I haven't posted on the forum for awhile. It is so emotional every time I come here. Plus my dd's eczema and allergies have just totally consumed my life and I'm trying not to let it. The good news is she is so much better right now and is happier, that it is getting easier and easier to just live our life instead of focusing on it. She has worn short sleeves and pants for 6 days in a row now, her first time! 
:
I've posted when we've had improvements, but we've also had backslides. I've felt angry at times feeling like our practitioner misled me. In reality it is just a tricky thing and she isn't God and is doing her best as well. I've gone back to avoiding foods and am sort of embarrassed by that after what I've posted about not doing elimination diets and about food allergies, so haven't wanted to share. I'll give it to you straight now - in case it can help anyone in any small way.
Some of you are a bit familiar with all we've tried and been through, so I won't go over it here. I'll just say that at her worst, I've been on the phone to a hospital to talk about admitting her due to extensive eczema, but we never did.
Four weeks ago during a visit to our chiro/chinese/accu doc she suggested I go off of dairy and wheat. I was kind of irritated, but did it. Within days of going off of wheat and dairy dd improved dramatically. Keep in mind she still has plenty of spots, but they were intact, not weepy, less red, and much fewer of them. Once she looked that "good" she was like a new palette. All of a sudden, when I ate something, I was able to see a corresponding change. Because new spots would form, usually on the back of her legs. She's always been so riddled before I could never notice anything like that. Well, I threw 2 eggs in the blender for a smoothie and 24 hours later she had new spots, so I took eggs out of my diet. I noticed a correlations with corn so removed that too. In general we avoid soy. But we were at a children's museum that had Odwalla bars. There were free from dairy and wheat so I bought a bunch and ate 4 while we were there. They had soy. 24 hours later, new spots behind her legs. So it was pretty easy to see it was the soy. Right from the beginning, the only thing the doc had told me to avoid was nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, white potato and eggplant). When when she was at her very worst I had eaten A LOT of salsa and so she figured it was the tomato and peppers.
So now, I'm avoiding the following foods:
Tomato
white potato
peppers (bell, chili)
egg plant
dairy
wheat
corn
soy
eggs
And this morning for instance, she looks the best she's looked since the eczema came back after the NAET. When I was on the total elimination diet of 5 ingredients, I was avoiding ALL of the above, and MORE for 17 days. There was NO improvement for her AT THAT TIME. So I really do believe that she and I have healed some and that things that used to bother her before do not now. I think she may have some slight intolerances to foods that are not on the above list, but as the other major items get out of her system her eczema will continue to heal. And as her gut heals she will continue to be less bothered by the minors and eventually heal to the majors as well.
Since I've cut out the above, the eczema on my hands has finally fully healed as well.
Also, I work 3 days per week and pump, but instead of dd getting my milk, she gets neocate during that time, which she will take. The doc recommended I switch fully to the neocate so she could really heal but I couldn't do it. I took the doc seriously too because she nursed her dds for 4 years - she knew how hard it would be for us but thought it worth it to heal the baby. But I couldn't do it. Now I'm glad I didn't anyways -she is healing. But I fully support any mama who does make the switch for her baby's sake.
Also, we use this clay we got from the doc. She claims it isn't a cure, but my dh believes it is, and it really does seem to soothe, though I'm surprised. It has lanolin, petrolatum, bentonite clay, zinc, camphor, and eucalyptus. We have put in on open sores that look infected. It smells strong and you'd think it would sting, but she gets calm immediately. i think the camphor and eucalyptus fight infection, and I think the zinc promotes healing. I think the lanolin and petrolatum soothe.
We used hydrocotizone ointment as needed for about 2-3 months. It doesn't help long term but short term a bit. She hasn't had any for 3 months.
BTW, I am still on an aspirin a day, so that isn't what was hurting her. I obviously don't avoid foods high in salicylics because the aspirin would be more than the food anyways.
Here are the things our doc has recommended. She has told us SO much over the last 4 months and sometimes changes gears when things aren't working. I've put stuff in the order that I think is the most important. Here is some of what she's said:
*************************
*Chew your food to consistency of baby food.
*Digestive enzymes with every meal, even in between, I use NESS brand, by enyzmes inc, I get from her.
*Cod Liver oil LIQUID (was on capsule, didn't help).
baby gets it too (when I remember)
*Flax oil daily
*kombucha tea. Spendy. I usually make one bottle last over 2-3 days (probiotics through food).
*Power Kraut or Bubbies "real" saur kraut. Drink a tablespoon of the liquid out of the jar every day - one jar will last a while. I also ate a forkful of the kraut every day - it was good! (probiotics through food)
*Three servings COOKED green leafy veggies daily (don't start with three if you don't already eat this way, start with one a day and work up - I never did get to three a day)
*kefir (probiotics through food) although now I'd recommend skipping this and trying to be off of dairy. Or make this your only dairy.
*calcium lactate
*Get sleep (I never could/can but she claimed it vital)
*no cold things in the stomach - I keep my water out of the fridge now.
