Adoption journey

Over the past year, the Lord has been growing, teaching, and challenging our family in so many ways! We are responding to the Lord's leading and are expanding our family through the adoption of a precious baby!

Thursday, August 24, 2017

Our health roller coaster

FOUR years ago. We had just brought home our fourth SON. Life was a whirlwind of excitement, exhaustion, fun, chaos, silliness, sickness, sleepless nights and I was desperate for help, sleep and healthy kids.

BACK STORY
When our oldest was born a month early via C-section, he was healthy but struggled with all the "typical" issues, like colic and reflux. Our first pediatrician put him on multiple reflux drugs, one was a horrible neuro-inhibitor and is now off the market. We saw our baby react to the drug with a panic attack at just 1 month old... scary and sad. Right after his 1 year vaccines, he began getting sick all the time and suffered for months with chronic ear infections, was on round after round of antibiotics and eventually had surgery to put tubes in his ears. This was only a temporary fix and ear infections continued to be the norm in his life for many years.

Antibiotics, antihistamines, NSAIDS/Ibuprofen/Tylenol, acid reducers were commonly used medications in our home. I had grown up learning that there was a medicine for every issue, illness or injury. I had constant allergies, bronchitis several times a year and difficulties with asthma. I developed a medicinal stomach ulcer (at 17 years old) from drugs given after wisdom teeth surgery. I still remember reacting (with hallucinations) to a common antihistamine at the age of 5 years old. While I had seen many terrible reactions to drugs (OTC and pharmaceutical), it still took me awhile to wake up and learn that there is a better way to care for our health.

While we still saw allergic reactions to antibiotics (and vaccine reactions) with our 2nd and 3rd sons, we began waking up and trying to take a more natural approach to health and diet. Our middle sons have only been on antibiotics once in their lives because we stopped taking medicines... I even gave up the Tylenol PM that I relied on nightly for sleep and the Neosporin that I applied on every skin issue and boo boo.

We arrived at this point THREE years ago, DONE with medicines, pharmaceuticals and tired of putting temporary bandaids on health issues. We decided to make choices for REAL health, not just having the appearance of health in between the typical 11-12 sicknesses a year that pediatricians say is the norm!

With the help of an incredible doctors, chiropractors and my amazing oily friend Sarah, our family changed our diet to REAL foods, started regular chiropractic care and began using Young Living essential oils and supplements to support healthy body systems. Through balancing our digestive/gut health and supporting our immune systems, we have seen significant health improvements!

No one in our family has taken antibiotics in about 5 years. I no longer struggle with asthma, don't get bronchitis, have a balanceed digestive system, healthy weight and I SLEEP deeply and wonderfully! My oldest son, who was having bimonthly ear infections, hasn't had an ear infection in a year.

Our youngest son has reaped the benefits of all of our trial and error parenting of his older siblings. He has always had a clean real food paleo diet, super nourishing Weston A. Price goat milk formula, has never needed medicines or vaccines, and is the picture of health and strength... super hero strength!

Thankful for the ability to take control our health and see true health and freedom!!