Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Well, I finally took Ben to a non-emergency pediatrician's visit with 's abstracts and research info in hand. The pediatrician was willing to measure his L-carnitine, total and free, and vitamins A,D,E, and K--but Benny is one strong kid. Two nurses tried to hold him to get the blood drawn and they managed to draw two partial tubes and bust two veins, in three tries. And he had to be taken to Toys R Us afterwards to buy an indoor tent to hide in. And my son and daughter-in-law were annoyed with me for allowing him to be traumatized. Here's the worse part: I am almost positive that the lab would have done at least SOME of those tests with the amount of blood they DID get, but no, they wouldn't send it in because they said the lab would send it back. So she gave me a prescription to have the bloodwork drawn AGAIN at a lab somewhere. Well he has an appt. on Oct. 6 with the child psych dept. at a Regional Medical Center, and the lab there was able to draw blood before, so I am going to see if it can be done again there. NO WAY am I going to take him to a local Labcorps or Quest lab and see if they can do it. Frustrated, Kathy E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 > > > > Even with normal vit E levels, I would give vit E a try. Its safe > at > > the doses we've talked about here, and it may be that our kids need > > higher than the normal dose for the vitamin E to actually get > > transported into the nervous system - where it is critically > > needed. Also good to know that levels were or were not low when > you > > started. This is very interesting. I wonder how many kids out there > > with apraxia are carnitine deficient. Turns out that ALL my > children > > are carnitine deficient, although only one is apraxic...but my > > middle child has issues around his gluten-sensitivity. My " healthy " > > 8 year old daughter has a positivie celiac serology and low > > carnitine too. There is more to this story...and I think we've just > > scratched the surface. > > > > Here's hoping omega 3/carnitine and vit E help your little girl! > > > > - > > > > > This message is for to see and other Mothers to > > encourage > > > them to be stubborn to ask questions and demand answers... You > > were right > > > about your fears of carnitine levels...My daughter levels were > > below normal > > > and we have seen two neurologists, two genetists, an > > endocrinologist besides > > > 2 pediatricians none ever asked to check these levels...I had > > decided not to > > > start on the E till I had her ADEK , Zinc and Carnitine > > levels > > > checked after reading this email message by . We > > are still > > > waiting on the K and D levels but A & E are normal. We are > shocked > > to see > > > the low levels and wonder now who will follow up with this turn > of > > events > > > And I wonder if now I should wait to start the E... I so wanted > to > > start it > > > to see if it would help her sensory issues ..Her total Carnitine > > level is 21 > > > and her Free Carnitine is 16. No wonder has the hypotonia. > > > Roxanne > > > > > > _____ > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 > > Well, I finally took Ben to a non-emergency pediatrician's visit with 's abstracts and > research info in hand. The pediatrician was willing to measure his L-carnitine, total and free, > and vitamins A,D,E, and K--but Benny is one strong kid. Two nurses tried to hold him to get > the blood drawn and they managed to draw two partial tubes and bust two veins, in three > tries. And he had to be taken to Toys R Us afterwards to buy an indoor tent to hide in. And > my son and daughter-in-law were annoyed with me for allowing him to be traumatized. > > Here's the worse part: I am almost positive that the lab would have done at least SOME of > those tests with the amount of blood they DID get, but no, they wouldn't send it in because > they said the lab would send it back. So she gave me a prescription to have the bloodwork > drawn AGAIN at a lab somewhere. > > Well he has an appt. on Oct. 6 with the child psych dept. at a Regional Medical Center, and > the lab there was able to draw blood before, so I am going to see if it can be done again > there. NO WAY am I going to take him to a local Labcorps or Quest lab and see if they can do > it. > > Frustrated, > Kathy E. > Kathy, My oldest has to have monthly blood draws which were very difficult when he was younger. I found that it was a waste of time to try anywhere other than the hospital outpatient lab. They had enough people to immobilize him so he didn't get more agitated by struggling and they had staff with the experience to find the vein on the first try. Good luck, Karyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 Well we had our other children(3 others, but all girls) tested and they were fine,one was lowish, not as low as my son, and she is the CARBON copy of him in every way, anyway while we were waiting for their results, I came across a research study about post polio syndrome, and it stated that the decendants of polio victims have lower carnitine levels than controls, down to the grandchildren, so since all of your kids tested lowish, the study popped into my mind. Here it is http://www.upnaway.com/~poliowa/Serum%20Carnitine%20Levels%202002.html http://www.upnaway.com/~poliowa/index.html > > > > > > Even with normal vit E levels, I would give vit E a try. Its safe > > at > > > the doses we've talked about here, and it may be that our kids > need > > > higher than the normal dose for the vitamin E to actually get > > > transported into the nervous system - where it is critically > > > needed. Also good to know that levels were or were not low when > > you > > > started. This is very interesting. I wonder how many kids out > there > > > with apraxia are carnitine deficient. Turns out that ALL my > > children > > > are carnitine deficient, although only one is apraxic...but my > > > middle child has issues around his gluten-sensitivity. > My " healthy " > > > 8 year old daughter has a positivie celiac serology and low > > > carnitine too. There is more to this story...and I think we've > just > > > scratched the surface. > > > > > > Here's hoping