Give it time

As quick as this year looks like it is going by, it seems like everything inside it is taking its time. Distance learning is going by but sitting next to Jordan for most of the morning makes it feel like my days are long. Grading periods are slowly coming up on me, but I wonder if we have enough time to complete assignments to bring up my daughter's grades. I feel like it is taking me forever to get the test for Jordan to see what is ailing his gut, even though I feel like we were just at his doctor's appointment. Last but not least, Jordan is gaining weight at a slow pace. Nothing is moving fast when it comes to that.

Once again, we are at the point where Jordan is only getting a handful of foods. He still has the tics that were improving a short while ago. But he is steadily putting on weight. Just this morning, he was at 121 lbs. The most he has weighed. EVER. He is still vegan, but I think that is what he wants to be. When I introduced chicken to him, he was not as excited about eating it and still asked for his vegan burgers. I think it may have to do with how the chicken had to be seasoned due to him possibly being sensitive to almost every spice. I tried saffron threads, which I am not totally sure was an issue with him, but it was not enough to make him want to continue eating it, so we just stopped. He gets banana pancakes with his mock egg omelet in the morning, oatmeal for a snack, quinoa and cabbage for lunch, and burgers with fries or sauteed cabbage and mashed potatoes for dinner. 

With only eating these few items, he has put on close to 10 pounds. However, it's not just food alone. Jordan is still receiving supplements. The ones he takes are solely to help with the gut issue. I give him the IgG Protect Powder, which gives essential nutrition for immune health. It supports immune modulation, which brings the ratio of different immune cells into balance to help it, and the gut barrier function properly. He also takes Butyrate Complex. This supplement is comprised of calcium, magnesium, and butyric acid. Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid naturally formed in the large intestine through dietary fiber digestion. I learned that butyrate is the energy source for colonic epithelial cells, which line the intestinal epithelial surface. That helps with digesting food, absorbing nutrients, and protect the body from microbial infections. The last supplement given is PQQ. PQQ, or pyrroloquinoline quinone, helps promote the growth of new cellular mitochondria. Mitochondria gives cells the energy they need to do their job, which can consist of creating short-chain fatty acids, creating lactic acid that converts fuel for it, and creates Urolithins that increase the health of them. These compounds help promote the healing of the gut barrier.

While I am happy it looks like his gut is slowly healing, and I do mean slowly, I have to consider other factors I have learned. For instance, because he has a GI issue, more things need to be considered when it comes to full restoration. Not creating enough stomach acid or enzymes, not chewing food properly, and not being relaxed enough to activate the parasympathetic nervous system will not allow the food to be properly digested, and you will not absorb the nutrients you need. Also, if you eat high starch, low fiber foods, this will promote yeast overgrowth, which causes gut-related issues. I may have to consider another supplement that will help with yeast as I see his tinea versicolor is starting to return.

I am not going to say this is the longest I have given Jordan a supplement, and seeing it takes time to resolve some of the issues he has because that is just not true. He has been on plenty of supplements for years that did nothing. However, the supplements he is on as of this day, you can't see how they are working, just as the ones in the past, but these I know are working. He doesn't look as thin as he used to, but I can better tell he has picked up weight when I lotion him after his showers. And even though it is slow, he is still gaining. He weighs himself every morning, and since I make sure he gets each supplement every day, removed the newly added chicken, and keep problematic foods out of the way, he gained a good amount since his doctor's appointment 2 months ago. I just had to be patient. Psalm 27:14, "Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

While we still see the tics, I think addressing the yeast problem while healing the gut may help. Not sure how but after the testing, I think that will be the next issue to tackle.

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