Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

THERAPIES from page 25 come farther than anyone might have imagined. Although the Herrick Middle School eighth-grader is severely compromised, she knows her family, can communicate with the aid of a special device and seems happy. Nelson says she and Michael are sure their decision to try hyperbaric oxygen therapy and a ketogenic diet played a role in how Abbey is doing. When Abbey was about 3, the Nelsons put her on a ketogenic diet because of the high number of uncontrollable seizures. The high fat-no sugar diet has reduced the number of seizures by changing the body’s metabolism, Amy explains. “It’s used a lot for epilepsy,” she says, adding it was a tough decision to make. “You burn through every drug, every treatment and it’s one of the weird things you will try.” Two and half years after beginning the restricted diet Abbey’s neurologist wanted her to return to a normal diet so she could gain some weight. When Abbey was 6, she underwent hyperbaric oxygen treatments. Amy traveled to Naples, Fla., rented an apartment and took Abbey to about 100 hyperbaric treatments over the next couple of months. Abbey, who had been crying inconsolably LEARN MORE ■ Illinois Department of Human Services Help Me Grow/Future for Kids help line, (800) 323-4769 Easter Seals, www.easterseals.com MUMS National Parent to Parent Network, www.netnet.net/mums Be matched with a family whose child has similar special needs for support emotionally and to exchange medical information The National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine altmed.od.nih.gov National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, nccam.nih.gov The National Council for Reliable Health Information, www.ncahf.org The Consumer Federation of America, www.quackwatch.com University of Texas Center for Alternative Medicine Research www.sph.uth.tmc.edu/utcam ■ ■ ■ Liz DeCarlo/Chicago Parent Abbey Nelson day and night, became calm and quiet. “We think the crying was a form of epilepsy. There would be three days of crying and then three days of her not crying … and it was a blood curdling cry.” Hours and hours of doctors visits and tests couldn’t calm their child, but for some reason the treatment did. Her head continues to grow, a sign that her brain is growing. ■ ■ ■ ■ Polly Stanoch Rix • • • • • • • • 28 | Specıal Parent 2008 CHICAGO | ChicagoParent.com http://www.easterseals.com http://www.netnet.net/mums http://altmed.od.nih.gov http://nccam.nih.gov http://www.ncahf.org http://www.quackwatch.com www.toysetcetera.com www.toysetcetera.com http://ChicagoParent.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008

Chicago Special Parent Magazine 2008 Contents In Our Shoes Of Mothers and Mission Control A Love Story Keeping the Whole Family Well What Do I Do? Resources God's Special Child Our Kids Inspirations

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