Calicat

Thanks Colleen for the info! I really appreciate it. Calicat

Hi guys, Thanks for the info! Colleenrn, do you have any more information for us on the carrier issue? Thanks again, Calicat

Hi everybody. On Wednesday, my daughter woke up early and was sick with vomiting, fever (101 to 103 mostly, but briefly 104), body aches, headache, mild sore throat, tiredness. The vomiting went away midday, but the rest stayed for three full days. On the fourth day, her fever broke, but I took her to the doctor anyway, and he said, this is almost certainly strep and gave us antibiotics. I asked if we could have azithromycin and he said yes. My daughter has not been ticcing lately, and so far (fingers crossed), this illness hasn't started them up again. I have a few questions: 1. What is the incubation period for strep? -- We we at my sister's for the long weekend, and nobody there had symptoms of anything. We came back home and she went to school for one day, and was sick in less than 24 hours, so I am feeling she didn't pick it up at school. That leaves my sister's house. My nephew was there, and he had had strep two weeks ago and was treated for it, and my (other) sister couldn't remember which antibiotic was used. Am I right in thinking that his strep infection might not have been completely knocked out by the antibiotic, and then he unwittingly passed it on to my daughter? Or maybe one of his three brothers are carriers and gave it to her without showing symptoms themselves? -- If so, how is this cycle broken? Do you get everyone in the family tested BEFORE AND AFTER treatment to be sure the job was done correctly? 2. My daughter's father and myself also were sick in the past couple days... most likely caught from her. We got over it in 24 hours. Is it still necessary to be tested for strep? I feel concerned that if her father got and held onto the streptococci (now symptomless) that he could reinfect her. I guess what I am asking is... Can you get strep, and your body fights it fairly successfully (ie. gets rid of any symptoms), but you still carry it if you didn't take any antibiotics? 3. For preventing possible strep-related problems, is it important to treat with antibiotics earlier rather than later? Does likelihood of problems increase each time there is an infection? I feel like there was another question in my mind, but I'll figure it out and ask later. Thanks in advance for all your help! Calicat

Patty, I just wanted to say I completely feel your pain. I was saying to my parents how much time I spend doing dishes, and my dad was completely non-understanding. He said, "You have a small family. How bad could it be?" Well, IT CAN BE!! I'm the same as you... practically everything from scratch, pots, pans, water bottles, and regular dishes every day. I mostly use reusable containers in my daughter's lunch, so there are always those to clean, too. And I don't have a dishwasher, either, so it's no walk in the park! People who think dishes are no big deal probably have a dishwasher, and eat take-out and tv dinners. The only thing I can suggest is doing a big cooking day once every week, and make enough main dishes for the freezer, muffins and granola for the week, etc. Rice for side dishes freezes very well, and mashed potatoes quite well. Then you have the big clean up only once. I do freezer meals every couple of weeks, and I love it. Hope this helps a bit. Calicat

Check out "Fit for Life", "Fit for Life 2", or "Living Health", all by the same people (last name Diamond). I like Living Health the best. I don't agree with absolutely everything they say, and they are kind of preachy in tone, but they do have some good ideas and good recipes, including some excellent juices. They HIGHLY recommend the Champion juicer for ease of cleaning plus a couple special features, if anyone's interested. I love carrot juice with apple juice (about half and half is nice). A bit of celery in there is also good, or a bit of beet for colour and flavour (it is absolutely beautiful). I guess I like to stick with juices that aren't too unusual. Orange is great, or orange/grapefruit. Try apple/grape, too. Calicat

(Hope this isn't a duplicate entry.) http://www.latitudes.org/forums/index.php?...amp;mode=linear Methylation/sulphation/enzymes and more.

Something just hit me as I was reading this thread... I've always said I could tell when my daughter would be sick the next day, because the day before she got sick, she would always be so emotional, whiny, and difficult. I'm not sure anyone ever believed me fully. Do you think this might point in some small way at PANDAS? So far, I havn't thought she was PANDAS. The only thing that ever seemed linked was that I'm pretty sure her very first episode of tics was after a fairly large sickness. Calicat

Kelly and Rowansmom, Maybe it's coincidence, but I have to wonder if my own "night visions" as I have always called them, may in some way be related to my daughter's tics. Mine ALWAYS take place at night, usually as I'm falling asleep or after I've been asleep for awhile and I wake up briefly. I "see" many things in my room; luckily none of them are too horrifying, but it's still scary for me sometimes. I see floating wine glasses, floating teddy bear, holes in the ceiling... whatever. Not in a dream, but most definitely in my room with my eyes open. Kelly, when you said "bugs on the wall", I nearly died! For years I have had a recurring "night vision" of a big orange spider that is always scurrying somewhere on my wall when I see it. I also walked in my sleep as a child. I have always had a large number of nightmares and very vivid, memorable dreams, too. Now that I take magnesium at night, most of this is MUCH better, although not completely gone. The teddy bear floated in front of my face last night. My daughter has had a few night terrors. She also does this weird thing where she's walking away from me, say going up the stairs, and I say one more thing to her, and she says, "Your voice scares me when I'm walking away!" I have no idea why. Calicat

