Re: a bit of info to share....

[Guest guest]

Thanks for all the info . I'm keeping this post. Robin Hahn <kimberlyhahn@...> wrote: i have been watching the posts in here for several days now. and i just wanted to share a few things with you guys. i am an avid researcher, only as much as my body allows me to be. and i have shared my thoughts/ideas/research with a support board that is very dear to my heart. i have a rare genetic connective tissue disorder, and adhd, ocd, as?? is

up in the air. my philosophy on "giving a name" to everything is that the symptoms and/or dysfunction came first...as a whole unit....a whole body was born in its state of being. and then doctors/teachers/other individuals in society try to "categorize" the "individual's" symptoms into anywhere between 1 - 1,000 different "named disorders". now i understand that for getting help for situations through societal means, be it our schools, social workers, disability hoops, etc... we need to do our best at putting squares into circle holes, and rectangles into trapezoidal openings, and i think we ALL know that nothing ever 100% fits any "clinical definition". oh we can get close...but again, our bodies came first, and then we try to piece them apart into multiple specialists (much as my 26 doctors that i have, and the idea that your gp or md or pediatrician, etc... will farm you out to the doc who specializes in feet, or noses,

etc...) regardless...we still have that whole body to take care of and make as productive as possible to make it in the world. much as the body is a whole...i think we need to hit the basics of what SHOULD BE common sense to a person/all people. it should be taught in grade schools, and made an intricate and important part of our lives. but if you can't grow it in a petrie dish (which i am growing in a petrie dish at NIH as we speak, in a study for my disorder), then it isn't real medicine. i disagree that anyone should "choose one method" of anything/any type of medical approach (even outside of medicine, think outside the box in any area of life)...and decide that it is either the cure-all, or debunk it. i also disagree that medication is the only way to approach treating a person/body/illness. don't get me wrong...i feel there

is a valid place for medication, and i would NEVER condemn anyone who opts for that path, either for themselves or for their children. personally, now that at 36 i am having liver problems....i am very seriously looking for other paths, which deep down i have been concerned about the non-pharma choices ever since my diagnosis in 2002. when i was first diagnosed in 2002, my doc had me on 11 different meds. and i wasn't any better than i had started out. i found a different doc, and i took myself off the meds (don't ever cold turkey yourself or your child....be certain that you understand their purposes, and whether you need to taper on and/or off). i used only one med at a time to determine whether it worked or not. i got a little tired of docs telling me that the symptoms i was having was because of meds...so i took away their excuses.

currently, i take NOTHING on a daily basis. everything is a PRN (as needed). now, there is definitely justification for me to take multiple meds on a daily basis...but i have been searching for anything i can to circumvent the need for them. never finding a cure...BUT, being able to reduce symptoms, can make a huge issue, become manageable at a reduced severity. i think we need to make sure that we understand that improvement doesn't mean cure....improvement means adding a bit of functionality to our lives, or even...a better quality of life. so, if anyone is interested, i'll start on some of the things that added improvements for even the everyday, non-genetically altered person. i joke with my friends (humor is really the only way to deal with this conundrum, for me) that if i didn't have this affliction...i'd be the healthiest person

around. 1. proper hydration. take your weight, divide it by 2...that is the number of oz. of water that you should intake everyday. for MULTIPLE reasons. as briefly as i can....every one of the billions of cells in your body use the water. cells of "function" are the ones not thought of as much. if you get a bit brain foggy...it "can" be related to whether you are mildly dehydrated. think of it as taking a bath in the same water for a month. your body is using the water...but are you replenishing the water? if you aren't...it will rob water from your colon (constipation), your heart, your lungs (respiratory issues), last on the heirarchy of your body's water conservation protocol is your brain (migraines, to name the least). physically, your back is a hydraulic system...you bend forward, you draw water in...you stand

upright, it squishes water back out...that is used water ready for excretion...if you haven't had any water to drink all day (as we get so busy, we forget), then you could begin to become mildly dehydrated...add a couple degrees increase in temperature, sweat a little bit, and then you could begin to become more dehydrated. it isn't you are or you are not dehydrated. your body can manage for a while with inadequacies...but prolonged inadequacies....and you begin to experience chronic-like illnesses/issues. and, you may not have the appropriate onset timing of what caused it. now water isn't a cure-all. BUT, it is a factor in how badly something could be affecting you. water transports your medications through the bloodstream, which has a salt/water balance, it also transports hormones throughout the body. ever hear your ob-gyn say, if you're experiencing a difficult period...increase your water intake, and

increase your rest? well, that's good advice, because you have increased hormone activity...so, dilute it!! this also means that you need to be aware of what is a diuretic. coffee, tea, juices, and soda...ALL diuretics, so if you have 12 oz. of a soda...add 12 oz. of water, on top of what you are already drinking for your daily intake. we don't get the same amount of water from our pesticidal fruits and veggies anymore. our produce doesn't have the nutrient values that they used to have. it takes 7 years for soil to regain it's value of nutrients to provide for the produce...and we over-plant, and plant every year...on the same soil. (personally, i rotate the location of my garden each year) anyhow...back to water...our bodies aren't hydrated the way they should be, and we need to put an emphasis on this. again, NOT as a

