Seeking some psychic insight on my son's health

[MorningGlow]

Hi gang,

First of all, I want to apologize for not posting in the threads that have come up recently. I want everyone to know that I have been reading them when I can but haven't posted much anywhere on DU because I'm up to my eyeballs in work deadlines and some other stuff that I'll detail next. But I want everyone on the ASAH forum to know that I have SO wanted to post many times, and I hope to get back to doing so in the near future. I'm thinking about you and sending good vibes whenever necessary!

This is part of my time constraint issues lately, and what I'm hoping some of you will be able to share some psychic insights about: As I posted in one of the healing request threads, my son, MG Jr., 5, has been sick with one thing after another since the middle of September. It just has NEVER stopped--one illness segues into another. He just recovered from a double ear infection along with a bad cold and fever (antibiotics...gooooood...), and for about a week he slept like a log every night (unusual for him) as he caught up on all the sleep he lost for weeks when he coughed all night, every night.

He was healthy for six days. Yesterday he came down with ANOTHER cold and woke up coughing a couple of times last night. I slept in his bed again, because he gets upset when he coughs (and sometimes throws up), which is bad for me, because it's quite cramped and uncomfortable. So now I'm completely frazzled and my fears are starting to creep up on me.

What I'm wondering is whether he's still just building up his immune system--although I thought he'd be done with that by now, three months into the school year--or whether I should have him checked for a milk allergy. I understand that symptoms of a milk allergy can include constant colds, post-nasal drip, and ear infections. I'm also wondering if he's developed an allergy to the cats, or to the dust in this house, or to anything else lurking in these 140 YO walls. Or if there's something else going on with his health that I'm missing.

I know this isn't a life-threatening situation, but I can't bear to see him sick yet AGAIN. And if there's something I can do to stop this steady parade of illnesses, even if it means taking his beloved milk away from him, then I'll do it, and gladly.

If you pick up on anything, please do let me know. Visuals below, although nothing very current--beach shot from June, porch shot from Halloween. Thanks, everybody! :grouphug:

[Shallah Kali]

1. my impression - take him off dairy

and work with is heart chakra. I felt a tightness and old sadness in mine as this thread sloooowly loaded (yay for dailup :sarcasm:) and that he should *at the least avoid* dairy when sick. Then when I read about his constant colds I see why I got that. I have dairy allergy and used to be able to deal with a little with nothing worse than a stuffy nose unless I was coming down with something. Then with my immune system in overdrive I really phlemed up the instant it hit the back of my throat. I was constantly sick as a kid and the doctors repeatedly refused to test me for allergies until I was in my teens in spite of me practically living on antibiotics plus having aneoids out twice, tonsils out and tubes in the ears.

[MorningGlow]

8. Thank you, Shallah

I'm not surprised you're picking up on a heart chakra block--this little one is working out a lot of karma in this lifetime, and sometimes he finds it overwhelming.

Whenever he gets sick, I cut out as much dairy as I can, but I haven't been militant about it, mainly because he loves his dairy. In fact, he only drinks milk and water--doesn't like juice or soda or anything else. I make sure he only has organic milk and butter, but of course that doesn't alleviate an allergy if that's what's going on.

I will have to talk to his pediatrician about being tested for allergies. I had them when I was little, although I didn't have food allergies, and thankfully I outgrew them.

I do hope he's only working on his immune system, but it'll be better to find out for sure. Thanks again! :hi:

[Dora]

20. My son has used the NeilMed bottle.

It might be worth a shot. Those sinus rinses can alleviate so much. I hope he feels better soon.

[MorningGlow]

22. I wonder if he'd let me do something like that

He can be pretty fussy about "creepy feeling" procedures. I don't blame him--I was the same way when I was little.

Barring any form of sinus rinse, would a saline spray do any good? He might let me do that. Or would that not get far enough into the sinus cavity?

