Ep. 7- Teresa Scott, DDS: On Healing Holistically from Stage 4 Cancer

Dr. Teresa Scott is a holistic/ biological family dentist who practices in Spring, Texas, where she also resides with her husband and two daughters. With her patients, Dr. Scott uses the most modern dental technology while also ensuring that her products and procedures are safe and non-toxic. In December 2015, Dr. Scott was diagnosed with Stage 4B endometrial cancer and given a maximum of one year to live with chemotherapy. Without chemotherapy, she was given a maximum of nine months to live.  She chose to have focal radiation as a palliative measure for the intractable pain in her hip, which was the site of her metastasis. However, she chose NOT to do chemotherapy or follow any other conventional treatments. Instead, she sought out and followed holistic methods. Over two years later, she is cancer-free and tells her incredible story.

 

 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Key factors in Teresa’s healing from cancer, including the R.G.C.C. test, which tests circulating tumor cells against 40 different natural substances
• Important resources in fighting cancer holistically
• Her specific diet to keep her body cancer-free
• How to keep your body alkaline, so cancer cannot survive
• Teresa’s recommendations for someone fighting cancer holistically

Link to episode in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-7-teresa-scott-dds-on-healing-holistically-from/id1330534343?i=1000408063334&mt=2

Additional Resources:

If you are diagnosed with cancer (or someone you love) and are interested in holistic healing, follow Teresa’s Facebook group for ideas and encouragement: https://www.facebook.com/groups/359240961218608/

Find wholesome, clean recipes in Teresa’s Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/crunchyfoodies/

Follow Teresa’s holistic dental practice here: https://www.facebook.com/Teresamscottdds/

Dr. Teresa Scott’s new practice site (coming soon!): www.holisticdentalassociates.com

For information on the R.G.C.C. or “Greece” cancer test: https://www.rgcc-group.com/

The Truth About Cancer: https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/

 

**Teresa was kind enough to write out some specific answers for a few of the interview questions prior to the podcast interview. See below.**

Tell us about your health journey.

Well, it’s a long story. I have had poor health since childhood. At one point, I was on 12 different prescription medications to try to control all of my symptoms. And truthfully, my doctors simply didn’t know how to properly diagnose me. Holistic medicine healed me. Nutrition healed me. I do take a LOT of supplements! But it’s all basically concentrated food. I will never be able to absorb my nutrients through food alone due to a gastric bypass I had 16 years ago.

Anyway, 2015 was a tough year for me. A lot of things in my life were going wrong at the same time. The worst of it was that the gastric bypass and many courses of antibiotics for recurring infections had left me with a leaky gut and a raging systemic candida infection. I had severe insomnia. I hadn’t slept a decent night for 12 years at that point. I was a mess, physically, psychologically, emotionally. A ticking time bomb. And it caught up with me in the form of cancer.

 

How did you determine the path that you should take to restore health to your body?

1. I did choose to do the focal radiation. Not the whole pelvic one. But just to the spot in my hip that was hurting so badly. I was in intractable pain. Nothing worked. Try to imagine a red hot fire brand poker stabbing you in your hip. And then imagine that someone is rooting around with that and stabbing you again and again. That’s what it felt like even with the epidural I had. I couldn’t feel my feet, but I could feel that cancer pain in my hip bone. The doctors hadn’t figured out it was a metastasis at that point. They just thought it was post op pain. I don’t respond to pain medications. I was in severe pain for 56 hours straight after my hysterectomy. It was horrible, and I still get flashbacks occasionally. But it’s familial for me. My mom and youngest daughter also don’t respond to narcotics.

That being said, I knew that chemo wasn’t for me. My dad and grandma died from cancer. They tried to fight it allopathically, and it did not work. I knew that if I went the allopathic route, I would die for sure, and I wouldn’t last even a year. Now, I’m 27 months out- cancer free, near as all my blood tests can tell. And they keep getting better. We keep tweaking it.

2. I took the R.G.C.C. (https://www.rgcc-group.com/) test to determine my initial course of action. It’s expensive! $2300. Until then, I was flailing, panicking that I was going to die, and trying so hard to just stay calm for my family. I’m our sole source of support. If I don’t work, we don’t get paid. It was a scary time for us. The R.G.C.C. test indicated that IV Vitamin C was my best bet and gave me some hope.
3. After the IV Vitamin C put me into remission, I had to learn to trust my naturopath. She tested me every 2 months. She put me on different supplements to tweak me. And we have been doing that since then.

