Gift From The Heart, Or Wherever
June 7th, 2007 by FiddledeedeeI saw Jensen shaking his tiny hand, trying to dislodge something. He would stop, stare at his finger, and shake some more. This went on for a few minutes. The shaking became increasingly more urgent. I sat quietly, simply observing. Finally he stopped shaking, and looked up at me across the room. “Hi mama,” he said as he ambled over to me, with outstretched finger. He stood in front of me with wide pleading eyes. I inspected his finger. Sure enough, he brought me his first booger. One that he actually extricated himself. Without the need to wipe his nose across my shirt. I removed the sticky green blob. He looked up at me with bright blue eyes, “Take ku.” Which is Jensen speak for “thank you.”
It was a proud moment.
And not because he didn’t employ the fine art of wiping one’s boogers on an unsuspecting sibling, or an innocent couch. But because my boy is communicating with me now. The “old” Jensen would simply have stood on the other side of the room and screamed. Until the paint peeled from the walls. I now have a boy that will call my name, say “hi” and “bye”, plus a few other brilliant and necessary words or baby signs.
The other day we had a scare. We discovered that Jensen is allergic to peanut butter, the hard way. He had never had any, and he got a hold of some that Emme was eating. Within seconds he started scratching his hands and a rash was spreading from his chest, to his face and eyes. Fiddledaddy was home, so he plunked him into the bath to wash off any peanut residue, while I gave him 2 teaspoons of Benadryl. We called his old pediatrician and she said to bring him in immediately. I stayed home with the two freaked out sisters, and Fiddledaddy took Jensen to the doctor. Emme vacillated between being upset that she couldn’t go JUST TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE BECAUSE I NEVER GET TO GO ANYWHERE AND MY LIFE IS SO SAD and the understandable upset over the possibility that she had just killed her baby brother. I assured her that she would leave the house again, and I was quite certain that she hadn’t killed her baby brother.
Drama is her only true friend, you know.
Fiddledaddy reported to me that our boy was just fine. The doctor was quite astonished to see that he was still so boisterous after TWO teaspoons of Benadryl. It would take an elephant gun to bring that boy down. She also mentioned to Fiddledaddy that she would recommend a speech pathologist for Jensen. She was concerned over about his lack of speech. She has mentioned this before to us. Fiddledaddy told her that we had done a lot of research into his eczema and behavior issues, and have concluded that this little boy may be suffering from leaky gut syndrome. She said that she had never heard of it.
Allrightythen.
We’ve altered his diet to reduce sweets, and we are giving him whole grains, and adding omega 3 oil, enzymes and acidophilus to his food. His eczema has greatly improved, his communication skills are growing daily, and even his behavior issues have abated. (Although, we have yet to enter Publix without creating a monumental disturbance.) Baby steps people, baby steps.
So, no thank you. We see no need for the services of a speech pathologist. He is making such wonderful progress, and I only see that continuing. And this is why it pays to do your own research, and not rely wholly on the “professionals.” But that’s a can of worms that I could weave into another post when I’m feeling all controversial. I’m just sayin’.
I know a number of you have been following Jensen’s progress and have given me invaluable information from your own experiences. I especially thank you Heather! I feel like I have my little boy back.
And that booger? While I didn’t keep it, I will always treasure that simple act of watching my small boy exercise his problem solving skills as a huge gift. And he came to me because he knows his mommy can fix anything.
Even boogery fingers.
Posted in My Life as I See It | 19 Comments »
June 7th, 2007 at 6:44 am
Aw, honey! Glad everything turned OK.
And, good for you for being such a diligent, on-top-of-things Mommy with regards to finding out what’s going on with him. While disconcerting that your ped had never heard of it, your reports of the changes are dramatic! You go girl!
And, isn’t it funny how what would have been a complete gross-out moment in “pre-kid life” turns out to be a moment of pride in “mommy life”?
Good job, Mom!
June 7th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Oh DeeDee, that must have been so scary, but PTL Jensen is okay and now you know. Does this mean he is allergic to other nuts too?
Moms know their children better than anybody and if it ever comes time that you think Jensen needs extra help then you will take care of it. My feeling is he is still only two years old. Not every kid, especially the youngest, is talking in complete sentences. Sounds to me like he has come a long way~I mean he take ku’d for taking his boogie away. Not that my friend is priceless!
June 7th, 2007 at 7:26 am
Glad to hear this did not turn into a full-blown emergency.
As a fellow former leaky-gut person I thought I’d offer some tidbits… perhaps you might find them helpful.
1. Distilled aloe (tastes just like water) is helpful for healing the gut. Just be sure to follow the instructions and only drink a small amount. Too much and it can act like a laxative!
2. You may want to look into a human strain probiotic mix, which is a long-term colonizer in the gut; acidophilus is transient. I’ve tried many different kinds and found Custom Probiotics to be the best. And no, I don’t work for them… this isn’t a sales pitch. Just one mom hoping to help another.
Enjoy your blog and wish you all the best of health!
June 7th, 2007 at 7:55 am
I have wondered how that was going. In fact, hubby told me I should ask but I was just encouraged by the obvious progress noted on your blog and assumed that something was working (btw, hubby and oldest are now taking Omega-3).