[Shallah Kali]

25. IMO saline spray helps even if it is not as effective as a neti pot

and when one is miserable even a 10% reduction in the misery is worthwhile.

[Dora]

33. Yes, I think saline sprays would be helpful too.

There's a brand called Xlear ("clear") that's made with xylitol that helped me immensely when I was having serious chronic sinus issues. It also has a sweet flavor, so the resulting drainage won't have an unpleasant or bitter taste. It would certainly help keep his sinuses moisturized (dry tissues are more susceptible), and the xylitol helps deter infection. The sprays aren't as "washing" as the neti or neilmed are, but they're still beneficial. Definitely worth trying.

My son exhibited curiousity when he watched me use the neilmed bottle a couple times. He had seen me use a neti pot, but he wasn't as interested in it as he was with the neilmed. He had seen me use it when I was very congested and could see that it brought me relief. One day when he was really stuffy, I asked if he wanted to rinse out his nose like mama does, and he said yes. We've done it twice now, and he was a good sport each time, with good results. It's not something that he wants to do daily, but when he can't breathe through his knows, he's willing to give it a go. Fortunately, he's had a very good fall/winter (knock on wood) and hasn't had many bugs yet.

[Shallah Kali]

26. Working with they Thymus chakra might be useful as well

it seems to hook in with my empathy and the heart chakra and the thymus is part of the immune system. I always include it when I do chakra work because of this.

Also it might help to switch out any household products with artifical fragrences. Personally when my allergies act up my sensitivity to chemicals ramps up. I got my Mother to switch ot natural dryer sheets because I would get a sore throat and irritated sinus drying my things after she did hers or just being in the room with them. Ditto when I tried a sample of floral fragrenced detergent on my bedspread. I learned my lesson and stick to unscented or plant based detergents and natural laundry boosters like washing soda or borax.

If you suspect respatory allergies if you dry bedding outside it might help to switch to the dryer. I hate using it but I have to at least during the allergy season. Or at least not drying blankets as allergens seem at least in my experience to stick more to blankets than sheets. Adding an extra sheet on top of other bedding makes a surprising difference for me.

[amitten]

2. Sadly, just this sort of illness has been making the rounds.

Everyone around me has been sick (including me). It started in September and for the most part everyone has gotten sick three--count 'em, THREE--times in a row.

I have a feeling it's a virus that goes under the radar, you think you're well and then it reappears.

I have never seen anything like it, but rest assured it is not only your son.

And I hope he feels much better soon!

[MorningGlow]

9. That is amazing

I've never seen anything like this before either. Come to think of it, Mr. MG said his throat hurt this morning. I'm still taking antibiotics because I just had a cold/sinus infection/pink eye (that I think was a blocked sinus).

I do hope it's only a cold and that things will calm down soon. The good thing is MG Jr. is pretty active for being under the weather this time around (not like last time, when he had a fever--only a couple of weeks ago!)

Thanks for the good wishes, amitten! :hi:

[LiberalEsto]

3. I agree about cutting out dairy foods

At least give it a try for a few weeks.

Ginger tea is very good for colds and coughs.

Also, I wonder if he's old enough to try using a neti pot to rinse his sinuses? They work wonders.

[MorningGlow]

10. Thanks, LE

I wish MG Jr. was open to tea and neti pots, but alas, he's a pretty typical 5-year-old. He even fussed when he had to take his fruit-flavored chewable antibiotics!

I have stopped dairy for now, which I usually do when he starts producing mucus, so that should help some. :hi:

[Celebration]

4. soooo adorable

Okay, I took the picture to mean that I can check him--I also see issues with fourth and fifth chakra. I think sometimes a virus can hit those hard, and sometimes they don't have time to rebalance themselves and then the NEXT one hits. Young kids I think are a challenge.

I've been doing various things to keep my almost two year old balanced every day (along with other people), and the next thing I know, some sniffles turned into bronchitis and he was on his way to the ER. At that point I checked and one chakra were blocked and also the heart meridian. So these things can happen very quickly.

