IF YOUR CHILD HAS BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH PANDAS, OR IS PRESENTING
SYMPTOMS LIKE VOCAL TICS, SUDDEN RESTLESSNESS OR ANXIETY, THE
FOLLOWING TRUE STORY IS A MUST TO READ.
When my then-nine-year-old Shloimy came home from school one day feeling ill, I wasn’t perturbed. He was a relatively healthy kid who got the regular cold here and there. This time, he was vomiting. Nothing alarming there. We cleaned up the mess and were ready to move on.
But this time, it didn’t end with the vomiting. Our usually calm child was uncharacteristically restless, from one moment to the next. And together with this restlessness came a host of fears. He was suddenly afraid of the dark, afraid of the future, afraid of society. when I asked him what was going on, he himself didn’t know what to tell me about his own feeling. To him, too, this was one confusing saga. He had no idea how or why he fell into this and how he would emerge. It was as if he was looking in the mirror and an unfamiliar face was staring back at him.
Of course, our first address was the pediatrician. Soon after Shloimy started exhibiting the bizarre symptoms, we were in his office. When the doctor asked me a whole list of questions about my son, I said to him, “Look at my child. He’s right here. I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but he’s not himself.”
First, we ruled out emotional factors that may bring about restlessness in children, such as abuse. When the doctor ascertained that my son’s physical health was in top shape, his suggestion was for me to give him vitamins to help him calm down. To his credit, already at our first visit, the doctor gave us a clue that turned out to be the culprit. As we were on our way out, he said to me, “Your son might have PANDAS, but I’m not sure.” I stopped and asked, “What’s that?” I’d never heard of the term before. PANDAS, I soon learned, is the acronym for pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections, which is often misdiagnosed as Tourette’s syndrome or OCD. While not every strep infection turns into PANDAS, every PANDAS case is linked with a strep infection, as bloodwork reveals.
After one week of sticking to the vitamin regimen with no improvement, we were back at the doctor’s office. This time, he ordered blood work to be done. To his surprise, the results confirmed his suspicions: the elevated levels of DNase and ASO, both antibodies that linger in,the body after a strep, pointed toward PANDAS. Since my son did not test positive for strep and,he was only exhibiting the neuropsychiatric symptoms that are characteristic of PANDAS, the doctor diagnosed him with this condition. “Your son is the second patient I’m diagnosing withPANDAS in my 30 years of practice,” he told me. And I consider myself lucky, not because the disease is fun—it really is not—but because over time, I’m learning how many children are walking around with the disease without having a clear diagnosis.
With a diagnosis in hand, it was time to move on to the treatment phase. The pediatrician prescribed a 30-day antibiotic regimen. Soon after Shloimy started taking his medication, his oldself reemerged. There was hope. There was light. But then, when the 30 days were over, his symptoms returned with a vengeance. Out came the restlessness and frustration. We were starting to doubt who the real Shloimy was.
Back to the doctor we went. He prescribed another 30-day antibiotic regimen, which Shloimy dutifully completed once again. Hope reappeared, but this time, it was tempered by the fear in the back of our minds. How long would this oasis of peace last before the storm would hit again? The answer? Thirty days.
After Shloimy’s symptoms returned a second time, we decided to see another doctor in the same clinic. Perhaps she would have a solution that would prove to be the one. She too prescribed antibiotics, though a different type, hoping that it would help. But much to our dismay, the same pattern repeated itself.
With three failed attempts, it was time to declare the antibiotic route ineffective. What now? I was never one to take the alternative route. Where would I begin to find a cure for my son? The first solution I could think of was to walk into the local health food store and ask the salesperson for his help. He suggested a probiotic regimen, along with a garlic supplement, which I dutifully purchased. I left the health food store with a spring in my step and a prayer in my heart. This, I kept telling myself, was probably what we’d been waiting for all along. But very soon, we realized it wasn’t. Not this, and not the fermented foods we tried next. Though his symptoms were stable at the time that I made him consume the foods he made a fuss about, Shloimy was still unrecognizable.
One day, in a phone conversation with my sister, I expressed my frustration regarding Shloimy’s mystery. I reviewed the many different avenues we’d tried and how none of them seemed to rid Shloimy of his uncharacteristic symptoms. In exasperation, I asked her what she thought we should do next. Having no prior background on this condition, my sister was kind enough not to leave me hanging. “How about a Google search?” She asked me. While Google is an amazon of ideas, many of which are not necessarily helpful, one website caught her attention. There, my sister found the story of my life. This mother, too, experienced a harrowing few months while her child exhibited strange symptoms that no doctor or alternative healer could find a cure for. Finally, when she found a solution that worked for her child, she was eager to share it with parents around the world.
