My 11 year old daughter (Aria - crohn's) followed the Absorb Plus elemental diet for 2 weeks, and has slowly re-introduced soft foods. Currently she can tolerate creamed white rice, olive oil, maple, eggs, banana, and a small amount of fish). She is diabetic, so cannot continue the Absorb Plus shakes and eat rice since the carb count is too high. Instead, she takes pure whey isolate shakes (BioChem) with Udo's 3-6-9 oil blend twice a day. She takes mucosaheal (moderate strength), Natren Healthy Trinity (twice/day), George's aloe @ bed time, grape seed, Q10, Ester-C, bioflavinoids, a blood builder (iron, folic acid & B12), gummy vitamins, and L-glutamine upon waking. She is receiving accupunture weekly and doing healing visualizations. (She loves the pain relief and increase of energy from the accupuncture.)

GREAT news is that by day 2, her bleeding stopped completely! Her energy level steadily increased to the point of hour long sessions on the Play Station Dance Mat! She currently has 2 BMs per day, softly formed (thanks to L-glut). Still some crampy urgency, but getting more adventurous to leave the house. She gained 3 pounds! Happiness level is VERY high!

My concern is that at the end of the 3rd week her ESR (sed rate) was 25 - which is the highest level her G.I. will allow without pushing imuran. Today, at the 6 week mark, her ESR was 33, even though her physical exam showed a "normal" feeling soft belly! Her G.I. said it is because we have weaned her down to 1 asacol a day (she was at 6). She will re-test ESR in 5 days and do a CRP (current inflammation test) as well. Of course, her GI is recommending increasing asacol dosage and starting imuran, all of which Aria desperately does not want to do.

What else can we do to reduce the inflammation? Switch from Udo's 3-6-9 oil to only fish oil (thus only omega-3)? Increase mucosaheal dosage? Increase Healthy Trinity dosage?

We were really hoping to use these past 6 weeks to prove to Aria's GI that she can achieve sufficient healing without a prescription. Luckily, her GI has been supportive and cheering us on from the side lines, only using lab tests to detect inflammation levels. How can Aria feel so great, but the lab numbers be so poor?

Thanks ever so much for your thoughts and advice,
Heather

Hi Heather,

If her inflammation is due to infection (which most is) than she needs to do something like Jini's Wild Oregano Oil Protocol which directly addresses the infection the body is trying to fight. Re-read the section beginning on page 147 of LTYG to get clear on how this mechanism works.

I know the wild oregano is hard to take, but you can tell her that both my children use it whenever needed. They take a sip of water, hold it in their mouths, I drop the oregano into their mouth, they swallow and immediately chase it with big gulps of water (my kids are 4 and 7).

This is the best course of action, in my opinion. I do not think she should increase the asacol or begin imuran, as you will wipe out the progress you've made. But again, explain it to her, and it has to be her decision. Children cannot be forced to pursue treatment - they must be encouraged at all times to listen to their own gut. And yes, sometimes like us, they will make mistakes, but then they will also choose to get themselves back onto the right path and then their healing will be very powerful.

take care,
Jini

Thank you for your quick reply! You are very generous with your time.

I too was thinking oregano oil might be the next step. However, her white blood cell count yesterday was normal. Is it possible to have an infection sufficient enough to warrant oregano oil treatment while having a normal WBC? I would hate to undo all the probiotic reintroduction of the past 6 weeks.

Heather

Interesting new lab results (5 days later): Aria's CRP is very low - indicating no current inflammation at all! But, her SED rate is still 33. I learned that the SED rate can be from inflammation up to 3 weeks past.

Yes, her G.I. wants her to begin 800 mg of asacol 3x/day and re-test in 6 weeks to see if the SED rate goes down. However, we are going to keep following her current treatments and not begin the asacol. We remembered how LTYG says that natural healing methods take more time since they are usually more gentle. We would much rather see if the SED rate can go down without asacol.

Heather

So if you're worried about the SED rate and considering the Asacol, then do the Wild Oregano Oil instead of Asacol. Remember it's also an anti-inflammatory.

take care,
Jini