cure-all...BUT, as an intricate tool in managing symptoms, and reducing intensity of symptoms. if you KNOW that you or your child is dehydrated, get a pedialyte, or a generic brand that is comparable to a pedialyte. again the "salt/water" balance in the body....if you ever feel light-headed from drinking water...then switch to the electrolyte, as it has salt to draw water into the cells. never cut the solution of the electrolyte with water, as the electrolyte solution is already 97-99% water, and you don't want to change the chemical solution. for kids (or adults too), they have the pedialyte pops that are just like the freezer pops that you can have as a frozen treat during a hot sweaty summer day. also, during your sleep, a person will lose 50% of the water lost in a 24 hour period. the most appropriate times to add 8oz. of pedialyte would be when

you first wake up...and if you want 2 per day, add 8oz. right before bed...if you want 3 per day (which was my best) then in addition to the first 2 times, add one at roughly 2pm in the afternoon. when giving some of these potent meds to kids...be sure you get them to drink as much of an 8oz. glass of water as you can. it may improve the effectiveness of the drug, and have less side effects. dosing isn't just how many mg you put in your body...if you have less water in your system than you should, the drug may react more potently than expected. some meds will flat out say, "take with a full glass of water". but it isn't just the potency that is the issue when the bottle carries the warning...it's the toxicity of the liver, or other affected filtering system of the body. some are absorbed through the stomach (ibuprofen), MOST through the liver, and

some through the kidneys. 2. highly-refined white flour, sugary products, anything in a box on a shelf at the store....bad. unless you're at the healthfood store, or in the organic aisle. it's the cheap stuff, and the easy stuff...but we were built for live foods, live enzymes to digest our foods, and we haven't been consuming the right stuff (on the whole, i'm not saying that no one on this board is eating healthy), we need to focus on the right stuff though. a sugary cookie, or cake shouldn't be used as a tool for reward like when we grew up. on the whole, society is more and more unhealthy, and it is getting worse. there are many different things to try here. and no two family members are identical, which can make things difficult, but depending on the level of difficulty one is already dealing with...and improvement in behavior, may

outweigh the extra attention to the meal preparation. i like the BBC america channel show, "you are what you eat". if you have the VERIA channel...this is a wonderful channel to get information regarding alternative ideas. not every alternative is effective for every individual, but keeping an open mind to "thinking outside the box" is crucial in difficult situations. 3. the liver. that poor thing. for example...i am having excessively high liver enzyme levels, and without getting into the details...i am not taking enough meds on a regular enough schedule to cause the problem with my liver....BUT, even though i am as careful as my pocketbook allows me to be with the foods i eat...my liver issues could be from the processed foods that i eat (as they are cheaper), if the body cannot filter everything that you give it....your liver does what it can...and

then it gets stressed...little things can cause it to react poorly. when your liver goes...you're done. so read your labels, hydrate, watch your med intake, and try to keep a healthy balance there. 4. pain is an area i have great loads of experience with and information on. that would take up an email of its own. i have been seeing the leg pain emails...just to let you know...i fasted when i took myself off of morphine (yep, they tried me on that, and i had a rare side effect...that made pain worse)...my horrible vibrating severe leg pain (beefed-up restless leg syndrome) went away. i started eating organic raw veggies at first, and it didn't come back. i gave in and had a bowl of trix, and it took 6 hours for the leg pain to go away. i didn't take anything for it, as i was trying to keep track of it. i stuck to the organic veggies

for a couple more days. then i decided that i would have the grocery store made chicken salad that my mother brought to me so i didn't have to make anything for lunch one day....it had mayo and sugar in it...the leg pain came back, and this time...for 12 hours. i drank water and only ate organic raw veggies again. now i know there is a trade-off, if i want that cookie, or that wheat thin cracker....i KNOW that i will suffer. and i don't take anything for the pain (which is pretty intense), because i chose to give in to the food, therefore i will stick out the pain, and gradually....i don't really like to have the pain, so i opt for the bad stuff less and less. kinda like the mouse that gets zapped in the lab. like i said, though...i have loads of information on pain. i'm not certain if anyone in here has that kind of need for info...but if

so, just ask. i may not get back right away, but i'll try to. i'm a bit of an expert there. all my family members call me first before they go to the doctor at this point (which has its good and bad points to it - lol). ** remember, it is best to make only one change at a time, and keep track of improvements as well as new issues. you can do it as slowly as just eliminate soda crackers from the house diet for a week, and don't bring them back in. then add something to replace it. it doesn't have to be "all or nothing". gradual would be easier, and a more long-term solution to a lifelong practice. well, chronic fatigue is on my docket of labels, and i have reached my limit on this email. i hope that some of you find this information

helpful. i just wanted to share some of what i have researched (well, about 1% in this email), and plant some ideas for you guys. i wish someone had done that for me a long time ago, but i'm glad that i have the info now. i hope this email finds you all well, and your children as well (mine is 13, with the same affliction as myself)...everything i learn, helps her future, even though it may not help me much at this point. it's about the kids, anyhow, in my opinion. hugs, ~k

