I'm not what most people would call "crunchy". We don't eat granola, I buy processed food, and we don't have a chicken coop in the backyard.
In fact, I've always trusted doctors. I have been a "trust the experts" type of person since I can remember. I mean, they went to school for how many years? Surely they MUST know what they're talking about, right?
Well, I still believe they do, but I also believe there can be information they don't have. Answers they haven't found yet. That there just might be a better way.
My thought process began to change when our son began showing symptoms of environmental allergies at two and a half years old. First the pediatrician said it was too early for allergies, that those don't develop until years later. Then the same doctor, in the same appointment, prescribed antihistamines for him.
We gave the antihistamines, as directed, and they helped some. But the change of season always brought on worsening symptoms.
Fast forward five years. He was still symptomatic, even on the meds, now year round. We then went to a specialist who did blood & skin tests to isolate the cause. Both came back negative and we were told the test may not be accurate until late teens early twenties.
Buuut here are three antihistamines for him to take. Come see us when he gets sick (which was at least twice a year) and we'll give him antibiotics and breathing treatments.
This cycle went on for three years. Seasons change, symptoms flare up despite all the meds, we make a trip to the specialist, get antibiotics, miss a couple days of school. Rinse and repeat.
The final straw was when the specialist looked at me during one of our sick visits and said "There isn't anything else we can do for him. Hopefully he will outgrow this".
Instead of simply accepting this news, I went on a search. Looking for something, anything, that would help and give my boy relief.
(Sidenote, my husband suffers the exact same symptoms at the exact same time and has for years. His tests came back positive for just about everything that grows in our state. So deductive reasoning concludes that our son is reacting to the same things his dad does. This information leads to the realization that he will never outgrow this and the cycle will continue the rest of his life. Or until he moves. This mama's heart was not okay with that! I was not okay with him being sick all the time and I was not okay with the long term effects of all those meds on his body.)
Today, both of them are off all meds and no longer see the specialist. There are still a few, very minor, symptoms when the seasons change, but those are easily managed without medication and we haven't had a sick visit in over two years.
We found a better way. We broke the cycle and now focus on prevention instead of treatment. We still respect doctors, and seek them when necessary, certain conditions and situations require them. I believe they are a piece of the puzzle, but they are not always the only answer.
0 Comments