I checked your son for the NAET basics as well, and come up with grains, dairy, Vitamin C and corn that interfere with his energy fields. I'm going to PM you. I will say that my grandchild has been cleared of all this stuff and he still gets various viruses. But until now he has missed only a day or so of his two day a week MDO this year. He also has tubes in his ears.

[MorningGlow]

11. Thanks for the help, IJM

He is a cute kid (I can take no credit--these crystal kids seem to resemble one another more than their parents) even when he has a red mustache from a runny nose!

Wouldn't you know it--his favorite foods are grains, dairy, and corn! Ugh! Guess some dietary changes are in order. I looked up NAET practitioners, but unfortunately there isn't one in our area. :(

[OneGrassRoot]

5. No vibes, but hugssss.....

He IS adorable, and as others said, so much is going around.

As a mom though, I understand how easily fears creep up about repeated illness, even if everyone else does seem to be getting it.

I hope you both start feeling better very, very soon.

:hug:

[MorningGlow]

12. Hugs are good!

:)

Thanks for the good wishes. Yes, it is tough not to fret, especially when the wee one is coughing in the dark. :hug:

[FirstLight]

6. Hugs for MG and Mr. MG Jr.!!!

Ug! It is so hard to deal when our babies are sick! My heart goes out to you. I especially hate coughing, because I cringe every time they do it!!!

Laney, my little healer girl, had an awful Kindergarten year and was sick and worrwsome for the whole first half of the school year. I know how you are feeling, but it very well could be that little man is just getting himself stronger. (it just looks like heck when the immune system is flopping all over the place!)

If there is anything you can modify for diet without really shocking him, try it. The key is to allow for his body to work in a gentle way. Reiki, yoga stretching before bed or in the morning to get his energy flowing, having him visualize his own healing -all these things can assist. (but unfortunately I do see things have to run their course to some degree)

As for the visualizations - once he is grounded (tie a cord around his waist and ground ALL the lower 3 chakras, don't send cord down...call it UP from the center and then make the cord as wide as the hips, like a big hollow tube of light...that's a new twist i was given recently) - have him pull in the earth energy through his feet and pour the golden mist from the stars into his head, the tow mix and help to break free anything that is not healthy for him...like an energy wash...he can then just dump it down the cord and let the earth neutralize it, while the light fills in the spaces. Also, help huim to work on his aura and keeping that "bubble" clear and whole... he can wipe it clean with his hand like washing a window, and he can fill it up with the light from his energy by thinking of a glass running over and then he will have some energetic protection going on.
Let him know that all he has to do is "see" this done once, and it will stay with him all day - he can then refresh his energy at night and it will run through the night and keep him in the flow.

It may seem a little "foofy" - but running energy daily really does work...momma should do it too for some added help while taking care of the sicky!
:hug:
i will keep you both in prayer today and let you know if i get any more ideas - and I will ask my healer child Laney to send him some of her "Angels" and ask if she has any ideas ;)
hang in there! :wave:

[MorningGlow]

13. Hey JG

Thanks so much for the suggestions! I have taught him how to put up a shield, and he does it regularly, and for quite a while we've been cleaning his aura at night. And of course I do reiki on him whenever I get the chance. I do like the mix of the two energies! I will tell him about that. How you doin'? :hi:

[Cleita]

7. I would definitely look into the dust allergy.

I have it, and it triggers asthma attacks in me. I have to keep my house dusted and vacuumed more frequently than most people because household dust contains the skin cells that flakes off of us and our pets as well as microscopic insect droppings and dust mites. Clean surfaces with a good detergent cleaner like lysol or spic and span. Combing and brushing your cats ever day helps a lot with cat allergy too. Do it in the bathroom where you can vacuum the dander up right away. You will be surprised what a thorough housecleaning will do to clear up allergies and all the bronchial diseases that comes with it. I know it's extra work but probably the peaceful sleep you and your son will get in exchange will be worth it. I find that a vacuum with all the attachments and swifter dusters to be a god send as I must vacuum as quickly as I dust. I have to do my housework with a surgical mask. Keep the kitties flea free too. I find Frontline to be very effective. Flea debris definitely kicks up allergies in me.

