For more years than I care to remember, Josiah has been on quite a few heavy duty medications. These medications were ones Rick and I actively sought out for him. We had gotten to a point where we needed something, anything to help impact his life for the better. We had tried most everything else.

I remember a conversation with a Pediatric Neurologist a few months ago. I was told a new medication he was prescribing would help calm Josiah at the end of the day and allow him to sleep through the night. If there were no improvements, he would prescribe an additional medication.  After a few days with no improvement and serious sleep deprivation, I called, asking for the additional medication. It was a Friday morning.

Late Friday afternoon, I called back. I don’t recall my words exactly, but this is the gist of what I said. “I called earlier today, asking for an additional medication for my son. He has not been sleeping for months. We have not been sleeping for months. The Dr. told me he would prescribe another medication if the one we received earlier this week wasn’t working. It’s not working. He’s still not sleeping. We need help.”

The receptionist assured me the Dr. had my earlier message, and promised she would talk to him again as soon as he finished with his current patient. I replied, “Please do me a favor. Pull the Dr. aside the second he walks out of that room. Tell him that if I don’t receive another prescription for my son before the end of the day, Josiah will be waiting on his front porch to spend the weekend with him.”

Ten minutes later I had the second prescription. So you see, seeking medication was just something we did. We needed help. We wanted relief. We thought medication would make all the difference in the world. In the end, Josiah was on 5 medications. FIVE. It was quite a feat to get all of them in his unwilling body on a daily basis, sometimes twice a day. He did not like them. So, we had to get creative. We put them in yogurt, we put them in ice cream. We hid them in pudding.

But, Josiah still had challenges. I don’t know that his behavior improved much. We had some violent times with serious rages and self injurious behaviors. We had to get the boy a helmet even to protect him from himself.

If all these medications were effective, why weren’t we seeing a calmer, gentler, more focused Josiah?  We visited with various psychiatrists. They all agreed his medications were right. They all agreed he was at the maximum dosage for his age and weight. They all agreed we were headed in the right direction and doing everything we possibly could to help our child. I didn’t agree.

We took him to several Neurologists. They agreed we were on the right track, giving him everything he needed.  So why then was this boy bouncing like crazy? Why was this boy, as his aide at school so adequately described him, ‘vibrating’? Why was this boy so unfocused and actually regressing in his skills and abilities?

As parents, we know our kids best. We are their best advocates. It’s out job to challenge the experts. We may not have medical degrees. We may not have a wealth of experience with pharmaceuticals. But we do have an innate ability to know what’s best for our kids. We have to go with our gut.

So, we tried something else. Rick and I had been taking supplements. We had more energy, we felt better. We began giving them to Josiah. We took him to a pediatrician in the area who also uses these supplements. She guides parents in getting their kids onto these products and gradually off medications and has had tremendous success.

Today, Josiah is down to 2 medications. He takes one at night and one in the morning. Eventually we will get rid of those also. Josiah’s favorite supplement is called Purple Champs. They look alot like ‘Starburst’ candies, each individually wrapped. Research suggests they are important for regulating attention and controlling behavior, and with these supplements, concentration can be improved.

Josiah uses his iPad to request Purple Champs. It’s typically the first thing he asks for every morning. He never once, all those months he was taking it, asked for medication. Josiah eats as many as we will let him have. He’s allowed up to 5 a day. Josiah is calmer. He’s more focused. Not once, since we acquired it, have we had to put Josiah’s helmet on him.

So we are getting rid of the medications and focusing on the supplements. This is the path we choose for our son. And, this is how I know Josiah is on board with our decision.

The other day, Rick gave Josiah Purple Champs. He unwrapped each one, tore it into small pieces and set each on the table in front of Josiah. One of the supplements was still in it’s wrapper. Rick walked away for a brief second.

When he returned, Josiah was enjoying his last Purple Champ of the morning, wrapper and all.