One Year Anniversary- Fighting MD for Riah

Well, we did it. We survived a whole year of living with muscular dystrophy.

Last Spring while investigating food allergies via blood work, we accidentally discovered Riah has muscular dystrophy. We had not noticed symptoms before but very soon after the official diagnosis he began tripping and falling constantly, living with a permanent bump on his forehead. He started pushing himself up off the floor and asking to be carried everywhere because "my legs hurt and I'm tired."

I cried, prayed, grieved and did the things I imagine all parents do after learning their child has a fatal disease.

Then because I hate living without hope, I pulled myself together and let the mama bear within me rise up. My son was not going to whither away and die before my eyes without me doing everything I could to stop it.

Thus started the nutritious food, supplements, essential oils and therapies.

And today he his without a doubt stronger then he was a year ago! The MD is still there but all signs and symptoms have diminished.

After following dozens of MD face book pages and blogs and seeing lots of  kids with MD on steroids, wearing leg braces and suffering all kinds of illnesses because of low immune systems I'm left with so many questions.

Why Riah? And what do I do now?

Are our natural, alternative treatments actually working? Is God curing him? Does he have a different type of MD other then Duchenne or Becker, which is what he was diagnosed with?

If the things we're doing are helping to slow down the muscular dystrophy then I want to tell every single person who knows anyone with MD. Maybe another kid could be helped. I myself spend hours searching for anything that might help Riah and to be honest, I would be furious if I'd discover there are treatments that work but are not publicly made aware of.

On the other hand, what if I give false hope and recommend pricey supplements and it doesn't work for anyone else? I guess its a risk I have to take. Giving advice about health and wellness isn't anything I ever take lightly, especially if it involves spending our hard earned money. There's so many companies out there selling their cure-all products and insurance doesn't pay for it so we have to choose wisely.

So how do we know what's the perfect thing? Maybe we don't. We research and educate ourselves and even then what works for one person doesn't always for another.

All the MD pages and blogs do have one thing in common. We all hate MD and we're all desperately longing for a cure.

Some, like me, are trying anything that might make a slightest bit of difference. Others can't abide any kind of 'false hope' and posts such as mine may infuriate them. I respect each and every one of these parents and their emotions and decisions.

But because of how well Riah is doing I've chosen to become more vocal. Perhaps somewhere there is a parent with a kid like Riah who wants to join me in using natural remedies for muscular dystrophy.

Please notice I am not saying 'cure.' My goal is and always has been is to slow it down until there IS a cure. And the truth is, we're getting more then we've prayed for. Not only is Riah's condition not getting worse, he is actually improving!

Faith, hope and healing... Riah's life, along with every other person's life  with MD, is worth fighting for. We will not give up.

Improvement#climbing stairs#fighting Muscular Dystrophy for Riah

Last summer when we saw results after starting the diet/supplements/essential oils regimen for Riah I decided I'm going to set two goals for him.

One was that he someday out run his brother or at least be able to keep after. The other was that he could climb steps normally. Even if it was just for a little while, those were two things I've always wanted to see him do.

He has always gone up the stairs one step at a time, the way little children do. Holding tight to the railing, he would swing one leg up on a step and then the other and keep on going in this way until he reached the top. He can  climb stairs as fast or almost as fast as other kids his age, but he does it differently. I'm told this is one of the very first symptoms of muscular  Dystrophy, their legs being too weak and tired to go up the steps the 'normal way'.

This weekend out of the corner of my eye I saw Riah head for the stairs and I thought I saw him climb a few steps the 'normal' way. I decided I must have imagined it, because he has never in his life went up the stairs like that. He's always had to hold to something and he always went one step at a time.

But a few hours ago he did it again. He was ahead of me while going upstairs for something and I saw him. Without holding on to the railing or the wall or anything, he went up the stairs, climbing the 'real way'.

Yes, it was still a little clumsy and he didn't make it all the way to the top before resorting to one step at a time.

But he did it! He has done something we thought he would never do!

And so its settled- Tomorrow the stairway and steps are getting spring cleaned, maybe even painted and redecorated and the videotaping will begin. Videos of My 4 year old son with Muscular Dystrophy climbing steps the 'Normal' way, for the very first time.

Each day he shows even just a tiny bit of improvement is cause for celebration because it means we have him healthy for one more day. One more day that the disease gets pushed back.

I don't know why he's improving. I don't know if its the Essential oils we use daily to keep inflammation down, or the cold laser treatments, or the diet and supplements. Maybe he has a different type of MD then we think. Maybe he's being healed.

Maybe all of the above. One thing is certain: the Lord has given Riah to us and the Lord will take him away, in his own time. Not our time and not the #%!!! muscular dystrophy's time.

And Oh yes, the other goal. Next summer I want to see Riah run as fast as his brother and his friends. One day at a time...