[MorningGlow]

14. I was allergic to dust and pet hair when I was little

So it is a possibility. Keeping this place dust- and cat-hair free is a challenge, that's for sure--it's kind of a large house, and old, so there's crud in the ducts and in the walls. Plus we're half ripped up with renovations, and THAT doesn't help. Hey, maybe this will get Mr. MG to work a little faster on the renovations...? Trying to find a silver lining, here!
:rofl:

Luckily our cats are indoor kittehs and have never had fleas. However, their hair production is impressive. We bought that special cat-hair comb that's almost like a bunch of razors--it really helps keep their coats under control. Need to use it more often, I think. I've also evicted them from Jr's room just in case. Our alpha male is piiiiiiissed off! He sat outside the closed bedroom door today, glaring at me. Yeah, well, tough noogies!
:rofl:

[Cleita]

15. If your house is old, you might have hidden mold as well. That

definitely is allergy producing. Get out the bleach if you find it.

[MorningGlow]

16. Oh, that's one thing I have been vigilant about!

Luckily we don't have mold. That's one good thing about having a somewhat drafty, swiss-cheese-like house--breathability! ;) We have a bit of mildew in our bathroom, but only just above the shower. I spray that down with diluted bleach regularly and am looking forward to having tile put in in the tub area, all the way up to the ceiling, to help control it. I painted the rest of the bathroom with mold/mildew-resistant paint, and that's worked like a charm.

[emcguffie]

17. vitamin D

I've been reading lately about how some doctors/scientists think we do not get enough vitamin D, especially in winter. The 400 IU recommendation, some think, is ridiculously low.

It seems that the active form of vitamin D is involved in the production of immune system proteins, which had not been taken into consideration previously.

There was a year long study at some hospital, maybe a VA, I can't remember, but they were just keeping track of all the colds and flus that patients caught for one year. One doctor had all the patients in his ward on 4,000 IU of D a day, for some other reason. Anyway, when the year was up, he was kind of scratching his head as to why not a single patient in his ward had come down with a cold or flu. So speculated it might have something to do with the vitamin D they were all taking.

Thebn he speculated that the lack of D in the winter could possibly account for the increase in colds and flus in the wintertime, which had never really been explained adequately. But if D is important to the immune system, and we pretty regularly don't get enough in the winter, that could have something to do with it.

This is all stuff I read a while back, because I have CFIDS (chronic fatigue immune dysfunction syndrome), which is most likely a viral infection that attacks the immune system. I'll look for some good articles on it -- vitamin D, that is. ANyway, long story short, you might consider giving him lots of vitamin D to help him keep healthy during the winter.

Of course, you might want a good bit more on this before you do such a thing. I'll try to get some together.

By the way, I have been taking 100,000 Units and up a day, but can't get my stores built back up. I get all kinds of weird symptoms at night, versus the day, that respond different ways to vitamin D and calcium and magnesium. I wish I could find a doctor who treats CFIDS who is interested in this.

[MorningGlow]

18. I was thinking about giving him a multi

I'm a firm believer in supplements, and vitamin D sounds like a likely candidate. I'll do some research, thanks! :hi:

Sorry to hear about your CFIDS--I can't believe there isn't more work done on finding a cure for it. I knew a girl in college who had chronic fatigue (this was 20 years ago) and at the time they treated her like it was all in her head. I know we've come a ways since then, but sometimes I wonder just how much. I keep thinking about how long the medical community thought ulcers were caused by stress, when the whole time all ulcer sufferers needed was antibiotics--how maybe the cure is right under our noses.

[SheilaT]

19. I am not psychic and I have no opinion about

the dairy thing -- you do what works in that area.