*Super food (comes in a jar, powdered veggies) I'm not that good about this.
*catalyn
~Tracy
:I've posted when we've had improvements, but we've also had backslides. I've felt angry at times feeling like our practitioner misled me. In reality it is just a tricky thing and she isn't God and is doing her best as well. I've gone back to avoiding foods and am sort of embarrassed by that after what I've posted about not doing elimination diets and about food allergies, so haven't wanted to share. I'll give it to you straight now - in case it can help anyone in any small way.
Some of you are a bit familiar with all we've tried and been through, so I won't go over it here. I'll just say that at her worst, I've been on the phone to a hospital to talk about admitting her due to extensive eczema, but we never did.
Four weeks ago during a visit to our chiro/chinese/accu doc she suggested I go off of dairy and wheat. I was kind of irritated, but did it. Within days of going off of wheat and dairy dd improved dramatically. Keep in mind she still has plenty of spots, but they were intact, not weepy, less red, and much fewer of them. Once she looked that "good" she was like a new palette. All of a sudden, when I ate something, I was able to see a corresponding change. Because new spots would form, usually on the back of her legs. She's always been so riddled before I could never notice anything like that. Well, I threw 2 eggs in the blender for a smoothie and 24 hours later she had new spots, so I took eggs out of my diet. I noticed a correlations with corn so removed that too. In general we avoid soy. But we were at a children's museum that had Odwalla bars. There were free from dairy and wheat so I bought a bunch and ate 4 while we were there. They had soy. 24 hours later, new spots behind her legs. So it was pretty easy to see it was the soy. Right from the beginning, the only thing the doc had told me to avoid was nightshade family (tomatoes, peppers, white potato and eggplant). When when she was at her very worst I had eaten A LOT of salsa and so she figured it was the tomato and peppers.
So now, I'm avoiding the following foods:
Tomato
white potato
peppers (bell, chili)
egg plant
dairy
wheat
corn
soy
eggs
And this morning for instance, she looks the best she's looked since the eczema came back after the NAET. When I was on the total elimination diet of 5 ingredients, I was avoiding ALL of the above, and MORE for 17 days. There was NO improvement for her AT THAT TIME. So I really do believe that she and I have healed some and that things that used to bother her before do not now. I think she may have some slight intolerances to foods that are not on the above list, but as the other major items get out of her system her eczema will continue to heal. And as her gut heals she will continue to be less bothered by the minors and eventually heal to the majors as well.
Since I've cut out the above, the eczema on my hands has finally fully healed as well.
Also, I work 3 days per week and pump, but instead of dd getting my milk, she gets neocate during that time, which she will take. The doc recommended I switch fully to the neocate so she could really heal but I couldn't do it. I took the doc seriously too because she nursed her dds for 4 years - she knew how hard it would be for us but thought it worth it to heal the baby. But I couldn't do it. Now I'm glad I didn't anyways -she is healing. But I fully support any mama who does make the switch for her baby's sake.
Also, we use this clay we got from the doc. She claims it isn't a cure, but my dh believes it is, and it really does seem to soothe, though I'm surprised. It has lanolin, petrolatum, bentonite clay, zinc, camphor, and eucalyptus. We have put in on open sores that look infected. It smells strong and you'd think it would sting, but she gets calm immediately. i think the camphor and eucalyptus fight infection, and I think the zinc promotes healing. I think the lanolin and petrolatum soothe.
We used hydrocotizone ointment as needed for about 2-3 months. It doesn't help long term but short term a bit. She hasn't had any for 3 months.
BTW, I am still on an aspirin a day, so that isn't what was hurting her. I obviously don't avoid foods high in salicylics because the aspirin would be more than the food anyways.
Here are the things our doc has recommended. She has told us SO much over the last 4 months and sometimes changes gears when things aren't working. I've put stuff in the order that I think is the most important. Here is some of what she's said:
*************************
*Chew your food to consistency of baby food.
*Digestive enzymes with every meal, even in between, I use NESS brand, by enyzmes inc, I get from her.
*Cod Liver oil LIQUID (was on capsule, didn't help).
baby gets it too (when I remember)
*Flax oil daily
*kombucha tea. Spendy. I usually make one bottle last over 2-3 days (probiotics through food).
*Power Kraut or Bubbies "real" saur kraut. Drink a tablespoon of the liquid out of the jar every day - one jar will last a while. I also ate a forkful of the kraut every day - it was good! (probiotics through food)
*Three servings COOKED green leafy veggies daily (don't start with three if you don't already eat this way, start with one a day and work up - I never did get to three a day)
*kefir (probiotics through food) although now I'd recommend skipping this and trying to be off of dairy. Or make this your only dairy.
*calcium lactate
*Get sleep (I never could/can but she claimed it vital)
*no cold things in the stomach - I keep my water out of the fridge now.
*Super food (comes in a jar, powdered veggies) I'm not that good about this.
*catalyn
~Tracy
. i am also glad for you that you have a hcp that you trust - i have never even come close to that!
. i can only do it when she is sleeping, but she is such a light sleeper, i always wake her!
