OUR STORY

How This All Came About

By Lyn Karnes

Konnor … one of the absolute loves of my life and the individual who has changed our lives forever. Konnor was born a healthy 7-pound, 14-ounce baby boy. He was the third child, so of course, I knew what I was doing by now!?! I thought I knew it all, and by now it would be a piece of cake. I was a mother of three, an aunt of seven, and a teacher of many. I was an expert! Well … Konnor brought big changes to my world.

I have since discovered that I have much to learn!

Konnor was a very ill baby. He suffered through ear infection after ear infection, eczema from head to toe, and sleep apnea … to name a few. I felt like we were in the doctor's office constantly trying to appease this miserable baby. Of course, we followed the doctors guidance with medication after medication to mask the problems, but they just kept returning.

We thought we had it solved when tubes were put into Konnor's ears to stop the infections. The surgery was a success. The ear infections did stop, but he continued to be up all night, every night. He now was not only covered in eczema, but the itching started.

The one thing that Konnor did was ITCH at all times. We tried everything to help alleviate the itching. We scratched and lotioned him at least 15 times a day. We covered his hands with socks whenever he could not stop scratching. At night we even tried to wrap and tape on the socks. He was amazing at breaking free every night. I think I ran those steps 50 times a night. I got quite a workout! I got to the point where I could tell by the way he was breathing, that he was sneaking an itch. I hated the baby monitor and looked forward to the day that I could back over it with my car!

So off to the allergist we went. I was so excited that I was going to find out what was wrong with Konnor and fix it! Again I was so off base. The allergist told us that Konnor was allergic to many things including foods and environmental allergens. The list is too long to list, but we could do this. Just omit everything he had a reaction to and try to keep him out of any area that might have his environmental allergens. Great, I could do that. We had done it, the struggle was over. Wrong again! He still was suffering, now not eating, and still ITCHING.

We kept omitting foods and still no progress. Call after call to the doctor and her poor nurse, medication after medication to help alleviate some of the itching, and still no progress. Poor Konnor got to the point that he could eat nothing without crying after the meal and itching horribly. He began losing weight and he was not growing. There was one more thing to try. Konnor was put on an elemental diet of Neocateone+ . He began drinking his diet, which he called his "choc." As much as we did not like this option, we began to see big changes. He was playing, laughing, and being a baby boy. Yes, he still itched and was awake most of the night, but was beginning to smile more than cry. We were beginning the right path.

Now I had some time to begin healing Konnor. I was now only teaching part-time, my friends and family had totally jumped on board to help, and my sister-in-law had started to bring me information, books, and healers that would begin to turn this all around! We began to listen to everyone, take notes, and we now were willing to change anything and everything in our world to improve Konnor's life. It absolutely worked for the entire Karnes' family.

We decided as a family that we were going to join forces to help our Konnor. We took so many steps that everyone who came to our NEW "Konnor-safe" home followed religiously. We began with shoes off at the door, wash hands immediately upon entering the house and after every time you put food in your mouth, no fabric softeners, no smells of any kind, no carpet, a new leather chair for Konnor, natural cleaners only, no negativity, no chemicals inside or out, and no eating anywhere but the kitchen table! We began changing our foods … little or no preservatives, hormones, dyes, pesticides, GMOs, microwave, and ate more fresh fruits and vegetables. It was a positive change for my entire family. We were beginning to heal, also.

The kids were playing more, laughter now filled our home, and thanks to Tim, Holly, and Tammy, fear was disappearing more and more each day. These three miracle workers taught me a little technique that took away most of my fear and allowed me to try new things. Not only was my family eating an entirely new diet, Konnor was being introduced to foods at a very slow but successful pace. Only one incident where the epipen was used. We will just note that yogurt is not a yummy treat for Kon.

I am still finding foods that I do not have to create for Konnor. I can actually open a package once in awhile for him. He has around 38 foods now. We have found that a huge factor that helped Konnor was little or no food combinations works best for him. He eats every two hours, but only one food at each sitting. I have tried to offer Kon two foods, but he knows his body best and only chooses to eat one.

He has removed all medications from his day. His comment was, " Do I really have to take these? They do not help my body." Of course we listened again and have never looked back to the three oral medications a day! He is still drinking one choc before bed, but we know that will eventually be eliminated, too. I believe this one choc is to help him grow at night.

Kon is a little small for his age, but he is an itch free, sleeping, beautiful, smart, funny, growing, soft-skinned, and athletic, 5-1/2 year old perfect angel from heaven. He is a miracle that has led me on my new, wonderful, enlightened path. He is my SPECIAL MESSENGER! He has taught me to listen to the kids and help them spread their messages. I now have been given the gift to write wonderful children's books that will help children and parents discuss how we can work together to change the world. Thank you, Konnor!

And Then There Were Two …

By Tammy Presson

Only this time, we were prepared. So, when my son, Sol, was born, we were ready to do everything right from the start. First, we knew I had to breastfeed. I breastfed for four months. (Read about the entire experience in my online newsletter article, "Kids Are Not Cows.").

After breast milk came the two-month baby formula trial and error part. About the time he was six months old, we found powdered goat's milk — which at nineteen months old is still his "milk." We waited until he was six and a half months old before we started rice cereal.

Konnor's body taught me a lot about our digestive system, and I knew I had to let his mature before I started anything solid. He was eight months old before we started foods, other than rice. We started with pear, something we knew nurtured the body without being hard for it to break down.

Every time we did something wrong he let us know by turning on his "red flag", which, unfortunately was a large patch of eczema on his right cheek. The eczema spread all over, but the "red flag" was what I watched closest. He has major "sensitivities" but not many allergies.

We have given my son the most natural of options in everything in his life. I believe this is why he is sensitive to many things, but not always allergic. We maintain certain things in his life: not many combinations of foods given at the same time, mostly organic foods, chemical free products in our home, and we pay close attention to our bodies, minds and spirits, because they greatly affect him.

In addition, we maintain certain things in our home and our lives: we recycle (everything), we reuse, we reduce, we show the earth respect as a family, and we are simply grateful. In this atmosphere, our son thrives!