But, he is only four months into the school year, five maybe. He is being exposed every single day to new bugs, not to put too fine a point on it. I recall my own kindergarten year as being one of constant illness, and that I missed a lot of school. In first grade I only missed one day. And ever since then I have been extraordinarily healthy, so it seems obvious to me that it was a building up of my immune system.

We often overprotect kids in our culture, and they don't get exposed to all sorts of things the way they should be, and it seems to be a clear culprit in the increase in such things as asthma. We are programmed as parents to worry and do everything in our power to keep our little ones safe, but with all the resources we have today (anti-biotics for one) we can overdo it.

Please don't think I mean keep him on dairy if that's a real problem for MG jr. But aside from being sensible about that and vitamins, making sure he gets enough sleep and eats well, it's okay if he catches everything that goes by, because in the long run he'll wind up with a good immune system.

[MorningGlow]

21. I hear what you're saying, Sheila

And I totally agree. The only reason I've started to wonder about his health is that he spent two years in preschool, and then to be sick for three solid months now...I just got to wondering how the heck long it was going to take to build up his immune system, you know?

I'm not overly fond of his pediatrician, but I do like how she's mainly hands-off when it comes to kids--she lets things run their course and only steps in when it gets serious. I think this double ear infection was the first time he's had antibiotics, for example.

[FirstLight]

23. FWIW...immune buildup

My kids have been in preschool and/or daycare for years leading up to school. Some years were worse than others...were the bugs different? well, yes & no. I understand that things mutate nd shift eah year, but I also think the kids and their ages, timing, etc, had alot to do with it.


Like when I am going through stresful time, I don't cook very healthy, lots of takeout... and that compromises us. I know that sometimes it seems ike one kids will have a problem only, then the next year it's the next kids...so maybe age or growth spurt has something to do with it. The immune system is SOOOO involved and interacts with SO many layers of your physiology...it is hard to know what triggers what...

So, perhaps this is just his "bad sretch" and he will no doubt be well by spring break at least! hang in there MG momma!

[MorningGlow]

29. Thanks, sweetie

That's it exactly: when he was in his first year of preschool, he was sick a lot, but it was his first year of school, he had just turned 3, had no siblings to catch stuff from earlier in life, yadda yadda yadda. In his second year of preschool, he got sick in the fall a bit, but was far better than the previous year. So when he started kindergarten, I expected him to do a repeat of the previous year--get sick a little bit, maybe one major bug, but that would be it. Not to be sick CONTINUALLY for three solid months! That's what freaked me out--I thought it would be a steady upward curve toward health, not peaks and valleys, if that makes any sense. It's comforting to know that he could very well still be building his immune system, though. Weird, but comforting. :hug:

[SheilaT]

24. Then you are doing the right thing,

and even more right things by looking at alternative possibilities to what's going on.

Did he get sick much in preschool?

Here's something else that might be at work: Did you nurse him for a long time? If so (and I nursed my guys two years each), perhaps the immunities you passed on to him have only recently worn off. Of course, if you didn't nurse or didn't for very long, that's not a good theory.

Good luck on figuring this all out. Even when our kids aren't very sick, any illness makes us just obsess and worry, as I well know. My fear with my two was that I would somehow overlook clear cut symptoms of something terrible, and luckily that never happened, in that neither one ever had anything very serious, no matter how scary it felt at the time. I think it's that not being able to figure out what might we genuinely terrible and what's simply a normal thing they have to get through, is what can make us so crazy.

[MorningGlow]

30. LOL I have no idea what's right or wrong most of the time!

Parenting: Quite like flying on the high trapeeze without a net. Only much more dangerous.
:rofl:

He was sick a LOT his first year of preschool, but not very much at all the second year. As I just posted to JG above, I expected him to continue on an upward curve of health, not have peaks and valleys. My mistake, I guess!

