Friday, July 31, 2009

Doctor Mom


I kept my 5 year old home from VBS the other day, her cough didn't sound so good, and I didn't want to be "the bad mom" for sending her off to infect the planet. I brought out my arsenal of natural remedies for "whatever" infects them, boosting all 6 kid's immune systems with my collection of:
colloidal silver
vitamin C in a 500 mg chewable (this would be taken up to 3-4000 mg when sick)
elderberry/zinc lozenges
vitamin D (helps reduce congestion)

The 5 yr old had what was shaping up to be a nasty chest cold, and the 7 yr old was starting to cough. At the first signs, All 6 kids get the regiment. Several times daily. I don't have a set dosage pattern, it comes with experience I guess. And no, their skin won't turn blue from a few days of silver ingestion.

I've been treating illness this way for about 14 years, no matter the illness. In the unlikely even of an ear ache (we've never had a bacterial ear infection, but a few ear aches) They get the "garlic torpedo". This is some crushed garlic infused into warm olive oil and twisted into a cotton "torpedo" that gets stuffed into their ear and held with a hot wet compress. This is just in case it IS bacterial, as garlic will kill just about anything! I've only had to resort to Motrin and/or steroid drops once (in 14 yrs, mind you), for a particularly lengthy ear ache that doc assured me was not deserving of antibiotics, which I would probably not use anyway. I have given anti-biotics once, to two kids with asymptomatic undiagnosed strep that was causing tics in my 10 yr old. The young doc at the walk in clinic insisted they didn't have it, and my old country doc did. Guess who was right?

They tend to get two yearly illnesses; either a tummy bug or a cold. I expect this, it's normal. Their immune systems are set up for this. I don't give Motrin for fevers, instead I put them in a tub as hot as they can tolerate, to draw out the fever and let it do it's work. I am a firm believer in not suppressing minor illness (note the disclaimer, you wouldn't do it this way for chronic problems, and PLEASE see your doc when in doubt).

With the threat of H1N1 looming on the horizon, I think homeschooling is such a blessing. With my oldest 4 going to a small school this year (28 students), they will have an easier time coping with any outbreaks, and I will pull them out if it gets ugly, this regimen should serve me just as well. Certainly has so far! At the threat of illness, one needs to limit severely, all dairy and sugars. The dairy increases mucous production, and the sugar feeds the beast.

By the way, my 5 year old? after 4 days, her cough is practically non-existent. The immune system is an incredible machine, I try to work WITH it, not against it. Any special remedies you can't live without? Love to hear them!




7 comments:

  1. Hey, and whatever garlic oil you don't use for the torpedo, you can dip your bread in it! :)

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  2. lol! I wonder if basil would be good for the ear too?

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  3. I love Mac, Olivia, Ian, Adam, Vernie and Jonah so thank you for keeping them well. You are an awesome Mom, even if you do make those kids fix their own lunch. :) I love you Audrey. Have a great day.

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  4. I guess I only did part of the treatment when Emma had an ear infection last week. I used the silver in her ear but I sure didn't change her diet. Ended up on anti-biotics. Hate the stuff. I'll have to remember for next time. My kids rarely get sick.

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  5. Ear infections are tough, but the garlic really does work. When I use all or most of those things, I find we get better so fast. Sometimes I do nothing, like if they have a tummy bug, I stick with the colloidal because they throw up everything else. But some ginger ale and patato chips (yes lol!) sit more easily.

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  6. I was wondering if you gave your kids anything when they were teething? I'd love to hear any natural suggestions about that! My 8 month old never seems to want to chew on anything he's supposed to (to help with the teething) and instead insists on chewing on the remote or newspaper.

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  7. Well, newspapers probably are chewy enough for him. My boy used to chew on a hunk of thick leather, lol! A bagel is good to gnaw on, just watch him. Homeopathic chamomilla (health food store, just ask) in a 30c, every 4 hrs, OR homeopathic arnica same dose. Homeopathics are my most important tool, no side effects, totally safe and IF you choose the right one (it gets complicated) it works best hands down. The chamomilla is for a peevish whiny pissy screaming teether. Arnica may help for the gnawing child, teething hurts! They're cheap, so if one doesn't work, the other should, and you've only lost about $10.

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