 

What do you believe were key factors in your healing?

1. God. The fact that I got to survive – I’m not that special. I’m not extra worthy of anything. God let me live for His own reasons, and I’m not privy to them. But I’m incredibly grateful. I promised Him if He let me live that I would do what I could to help other people. So I’m doing that. I’m paying it forward.
2. IV Vitamin C. My R.G.C.C. test told me that Vitamin C was going to be my most powerful weapon. And it was.
3. Diet – it’s very clean. 80% veggies and fruits. And mostly veggies. 20% grass fed meats, nuts, seeds, etc. 100% gluten free, 100% sugar free – not even honey or maple syrup. 98% grain free. I will occasionally have some quinoa or oatmeal or corn – all organic, of course. Rice makes my blood sugar plummet, so I avoid it. I don’t eat bread unless I make it myself. I don’t eat pasta unless it’s paleo, and even then, it’s a total treat. And if we go to a Mexican restaurant, I do allow myself to eat the chips and salsa. Some days, I just need to have that little bit of leeway. When we eat out, it’s generally some kind of grilled chicken and salad or veggies. Needless to say, we don’t eat out often, because honestly, I’m a better cook at this point. There are days when I get tired of the dietary restrictions. But I keep it up 98% of the time (except for sugar, where I don’t ever give myself a pass). Because I get to live.
4. A naturopath who really understood how to tweak an immune system to get it to work for itself.

 

What do you do now to maintain optimal health?

1. I take a bucket of supplements, and my diet is pristine. I have my blood tested every 2 months, and we tweak my supplements accordingly. I see my chiropractor regularly. I do other healing modalities, whether it’s reiki or ozone therapy or whatever I can do, when I have money and time to do it.

What advice would you give to someone who is diagnosed with cancer and interested in healing in a holistic manner?

1. Do your research. Thetruthaboutcancer.com has over 100 hours of lectures on the different holistic healing modalities. All of them have at least some validity. Some work better for some people, others for others. Nothing works 100% for anyone. Cancer has different causes, different responses to things. So my approach may not work for someone else.
2. Consider doing the “Greece” cancer test. It’s the RGCC group that does it. It tested my circulating tumor cells against 40 different natural substances. It gave me an initial roadmap. It’s expensive, but it told me which natural substances would work best for me. I directed my financial resources towards IV Vitamin C because it told me that my cancer responded best to Vitamin C. And it was right. IV Vitamin C put me into remission in 90 days. And I have stayed there since.
3. Sugar feeds cancer. No matter the dietary approach a person chooses to take, sugar is a no. For the rest of their life. Period. In my house, we don’t even eat honey or maple syrup – well, my girls, occasionally, but never me. I have just a few sweeteners that I allow myself, and even then, sweets made with them are a treat, not a regular thing. They must be organic. So organic stevia, erythritol, monk fruit and coconut sugar. A new one has come out recently called Tagatose, and it’s supposedly a prebiotic fiber and also natural. I’m still investigating that one. Mostly, I stick to organic erythritol. It tastes like sugar, bakes like sugar. So it works for me. Those are the only things I really allow myself. Stevia is a tricksy one, because a lot of the time, they use dextrose to cut it. So you have to read labels.
4. Alkalinity is key. Cancer can’t survive in an alkaline environment. But all of the things like alkaline water and baking soda are a crutch. Don’t get me wrong. They are a crutch I used until I could figure out how to become alkaline with my diet alone. But it has been many months since I have felt the need to take baking soda. I test my urine on a pH strip every time I go to the restroom. And if my pH drops below 6.5, I am doing something to try to alkalize myself, and right away. Usually it’s lemon juice. I juice every single morning- 25 oz of carrots, beets, greens, some kind of fruit, and the juice of 2 lemons.   I juice the carrots and the beets, and then blend in the greens and the fruit and the lemon juice. I add probiotics and Pectasol (modified citrus pectin) to my juicy smoothie. That generally does the trick for me. As long as I behave with the rest of my food for the day, I can stay alkaline.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Plot Thickens: Enter PANDAS (Not as friendly as it sounds)

We have had both a relieving and panic-inducing piece to James’ puzzle revealed recently.

 

It started a little over a month ago when he was miserable with these bizarre ulcers on the bottom half of his tongue. We thought it might have been either an allergic reaction or something viral, but we went to see the pediatrician in case there was anything we could do about it. Turns out that this was a complete Godsend of a reaction.

 

This past year, I have had this unnerving paranoia about strep. Though his throat was only slightly red, and he did not have a fever, we asked if they could swab him. And it was positive.