I tried to nurse him for a long time, but he lost interest at around 8 months. (Oh yes, he has his strong opinions!) He spent more time goofing around than nursing, so one day I said "Dude, don't waste my time." He chortled at me. And then we quit and went to baby food, cereal, and formula exclusively.

He's also quite a sensitive character--very much the type to catch just about anything that comes down the pike. This kid is NOT going to be a linebacker who crushes beer cans with his head and can vanquish a germ in mere minutes, let's say. So if it's part of his nature, I will stock up on tissues and chewable motrin and weather the storm as best we can!

[midnight]

27. What a cutie. I wish I could suggest something to help.

[MorningGlow]

31. Thanks, Midnight

:hug:

[southerncrone]

28. What a cutie!

My son had a milk allergy early on when we first put him on it(just over a yr. old); he eventually outgrew it. The symptoms do mimic colds. I particularly remember he had red outlines around his eyes--almost looked like eyeliner.

We went through hell with him constantly sick when he was 9. It started about 3 wks into the school year. There were only 4 days when he didn't have something. Seemed he would begin to get over one thing & something else would take him down. It turned out he had KIDNEY STONES! We found this out after he woke us at 3:30 am doubled up in excruciating pain & we rushed him to the emergency room. He was not drinking enough water. Make sure your little one is getting enough water during the day. Sometimes at school, they don't have enough opportunities to get water, or they pass it up. Make sure he understands how important it is to drink the water.

My son's immune system had worn down, so he was catching everything around. Once he passed the stone & was drinking enough water, he's been healthy ever since--he's now 22--and still drinking the water.

I'm getting the feeling your son may be suffering from some sort of mental stress also. Quiz him about this. Perhaps a bully at school, or some worry that he is not sharing with you. Children are so sensitive to things, he may be confused about something he heard someone say & has interpreted incorrectly through a 5 yo mind.

I do wish you luck with this, I empathize with you. When your babies are sick there is no peace in the world. Hang in there.

[MorningGlow]

32. Kidney stones?!

In a 9 YO? OMG that must have been so terrifying! Mr. MG has had them--I can't imagine a child going through that! Jr. does drink a lot of water, mainly because that's all he will drink besides milk. He doesn't like juice, soda, or anything else.

Thanks for the heads up about the mental stress. I believe you're right, although I don't think it's another child. He did have a nemesis that he complained about for a while--apparently this kid is a bit of a bossy-pants to Jr. and to other kids--and we talked to him about how to deal with that. And lately they've even been friendly. I think he's stressing about the schoolwork--he's the youngest kid in the class and some physical skills don't come easily to him, like writing. He's able to do it, but it's hard for him. And he's used to things coming to him naturally, so it's frustrating. His physical side is letting his mental side down, so to speak. We've been practicing writing at home as well as reading, and he's doing much better. But I will check in with him and see how he's feeling about the stuff he has to do in school.

Also, his class just got a long-term substitute teacher (the regular teacher broke her hip). He says he likes the new teacher, but I'm sure any change in routine is stressful for a kindergartener.

Anyway, thanks for the good wishes! :hug:

[Sanity Claws]

34. Kindergarten and writing

They really are pushing things on the kids these days. I'm older than you, MG, and I remember when kindergarten was optional and then only part time 3 days a week.
I imagine a lot of 5 year olds are not able to control a pencil well. Have you tried different sized and different types of writing instruments?

[MorningGlow]

40. I remember when it was 100% playing

I don't even think we worked on the alphabet when I was in kindergarten. I learned to read at home, though, so I was ready by the time I entered first grade.

He's doing much better than he had been, with writing instruments. We've tried fat ones and regular (skinny) ones; doesn't seem to make a difference. His teacher suggested he be tested to see if he needed physical therapy help holding things, because his grip was so tentative and his writing so light. But I've seen him manipulate incredibly more intricate items. And I know his habits--when he's unsure of something, he gets all "feathery", and that includes holding onto a pencil. He's funny that way. And sure enough, as he's gotten more confident with his writing, his grip has gotten stronger and he's pressing down better. We're practicing at home, but we need to do more.

