long path behind us and I'm SO very proud of the huge advances that she's made. And then I look at the path ahead of us and groan. UUUUUGHHHHH! But she is SO very worth it! And just for the record, its always hard because she looks so darn normal, talks a mile a minute, and goes at the speed of light all day long. The average person never could imagine the struggles going on inside that little body! And I know that some days, we totally sound like the "nutty" parents. Oh well........