Chapter 33: Trisha’s Story with Her Kids Begins
Welcome to Chapter 33 of the Blog Series Journeys to Health!
This week, we begin Chapter 33. In this chapter, Trisha shares her decision to address her daughter McKenna’s ADHD using holistic health methods instead of traditional medication. With Nancy’s guidance, they removed sugar from McKenna’s diet and embraced homeopathy, which led to unexpected results and strengthened the bond between McKenna and Nancy.
"What happened with your kids' health that brought you to work with Nancy?"
Nancy: So, you did something that a lot of parents don’t always do. They often don’t think, “Okay, this worked for me.” And then they wonder, “What about my kids?”
Trisha: Oh yeah.
Nancy: So, what was it that made you consider holistic health for your children? Your children are adorable and incredible. McKenna is such a firecracker.
Trisha: She is something.
Nancy: I just love your kids. She is unique, right? She definitely thinks differently. But what was it that- she does have, you know, some learning challenges that she has to manage. Although she excels in school—it’s truly unbelievable how well she does.
Trisha: A little or a lot of extra help goes a long way with her.
Nancy: It really does. So, what made you think about holistic health for the kids? Considering the hard work you had to put in yourself, what was it that led you to say, “Hey, I wonder if Nan will do this with the kids? And can I do this with the kids?” Because those are two different things, really, since you’re the mom and you have to ensure they follow through on these things.
Trisha: That’s the tough part. I have, obviously, two very different kids. McKenna has ADHD, and she’s unmedicated. I never wanted to medicate her; I just didn’t feel it was necessary. I felt there was a different approach we could take. That’s how we discovered holistic health for her. It didn’t involve a doctor saying, “Hey, she should be on this,” and “You’re going to have to take this for a while and then switch.” I didn’t want that. I wanted something more consistent and, obviously, healthier for her.
"How have holistic methods benefited McKenna?"
Nancy: Right. We use a combination of homeopathy and diet. It’s simple. The sugar piece with her, it’s almost laughable, right? Because, at home, there’s no sugar in the house.
Trisha: None.
Nancy: There’s no sugar in the house, but she goes to school and… yeah. It’s really tough to manage that, isn’t it?
Trisha: That’s probably the toughest part because she is only 14, so she doesn’t really think, “Oh, this is going to hurt me in the long run.” She’s like, “Just one is fine.”
Nancy: But the whole shift of her coming in on a regular basis, and we do the assessments, I always catch her. I’m like, “You had sugar last night.” And she responds, “Oh, darn.”
Trisha: And I tell her, “Nancy’s gonna catch you.” If I can’t catch her, I know you’re going to.
Nancy: I know, it’s so funny. We have really good camaraderie, she and I. It’s really great banter that we have, and she never feels like I’m being harsh. It’s more kind of fun, you know?
Trisha: Yeah, no, she loves you. Both of them do, actually.
Nancy: You know, that’s really great because a lot of children have White Coat Syndrome and they hate going to the doctor.
Trisha: Yeah, McKenna did. She actually had something similar to that, and I think a more relaxed atmosphere is just better for her. So, I think this has all worked out perfectly for her.
