Rescuing My Child

Natural Health, April, 1999 by Lisa Siegel

ABOUT NINE, MONTHS after she was born, my daughter's health fell into a precarious state. Every two or three weeks Jessica was hit with a cold, which was followed by a bacterial infection in her ears or sinuses, or both. Each time her doctor prescribed antibiotics, which caused allergic reactions such as hives. My husband, Bob, and I gave her strong antihistamines so she could tolerate the side effects, but these drugs left her tired and cranky. In between colds her ears were always congested with fluids.

When Jessica was 18 months old and in for yet another doctor's visit, our pediatrician dropped a bomb. "Jessica's blood test results aren't normal," she said. I could see the worry on the doctor's face and felt my heart begin to pound in my throat. The pediatrician told me my daughter's immunity-providing white blood cells were at a dangerously low level. "I suggest you take her immediately to see a blood specialist," she said.

That afternoon, at our city's major medical center, Jessica underwent an examination and extensive blood tests that confirmed the low level. Terrified by all the probing, she cried a great deal. Bob and I were scared, too.

The tests continued for several weeks as the specialists looked for clues to her condition. Meanwhile her level of white blood cells remained low. Finally the doctors diagnosed Jessica with a rare condition called benign neutropenia, which left her especially vulnerable to bacteria, although they couldn't explain why none of Jessica's infections had been as dangerous or deadly as they would've, e expected. A bone marrow test revealed that her spinal cord made normal levels of the cells that provide bacterial immunity. Her body was mysteriously suppressing these cells once they entered her bloodstream. Since her infections didn't seem to be life-threatening, the specialists offered no treatment. They advised us to monitor her blood weekly and treat her immediately with antibiotics whenever she became ill.

The colds and ear and sinus infections continued and were joined by bouts of croup followed by bronchial infections. Jessica also developed chronic vaginal yeast infections and urinary tract infections, which were treated with more antibiotics, and her allergic reactions to the antibiotics became more severe. Her cuts and scrapes were slow to heal and usually became infected. We were up many nights tending to her ear pain, coughs, and headaches. When Jessica entered preschool at age 3, she missed more school than she attended and was cranky and fatigued most of the time. It was often difficult to plan a play date with Jessica's friends, since we didn't know if she would be sick or well that day.

One day when Jessica was about 4 1/2 years old, our pediatrician shared her frustration with me. "My god," she said, "when Jessica really needs an antibiotic for something life-threatening like pneumonia, there will be nothing left to give her."

That was it. I was terrified. Every drug prescribed seemed only to make Jessica sicker. There had to be something else to do.

ENTERING A NEW WORLD A friend suggested I look into homeopathy, so I began reading some books. Taking even that step was hard for me, as my father was a surgeon who believed wholeheartedly in conventional medicine. I had never used alternative therapies, except occasional vitamin C to ward off a cold. After reading about homeopathy, in which highly diluted forms of particular substances are given to a sick person to jump-start the body to heal itself, I was struck by how much sense it made and decided to pursue it.

The staff at a local holistic pharmacy highly recommended a homeopathic consultant who had worked for several years treating children and adults. During our first meeting, I learned that her health knowledge was self-taught and came from taking care of her daughter, who had been very sick as a young child. Despite her lack of formal credentials, her knowledge and comforting demeanor quickly impressed me.

The consultant asked a lot of questions about my daughter's background, emotional state, and personal preferences--all the aspects a homeopathic practitioner looks at when suggesting a remedy. She suspected that Jessica's blood condition might be a long-term allergic response to her vaccinations. On reflection, I remembered that Jessica had had rather severe reactions to all her vaccinations, including high fevers that lasted several days, and that her ability to fight off viruses and bacteria had seemed to decline dramatically with each shot.

To build up Jessica's immune system and restore her beneficial intestinal bacteria, the consultant suggested daily doses of vitamins, minerals, the immune-boosting herb echinacea, and the probiotic supplement Bifidobacteria. She also recommended I substitute homeopathic remedies for antibiotics the next time Jessica was sick. Finally, the consultant suggested I restrict the sugar, dairy products, wheat, artificial preservatives, colorings, and other additives in Jessica's diet.