[southerncrone]

39. Yep, the kidney stone affair is not something any of us want to repeat.

I'm glad your little one is drinking plenty of water.

If he is one of the youngest in his kindergarten class, you might want to consider holding him back a year if possible. Boys mature later than girls. There is often a very noticeable difference in the maturity levels between boys & girls in kindergarten, & being both male & the youngest may work against him throughout his school career. I teach HS & see many young men who graduate & are too immature to handle college, thus they flunk out. If they'd had that extra year to mature, many of them would do just fine in college. Luckily, some of them pursue it later, but many never do. Most of the time these younger boys struggle all the way through school. (There are some exceptions, but as a general rule, this is the case.) I believe we set boys up to fail by forcing them to start school at the same age as girls.

The substitute deal is HUGE at his age. Just think--he's only been in school for a few months, just enough time to "bond" to his teacher & a radically new environment. Then, BAM, familiar teacher (comfort) gone & in with a NEW one (stranger = unsure of environment). This can be extremely unsettling for young kids. Obviously, you can't control this, but you can make sure he is comforted & love when he gets home from school everyday. Send him to school with something special that he can keep in his pocket to remind him of you. Tell him that when he needs to feel loved at school, to hold it in his hand in his pocket. It can be a simple item like a pretty rock, or a folded piece of paper with a picture you drew together. This might help him relieve some anxiety while at school.

I hope he gets better soon. It hurts so to see little ones miserable.

[MorningGlow]

41. True enough--we did dither about this before he started k-garten

His preschool teacher wanted us to have him repeat preschool before starting kindergarten, but she was overly conservative about everything, and quite frankly we had always taken her opinions with a grain of salt. And the district wouldn't accept him in pre-k if his birthday was before Dec. 1 (his is Nov. 4). So our dilemma was to either put him in another private preschool and have him be the oldest and bored (he's incredibly intelligent) or start kindergarten and help him with the challenges he might face.

Did we make the right decision? Honestly, I don't know. It was a crap shoot, and we rolled the dice.

Yeah, the sub was a major bummer. She's nice and all, and the school made every effort to get the kids comfortable with the switch, but it's still hard for little ones to adjust to such a big change. I talk to him about it a lot to see how he's dealing with it.

I like the idea of a stone or something in his pocket. He's never fretted about being in school, but it couldn't hurt. Thanks!

BTW, his cold is almost gone, and today's a snow day, so he'll have a long weekend to recover fully. :hi:

[southerncrone]

43. You might check to see if your school offers a primer class.

It's an intermediate class between kindergarten & 1st grade, designed for those who are not quite ready for 1st grade. This could be for a number of reasons--delayed dexterity, delayed physical development,
social readiness, etc. It is NOT a special ed class. It simply gives them an extra year to mature properly before the multitude of challenges that 1st grade offers. Intelligence does not equal maturity.

My BD is Nov. 22. I was an only child, very inquisitive, quite bright & bored. I began kindergarten at 4. It wasn't until I hit 50 that I realized that many of my poor decisions early-on were most likely the result of having to make them earlier than most. And I'm a female; boys mature later. I was always the smallest in my class, which was OK for a girl, but boys suffer more if they are physically not as large (they become the target of the bigger bullying kids, which is sadly a part of the male social network). Being a little Scorpio, he would not take that well. It's much easier for boys to be the biggest in their class, as opposed to the smallest.

Sounds like your school is doing a good job of helping them w/the sub change. That's a blessing; lots of schools just treat them like filling in an open hole & the kids suffer.

Hope the long weekend gives him a break from "school germs" & more rest. I bet he's a little dynamo when he's feeling well!

[MorningGlow]

44. That's a good question

Offhand I'd have to say I don't think they do have a class between k-garten and first grade. But he did take part in "Camp Kindergarten", a one-month primer in July before he started k-garten. That was a blessing, especially because the teacher for Camp K turned out to be his regular teacher (alas, the one who broke her hip)--it helped ease the transition to a new school and all.

