Day 2: A Puzzle Piece or Two

For months I have been trying to figure out why Ellie's body is still not detoxing properly. After such a length of time on what is known as stage 1 of GAPS introduction, she shows signs that are still puzzling.  Her eczema flares with any change in food, she still has large amounts of urine, and there is still plenty of evidence she battles fungus.

In a properly functioning body, God has established an amazing detoxification system.  Outside toxins that make it inside, inappropriate things ingested, or waste produced within the body by bacteria is simply packaged up nicely and sent right back out thanks to enzymes and an amazing immune system (major over simplification there). Ellie has not been dumping toxins properly, and we know this because her body is still trying to push them out through her skin or respiratory system.  We began giving her a topical enzyme supplement which has helped in some ways, but has not been enough.  Her skin has still been a wreck, and I am fearful of seizures.

Last week I received one new piece of the puzzle.  We have not been treating her constipation properly.  We have been letting her go too long without giving her an enema and helping her body rid of toxins.  The longer those toxins sit in her intestines, the more they get absorbed right back in and her body was detox them all over again.  It is imperative that she poop daily (as should we all).  We have started following GAPS guidelines on constipation and began to see improvements within a couple days. 

The second puzzle piece has been a horrifying find, and one I have been contemplating for a few weeks. But I confirmed my suspicions when I finished my research today. (hooray for Team Ellie and answered prayers!)

We have a whole house carbon filter that eliminates chlorine and toxins like pharmaceuticals from the water.  Yes, treated city water is full of all kinds of toxins. And summertime in California is the most puzzling of all.  I know many a household who have spent thousands of dollars to filter drinking water, and often bath water, yet go spend every afternoon in their chlorinated swimming pool.  Not only is there an actual respiratory infection associated with the gas produced by chlorinated pools, but your skin sucks up more chlorine in a bath or pool than you would ever get from one day of drinking chlorinated water.  Thus, the image of a bottled water drinking person soaking up the sun in their chlorinated swimming pool is a puzzling picture for me.  Sorry, California. The EPA has labeled chlorine as one of the top 10 carcinogens. 

All that to say we have eliminated chlorine from our water a long time ago.  But we did not filter our water entirely.

At some point in time someone governmental decided that it would be a good idea to add fluoride to our drinking water.  Fluoride and heavy metals are not removed by a traditional carbon filter like the one we have in our garage.  Recently I began looking into fluoride to see how bad it really is, and was absolutely righteously angered.  Here are a few facts:

-The largest state legislature in the U.S. recently passed a bill mandating infant fluoride warnings on all water bills in fluoridated communities.
-  Ingestion of as little as 1 percent of a tube of flavored children's toothpaste can produce acute fluoride toxicity in a young child.
- Infant formula contains fluoride, and the CDC acknowledges that mixing infant formula with fluoridated water is too much fluoride.
- Fluoride in our water is actually industrial waste.

I could keep going but will stop there.  A little google will get you a long way with fluoride.  As will a Medscape article on fluoride toxicity.  Not only is fluoride stored in the thyroid if it can't be detoxed, it has an amazing effect on the gastrointestinal tract.  Lets take a look, shall we?

Fluoride has several mechanisms of toxicity. Ingested fluoride initially acts locally on the intestinal mucosa. It can form hydrofluoric acid in the stomach, which leads to GI irritation or corrosive effects. Following ingestion, the GI tract is the earliest and most commonly affected organ system.

Bitter much? Why yes I am! But thoroughly and totally grateful that God has revealed a barrier to Ellie's healing, and yet another way she is making the rest of us healthier.

Summary:  As we were trying to help Ellie dump toxins out of her body and properly heal, we were continuing to give her fluoride which her body must work to eliminate.  If she is already overloaded and damaged from excessive fluoride intake, this is a losing battle.

The plan:  We have purchased some amazing fluoride filters (cha-ching) and will be transitioning her onto non-fluoridated water as-soon-as-I can get the filter hooked up.  We are putting her back on her enzyme supplement to help with the detox load that will begin to happen naturally in her body, and are considering adding a natural form of vitamin C to assist with the detox as well.  If we do it will have to be *very* slow to avoid overload of her system.

Please pray for wisdom on the vitamin C.  There are risks involved in giving her an oral supplement of any kind, and a few specifically tied to (natural) vitamin C.

Please pray for Ellie's body, that it will begin the detox process and that it will not show complications.

And perhaps check out this amazing and reasonably priced website to rid your own home of fluoride: Friends of Water

More Adjustments

A couple of weeks ago I received an invitation from a friend to bring my children and enjoy her pool over the summer. It went something like: I am not sure if Ellie can be in chlorinated water, but if so you are more than welcome to bring your kids and use our pool this summer.

My first thought was: Great!

My second thought was: Wait. Huh?

My third thought was: CHLORINE! oh no!

It never occurred to me. I remember reading information on chlorinated pools in my GAPS book, but it never stuck because I have enough to think about and research with each immediate FPIES hurdle. So I thought about, talked about it, read about....processed and processed it in my head. And then I had one of those 'ah ha moments'.

We have a whole house filter to eliminate chemicals, specifically chlorine, from the bath water. We decided to install it when we first moved here and in the bath tub Moriah said "mommy the bathtub smells like a swimming pool!". And when I researched further I found that the body absorbs more chemicals (chlorine) through the skin in a short shower than you could drink in an average day. Not acceptable! I declared.

Not once did I make the connection between the bath water and swimming pools, even with Moriah's help. DOH! Thank the Lord we have had that filter installed and have already made that change for our home. But sadly, and most uncomfortably, the path to healing and living healthy has created another obstacle to socialization: swimming pools. A body fighting to heal and rid itself of toxins through things like eczema does not need the added set back of spending time absorbing chlorine. So no pools for us.

I have decided that this summer we will be going old school. We will be finding those favorite swimming holes, river edges, and mountain creeks to get wet, along with a pool in our backyard filled with plain ole water. All things that are quite therapeutic I have been told!