 

So immediately we made an appointment for his little sis and also had her swabbed. The past two times he had strep, she unfortunately had it as well. We thought we had some kind of virus running through the house, so we wanted to make sure we were not mistaking strep for a virus. And her test was negative.

 

Because of no obvious strep symptoms, this made me wonder if James had ever actually gotten rid of his previous strep infections. And made me wonder a bit more about PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections). As the name reveals, it’s an autoimmune condition brought on by strep bacteria that affects the brain. Symptoms include:

 

• OCD
• Tics
• Extreme mood changes
• Irritability
• Bedwetting or change in urinary frequency
• Separation anxiety
• Sudden onset

 

Check, check, check, checkity check

 

We asked his pediatrician about it, and he mentioned we could retest him for strep after antibiotics to see if they had done their job. A week after we finished the course of antibiotics, we did just that. The rapid test in the office came back negative, but the culture came back positive with Group A Strep. Later, blood work showed that his antibodies for strep were SEVEN TIMES the high number of the normal range, thus indicating PANDAS.

 

Though this was terrifying information, things finally started to make sense. One of the big signs of PANDAS is the sudden onset, often pinpointed to the day that your child turned into a different kid. We are now wondering if he encountered this bacteria, which triggered an autoimmune response, 2.5 years ago. It seemed like overnight my calm, sweet baby boy became angry, aggressive, and completely unpredictable. His favorite songs would bring on screaming and tears. A moment of laughter could turn into rage in a second. We started walking on eggshells waiting for the next explosion. Food pickiness went through the roof and overall rigidity went with it. It felt like we lost him.

 

With all of the changes in his life, including the new baby, move, start of school, and just general age, it was easy to write off these behavioral changes. But deep down, I knew something wasn’t right. This poor child has been so sick, y’all.

 

So we are in the process of figuring out how to restore his health with this new information. Thankfully, we have a good start on this path with his anti-inflammatory diet. We are also under the care of functional medicine practitioners who are leaving no rock unturned. They are taking a completely comprehensive look at him, thinking about how to boost his immune system, seal up the gut lining and blood-brain barrier, and get rid of the strep (which is also likely in his gut). I am SO GRATEFUL. I can’t begin to tell you.

 

Unfortunately, when someone has a disability or diagnosis, it is so easy to write off their symptoms to that disability or diagnosis. “Well, aggression can be part of autism.” “Lots of kids who have autism have GI issues.” Or “sensory challenges go along with Down syndrome.” But why?? What is happening in the body to cause these symptoms? What is the root cause? I am elated to be under the care of people who are looking at what is physiologically going on inside his body to cause these behaviors or symptoms. And I am so hopeful that I’m getting my baby back. Only God knows to what extent his healing is taking place..but it is taking place.

Ep. 6- Dana Elia, RDN: Everything You Need to Know About Gluten

 

Dana Elia, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND is a registered dietitian nutritionist as well as the owner of Fusion Integrative Health and Wellness in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Dana has over 20 years of experience in medical nutrition therapy, integrative and functional nutrition, and health and wellness coaching.  Additionally, Dana is an adjunct faculty member at the PA College of Health Sciences.  She has extensive experience teaching classes on a variety of health-related topics- both for the general public, as well as continuing education programs for healthcare providers and professional organizations.

In May 2017, Dana was granted the Fellow status (FAND) within the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, which recognizes her commitment to the field of dietetics and celebrates her professional accomplishments and pursuit of life-long learning. Dana is also currently working on her doctorate in clinical functional nutrition through Maryland University of Integrative Health.

 

Check out Dana Elia’s practice, Fusion Integrative Health & Wellness,  here: http://www.fusionihw.com/

Follow Fusion Integrative H&W on Twitter @FusionIHW

Follow Fusion Integrative H&W on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/FusionIHW/

**If you have any additional questions about gluten sensitivity testing or related items, email Dana at fusionihw@gmail.com

 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Dana’s personal journey to realize the power of food in healing
• What a gluten sensitivity is
• The difference between celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity
• Why gluten proteins can be so problematic for humans in general
• Why gluten sensitivities are on the rise
• The importance of focusing on naturally gluten free foods
• Symptoms of a hidden gluten sensitivity
• Dana’s personal non-negotiables for health of mind, body, and soul

 

Link to episode in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-6-dana-elia-rdn-everything-you-need-to-know-about-gluten/id1330534343?i=1000404461440&mt=2

 

Additional resources:

The Institute for Functional Medicine- Find a Practitioner- https://www.ifm.org/find-a-practitioner/

Alessio Fasano, M.D. – Spectrum of Gluten-Related Disorders: People Shall Not Live by Bread Alone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvfTV57iPUY

 

Ep 5- Ashley Turner, ND: On Her Daughter’s Healing from GI Dysfunction and Autism Spectrum Disorder (Part II)

 

Make sure to check out Part I of Dr. Ashley’s interview here, during which she tells the incredible story of how she and her husband restored health for their daughter who once had severe GI dysfunction and autism spectrum disorder through functional medicine.

