The big trip

I’m finally getting around to writing about our Melbourne trip, so many people have been asking and I could only get around to so many, and that’s why I started a Blog J

We went to see Richard Malter who is the only practitioner of BiDigitalORing in Australia. He is an old friend from when I lived in Melbourne previously and has been offering to help since Willow was born but I didn’t want to go to Melbourne and couldn’t even afford it if I did want to. Also I didn’t really understand what he did.

After willows latest diagnoses and another run of hospital stays I decided to try and get my brain to work and actually read the info. It was quite fascinating and also I didn‘t really have any other choices.

So I sold pretty much everything I had of value, which wasn’t much, it was mostly my beloved books. I keep telling myself I can always replace my books but Willow is a one of a kind <3 <3 I got together the $550 for the boat fare plus extra for petrol etc through the power of FaceBook.

We had a great drive up to the boat on the 1st stopping at Perth where Will got the chance to sign BIG TRUCK about 50 times. She LOVES trucks. Then as we were running early we also stopped at Ashgrove cheese, Willow was fascinated by all the cows and completely freaked out by all the model cows.

I didn’t know what Willow would think of the boat or if she’d even really get we were going on one. But OMG I have never seen her more excited. BIG BOAT, BIG BOAT SLEEP over and over and over…..lol She stood for and hour or so out on deck once we started moving, mesmerised by…well i don’t know exactly. The view, the waves, the momentum, I don’t know but I do know it was something special for her.

After that we went to our cabin, (which I’d previously glen20’d…lol) as I was to worried about her getting sick so socialise. Willow didn’t sleep till about 3am. She just keep sitting up suddenly signing BIG BOAT SLEEP over and over and over. “no Willow your not sleeping your talking” but we survived ;)

The next day was our appointment, we stopped in at my dear friends Mark and Skyes our home base at Cheltenham to freshened up, and continued on to Richards practise at Frankston

It was a really interesting technique and when I found out Will would have to lay without me touching her I knew it would be impossible seeing as it would take at least 2 hours. But Willow must have felt it was nessacary and that she was safe as she let them do what they needed to do with some coaxing.

End result

She has very high levels of Mercury,, and so do I, well mine were more extreme, so I’m passing more on every time i feed her. Now to medically clear out Mercury it’s a horrible process involving dialysis but it canals be done with a simple Coriander Tincture.

Also they found a deep seated infection in her liver

The really scary part for me was her Telomere levels they were very very very short, unfortunately I understood what that meant , it makes me sick just thinking of it. For those who aren’t up with there cellular biology here’s a brief explanation.

Telomeres are a region of your DNA; they are found at the end of DNA strands, giving a form of protection to your DNA. For life to continue, your cells have to divide. But each time your cells divide, your telomeres shorten. When your telomeres shorten down enough, cell division ceases to occur and life ends. Thus telomere length is closely related to your life expectancy.

Richard thinks though that once we sort the mercury and Liver out that the Telomere levels should improve if not there are other avenues we can take. Gosh,I now know why I hadn’t written this blog update yet. Because I really didn’t want to put that in writing as it somehow makes it a even more real and scary.

The plan of attack…..

To clear the Mercury levels for both me and Will, which will take 30 days. Then we’ll have to go back over We’ll come home with a machine that gives out a electrical pulse which I’ll put on her whilst she sleeps that’ll have to be on for 300 hours. Then we’ll go back over and we’ll go from there.

Do I 100% know or even believe in all this, to be honest I have to say no, but I’m completely sceptical about most of her medical treatments to. But what else does a mother do? How could I look back and say if only? How can I say I can’t afford it? She’s my baby!!! But from the research I have done it has premise and the treatments are very safe so why not. The only thing in our way is the cost but I’m confident I can come through for my precious girl xxx

Next blog’s will be on all other things we did in Melbourne and some of the many pictures, plans to turn the yard into a permiculture organic oasis, to help keep us all healthy and bouncing fundraising ideas around for the garden and travels.

Take care everyone and hug your children xxx

Off we go

Well tomorrow we head up to the boat to go over to Melbourne in search of health. I'm excited and nervous!!

I'm excited because we are doing something instead of just sitting around waiting for the next time Willow gets sick, I'm also excited to see a few old friends. 

I'm very nervous to be away from the excellent medical care we have here, i know once we hit Melbourne we'll be alright but the boat makes me nervous as Will isn't 100% at the moment anyway.  But I'm sure it'll all be fine.  Is it over the top to be thinking about exploding a can of Glen20 in the cabin on the boat before taking bubby in there?  ;)

oh and if i have enough left over on our last day I'm going to take Willow to the zoo, oh i would love to see her face when she see's just how big a real giraffe is or a Lion, do they have hippos??  that was one of her earliest signs.  I'm sure we'll have lots of fun whilst away to.

So bon voyage and I'll hopefully be able to update you on our trip whilst I'm away

My mum loves to make things pretty

Yes it's true i do like to make things pretty, maybe not to most grown up tastes but i like to make lasting childhood memory's out of simple things.

