And so little money! I continuously feel like I’m caught in a never-ending quagmire of which interventions to try first. I’m guessing I’m not alone in this dilemma. Any family raising a combo platter kid can get overwhelmed with the potential choices of interventions to help the child. The confusing thing for me has been that many of these interventions do bring about a positive impact. But not a single one has been THE magic bullet.

For the first five years... more

“Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and McLean Hospital have found that practicing yoga may elevate brain gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) levels.” So what you might ask? Well this is neurochemical “proof” that yoga can help those suffering from many mental illnesses.

First off, you have to understand the role of GABA. It is the brain’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. That means it STOPS things…impulsive... more

According to the FDA, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, under the Freedom of Information Act, there were 1,637 reports of adverse reactions to the human papillomavirus vaccination (HPV), called Gardasil. The vaccine is designed to help protect women from developing a certain type of cervical cancer. The virus HPV, human papillomavirus, is spread through sexual contact and the vaccine blocks two types of HPV before they can begin. Researchers are recommending the vaccine be given to girls around 11 or 12 years of age, in three separate doses, so their immune systems can be activated and build up antibodies, prior to beginning sexual activity and being exposed to HPV.

Three of the... more

One of my readers told me about her ongoing physical battle with the long-term effects of chemotherapy treatments, she had received as a child. The biggest challenge, she shared with me, was getting her doctors to believe that she had a real physical problem caused by the treatments she had received so many years ago. Apparently, studies hadn’t been completed on the lasting effects of chemotherapy, at least none that she could find, while searching on the internet... more

Calling all parents of kids with FAS, autism, schizophrenia or yet-diagnosed extreme behaviors…does your child have Pyroluria? Now’s a good time to find out. Pyroluria is the name given to extreme Vitamin B6 deficiency or the production of too much "kryptopyrrole" (KP) or "hemepyrrole" (HP) in the blood.

The symptoms of excess urinary kryptopyrrole include poor tolerance of physical and emotional stress, mood swings, depression, sensitivity to light, noise and other tactile sensitivities. Later symptoms can range... more

Asthma causes changes to your child’s airways that become chronic conditions. The lining of the airways swell. When the airways are swollen, they become more sensitive to triggers. The airways become narrow when the muscles around the airways constrict during an asthma attack. In some people with asthma, the mucus glands in the airways produce thick and excessive mucus. Breathing becomes difficult and labored because of both the constriction and the inflammation.

You need to seek medical care if your child displays... more

My new friend, Faith, over at the “Hoping to Adopt Blog” had a scary visit to the emergency room last week with her seven year old son. He was experiencing a severe asthma attack, during which she was unable to stabilize him at home. She made the decision to rush him to the emergency room and she shared some of their “bad” experience with me.

He was coughing like crazy and wasn’t able stop coughing even to gasp for air, so she gave him two puffs of Albuterol from his inhaler. When he showed no signs of improvement after she administered his “rescue drug,” she... more

Last week’s Parade Magazine has an article entitled “What You Can Do About Food Allergies.” Parade.com hasn’t got it posted in archives yet, but it was an interesting overview of how food allergies are really on the rise. The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) estimates that 2.2 million school-aged children and one in 17 children under the age of 3 have a food allergy. One study showed a doubling of peanut allergies (one in 250 kids in 1997 to one in 125 kids... more

Chemotherapy uses medication to treat cancer by killing rapidly dividing cells. Therefore, rapidly dividing healthy cells die at the same time as the cancer cells. Administered in cycles, chemotherapy drugs may be taken daily, weekly, or monthly for a few months or several months, with a recovery period after each treatment. Recovery periods allow time for your body to rest and produce new, healthy cells to replace the ones previously destroyed during treatment. Chemotherapy can be the only treatment for cancer or used in combination with surgery, radiation therapy or a bone marrow transplant. One advantage of using chemotherapy... more

Years and years of parenting traumatized and special needs children can not only cause emotional stress. Over time it can actually deplete the abilities of your adrenal glands. Adrenal gland depletion is serious stuff. Most experts explain that a slow healing/replenishing is needed…one that can take years. My research into adrenal depletion has yielded the following suggestions.

1. Take a good multi-vitamin. One high in B-vitamins, magnesium, zinc and vitamin C, all important for the adrenal gland function. 2. Get... more