helped her improve her diet and about how much better she feels. I hope you can help Sam!” “Have you ever tried any comple- mentary or alternative therapies?” I asked. “No, I haven't tried anything other than his prescription. And I am so worried about possible side effects or drug depen- dency. I really don’t know what to do, but I will do whatever it takes to bring him relief. I cry every time I think about him having these seizures his entire life. There has to be a way!” exclaimed Megan. “Megan, are you familiar with what
is happening in Sam's brain when he is experiencing a complex partial seizure?”
I asked. “I know that his doctor tried explain-
ing it to me at first,” Megan was clearly exasperated. “And I’ve done some online research. The information and taking care of two-year-old twins and the demands of my job have me stressed out. Can you help me understand?” “I’ll tell you what I know. Basically this type of seizure creates an electrical disturbance that starts in one part of the brain, but usually affects the parts of the brain that involve alertness and aware- ness. The seizures come in many different forms and appear different from person to person; it all depends on where in the
brain the seizure is occurring. This type of seizure can result in consciousness being lost or impaired. It’s challenging to identify the behaviors in a young child because their nervous system is less de- veloped. Symptoms that warn of an im- pending seizure can include feelings of nausea or vomiting, a rapid heartbeat along with fear and getting pale. Move- ments such as spitting, chewing, swallow- ing, lip-smacking and gulping are facial indications of complex partial seizures. A child’s eyes may look to one side. He may raise one or both arms or move his head to one side. The child may stop what he is doing suddenly. His hand or arm may jerk rhythmically, however hold- ing the arm may not stop it. Is this what you’ve noticed with Sam?” “Oh, absolutely! Here is a video of
him on my phone. I want you to see what happens when he is experiencing a sei- zure,” Megan handed me her cell phone as the video started. “Wow, Megan, this is difficult to
watch. Has your doctor determined the cause of Sam’s seizures?” I asked. “No, but maybe with further testing,”
said Megan. “There are a number of possible
causes. Acute or chronic infections, in- flammation, toxic metal poisoning, stress, fluctuations in blood sugar, pH imbal- ance, nutrient deficiencies, food allergies and or sensitivities to food and environ- mental chemicals that irritate the brain structure. I can work with you on several of these possibilities. First, I want us to focus on nutritional influences,” I said. “Tell me what Sam is eating and
drinking throughout the day. Starting first with his breakfast and then progressing throughout the day.” “I normally give him cereal with milk, and sometimes with soy milk, each morning for breakfast. He has a fruit snack mid-morning at daycare near the time he has the seizure,” said Megan. “Most days for lunch he eats a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and has a car- ton of milk. For dinner, I usually cook chicken and green beans or some other vegetable.” “Thank you, this is helpful informa-
tion,” I took a deliberate breath. As a nutritionist, this is when I usually face the most blatant resistance from patients; telling someone they have to change the way they and their family eat can be very
34
NaturalTriad.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56