Her son’s salvation came in the form of essential oils, which she massaged in a very targeted approach. While I had never cared for essential oils, my desperation did not allow for cynicism. Besides, I had nothing to lose. Curious to learn more, I filled out an online form that would give me the opportunity to communicate with her and see how I could help my child. Two months later, she got back to me. This messenger from Hashem guided me step by step in learning the targeted approach for natural PANDAS healing, which she calls the Raindrop Technique. she explained, Hashem created the body as an amazing self-healing organism if given the right resources. While essential oils are not medication, they are an all-natural tool to help aid and support the body in the natural healing process. Twice a week, Shloimy was treated to an all-natural, relaxing treatment session.
Before I took this route with Shloimy, I checked with his pediatrician to ensure that we wouldn’t be causing any harm. Thankfully, he gave me the go ahead, recommending that we come in for bloodwork to ascertain that the numbers were indeed going down. As I was prepared beforehand, during the first three weeks of the treatment, Shloimy experienced ups and downs. There were days when the old Shloimy reemerged, only to be rapidly replaced by the restless, fearful child who had taken his place. But when we went to take a blood test at the doctor, we were excited to learn that his numbers were finally moving. “I don’t know what you’re doing,” the doctor told me, “but keep doing whatever you’re doing because it’s working.”
And then, after several weeks, when his symptoms were starting to disappear completely, we were forced to stop the treatment. It was time for him to go to summer camp. Although he was back to his old self when he boarded the bus to camp, I felt my apprehension in every muscle as I waved him off. Would his symptoms return or were they gone forever? The miracle was yet to come. Baruch Hashem, the camp season passed uneventfully. Every time he called and I heard his calm, happy voice, I allowed myself to relax just a bit more. Today, two years later, there is no sign of Shloimy’s PANDAS. He made a complete turnaround. He’s the calm, happy child we always knew him as.
Raindrop for All
In the two years since Shloimy’s ordeal came to a close, I’ve spoken to many people who are plagued by conditions that seemingly have no cure. Whether it’s PANDAS, Lyme disease, or something else They’re desperate for a thread of hope. After meriting to find an effective, natural solution for Shloimy, I was filled with a burning desire to help others who are still seeking wellness for themselves or their children. Since the Raindrop Method has been so effective in restoring health and hope for us, I am happy to share this technique—which is effective for a variety of health issues—with the community.
Instead of treating symptoms, it helps treat the core problem. There IS hope!
To Book a Raindrop Session, please call 646-450-2725
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One Response
The author has helped my son tremendously! When I realized the author was the woman who helped my son I had to leave a review. My son got hit hard with PANDAS during the winter of 2017. He had almost every symptom his inflammation even showed up on an EEG. I too saw the site of the couple who advocated using essential oils. At the time it seemed like snake oil and I gave it little thought. We pursued standard treatmemt of prophylactic antibiotic (as done with PANDAS cousin Rheumatic Fever). My son improved drastically with his only remaining symptoms being headaches, bed wetting, fine and gross motor weakness and difficulty going to play dates. In March of 2019 he suddenly regressed tremendously. We were devastated.
We were told that we needed to do IVIG and tonsillectomy however, with these treatments it was possible he would get worse before he gets better. With a new baby on the way I did not see how this was a viable option. At the same time I heard about the author. At this point I felt I had nothing to lose. I contacted her and found her to be confident and compassionate. During our first apointment we couldn’t even get my son to lay down on the massage table but somehow the patient and compassionate massage therapist managed to apply the oils. After two sessions there was a significant improvement. My son went to his first solo play date since the onset. (It should be noted that such quick results are atypical) his recovery continued from there. We are not yet at 100% but we are close. He loves receiving the oil treatment now as he knows it helps him. This is not a placebo effect as we’ve tried supplements,medicine etc before with limited results. I taught a friend from out of state how to do it and her son is now off of antibiotics, his tics and other symptoms gone. I cant promise this will work for everyone and I daven this will get us to 100% but I do strongly believe anyone with PANDAS/PANS or any other dificult to treat health issue should try this. I value being an informed consumer and I have spent hours reading journal articles regarding essential oils. I encourage you to do the same on pubmed https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/ or any other research database. Essential oils are derived from plants and each has different health benefits.There are oils that are antiinflammatory, anti-bacterial, immune regulating, calming etc. One of these oils Frankincense is Levonah from the Kitores used in the Bais Hamikdash. I hope this review will help other. Hashem should help all the PANDAS children have a refuah shelaimah b’karov.