omega 3/carnitine and vit E help your little girl! > > > > > > - > > > > > > > This message is for to see and other Mothers to > > > encourage > > > > them to be stubborn to ask questions and demand answers... You > > > were right > > > > about your fears of carnitine levels...My daughter levels were > > > below normal > > > > and we have seen two neurologists, two genetists, an > > > endocrinologist besides > > > > 2 pediatricians none ever asked to check these levels...I had > > > decided not to > > > > start on the E till I had her ADEK , Zinc and Carnitine > > > levels > > > > checked after reading this email message by . We > > > are still > > > > waiting on the K and D levels but A & E are normal. We are > > shocked > > > to see > > > > the low levels and wonder now who will follow up with this turn > > of > > > events > > > > And I wonder if now I should wait to start the E... I so wanted > > to > > > start it > > > > to see if it would help her sensory issues ..Her total > Carnitine > > > level is 21 > > > > and her Free Carnitine is 16. No wonder has the > hypotonia. > > > > Roxanne > > > > > > > > _____ > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 My maternal grandmother had polio as a child. I'm not sure about my paternal side of the family. Why do you ask??? " claudia.morris " <claudia.morris@...> wrote: > > > > Even with normal vit E levels, I would give vit E a try. Its safe > at > > the doses we've talked about here, and it may be that our kids need > > higher than the normal dose for the vitamin E to actually get > > transported into the nervous system - where it is critically > > needed. Also good to know that levels were or were not low when > you > > started. This is very interesting. I wonder how many kids out there > > with apraxia are carnitine deficient. Turns out that ALL my > children > > are carnitine deficient, although only one is apraxic...but my > > middle child has issues around his gluten-sensitivity. My " healthy " > > 8 year old daughter has a positivie celiac serology and low > > carnitine too. There is more to this story...and I think we've just > > scratched the surface. > > > > Here's hoping omega 3/carnitine and vit E help your little girl! > > > > - > > > > > This message is for to see and other Mothers to > > encourage > > > them to be stubborn to ask questions and demand answers... You > > were right > > > about your fears of carnitine levels...My daughter levels were > > below normal > > > and we have seen two neurologists, two genetists, an > > endocrinologist besides > > > 2 pediatricians none ever asked to check these levels...I had > > decided not to > > > start on the E till I had her ADEK , Zinc and Carnitine > > levels > > > checked after reading this email message by . We > > are still > > > waiting on the K and D levels but A & E are normal. We are > shocked > > to see > > > the low levels and wonder now who will follow up with this turn > of > > events > > > And I wonder if now I should wait to start the E... I so wanted > to > > start it > > > to see if it would help her sensory issues ..Her total Carnitine > > level is 21 > > > and her Free Carnitine is 16. No wonder has the hypotonia. > > > Roxanne > > > > > > _____ > --------------------------------- Stay in the know. Pulse on the new .com. Check it out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I had a miserable experience getting blood drawn at a Quest lab when I was pregnant and decided that was it for going to labs like that to get blood drawn. > > Well, I finally took Ben to a non-emergency pediatrician's visit with 's abstracts and > research info in hand. The pediatrician was willing to measure his L-carnitine, total and free, > and vitamins A,D,E, and K--but Benny is one strong kid. Two nurses tried to hold him to get > the blood drawn and they managed to draw two partial tubes and bust two veins, in three > tries. And he had to be taken to Toys R Us afterwards to buy an indoor tent to hide in. And > my son and daughter-in-law were annoyed with me for allowing him to be traumatized. > > Here's the worse part: I am almost positive that the lab would have done at least SOME of > those tests with the amount of blood they DID get, but no, they wouldn't send it in because > they said the lab would send it back. So she gave me a prescription to have the bloodwork > drawn AGAIN at a lab somewhere. > > Well he has an appt. on Oct. 6 with the child psych dept. at a Regional Medical Center, and > the lab there was able to draw blood before, so I am going to see if it can be done again > there. NO WAY am I going to take him to a local Labcorps or Quest lab and see if they can do > it. > > Frustrated, > Kathy E. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 21, 2006 Report Share Posted September 21, 2006 I had a miserable experience getting blood drawn at a Quest lab when I was pregnant and decided that was it for going to labs like that to get blood drawn. > > Well, I finally took Ben to a non-emergency pediatrician's visit with 's abstracts and > research info in hand. The pediatrician was willing to measure his L-carnitine, total and free, > and vitamins A,D,E, and K--but Benny is one strong kid. Two nurses tried to hold him to get > the blood drawn and they managed to draw two partial tubes and bust two veins, in three > tries. And he had to be taken to Toys R Us afterwards to buy an indoor tent to hide in. And > my son and daughter-in-law were annoyed with me for allowing him to be traumatized. > > Here's the worse part: I am almost positive that the lab would have done at least SOME of > those tests with the amount of blood they DID get, but no, they wouldn't send it in because > they said the lab would send it back. So she gave me a prescription to have the bloodwork > drawn AGAIN at a lab somewhere. > > Well he has an appt. on Oct. 6 with the child psych dept. at a Regional Medical Center, and > the lab there was able to draw blood before, so I am going to see if it can be done again > there. NO WAY am I going to take him to a local Labcorps or Quest lab and see if they can do > it. > > Frustrated, > Kathy E. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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