HOW MY SON'S CEREBRAL PALSY IMPROVED WHEN I REALISED HE WAS BEING POISONED
As a caregiver to a son with cerebral palsy, I am well aware of the primary focus on tendon lengthening surgeries, physio and occupational therapy. Most of my time in earlier years was taken up with medical visits for pain, assessments of what surgery may be considered next, and hours and hours of massage and gentle stimulation.
It would be fair to say I never even thought about the food Robert ate, or that the nutritional needs he may have had could be any different to mine personally. What one had for dinner in our home, we all had. Don’t get me wrong. I cooked vegetables, meat, fish, and lunches were made in my kitchen with all the love any mother uses when tending to her family. There was no reason to consider Rob’s needs may have any been different to the rest of us.
And so it was for the first twenty years of Rob’s life.
His anger towards me, his tiredness during any exercise routines, and his sleepless nights, as far as I was concerned, was a reflection of the disability he lived with daily. BUT I WAS WRONG. And I wouldn’t find that out for many more years to come.
The stress became unbearable, not just for me but for everyone Robert came into contact with. By young adulthood his daily shower became a war zone. Yet still nothing twigged. Ulcers became a permanent feature on his feet and antibiotics were pretty much an everyday meal supplement. Eventually he was hospitalised and told he may lose his feet. That was the fright that woke me up big time. It was the jolt Rob needed to start listening to his brother who had been researching nutrition for years. We all decided to work together to support Rob’s new goal of getting holistically healthy.
FIRSTLY WE NEEDED TO ASSESS WHAT WE WERE MISSING.
- Most of us have a lack of vitamin D provided by the sunshine, especially if we work inside or the weather is bleak. For those with a disability the ability to get enough sunshine can be overlooked. Vitamin D is imperative for us all but for people who find it difficult to get outside, a lack of Vitamin D becomes a real concern.
- Sugar is toxic in large quantities. I think we all know this. When kids running around have an overload of sugar their constant activity helps to metabolise it to some extent. Not so for someone sitting and not moving physically however. The sweet treat that didn’t really affect me was actually pushing Rob towards the amputation of toes because of ulcers.
- Lack of restful sleep was another problem. I put it down to discomfort due to not being able to roll from side to side. I guess I wasn’t wrong in suspecting that as the cause, but there was a bigger cause. The sugar he couldn’t burn off through movement was affecting his nervous system and making him agitated. Hence the war zone in the bathroom each morning.
- Water can be a really big issue if it is full of chemicals such as fluoride. We discovered that by accident when our dog, after limping badly for several years due to a stiff back, had his water changed as a last resort, to bottled water. He lost his limp in days and has been free of stiffness ever since. Where we live added chemicals in our water supply is a given, so if the dog could exhibit such a change what may we see. I had always just thought boiling the water made it safe. Perhaps I was naive, but like I have said, learning is a life long process and we all have to start somewhere.
These were the first problems with Rob’s diet we identified. It was certainly not all, but you have to start somewhere and the obvious was enough to deal with early on.
The vitamin D was the easiest to deal with. We made a concerted effort to sit in the sun whenever it appeared. I had many a cup of coffee listening to the radio with Rob as we sat in the garden or he drove his wheelchair whilst I walked with him around the neighbourhood. For those times when we had weeks of miserable weather we used a supplement.
The water was another we addressed without any rebuttal from Rob. A filter system under our sink was easily fitted. We wanted a system that hydrogenated the water. If your going to do it may as well do it right. Until then we purchased our water from a reputable company such as Wellness Group where we also found other supplements through the years. Interestingly the pain Rob suffered in his back seemed to lessen over the weeks to come.
The sugar was the really big issue. Mostly because I happen to be a bit of an addict myself. I like my chocolate, not the good dark kind, but the nice creamy sugary kind. I also had no idea just how much sugar is contained in nearly everything we eat. My son Ryan however, had solved his own addiction to sugar through what most people would find drastic changes indeed. He cut out all alcohol, and went primarily on a carnivore diet. I found that a stretch as I didn’t eat meat or eggs at the time. For me to make such changes would take a few more years. But Rob was our focus, not my sugar cravings, and fortunately Rob was willing to try anything. He had enormous trust in his brother and with some grumbling and withdrawal symptoms we all had to deal with, Rob finally allowed his brother to cook all his meals and regulate any alcohol he drank.
The changes were dramatic and if not seen would definitely not be believed. But Rob’s physio did see the changes with her own eyes saying how she would never have believed he would be doing the things he is now. Over the passage of about 2 years Rob changed into someone who could laugh, sleep soundly, and has a fierce appetite. He needs the food he eats now as his physical body is repairing itself in ways I never thought possible. No longer does he suffer from ulcers. In fact he hasn’t been on antibiotics in years. He doesn’t get sick and he sleeps really well. His body is more relaxed and his irritation has disappeared.
I won’t say things changed overnight. It was slow and steady at first. The ulcers that needed antibiotics, became ulcers that cleared up without treatment. Finally after a couple of years they don’t appear in cold weather anymore. The scars are there but the circulation has improved.
The terrible depression he suffered is no longer. It was so bad that he often said if he could walk he would commit suicide. When the sugar disappeared so did the self hatred I could never break through.
Where once Rob would literally pass out from tiredness after not more than a few minutes of physiotherapy, he now spends much of his day practicing his breathing, using his arms more, sitting straight, and even standing in a frame for up to an hour. At the end of all that he chats and asks to do more.
If I am asked for advice today, I say without reservation, do a few little things like watching the sugar intake, water additives, and vitamin D requirements. If you don’t have a problem with any of these it doesn’t mean your loved one whose body has different needs, isn’t affected. These small changes work for everyone anyway.
Today I do much more research on where we get our nutritional advice, rather than just buying everything I see advertised as a miracle product. Some companies add fillers to their nutrients, others sell overpriced products. Many times you buy things unaware they may clash with something else. With my history of naivity in the early years I want the best advice I can get, and personally find the Wellness Group covers all the bases. I am sure there are people you have found trustworthy too, and there will be many others who are reputable as well. The best thing to do is ask questions, contrast the answers you get from one with another, and then make a decision as to who you find more knowledgeable.
My suggestions about a few changes we made in our home worked for Rob and his whole outlook on life. They may or may not work for you. One size does not fit all. What I do know for sure though, is getting another’s perspective gives you something to think about when you begin to do your own research. My role in writing about what has worked for me hopefully helps you to find the strategies that can work for you too.
Thankyou for reading and please share if you know someone this information could help.
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