I am actually in tears (partly hormonal) but also just plain happy. God is so GOOD! I am so glad that He used our own experiences to help you and know exactly how you feel–we felt the same way when Esther stopped screaming and started having discussions.
June 7th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Hey there – I have written in a few times to comment – your little boy reminds me a TON of my oldest – she is five. She had ear infections and two sets of tubes (I don’t think Jensen has had that…) but from the stories you tell, they are a lot alike. She is still a bit behind (speech) and our Pediatrician here, we just moved here, recommended speech therapy too, but my daughter has made HUGE progress (and our pediatrician where we moved from was very supportive and encouraging…and thought it would just take a little extra work at home). I did some studying on-line too and found this site called NATHHAN and they offer two packages for speech therapy at home – one is for articulation (where we are now) and the other is for helping them build their words and encouraging them to use them. I don’t know if you have already checked into this or not, it sounds like you are doing an amazing job. My oldest showed HUGE progress in ALL areas from three to four (even going to the grocery)…
have a great day. Sunshine
I think you are the best thing for Jensen…and I love this story – the fact that as moms we celebrate boogars….it is totally a “mom thing”
June 7th, 2007 at 9:34 am
That is so sweet. And only a mama would appreciate the significance of such an act. The booger I mean. Cute as can be. The baby I mean.
I am glad he is ok with that peanut allergy. That had to be a bit scary. And I am also glad that you have been able to identify some needs and help him without all kinds of intervention. Parents really do know their kids the best.
I spent 3 years trying to tell my doctor that something was wrong with my child from about 6 months on. Finally, at age 3 1/2 we discovered a profound hearing loss. I cried and cried and cried. Not because he had a problem but because I was so relieved to know that I knew him that well. And all the time we lost to the diagnosis. And the fact that we could actually do something about it. And what kind of mother was I that I disciplined him for not listening to me? OH, those were hard times.
SO I am glad yours is working out so well. He sounds like a very dear, sweet little fellow. Enjoy!
June 7th, 2007 at 9:49 am
I know, you probably have enough to do, but may I suggest sign language for Jensen? My fourth was my first colicky baby, and while I had taught a few signs to my other kids (mainly “sit down”, “be quiet”, “pay attention” etc…so I could discipline them from across the room at the library and other public places LOL) I decided I wanted David to be able to tell me as young as possible what was bothering him cause the screaming was driving me crazy! ANYWAY….we started teaching him at 7 months and started recording episodes of “Signing Time” on PBS for him to watch. HE LOVES SIGNING TIME!!! If I ever need 30 minutes of peace and quiet, all I have to do is put it on! But back to my point….my neighbor’s son was not talking well at all by age three, so he went to a speech therapist, and guess what she did? She told them to use sign language with him! It was simply a matter of getting his thoughts and his words together. Once he started signing, he started talking! It took eight weeks and he talks just fine now. And I noticed that my little boy learned the words at the same time he learned the signs and now he signs pretty freely, but he ALWAYS says the word he’s signing at the same time. His vocabulary is probably 3 times what the other kids were at 2 years old. And he also knows almost the entire alphabet and I haven’t taught him one single letter! He learned it all by watching Signing Time.
Sorry this is such a long comment, but I thought it might help!
June 7th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Hey DeeDee – don’t mean to clog up your comments, but I tagged you for the “book meme,” and then I realized that you basically did that (citing none other than I. P. Nightly!), so I’m tagging you for the “personal policies” meme. Check my site for details!
SO glad that all was okay with the peanut butter allergy (I’m living in fear of that moment; it’s lurking, I know), and I hope that leaky gut gets patched up.
June 7th, 2007 at 12:52 pm
You might want to google celiac disease. It’s basically a food intolerance to gluten, which is in wheat, rye, barley and oats. If you’ve been researching leaky gut, you may have seen the phrase mentioned.
I was reasearching something at one point and kept seeing celiac disease. But I thought if I had a disease, I’d know about it. Lo and behold, once I did click on it and look into it, it answered 95% of the health problems I’d had since I was a kid. Go figure…
It can cause a rash as well as developmental delays. Most people have never heard of it, but it’s actually pretty common. Lots of support out there for it, and a sizeable niche market of gluten-free baked goods and other goodies.
My son had developmental delays; speech, communication in general, social interaction. It only took a couple months of him being on the gluten-free diet for him to get back on a good track.
I hope Jensen is feeling better. That must have really been scary for all of you.
Congratulations too on his newly-developed fine motor skills. hehe
Nancy
June 7th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
Hmmm, my 2 year old has a peanut allergy (although it’s mild) and eczema, too. I need to read more about leaky gut syndrome. Since we’ve cut out the things he’s allergic to, his eczema is much better, but we still struggle with it and he still has flare-ups. Of course, it would help if my mother-in-law wouldn’t give him peanut butter cookies. *sigh*
Glad everything’s okay with Jensen!
June 7th, 2007 at 4:07 pm
I love reading your blog as I am a homeschooling mom and love reading about you and your kids escapades!