Hi, Sorry I can't help you with the PANDAS information, but I did want to say hello and welcome. I'm in Ontario now, but I grew up pretty close to where you are--in Spruce Grove (you are in Alberta, right?) Anyway, I'm sure someone will be along shortly to give you some ideas. Take care, Calicat

Hi Laster, and welcome! I recommend going with the Environmental doctor, as they will test for intolerences and delayed allergies, and be open to alternative treatments, including diet modification. An allergist ususally will not do any of that. I took my daughter to one, and all he could offer was a traditional scratch test that turned up nothing. One thing really jumps out at me. You said you went to the doctor, s/he noticed the cough and labelled it as a tic, and then within three days, your son exploded into many different tics. Did anything take place at that appointment? It seems like such a weird coincidence to me. Did he receive any immunizations at that appointment? Medicines? Anything? Calicat

Are all grains out? What about rice pudding made with rice milk with raisins and cinnamon (warm). You can make a hot cereal, much like oatmeal, out of just about any grain. Cornmeal mush with a little butter and maple syrup is heavenly. Hot millet cereal is good; add organic sugar (ie. dehydrated cane juice) and a splash of rice milk or almond milk. For cold cereal, rice puffs (not Rice Krispies because of the BHT) with rice or almond milk. Almond milkshake: check out a recipe for almond milk (basically skinned almonds blended with water), and add a frozen banana and a dash of nutmeg. Smoothies are a favourite here, with a juice, a banana, and a handful of frozen berries. Potato latkes with apple sauce would be great, too. Hope this gives you a few ideas. Calicat P.S. If you haven't tried many of the alternative milks, my best advice is to try different brands until you find one you like. They all taste quite different. Out of any alternative milk, homemade almond milk is absolutely the best-tasting, but kind of expensive to keep buying all those almonds.

Hi Nan! Ok... 1. I write children's books, articles, songs, etc. 2. I love singing along to music and playing the piano. 3. Every year on my birthday, I plan a big, exotic menu and cook all day, 'cause I love to cook. 4. I read a lot. 5. I love bugs. Last summer we raised a handful of monarchs and released them. Also raise a Great Spangled Frittilary and various pretty moths. We had this gorgeous praying mantis for a month last summer and had to find him a live bug every day (not my favourite part, but he was a sweetie!) 6. I'm Canadian. 7. I love to rollerblade. ok... who else? I'd love to know more about all these friends I've gotten to know this year!

oops, forgot to add: I am a big fan of Kids Calm, for myself and my daughter. She is six, and takes about 200mg (1 slightly generous measuring teaspoon) once each evening. So, your son's dose would be similar, or a little higher. But, you should start with 1/2 tsp. for a number of days, and then raise it over a number of days to perhaps a tsp. Watch for stools getting too loose, at which point you could reduce the amount slightly. As for effects, it is calming, relaxes tense muscles, and GREATLY improves sleep. I don't know that it directly works on the vocals, but it definitely is a very important part of our supplement program, and I wouldn't be without it. The calming aspect seems to help tics in general, and I know improved quality of sleep helps tics, too.

Hi Tx, I remember joining this board nearly a year ago, May 2007 I believe, and I remember feeling overwhelmed by all of the possible paths to follow. I had no idea where to turn first, and didn't even understand some of the terms. I wanted answers right away, and I wanted to help my daughter immediately. It ended up taking many months. It is only in the last couple months that she has had no noticeable tics. It took that long to learn, and try things, and wait for them to work together. I really want to encourage you to not give up on this process. I also gave you an answer about the l-carnitine in another thread. If you haven't already, I highly recommend reading through as many of the posts as possible, going back many months or a year. When you add supplements, try adding one at a time, but continue the ones already started unless they had ill effects. And, definitely get rid of ALL artificial ingredients. Even if you have to do it as a trial for a month, it will help you see the effects. Get some testing done if possible, especially for strep. Be sure to get the cultured test, not the rapid test, and the blood tests (can't remember the names right now, but they're listed here somewhere.) I agree with Faith; the tics seem too mild for Clonidine. With time, patience, and trials, another solution will come. It really does take a while to learn it all; even label reading has its own difficulties, and there is so much to learn just to avoid MSG alone! I wish you the best of luck. Calicat

Tx1911, Every kid is different in how they react to supplements. I wouldn't give up so soon, unless you see any bad effects. You should hold out for a few weeks to know for sure whether it helps. You can always add the mag as well. Supplements tend to work synergistically. Good luck! Calicat

Just a small tip, from someone who makes a LOT of smoothies: don't use overripe bananas. It doesn't taste right, and it doesn't add the same body. The bananas should ideally be perfectly ripe. If you can't get to them that day, simply freeze them, either whole straight into the freezer, or peeled and cut in chunks in a plastic bag or container. BUT... be sure to use them fairly quickly, like within a week or so, and be sure not to thaw them at all before using. To use the whole frozen banana, use a sharp knife to cut it into chunks, and then use the knife to slice the peel off each chunk. I use a banana in every smoothie, something frozen (berries, or the banana if frozen, or peaches, etc.), and something liquid (milk, almond milk, rice milk, or juice... the ones with juice are our favourites by far... especially mango or papaya.) No ice. Have fun! Calicat

