The Epik Life The Epik Life

Today we talk about the scariest, most trying and defining time in our life. We moved across country on a promise, with 5 kids and ended up homeless and stranded. Listen as we talk about how many events saved us and how many people played a roll in where we are today

     
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Today we reminisce the birth of our sweet baby girl Cozette. It was scary and emotional but ended so beautifully.


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Let’s talk about sick kids! How do we deal with it and when do we rush to the doctor? What is our take on natural medicine? 
Burning questions: 
*How has our unemployment or struggles from the past affected our kids?
*Does our family know about and watch our social media?

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Today we talk about how and why I (Neysa) ran away from home at the age of 15. How my abusive past almost made me commit suicide and how a multitude of events saved my life. I share my emotional story regarding my time in foster care and dealing with the court system. 

How did I overcome this season of my life? What pushed me forward to where I am now? Stick around and find out!



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Stuff our family likes and use

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Why we can’t have nice things… why is that?

Today we talk about how kids, especially toddlers, can make your pretty things, not so pretty in a short amount of time.

How do you deal with the messes, the drawing on the wall, the broken furniture? Let’s chat!

Later, we tell a story about the first nice couches we bought and why we regretted it. We share why we shouldn’t be angry over kid messes and how to still be joyful.

We answer your questions about our favorite and not so favorite places we have lived!



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Today we share our emotional journey with our son, who has PANDAS syndrome. 

We talk about how it started, his diagnosis, the trials, and our emotional rollercoaster.

We share things we never have before and update you on where he is now, and what we are doing for his current treatment.

PANDAS Syndrome is not rare but is not widely recognized We urge you to have your child evaluated by a specialist if your normal child suddenly has a dramatic change in behavior. The symptoms are usually dramatic, happen “overnight and out of the blue,” and can include motor and/or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody or irritable, experience anxiety attacks, or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones.

What is PANDAS? 

PANDAS is short for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections. A child may be diagnosed with PANDAS when:


Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and/or tic disorders suddenly appear following a strep infection (such as strep throat or scarlet fever); or 
The symptoms of OCD or tic symptoms suddenly become worse following a strep infection.
The symptoms are usually dramatic, happen “overnight and out of the blue,” and can include motor and/or vocal tics, obsessions, and/or compulsions. In addition to these symptoms, children may also become moody or irritable, experience anxiety attacks, or show concerns about separating from parents or loved ones. 

What causes PANDAS? 

The strep bacteria are very ancient organisms that survive in the human host by hiding from the immune system as long as possible. It hides itself by putting molecules on its cell wall so that it looks 

nearly identical to molecules found on the child’s heart, joints, skin, and brain tissues. This hiding is called “molecular mimicry” and allows the strep bacteria to evade detection for a long time.

However, the molecules on the strep bacteria are eventually recognized as foreign to the body and the child’s immune system reacts to them by producing antibodies. Because of the molecular mimicry by the bacteria, the immune system reacts not only to the strep molecules, but also to the human host molecules that were mimicked; antibodies system “attack” the mimicked molecules in the child’s own tissues.

Studies at the NIMH and elsewhere have shown that some cross-reactive “anti-brain” antibodies target the brain—causing OCD, tics, and the other neuropsychiatric symptoms of PANDAS. 

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