Back Up!

This blog is about our family journey through Brain Balance and learning to deal with ADD and ADHD.

We have an 8 year old son (Nathan) with ADHD and an 11 year old son (R.D.) with ADD.  Long story short...our oldest son was diagnosed in 3rd grade and our youngest son when he was in 1st grade.  They have both been on medicine and are currently still taking it.  I won't go in to how we diagnosed them, but lets just say that "motherly instinct" knew that something wasn't right.  

I don't want this first post to get to lengthy, and trust me it could.  As I continue posting I will try to include the "why's" the "what for's" and the "how come's" into why we have chosen to do what we are doing.  If you have a child with ADD or ADHD, I don't have to tell you what it's like.  You know.

Why the title of "Back Up"?  First, our 8 year old is obsessed with the show "Storm Chasers".  He LOVES weather and tornadoes.  We discovered the show on our Netflix and I think watched 3 episodes before any of us even knew what had just happened.  In one of the episodes our favorite character (Reed) yells at the top of his lungs and with sheer fear on his face....BACK UP, BACK UP, BACK UP!  He is desperately trying to get away from a tornado.

Well, we are trying to get away from the tornado that seems to be sucking us all up as a family.  It is terrifying.  To get away... we have to "Back Up" from what we have been doing and start all over.  We have to find a different road, one that isn't cluttered with "Detour" signs.

I learned about Brain Balance after doing a live broadcast to showcase their Grand Opening.  For those that don't know, I am a radio announcer.  My husband (Chris) who does the show with me was instantly nervous.  I remember him saying, "We are going to be signed up before the end of this broadcast."  I had more restraint than that....it was 2 months after.  Ha, Ha!  Had to prove him wrong somehow.  What I did do was talk to parents that were there about the program and their personal experiences.  I learned a lot.  I was eager to find out more.  

The convincing speech that I worked up for Chris was this...."If they needed a life saving surgery, would we worry about cost?"  It may sound extreme, but I literally view this as something that will help our boys achieve, succeed, and become who they are destined to be.  There is so much potential in each of them.  Mainly, I knew they weren't feeling like "normal" little boys and that pained me to my core.  Chris agreed and I made the phone call.

Assessment day was a Saturday and Nathan was happy to inform me that he didn't need Brain Balance.  He felt just fine on his medicine, as a matter of fact he liked it.  "Can't we just stay on medicine?", he whined.  I promised him it would be over quickly.  Both boys went at the same time, however they were tested differently.  R.D. did his cognitive first and Nathan did the physical tests first.  I sat in the lobby and got writers cramp.  They spent close to 2 hours testing.  I spent those same hours filling out the paperwork.  We took a lunch break and came back for more.  If I would have known that more paperwork was in store for me, we never would have come back.  The boys both enjoyed the testing and were actually kind of excited.  Now, we wait.....

Test results came back and we met with the director.  That was a 2.5 hour meeting....my husband with ADD was struggling to stay seated.   A lot of information all at once.  Everything I had done from the time they were babies was apparently wrong, but it was what everyone else had done to.  I wasn't alone, but it sure felt like it.  I know you would probably like to hear every detail, but trust me it would take foorrrreeeeverrrrrr to type out.  

Both of our boys are "right brain delayed"....it means their right brain just isn't working to its fullest potential.  In some things my boys scored at a 4 year old level.  That explains why our oldest still insists on eating with his fingers, even though we remind him he is 11 and not a baby.  They physically and mentally CAN'T act their age.  They don't disobey to be mean or to anger us, they just can't get their brains to do what they want them to.  

Remember Nathan's obsession with tornadoes....well, that is something that commonly happens with these kids...obsession!  Last year it was states and countries.  What did we do as parents, of course we encouraged it.  Learning something important has to be better than watching something that has no learning value whatsoever, right?  Wrong!  Our boys are only strengthening the "Left Side" of the brain by pursuing these types of factual things.  See the "left side" is analytical and logical.  The "right side" is creative and serves a huge purpose.  We were instructed to not let them get into factual things. If we watch something it has to be serving no purpose.  Just entertainment.  Wow!  

At this point my brain is ready to EXPLODE!  We have learned more about our boys in this 2.5 hours than ever before.  It answered questions...the ones that had nagged me for so  long.  It confirmed why the quirks that just didn't seem right were there.  I was thrilled to have the answers.  

Now to commit....

This is where we literally had to "Back Up".  We have to overcome things that will take us back to when they were babies.  Yes, primitive reflexes that we must retrain their brains. They warn you that when you start the program you may see them revert back.  Yes, we have.  Our 8 year old began wetting the bed again, a common reaction.

What is involved in the Brain Balance commitment for our boys?  A question that I am asked a lot.  Well, here you go.....

1) Exercises daily. Targeted to their specific needs.  Nathan does them 5x, R.D. does them    3x. 

2) Diet.  No gluten, soy, dairy, corn, rice, peanuts, eggs, or artificial sweeteners.  Nothing processed. If it can sit on your shelf and "not die", we can't eat it.  This is for the first 3 weeks. After their blood and urine tests come back we will be able to add back things. It is all based on what their intolerances are.  

3) Screen Time. (My boys would probably refer to this as Hell, if they could swear)  The boys get 30 minutes of screen time a day.  Doesn't matter if it is TV, iPod, computer or whatever.  If it is a screen, it counts.  Not only is this limited it also requires that they wear an eye patch on their right eye and a ear plug in their right ear. 

4) Brain Balance Sessions.  Our boys will begin these in September.  3x a week and an hour each time.  Super intense for 3 months.   

There you go....a quick (ha,ha) overview.  I will post more soon about our experiences since we started 2 weeks ago on this journey.  I have so much rattling in my brain that I need to get out for my own sanity, but I also hope it will help others.  People have requested that I blog this journey.  They want to know how we do it.  I will post every gritty detail.  I have nothing to hide and I hope that our journey can benefit others who may feel as lost as we did.  

However, right now I need to go cook our quinoa in organic chicken broth to go with our organic hamburgers and steamed cauliflower.  Yeah, my kids LOVE this stuff now.  Proving when you get hungry enough you will eat anything.