Mag taurate has been great for many on this board, but I have never tried it on my daughter. What is unique/good about Kids Calm is the absorbability. First, it is magnesium citrate (and ascorbate), which is known to be an absorbable form. On top of that, the man who "invented" Kids Calm made it the first to be dissolvable in hot water, which apparently adds significantly to how absorbable it is. All I know is when I, myself, take it, I REALLY notice the effects with a dose of only 200mg, so my body must be getting most of it! Hope this helps. Calicat

Yay, I love to brag about my daughter, and usually can't (ya know, out of politeness). Well, for a six year old, I'd have to say she's an excellent singer. She could sing in tune songs like "Angels We Have Heard on High" before she turned two. You can only imagine the cuteness of that tiny girl doing the "Glo... or-or-or-or-orrrrrr... glor-or-or-i-a" part. Well, actually more like "gworia". She can also sing, to some extent, in harmony with me! Loooooove that. She is very smart, especially in math, but more importantly, she can be surprisingly "deep" in how she considers issues. She wants to understand the "why" of everything. She is creative, and fun, and has a well-developed sense of humor, so often the same thing will send us both rolling on the floor in laughter. She is, and always has been, very good socially. When she was three, she used to be sure to ask me how my day was at work and offer me a tiny-handed "massage". She cares very deeply about people and animals. As for the rest of us, there is a lot of musicality running through the family, as well as creativity. Also a good level of intelligence. We're all physically strong and healthy for the most part... except for those bits of OCD, depression, anxiety, alcoholism here and there... interesting... all physically healthy, yet brain issues.) My grandfather, who struggled hard with alcoholism, was (especially in his earlier years) a strong people person, go getter, idea man, and musician. Thanks for a great thread. Calicat

WOW!!!! I just finished reading the whole article, and I strongly encourage anyone interested in the discussion of vaccination to read it as well. It is long, but Dr. Baylock (Blaylock??) fortunately writes in a way that is quite understandable, considering the topic. You're right, Kim, he covers a lot of ground here! I've never understood the mechanisms behind vaccine damage as well as I do now after reading that article. Much of it resonated with me, and one quote just jumped out at me: "There is compelling evidence that the pruning of these excess synapses is essential. Otherwise the brain would be inundated with an enormous array of competing signals –that is a lot of static and misinterpreted messages. This pruning process, as well as the growth, maturation and migration of neurons, is carried out by a combination of signals, which include carefully controlled fluctuating glutamate brain levels and appearance of specific microglia-released cytokines in a timed sequence.63" [bolding mine] He is talking about the natural pruning process that takes place in the brain between the ages of 4 and 8 approximately. Apparently the pruning process can be highly disturbed/halted by vaccine/mercury/aluminum/etc. assault. And the result just shouts ADHD to me. Thanks for posting. I'm going to print it and highlight it so I can absorb even more the next time around. Calicat

Thanks... here it is: http://healthy-family.org/caryn/246

Hi Caryn, In light of all the discussion going on recently about medications on this forum, I was wondering if you would mind if I (or you) posted a link to the video I found on your website on the serious side effects of SSRIs, etc. I watched the whole thing (nearly 2 hours) and found to be a truly well-done documentary from the point of view of a young man who had been on these himself and experienced the side effects. I am not trying to change anybody's mind here, but I do think it is good to see some of the things the doctors do not tell you. Calicat

Hi Kelly and all, Just wanted you to clarify... when you say chicken pox vaccine/chicken pox itself is a no-no in a PANDAS situation, do you mean an unvaccinated child should try to avoid contracting chicken pox? My daughter has never been vaxed for chicken pox, and never will be, as far as I'm concerned. I've always planned for her to get it naturally, sometime before around age 10. She is six now. I think having natural immunity is stronger, and chicken pox is far more serious as an adult. I have read that we may have some serious problems down the road with this group of chicken pox vaxed kids who will grow up and may not have a very strong immunity to it, and then catch it, possibly with serious consequences. Even now, a fairly high percentage (can't remember... maybe 10%) of vaxed kids will still get chicken pox anyway if exposed to it. So, I've been hoping to get my daughter exposed sometime soon, before she gets much older. There has been a lot of discussion lately here about how Tourette and PANDAS may in fact be essentially the same thing, so I am concerned how my daughter might react to the actual chicken pox disease. (She is not PANDAS as far as I know, but who really knows with these things!!) Do you think it will be a problem? Thanks for any insight you can give me on this. Calicat

Consider a trial of taurine. That was exceptionally helpful with my daughter's vocals (throat clearing and sniffing). Calicat

Oh yes, my daughter has had the sniffing tic. She would sniff many times a minute, often in little "patterns".... sniff-sniff-sniff... sniff-sniff-sniff... Well, honestly, it felt better at the time to hear that rather than the throat clearing tic that had been fairly severe for a time. And now, I never fully know if the few sniffs here and there are remnants of the tic, or just normal sniffing like so many people do. Calicat

Hi Maryann, I believe it's magnesium citrate and magnesium ascorbate. Calicat