When we were deciding when to let him start k-garten, I was VERY concerned about age and size, especially when he got to middle school. Years ago I directed a junior high school play, and there was such a difference between the boys who had hit puberty and the ones who hadn't that I chose a play that had "adults" and "youngsters" in it and cast it accordingly. (The good thing was that in that school the boys didn't notice size much--in fact, one post-puberty boy had a pre-puberty best friend who he used to throw over his shoulders and spin around just for fun.) Right now Jr. is very tall for his age--when he was in preschool, people who met him for the first time asked him what grade he was in (expecting him to say 2nd or 3rd). Of course, there's no telling if he will always be at the top of the height chart (98th percentile at his checkup last month), but he might--dad is 6' 2" and I'm 5' 6".

I am also glad that his school is very small, in a small community. His graduating class will be all of about 50 kids. The school is astonishingly free of discrimination based on nationality, color, height, weight, or even level of shyness. In fact, I've know one of the fifth grade teachers for several years, and he said that he had one boy in his class who was downright eccentric--wore costumes to class and everything--and the other kids didn't bat an eyelash.

Anyway, Jr. is quite well now, and I'm hoping he doesn't catch anything in the last three days before Christmas break. That way he'll have a couple of weeks to stay healthy--cross fingers! He certainly is a dynamo when he's doing well, but he's never insanely spastic nor Dennis-the-Menace-like, for which I'm grateful.

[Why Syzygy]

35. No psychic input..

but I agree on the dairy. Maybe he would like almond or rice milk. Horchata (rice milk with cinnamon) is very good on cereal. Often cravings are indicative of allergy. It's a simple procedure to take him off and just see the results. Simple but not easy when you know he really wants something.

And it seems that I've read that fair individuals are more likely to be sensitive to dairy. Also, the saline wash is a great idea. I wish I could find mine!

You might also teach him to wash his hands more often, especially at school. Believe it or not, that is one of the primary preventative measures for contagions.

[MorningGlow]

37. It's possible

I had allergies as a kid (although not food allergies) and my brother is severely lactose intolerant.

He would fight like the dickens against non-cow milk, but if it comes to that, then that's the way it'll have to be.

The folks at school make a big deal out of hand washing, but I've seen him and the other kindergarteners wash their hands--not very effective, IMO.
:rofl:

[Mnemosyne]

36. Hi MG. Do you run a vaporizer/humidifier? I see you are

in NY and the air is exceptionally dry right now. I'm NW PA, dryyyy.

Two years ago I started using a humidifier and haven't gotten ill with bronchitis/pneumonia since. I hadn't missed a winter in a decade. I am so grateful.

Good luck with your son. Hope he recuperates quickly and remains well.

[MorningGlow]

38. Hi Vickiss

Big snow coming! Is it supposed to hit you as well?

I've been running a humidifier in his room this winter--his pediatrician recommended it. (We don't have one on our furnace.) I think it has helped somewhat, but the power of kiddie germs beats all, apparently.

Thanks for the good wishes! :hi:

[Mnemosyne]

42. We got hit with freezing rain today, eww!

Hope your boy is feeling great now! :hi:

[Manifestor_of_Light]

45. Something for general immune boosting I just found out about.

I went to the doctor last week for some major abdominal pain. I have a kidney stone.

The doctor I went to gives people IVs of vitamins and various things that are good for you.

I have a lot of allergies and asthma and assorted conditions.

I got an IV that has a bunch of Mg, Ca, B-complex and Vitamin C in it that is called a Myers cocktail. The doctor who came up with it was named John Myers.

Intravenous nutrient therapy:
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDN/is_5_7/ai_94159009

It seems that IV therapy is the only way to get enough of these nutrients to the cells. I got extremely tired after I had the second one, and I think it's from shedding toxins and crud. I have slept and been busy drinking water.