In Part II of the interview, you will learn:

• How this health trial with her daughter has shaped her family
• How she transitioned from the standard American diet in her early years to nutrient-dense food
• Encouragement for those transitioning to a more holistic lifestyle
• The unique experience patients should expect when coming to her and her husband’s practice
• Encouragement for parents who are working to restore health for their children
• Dr. Ashley’s two biggest non-negotiables for her family’s health of mind, body, and soul

Link to episode in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-5-ashley-turner-nd-on-her-daughters-healing-from/id1330534343?i=1000403057934&mt=2

Check out Dr. Ashley Turner and Dr. Kevin Turner’s practice here: http://www.restorativechiro.com/

Follow their practice on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/restorativechiro/

Follow Dr. Ashley Turner on Instagram: @dr.ashleyturner

 

Ep 4- Ashley Turner, ND: On Her Daughter’s Healing from GI Dysfunction and Autism Spectrum Disorder (Part I)

Dr. Ashley Turner is a naturopath, wife, mom of three girls, homeschooler, operator of her family’s small farm, and owner of Restorative Chiropractic and Functional Wellness Center in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, along with her husband, Dr. Kevin Turner, who is a chiropractor. Together, they practice functional medicine to look for the root cause of health concerns and equip the body to heal through chiropractic programs, customized nutritional protocols, and professional detoxification.

Dr. Ashley and her husband found functional medicine when their two-year-old daughter was experiencing severe GI dysfunction, sensory challenges, and other symptoms of autism. Through her and her husband’s dedication and education, they were able to restore health for their daughter and move her off of the spectrum. Through their quest for healing, they have now been given the gift to guide many on their own healing quests through functional medicine.

Check out Dr. Ashley Turner and Dr. Kevin Turner’s practice here: http://www.restorativechiro.com/

Follow their practice on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/restorativechiro/

Follow Dr. Ashley Turner on Instagram: @dr.ashleyturner

In this episode, we discuss:

• The onset of her daughter’s symptoms and the consequences of using MiraLAX for her
• How she and her husband pivoted to functional medicine to help their daughter
• Using diet as a foundational component of healing
• How the gut and brain are intimately connected
• Ideas for removing environmental toxins within your control
• The types of detoxification that helped her daughter heal
• MTHFR and why it’s important to look for signs of gene expression rather than relying solely on genetic testing
• The importance of healing gradually
• The resilience of kids in healing

Link to episode in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-4-ashley-turner-nd-on-her-daughters-healing-from/id1330534343?i=1000402142740&mt=2

 

Part II of the interview with Dr. Ashley Turner

 

Ep 3- Thomas Heath, DC: Healing Leaky Gut with a Whole Person Approach

Dr. Thomas Heath has been practicing chiropractic and functional nutrition for over 33 years. Chiropractic is a family tradition— his wife, father, great-grandfather and sister-in-law are all chiropractors. His two youngest sons are studying to become chiropractors.

The majority of Dr. Heath’s patients come from Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia. Some travel from around the world — Brazil, Israel, Ireland, Mexico, Kenya, and New Zealand. Dr. Heath is certified in Professional Applied Kinesiology with extensive training in postgraduate nutrition and functional medicine, Quantum Neurology and NET (Neuro Emotional Technique).  He has taught nutrition classes to chiropractic doctors, medical doctors, and naturopathic doctors.

Dr. Heath uses a “whole person approach.” This approach to wellness means looking for the underlying causes of any disturbance (which may or may not be causing symptoms at the time) and making whatever interventions and lifestyle adjustments needed to optimize the conditions for wellness. Using this unique approach, Dr. Heath is able to help patients accelerate and/or maintain their journey to good health.

