The Holistic Approach

I've mentioned that we've been working with a holistic MD., Dr. Palevsky at Northport Wellness for about 4 months now. Of all the specialists we have been to, Dr. Palevsky, along with Dr. Sherr (Chiropractor who gives Josie cranial sacral adjustments every week), are the only ones with an actual plan for Josie.
The plan follows Dr. P's belief that Josie's issues are most likely the result of "vasculitis caused by vaccines."

In his words:
With all of the work-up Josie has had, it appears that the etiology of her developmental delays remains unknown. I would venture to say that Josie has a condition called static encephalopathy, either due to an early significant hypoxic event which, from the history, does not appear very likely, or due to a significant toxic event. I cannot rule out the possibility of an early vaccine injury, perhaps from a vasculitis from the Hepatitis B vaccine at 6 days of age and at 1 month of age. Since the cerebellum is one of the first sections of the brain to begin maturing in a newborn baby, and most of Josie's current developmental issues stem from an injury to the cerebellum (motor delays, cortical visual impairment), I have to include the possibility of an early vaccine injury. With a normal MRI and a normal birth history, the hypoxic etiology at birth seems less likely as a reason for her developmental delays. If Josie sustained a vasculitis or a toxic insult to her brain secondary to her early vaccines, she still would've experienced a loss of oxygen to some very important brain centers.

So his recommendations have been a bunch of supplements we started about 4 months ago including pro-biotics (why not?), glutithione (antioxidant? sounds good), vitamin D/K (yes, please). We also tried a supplement mix called agape and a lemonade flavored omega 3, but Josie had a hard time tolerating those so we're taking a break from them. Now, we're adding a bunch of plant stem-cell based medicines (a medicinal practice called Gemmotherapy) to support her during the hyperbarics oxygen therapy. More on that in a separate post.

Dr. P. also dramatically changed Josie's diet to an Ayurvedic approached diet to promote energy. So instead of cold/damp/wet foods, we give Josie protein rich, warming and energizing foods. Less fruit, way more vegetables. I make bone soups. As a former and probable future vegetarian, my first time purchasing meat on the bone was kind of comical. In these bone soups, I put all sorts of veggies and beans and then I puree different combinations, so she might have a chicken vegetable puree that's heavy on beets, or a red lentil bean soup made from a chicken or red meat stock. My house smells delicious when I cook for her. She has quinoa porridge for breakfast (Yup, Goldilocks ain't the only one who eats porridge), made with the meat stock for protein and energy and I mix in either a sweet potato, a little apple (shhhh), and lately I've been putting eggs in it - and that is to add more calories and fat.
You see, Josie has not gained any weight since September (4 months). The metabolic Dr. agrees with Dr. P that it's probably not a story of her not getting enough calories or fat (she eats all day!), but it's part of the bigger issue that her body isn't using the calories sufficiently to gain weight. So we're adding some more substance to each meal, and using coconut oil when we warm everything up, but it seems that her weight gain will come as her overall development improves. I don't know! This one threw me for a loop. She did grow in length - maybe she's just poised to be a super model. Wouldn't that defy the law of genetics!?