The Big Girl's Room

Miss Willow's Room

With her sunny day sky ceiling and her piggy chalkboard i made 

Food with Faces

Prawnmaids





Happy Feet

Dip Bouquet





Piggy Bento



Fruit Bouquet

My 2nd Birthday Barnyard Party

This was planned for outside but i woke up on the morning of the party to pouring rain, so without hesitation i moved all of the furniture out of the lounge and moved in the hay bales!!

Haybale Sheep and Piggy

Party Bags

Grasshead party favours

Duckpond Bubbles

The welcoming Scarecrows

Willow Loves

I thought we'd move away from the medical today and share with you what Willow loves. She loves like she does everything else, intensely!!!

Animals

Willow loves animals, all animals she can sign pretty much any animal you want to throw at her, she loves her massive stuffed Lion, Pig and Monkey. Books about animals and her two dogs Grizzy and Nenina

Blankets

Willow has always loved her blankets. Originally it was over her head and now just in the standard way and if no blanket is available a jumper will do :)

Rice

Willow always like playing with the coloured rice at ECIS and she really needed to work on her spoon skills and i don't know the technical term but learning that you can empty something by tipping it up.

So i made her some myself and a few people wanted it so I've sold a few bags as well.

This is the only activity that she'll stick at for more than 30 seconds, she plays with it a few times a day and now i can wash up two handed

  

 

Ice Cream

Willow would eat this 24/7 if allowed

 and last but certainly not least

THE SISTERS!!!!

Oh how Willow loves her sisters and my goodness how much do they love her. For a baby who has cried constantly, taken their mother away many time when she's in hospital, constantly been in my arms, you'd understand if they were a little resentful.  But no, my two big girls are very, very special.  They are always willing to help around the house when I'm tied down due to willow being sick, they can even make simple meals.  Not only this they have been inspired by what they've seen their sister go through. To date they have had three fundraisers for the local children's ward, the latest resulted in them breaking a world record. They raised 8254 soft toys, they children's ward took all the new ones, almost 2000 and the rest were donated to other local Charity's.

Did i say very special girls yet?

They love their little sister as much as she loves them, about 12pm Willow starts signing Car, School, Julie, Sissy, i tell you it can be a very long couple of hours till 3....Then the house fills with girly giggles and screams of delight xxxx

mud pie kitchen

Willow's journey so far - part 2

So we found out Willow had Turners Syndrome, here is some info on Turners turnersyndrome.org.au

Which started a whole new round of tests, they really wanted to do more Genetic testing as the Turners syndrome only really accounted for her Short stature, puffy hands and feet, kidney issues and a few other little things, like funny nails etc. It didn't account for her Developmental Delays, , Low muscle tone, epicanthal folds (which was the first thing that made them think Chromosomal) ad various other issues.
Hypocalcaemia

I said I'd prefer to wait, they are looking at every part of her body anyway and it's easier once they turn 5 and their facial features are more mature and then they don't have to test so widely.

Until then Willow sees a OT, Physio, Speech Therapist, Edochronologist, Developmental Pead, Pead, GP and Early Childhood intervention.  So she's very well looked after :)

About 6 months ago she went on to a maintenance dose of Cephalexin for her UTI's which has been brilliant, she has only had a couple since and she has come forward heaps developmental since the too.

So as we stand today:

• We have concrete diagnoses of Turners and IgA deficiency
• We are waiting on more tests with her kidneys and to see if she has Celiacs but she's not strong enough for anesthetic atm.
• She is walking and running, though her low muscle tone and chronic ear infections means we have a lot of spills
• Her fine motor skills have gone from a 6 month level up to age appropriate in just 6 moths
• The Dr's intellectual impairment theory's have been blown out of the water now that she can communicate through signs. She can still only make an Ahh noise and a noise that means juice but.... She has over 200 signs and is a chatterbox...She knows all her colors, A-D, she ca count to three and can sign whole sentences.  So she's actually a very smart little girl here's a video of her doing her animals Willow signs animals  and this is just a few random signs Willow does random signs

• I've decided not to go with Growth Hormones even though Willow's projected height is 4'1" at this stage.  The Endo wasn't impressed and felt that as a tall woman how could i make that decision, but Willow isn't growth hormone deficient for a starter and giving her the GH would mean an injection everyday for at least 10 years for possibly 5-10 cm's.  It just doesn't seem worth it, not when she has so many other health problems, if height was the only issue maybe i'd consider it but i doubt it.

I think that's everything!!! i'm sure i've left a lot out of her story, like going into her Autistic tendency's her social issues and a few other things but there is plenty of time for that :)

I think next post i'll share some of the fun things Willow likes to do and her wicked sense of humor xxx



Willow aged 15 months old and i just realised she wore the same t-shirt today...lol

 aged 18 months

21 months with her one true love PIZZA

My big girl is now two