Staying Healthy

Special Needs and low immunity seem to go hand in hand.  We struggled for a long time keeping Finn healthy.  He has low titers and we have been told he has similarities to cystic fibrosis patients.  Finn spent the majority of his first two years sick.  We ended up taking Finn to see Dr. Berger, a holistic pediatrician.  There are at least two holistic pediatricians in the Tampa Bay area that were recommended to us.  We chose Dr. Berger after multiple recommendations.  


We only saw Dr. Berger twice because he is expensive (not covered by insurance and ran us over $800 both times) and we feel like we now have good control over Finn's general health.  

His website is full of useful information for any child.  http://wholisticpeds.com/default.asp?cid=956655663&n1=19 on staying healthy, what to do on the first signs of illness, special diets, Epsom salt rubs, HBOT, etc.

What we have found most important to keeping Finn healthy.  As a note, we have been able to cut some of these items out, but we used all of these as we transitioned Finn into a healthy child:

• Probiotics - most likely if your child is having GI issues like Finn, your pediatrician has already recommended probiotics but may not have recommended enough or the right kind.  
• Vitamin D.  We use a liquid Vitamin D3.  
• Zinc.  We use a liquid Zinc.
• Larix - this is similar to echinacea but can be used every day.  Warning: it tastes awful!!!
• Colostrum - that's right colostrum.  We were able to get a casein free version of this from Dr. Berger.
• Vitamins 
• Fish Oil and/or Flax Seed Oil
• Liquid multi-vitamin
  
• A healthy diet.  Finn eats whole grains - quinoa and rice, beans, eggs, and lots of fruits and vegetables.  We have been very fortunate that Finn is a good eater when it comes to fruits and vegetables.
  
• Nose irrigation - well, you can't really irrigate a child's nose easily, but we do saline spray his nose in the morning and night to keep anything in there moving and help it out
• We check Finn's titers before the winter season sets in and give him the necessary vaccines
• We help Finn's digestive system by pureeing foods that are difficult to digest

We obtained proper dosing information, etc. from Dr. Berger and only added one thing at a time.  You don't want to overdo certain things such as Vitamin A as it can damage the liver so if you are going to change your child's vitamin regimen and dosage, you should consult someone to help. 

When Finn does start to show signs of being sick we do follow Dr. Berger's article titled "On the First Signs of Illness."



Finn started public school in September and I'm so happy to report that he has not had an illness that has led us to taking him to the doctor since starting.