No Cause, No Cure?
The Story of My Son’s Seizures
By Steve Wohlberg
"Like a flitting sparrow, like a flying swallow,
So a curse without cause shall not alight"
(Proverbs 26:2)
Today is March 22, 2010, and it is finally time for me to explain publicly in greater detail the terrible struggles my wife Kristin and I have experienced as a result of our son's seizures, and the valuable lessons we have learned. My prayer is that these words will honor the Great Physician, Jesus Christ, and enlighten others.
It all started on a beautiful summer day in July of 2007. Kristin, our three-year-old son Seth, and I were peacefully driving down Interstate 101 among California redwoods when our nightmare began. "Something's wrong with Seth!" Kristin unexpectedly shouted. I quickly glanced behind me (I was driving) and was shocked to see our precious little boy, who had just fallen asleep in his car seat, convulsing and jerking. Panic set in. "Are you having a bad dream Seth? Wake up!"
He couldn't—he was having his first seizure.
Some time later, he had another one. Then another. After numerous tests, EEGs, and an MRI, Seth was finally diagnosed as having "Benign Rolandic Epilepsy" and put on anti-seizure medication. "No known cause. No cure," our neurologist essentially told us. On the bright side, we were informed that Seth would probably grow out of this condition in his teens, and we were strongly advised to "keep him on medication" until then, or until, and this was explained to us as being "standard protocol," he went two full years without a seizure and has a normal EEG. And so, nervously – because the possibility of harmful "side effects" bothered me greatly – I began inserting into my trusting child's open mouth a high-powered brain drug twice a day for the next 16 months.
Things went reasonably well, month after month, except for frequent and terribly bizarre "night events" when Seth would wake up crying uncontrollably and waving his arms wildly around his ears as if he were being tormented by some unseen substance within his brain. "It’s nothing really to worry about," our neurologist told us, "and has nothing to do with the medication."
Then in October 2009 Seth had four more seizures. We then took him to the hospital for another EEG. "His brain activity is very busy," reported the neurologist who read the report, "and he is not far away from having more serious seizures." Nevertheless, the diagnosis remained the same. "Benign Rolandic Epilepsy ... No known cause, and no cure." "You should increase his medication," our neurologist candidly informed us.
This bothered me greatly. "Dear God," I prayed from the depths of my hurting soul, "Please help me to discover the cause of Seth's seizures so we can reverse this condition! In Jesus' name, amen."
The full story is too long to tell here; but in a nutshell, after that prayer, I started doing my own homework. After much research, I discovered that seizures can sometimes be caused by toxins in the brain – even as a result of vaccines. On Wednesday night, October 14, 2009, Seth had another seizure. The next day I faced a difficult dilemma. Should I fly to Oregon tomorrow for a weekend speaking appointment, or stay home with my wife and kids? It was hard to know what to do. I didn't want to leave Kristin alone with a seizure-active child, but my seminar was scheduled. Many were expecting me, and depending on me.
Finally, on Thursday night I prayed. "Lord, if Seth has another seizure tonight, I'm not going." Providentially, he didn't. So, I left. I'm so glad I did! For it was there, in Bend, Oregon, that I met a wonderful nutritionist who recommended a natural detoxification product called "PCA-RX" (developed by Maxam Labs) scientifically formulated to gently remove heavy metals from the body. *
I'll give it a try, I thought, and spent the money.
It was at the beginning of November that we started giving Seth PCA-RX daily. Amazingly, on the 4th night something happened in our bedroom. Light seemed to fill my heart, and a sense of peace flooded over me. That night, which was the first night in a long time, Seth slept peacefully the entire night without jerking around wildly during sleep (which he did regularly).
Shortly thereafter, we found doctor Jon Mundall, M.D., a graduate of Loma Linda medical school, who is also board certified in clinical toxicology. During our first visit, he humbly disagreed with the "No cause, no cure, keep Seth on medication" advice we had received so many times. Then Dr. Mundall did what no other neurologist had ever done – and I spoke to at least five of them – and that was to recommend an detailed analysis of Seth's vitamin, mineral, and heavy metal levels. He then took samples of Seth's hair, blood and urine and sent them to Doctor’s Data in Chicago. The results shocked us, but confirmed my suspicions. Seth's body was loaded with heavy metals like Cadmium, Lead, Cesium, Arsenic, Antimony, Barium, and many others. "These are neurotoxins," Dr. Mundall frankly informed us. "The combination can be very bad, and can definitely contribute to seizures."
Our course was confirmed: "detoxification."
In the weeks that followed we continued administering PCA-RX by mouth (it's a tasteless spray) in addition to Chelation therapy (DMSA) properly prescribed by Dr. Mundall. Plus we added more vitamins and minerals for Seth's nerves and brain. On January 27, 2010 (after a carefully scheduled weaning process) we took a big step: contrary to the prevailing opinions we had previously received, we took Seth entirely off all anti-seizure medication (Note: I am certainly not saying that this should be done with everyone who has seizures, but in our case, this is what we chose to do).
The next three nights were rough. Each night, nearly exactly one hour after falling asleep, Seth had another strange "night event" where he would wake up, cry uncontrollably, wave his hands near his ears, and roll around wildly on our bed. Temptation pressed in on us, "This is happening because you took Seth off the medication. You should put him back on it!" But, with Dr. Mundall's firm encouragement, we kept a steady course. About a week later temptation struck hard again when Seth had two more seizures back to back. "Hold the line," Dr. Mundall persisted. "These are side effects of getting off the medication, not a reason to go back."
It was tough, but we held on.
Our persistence was rewarded!
In the weeks that followed, all of those strange “night events” ceased entirely, and Seth's sleeping patterns improved steadily. Then came the kicker. On February 2 we took Seth back to the Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital in Spokane WA for another EEG. At the end of February, one of the hospital neurologists (not Dr. Mundall) reported the results: Seth's brain activity had significantly changed from what it was during his October EEG and he no longer has "Benign Rolandic Epilepsy"! Hallelujah! As I write this (its March 23, 2010 **), Seth remains off all medication and continues to sleep peacefully every night. I can't tell you what a relief this is to our family. Truly, in our case, a goodly amount of undoubtedly sincere professional opinion left us few options; but due diligence, earnest prayer (from our family and many others), appropriate detoxification efforts, and ultimately –God's blessing, did the trick.
Others need this information is the conviction that presses upon me now, so I have written our story for the purpose of – hopefully – enlightening others with some valuable information. And let me clarify: I'm not against doctors per se (for Dr. Mundall is a doctor), but this trying experience has taught our family that even sincere medical professionals can sometimes miss the boat entirely by 1) not searching for the true cause of a disease, and 2) by being clueless about how to correct it. In our case, a powerful drug was recommended, when there was a better way.
In conclusion, I recommend the book, Detoxify or Die, by Dr. Sherry Rogers, MD, which has been a real eye-opener for me about the dangers of environmental toxicity, and the insidious affects of heavy metals (such as mercury, etc) on human health. Dr. Rogers is an internationally acclaimed expert in clinical toxicology, plus Dr. Mundall thinks very highly of her.
May our personal story be a blessing to many others.
Sincerely,
Steve Wohlberg
Speaker/Director, White Horse Media
* None of these statements have been evaluated by the FDA, nor is anything in this article to be construed as medical advice. For serious health conditions, one should always consult with a qualified health professional.
** As of June 2011, Seth is still doing great!