Check out Dr. Heath’s practice in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania here: http://www.heathchiropracticandwellnesscenter.com/

In this episode, we discuss:

• What motivated Dr. Heath to move from traditional chiropractic to integrating functional nutrition
• Potential contributors to immune system suppression
• What leaky gut is, its symptoms, and what you can do about it
• The importance of Vitamin D3
• How grains and lectins can disrupt the microbiome
• The health problems associated with GMOs, chemicals, and pesticides
• The importance of looking at the whole person to promote healing

 

Link to episode in iTunes:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-3-thomas-heath-dc-healing-leaky-gut-whole-person/id1330534343?i=1000400005993&mt=2

Ep 2- Unicorns, Dancing, & Skittles: How Sheree Clark Turned Her Cancer Diagnosis Into a Journey of Beauty and Love

Meet Sheree Clark from Clearwater, Florida. Sheree is the owner and founder of both Words by Design and The Watering Can & Co. She has built a life using her gifts as an artist and photographer to create inspired home décor and art work for unique and beautiful spaces. Very recently, Sheree was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. But how Sheree chooses to view her quest will leave you truly inspired.

To follow The Watering Can & Co, see here: thewateringcan.co

To check out Sheree’s art work through Words By Design, see here: words-bydesign.com

To follow Sheree’s inspirational live videos, see here: bit.ly/shereelive

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Sheree “owned” her cancer diagnosis and framed it as a journey of love and connection
• The power and energy of words
• How to create an environment in which you can thrive
• Strategies when the overwhelm kicks in
• How to lovingly and positively support and connect with loved ones who have cancer

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-2-unicorns-dancing-skittles-how-sheree-clark/id1330534343?i=1000399414425&mt=2

 

 

To the Parents of My Former Students Who Have Special Needs

We recently received James’ latest IEP (Individualized Education Plan) report with his reevaluation results and official dual diagnosis- both Down syndrome and autism. The latter I can’t really deny any longer. When I first received it, I didn’t fully read through the report because 1) self-preservation, and 1a) there are only so many deficits you can read about at one time.

 

But it forces me to ask myself some hard questions-

Do these reports ever get easier to read? Why do they affect me so much? Do they affect how I define success? How DO I define success?

 

I guess in a way it’s the ultimate comparison…nobody ever wants to be on that left side of the bell curve, especially more than two standard deviations. It feels like while you’ve been fighting so hard to keep up, you just received a big notification that you lost.

 

So I sit here with the report tossed behind me and my journal in front of me and my sweet boy next to me. When I went to get him from quiet time in his room, he clearly said, “Downstairs, Let’s go. To couch. Want snack.” Completely unprompted. That’s a darn big deal. Those are the moments that don’t show up on reports like these.

 

These reports don’t measure value. They don’t measure joy. They don’t even really measure true growth. It’s impossible for them to show the amount of growth that one strong little boy has made. They don’t talk about resilience or perseverance, about hard work, or limitless love.

 

Oftentimes you wonder if we really need all of these assessments and ways of sorting. I know his teachers don’t define him through these assessments. I don’t define him through these assessments. But it forces us to look at him through that lens.

 

And each time I read one of these reports, I think about my own days as a teacher. I wish I would have had the deeper perspective I have now when delivering these kinds of reports or any kind of assessment about a child, especially one who had a special need, whether it was on paper or not.

 

To those parents of my beautiful former students, I hope I conveyed these things to you, but if I did not…

 

I wish I could tell you how I know how much you worry and how hard you work.

 

I wish I could tell you how I realize just how much you’ve entrusted me to let your baby shine when you can’t be with them.

 

And how much you would prefer not to create waves or go against the grain.

 

How you know how much teachers have on their plates, but your biggest responsibility is to stand up for your baby who is your whole world.

 

I wish I could tell you how your child is far more than any deficit a silly report lays out.

 

And how I pray they find their perfect place in life, that they’re happy, and shine like the bright star they are.

 

And sure, there’s a place for assessment and numbers and data. When used appropriately, they help us plan. They allow us to receive services we need. They help us grow.

 

But they in no way measure the love and purpose your child has brought into the world, through your love and purpose.

 

Nor do they measure the love and work that your child’s teachers have poured in.

 

And they for sure doesn’t measure how hard your baby has worked, how much they have grown, and how they have blessed those around them.

 

Sending you so much love, a big high five, and potentially, a glass of wine 😉

 

 

 

Ep 1- Stephanie Mitchell: Creating Natural Alternatives in Pharmaceutical Healing

Dr. Stephanie Mitchell, from Reading, Pennsylvania, is the founder of Inspired Apothecary, which is a line of all natural skin care products, including detox soap, nerve pain relief, relief from minor aches and pains, eczema relief, and care for cuts and burns.

