Day 88 - Sunday March 12, 2012

So tomorrow we have an appointment at the new dentists office.  They will x-ray and examine Bridgett's teeth and then schedule to do the work.  We have the note that she can be sedated, although some of the family are concerned about sedating her.  Arrianne suggested that we see the dentist and then have a prayer and fast if necessary before doing the procedure.  I agree.  Perhaps tonight for family night she will have a special blessing regarding that.  It is scary to think of sedating her after she was in a coma.  But if it is safe, it will be so much better for her than enduring the long procedure of having three root canals and then prepping four teeth for crowns.  Her teeth are hurting more again.  Perhaps that is part of her not wanting to eat, since most things hurt as they touch her teeth. Sometimes she prefers just drinking Boost, of course at room temperature.  When we see the dentist, maybe they will need to put on a little more composite until we get the actual work done on her teeth.  Also on the schedule for today is to talk to Dr. Speed or his office about the Aricept.  I looked over the side effects and they include these symptoms that Bridgett has: nausea, loss of appetite, dizziness, weight loss, and tiredness.  Additionally it says to contact your doctor if you have chest pain, fainting, flu-like symptoms, severe headache, or severe or persistent stomach pain.  We talked to Dr. Speed about all of these issues that Bridgett is having and he thought that they related to depression or to the problems with the pituitary gland. He definitely wants her to see the endocrinologist right away and see what is related to possible pituitary gland problems.  He said the fainting could be because of this.  Additionally  he wanted her to start on Celexa for depression but I did not like the possible side effects which include  drowsiness, dizziness, feeling tired, nausea, upset stomach, weight changes, and cold symptoms. Also, the more serious side effects include fainting, severe dizziness, severe nausea, loss of appetite, memory problems, headache, trouble concentrating, etc. We've already got enough of these things going on already!   I contacted our naturopath back in Montana for a recommendation and she said 5-HTP would work just the same with no side effects so that is definitely a better choice in my book. I found a product at the health food store called Beyond L-5-HTP and discussed it with the very knowledgeable woman there that I trust and she highly recommended it. This natural product has the 5-HTP plus St. John's Wort (for depression), Ginkgo Biloba (for memory), Chamomile (to relax the nervous system), Rosemary (calms the digestion and is good for de-stressing) plus L-Tyrosine, kelp, lecithin, Vitamins C, B-6, folate and magnesium.  So, you can see it is a good and very comprehensive product.  Bridgett has been reacting favorably to this supplement--sleeping better and feeling calmer although this has not helped her appetite like Dr. Speed thought an anti-depressant would.  The  Celexa would have taken about a month to have any effect.  This product works immediately so that tells me that it's not depression causing the problem of no appetite (in particular).  Also in regards to nutrition, I researched and apparently one of the best supplements is Fish Oils for brain function/brain injury problems so I am giving her that daily.  I am  also giving her a raw B vitamin complex, D-3 and vitamin C and a good multi-vitamin. Additionally, I am adding coconut oil and flax oil to her food as I can.  This has been harder lately because of her low appetite and sometimes she just wants Boost or something that I can't add oils to.  I do believe that good nutrition will definitely speed up the healing process!