I saw this post about the leaky gut syndrome and how your pediatrician hadn’t heard of it. That sends up red flags for me! I’m a former physiologist and now a college professor and I know about it and you may need to have Jensen seen for it to evalute his standing. Just thought I would put in my 2 cents!
June 7th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
My oldest son (5) has some undiagnosed medical issues as well. We have been to dozens of specialists and all his tests are normal, so as of now we are just treating symptoms, but I keep perservering and researching different possiblilties and insisting on tests. He had ear problems as a baby and didn’t sit up/crawl/walk because of that until 18 months when he FINALLY got tubes at my insistence. He walked and everything within 2 days! He was getting early intervention therapy and it wasn’t helping. Afterwards, he still received speech therapy (the state had to provide at home/daycare free of charge) and when he turned 3 he became eligible for special ed pre-k at the local public school where he now gets free speech, OT, and PT. I had to fight every step of the way to even get him tested, but after testing they realized what I had been telling them.
We are the only active advocates for our kids, and it is tough. You really have to research and know your rights and fight for what they need and deserve because unfortunately no one will volunteer necessary information. Keep up the good work and listen to your intuitions!
June 7th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
I am so glad her turned out to be ok! I’m sure that was very scary!
I totally know what you mean about being proud he called you by name and even said “Thank You!” even if it was about a booger. My 20 month old boy is still not talking- only says Mama and Mine, so I have been a little worried. Glad Jensen is making progress!
June 7th, 2007 at 10:55 pm
Oh, I have lots of good stories about doctors missing things. They kept telling us our son had allergies – he has cystic fibrosis. You are very smart to look into things yourself. I know doctors hate parents that are internet-savvy.
TOUGH, I say! LOL Glad the allergy attack didn’t turn out worse!
We just were on vacation with my husband’s nephew and his young family. At the 2yo check up, their 2nd child, a boy, had only 3 words that he used. The mom, a speech pathologist, was mortified. But thankfully, she didn’t panic and all of a sudden he was talking in complete sentences and parroting EVERYTHING everyone said. I don’t understand why doctors are so quick to recommend extra help. It’s making young mothers neurotic! (Except for us level-headed ones! HA!) And putting labels on kids that they just don’t NEED the great majority of the time. Why do they think that every child will fit into the same cookie mold? Good grief, let the children develop on their own time.
June 8th, 2007 at 12:16 am
I second Nancy’s suggestion to get your son tested for Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. A person can be gluten intolerant w/o being full blown Celiac.
I am over 50 years old and was only just diagnosed with gluten intolerance a couple of months ago. The new doctor I saw diagnosed me within ten minutes of me beginning to tell him my health history. Then he backed up his diagnosis with testing.
The INEXCUSABLE facts are that a person with this problem would be diagnosed within an average of six months in Europe. In the USA, it takes an AVERAGE of TWELVE YEARS to be diagnosed with gluten intolerance or Celiac. So says the doctor who diagnosed me. (You might have a challenge finding a doctor who will listen to you, but I know you will fight for your son. )
He also said that if your ancestors come from the United Kingdom or Eastern Europe you are much more likely to have this disease. One in three Irish have it.
Stool testing is more reliable than blood testing. The lab that tested me also does a genetic test, a saliva test that is done with a cotton swab in the mouth. Easy.
The naturopathic doc I used to see says that most all gastroenterologists won’t even admit there is such a thing as leaky gut, but gluten intolerance leads to leaky gut.
The list of problems caused by ignoring a gluten intolerance is long. I personally believe medical costs in the USA could be cut immensely if people would just get to the root of the problem (gluten intolerance) that is causing the secondary disease. I thought the root of my problem was low thyroid. Turns out gluten intolerance causes problems with most organs of the body and then further disease, from those organs not working properly, if gluten isn’t eliminated from the diet.
I also have a son who was speech delayed (didn’t really talk until he was five years old and boy did that cause problems in preschool), allergy ridden, had excema as a toddler and ended up struggling SO much in school. If only I had known what I know now, I would have had him tested for the gluten intolerance, while I still had significant control over his diet.
Glad the peanut allergy was not life threatening.
June 8th, 2007 at 11:06 am
First of all, I totally think you should scrapbook the booger.
If you’re a scrapbooker.
Second, ROCK ON for advocating for your son’s health. Good for you.
June 8th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
What an absolutely precious moment! I can definately see why you were so happy about it. That says a lot about you as a mom.
And…kudos to you for educating yourself on Jensen’s health issues. It takes a lot of work to do that, and so many folks just don’t realize that the info is out there for anyone to have.
Last, but not least, praise God that the peanut thing was not life-threatening. What a blessing!
June 8th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
I know how frightening that peanut allergy discovery is. Both of my boys are allergic to various nuts and we learned it the hard way. My oldest son’s reaction sounds a lot like Jensen’s, swelling, itching, etc. My third child’s reactions includes vomiting and other bad stuff. (They both have eczema, too.)
There is so much out there nowadays to learn more about allergies and how to treat the side effects thanks to the internet.
June 11th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
Just to chime in with Melody, and say that Signing Time does help kids communicate better. You can get their videos at: http://www.signingtime.com/