Stephanie is a pharmacist, a mom of two boys, a wife, a former collegiate athlete, and an entrepreneur. Stephanie is most inspired by her older brother, Steve, who passed away of cancer. He was able to extend his life through nutritional changes, his faith in God, his positive mindset, and compounded solutions. As Stephanie continued her career, she was inspired by her brother and customers to create natural pharmaceutical solutions that were more effective than over-the-counter options, which contained cancer-causing ingredients.

Check out her amazing line of products here:

https://inspired-apothecary.myshopify.com/

And follow Inspired Apothecary on Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/InspiredApothecary/

 

 

In this episode, we discuss:

• How Stephanie’s brother used natural remedies to relieve symptoms from cancer and help extend his life
• How she began creating natural remedies for her customers as alternatives to medications with cancer-causing ingredients
• Essential oil safety
• Her experience trying out for Shark Tank
• Stephanie’s top recommendations for your health

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-quest-for-healing/id1330534343

Finishing 2017 in Gratitude

James’ last two months have been interesting! He had a really beautiful three weeks in October, and then something switched right before Halloween. We’re not sure if he was having a reaction to eggs with too many banana pancakes, if he had an issue with the autumn leaf mold…apparently that’s a thing, or if there was some other unknown environmental trigger. But there was a big change- he had lots of eczema and the edginess and irritability returned. And it just stuck. We couldn’t figure out how to kick it, even after removing the eggs, reducing/increasing supplement doses, etc.

 

After about a month of this flare, we decided to ditch the homemade yogurt we had been holding onto for perhaps too long. Though the 24-hour yogurt fermentation process is supposed to just about eliminate any casein or lactose, we thought it might be worth trying. Especially since the first thing anyone tells you to do in most of these healing diets is to get rid of gluten and dairy. We had previously been scared of eliminating the yogurt when he struggled to eat much of anything else, but the lack of progress prompted us to go forward with it.

 

The two weeks following yogurt elimination, we wonder if he went through a little dairy detox. He seemed really unsettled–lots of pacing and extreme mood changes. His teachers reported breakthroughs regarding gross motor development, language, and cognition, but also would share how he needed much more prompting, had trouble focusing, and had more trouble transitioning between activities.

 

Then after two weeks, he seemed to be settling! And open to trying more foods!! Until I watched one too many Hallmark movies with gleeful children and their Christmas cookies, and the mom guilt told me maybe it wouldn’t hurt to give him a bit of organic dark chocolate. And Georgia snuck him more. And then we thought he had the stomach bug. Though as it continued on, we realized it most likely was a reaction. His gut bacteria overgrowth perhaps had a huge party with that chocolate and cane sugar!

 

When he got his appetite back, he strangely requested every carb he could think of… “I want….pasta! Christmas cookies! Birthday cake! Cheerios! Pizza! Pretzels!” Though I was thrilled with all of these verbalizations, many of these things he hasn’t had in over a year. It’s so interesting what sugar can do.

 

So we are still recovering from the dark chocolate incident, but it is indeed improving. And I am grateful for the ability to bounce back and to simply know that we can and will bounce back from these hiccups by God’s grace. We’ve come to the realization that we’ll always need to be careful, and food is probably always going to be a bit of a challenge. But then I think about where this journey has taken us so far.

 

Things that may not have happened if we weren’t on this journey:

 

• Thomas just finished his second course in his post-masters certificate in human nutrition and functional medicine.
• James has gone from a little boy who used to catch every virus that was near him to rarely being sick (from viruses ;)..maybe from food one day!)
• I’ve shifted my mentality from germ avoidance for my family to equipping the body to fight off germs through diet, vitamins, and a healthy environment.
• Through a few close friends and their gentle guidance, I’ve learned the importance of taking care of myself, which makes setbacks much less scary and more like opportunities to problem-solve, learn, and grow.
• I’m getting the opportunity to interview and learn from truly incredible guests on the upcoming podcast.
• I’m watching my daughter turn into such a caring, empathetic little human.
• We’ve met countless amazing people I’m not sure we would have encountered, if not for this path.
• I’m completely humbled by the fact that you, dear reader, care enough to take the time to follow James’ story. ❤ Thank you.

 

 

I know there are many more, but I’ve already gone on longer than intended, per usual.

 

Wishing everyone many, many blessings in the upcoming year. And even more importantly, the perspective and mindset to see the blessings, even through the setbacks!