A Day in the Life of a PANDA
Here are a few things I have learned: The conventional approach of PANDAS seems simple. IVIG to get rid of the autoimmune response, antibiotics to kill the strep, sometimes antidepressants or SSRI's. But NOTHING to reduce brain inflammation (other than ibuprofen which simply tackles symptoms not the underlying cause). Nothing to address gut health, which is severely impacted due to microglial activation and cytokines gone haywire. Nothing to support the regeneration of neurons that have been damaged by the "fight" against the basal ganglia. Addressing each of these underlying causes is PIVOTAL in healing from PANS/PANDAS.
Taking Care of Your Physical Health as a Special Needs Parent
When I first landed in the “special needs parent” category 5 years ago, I had no clue just how long and hard the journey would be. We received the diagnosis of PANDAS in June of 2018 and really didn’t know if or when our daughter would recover.
I knew that taking care of my physical health was important, but trying to find the time to eat right, move my body and get good sleep felt impossible with the constant demands of therapy appointments and behavior management.
4 Reasons Your Hormones are Misbehaving
When I graduated nursing school with my bachelors of science in nursing, I felt like I knew everything there was to know about the human body (insert laughter here because that thought is just RIDICULOUS). I had a very medicalized perspective of physiology. What I mean by that is if you have a problem, you fix it with medication. I had very little concept of the body's innate ability to heal itself (again... ridiculous), and thus really had no grid for what I could do to make myself feel better.
Preparing for Summer Naturally - Without Breaking the Bank!
While my husband and I were on this journey of learning how to prepare food in a way that actually nourished our bodies, my eyes opened to the other areas in our lives that were less than healthy for us, and were actually harming us! When I learned about the dangers in most mainstream sunscreen (see HERE), I decided I would spend the extra money on a tiny tube of non-toxic sunscreen recommended to be my my naturopath.
What Do Heavy Periods, Fatigue & Breast Tenderness All Have In Common?
5 Tests to Have Done When Experiencing Anxiety
Anxiety might just be one of the worst experiences. The racing thoughts, heart palpitations, irrational thoughts and sleeplessness make day to day living very difficult. As someone who has overcome a diagnosis of obsessive compulsive disorder and C-PTSD, I can tell you that anxiety must be addressed holistically if we want to get breakthrough and overcome for the long term