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Another question for chemists (or their spouses)
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Anonymous
He was diagnosed with PFAPA. It is marked by VERY high fevers that come like clockwork every 21-24 days (the fever regularly would sit at 103-105 for 5 days straight), terribly stomach pain, vomiting, sore joints making it difficult to walk, sleeping 18-20 hrs a day, terribly inflamed tonsils and ulcers in the throat, and swolen lymph nodes in the neck the size of golf balls making his head painful to turn. Some kids get one or 2 symptoms, but ALL get the fevers, towards the end my son had all of the problems and these symptoms would last 5 days straight EVERY 3 weeks without fail. When we traveled the stress would make the symptoms roll the entire time, any stress would cause a massive flare up. He blood work would look terrible during an episode, like his body was in major crisis. This was a few years back, it has now gained some momentum. The surgery was a T&A. The doctor I'm refrerring to is Dr Licameli. He has reached out to me to for help gathering my contacts which are other parents who have gone the T&A route, for a cure. He is doing a big study to follow up on these kids and document the success, with the hopes this surgery will become protocol and save parents and children years of suffering. PFAPA recently gained momentum and awareness when his personal story and search for answers was highlighted in hte Washington Post. All I have to say to the OP and any parent, it is not only good, but your responsiblity to be an expert on your own child's health. I've learned that NO ONE is more equipped to make the best, most informed decisions using ALL resources. I'm SURE I was a nightmare for teh NIH and another specialist I locked horns with, but if I had followed them like a sheep, then my child would still be sick and be on a ton of medications that are completely unecessary and probably harmful. Do I care what they think of me? NOPE. My son is better and completely normal just like everyone else and I have myself and myself only to thank. |
Anonymous
Anonymous
He is, thank you. He graduated from the best dental school in the country (back when they used to rank dental schools, that is). I am proud of him that he tells his patients the truth. Contrary to what the other poster said, he is not doing it so people can get more cavities and his business does better. He is truly concerned children's health. |
Anonymous
I'll have to chime in too, your DH sounds like a gem of a dentist. I am so thankful that I am on well water. It has been fully tested and is FULL of micronutrients that tap water just does not contain. There actually is a theory that osteoperosis is much more prevalant now because people have moved off wells. Well water has lots of calcium. As for the flouride, yes, people on wells have to be more careful about cavities. I take my children to the destist regularly and get the flouride treatments. No cavities so far and I have 3 children all under 10 who have been on the well their entire lives. I have many friends on public water who's children have a mess of cavities. I think this has more to do with brushing habits and eating habits than anything else. We are a no juice, no soda, no candy household, so I'm sure this has a lot to do with no one having cavities. I literally cannot drink public water. After drinking the well water, I can smell the public water before the glass even hits my lips. The taste that most people have become accoustomed to is absolutly horrible if you have spent years not drinking it. I can even detect the taste of the chemicals in ice in juice and it overbears the flavor of Ice-T when I order that out. |
Anonymous
I'm the PP who grew up on well water and has had all sorts of dental problems. I apologize to the woman whose husband is a dentist -- I came off snarkier than I meant to. I know that constant consumption of fluoride can cause other problems, and I would much prefer having targeted, semiannual fluoride treatments (both for me and my kids) than having us all consume fluoride in our water. FWIW, I didn't have any cavities as a child. Also had a low-sugar, good-oral-hygiene upbringing. Didn't start getting all the cavities until high school. And I totally agree with the taste of well water -- so much better/cleaner! |
Anonymous
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I grew up with great dental care and well water. My mother was fanatical about regular dental care and I still ended up with tons of cavities. Ditto my sibs.
I read that there is a certain bacteria that runs in families that is actually responsible for many childhood cavities. Perhaps the poster married to the dentist can verify. |
Anonymous
I also grew up with well water. We got tons of cavities. My dentist told my very frustrated mom, who would literally stand over us to watch us brush and floss, that it is genetic and not our/her fault. We did not chew gum or drink soda or sugary drinks (every once in a while but certainly not excessively) and we were allowed sweets but again, in moderation. He said it was not our habits or diet, but that we were genetically pre-determined to have crap teeth! We got a lot of "pits" rather than full blown cavities, which is what he said was genetic. |
Anonymous
| 10:31 here -- since I've been getting semiannual fluoride treatments, I've had maybe one cavity (in 10+ years). Prior to that I had at least one at every 6-month visit. My sister had the same issues, but no one else in my extended family has cavity problems. My (excellent, Washingtonian-recommended) dentist has always attributed it to the lack of fluoride we got when we were kids, and not to genetics. |
Anonymous
| I grew up with fluoridated water and had tons of cavities, well into adulthood, too. I had all my amalgam fillings removed about ten years ago and haven't had a single cavity since. I also stopped getting plaque build up on the backs of my teeth. My dentist went so far as to ask me where else I was going to get my teeth cleaned. |
Anonymous
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Grew up on public water and still have TONS of cavities. I get it from my mom.
I think people who grew up on well water decades ago did not have access to the same dental techniques as we do today. Today, most people can go to the dentist and get semi-annual flouride treatments, which is much more targeted and certainly much more safer than adding flouride to everyone's water. |
Anonymous
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Intersting and little known fact:
The bacteria that causes bad breath and cavities is contagious and impossible to cure. Your infant is born without this bacteria and does not get it until they eat or drink off someone who has the bacteria (which is probably the entire population over the age of 2). This is why their breath only starts to stink after they get a bit older. I learned this when my son was an infant and for that reason, held off allowing him to drink out of my water bottle or share a spoon for a long time. At age 3, his breath is just now starting to smell. |