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[Guest guest]

Hi , thanks for posting all this information. the part that you said about migraines, drink water, I'm gonna try that. I get the worst migraines that hurt. I also know I don't like water but drink a whole pot of coffee. Also, you stopped writing when you got to the chronic fatigue part. I would like to read what you post on that, if your up to posting it. I wish for all the people that's in pain, I could help them and fix it. I feel so bad when I hear of someone that is in constant pain. I'm sorry you are feeling it. This was so nice of you to share with us all this information because you know first hand how important it is to take care of our children and ourselves. I'll make sure my kids drink enough water for the day, I'll also show them how to divide 2 into their weight to know how many oz. of water to

drink per day, starting today. Hugs to you and thank you for sharing. I hope you find something that works and continues to work to help stop all you pain. Hugs to you Rose Hahn <kimberlyhahn@...> wrote: i have been watching the posts in here for several days now. and i just wanted to share a few things with you guys. i am an avid researcher, only as much as

my body allows me to be. and i have shared my thoughts/ideas/research with a support board that is very dear to my heart. i have a rare genetic connective tissue disorder, and adhd, ocd, as?? is up in the air. my philosophy on "giving a name" to everything is that the symptoms and/or dysfunction came first...as a whole unit....a whole body was born in its state of being. and then doctors/teachers/other individuals in society try to "categorize" the "individual's" symptoms into anywhere between 1 - 1,000 different "named disorders". now i understand that for getting help for situations through societal means, be it our schools, social workers, disability hoops, etc... we need to do our best at putting squares into circle holes, and rectangles into trapezoidal openings, and i think we ALL know that nothing ever 100% fits any "clinical definition". oh we can get close...but again, our bodies came first, and then we try

to piece them apart into multiple specialists (much as my 26 doctors that i have, and the idea that your gp or md or pediatrician, etc... will farm you out to the doc who specializes in feet, or noses, etc...) regardless...we still have that whole body to take care of and make as productive as possible to make it in the world. much as the body is a whole...i think we need to hit the basics of what SHOULD BE common sense to a person/all people. it should be taught in grade schools, and made an intricate and important part of our lives. but if you can't grow it in a petrie dish (which i am growing in a petrie dish at NIH as we speak, in a study for my disorder), then it isn't real medicine. i disagree that anyone should "choose one method" of anything/any type of medical approach (even outside of medicine, think outside the box in any area of

life)...and decide that it is either the cure-all, or debunk it. i also disagree that medication is the only way to approach treating a person/body/illness. don't get me wrong...i feel there is a valid place for medication, and i would NEVER condemn anyone who opts for that path, either for themselves or for their children. personally, now that at 36 i am having liver problems....i am very seriously looking for other paths, which deep down i have been concerned about the non-pharma choices ever since my diagnosis in 2002. when i was first diagnosed in 2002, my doc had me on 11 different meds. and i wasn't any better than i had started out. i found a different doc, and i took myself off the meds (don't ever cold turkey yourself or your child....be certain that you understand their purposes, and whether you need to taper on and/or off). i

used only one med at a time to determine whether it worked or not. i got a little tired of docs telling me that the symptoms i was having was because of meds...so i took away their excuses. currently, i take NOTHING on a daily basis. everything is a PRN (as needed). now, there is definitely justification for me to take multiple meds on a daily basis...but i have been searching for anything i can to circumvent the need for them. never finding a cure...BUT, being able to reduce symptoms, can make a huge issue, become manageable at a reduced severity. i think we need to make sure that we understand that improvement doesn't mean cure....improvement means adding a bit of functionality to our lives, or even...a better quality of life. so, if anyone is interested, i'll start on some of the things that added improvements for even the everyday,

non-genetically altered person. i joke with my friends (humor is really the only way to deal with this conundrum, for me) that if i didn't have this affliction...i'd be the healthiest person around. 1. proper hydration. take your weight, divide it by 2...that is the number of oz. of water that you should intake everyday. for MULTIPLE reasons. as briefly as i can....every one of the billions of cells in your body use the water. cells of "function" are the ones not thought of as much. if you get a bit brain foggy...it "can" be related to whether you are mildly dehydrated. think of it as taking a bath in the same water for a month. your body is using the water...but are you replenishing the water? if you aren't...it will rob water from your colon (constipation), your heart, your lungs (respiratory issues), last on the

heirarchy of your body's water conservation protocol is your brain (migraines, to name the least). physically, your back is a hydraulic system...you bend forward, you draw water in...you stand upright, it squishes water back out...that is used water ready for excretion...if you haven't had any water to drink all day (as we get so busy, we forget), then you could begin to become mildly dehydrated...add a couple degrees increase in temperature, sweat a little bit, and then you could begin to become more dehydrated. it isn't you are or you are not dehydrated. your body can manage for a while with inadequacies...but prolonged inadequacies....and you begin to experience chronic-like illnesses/issues. and, you may not have the appropriate onset timing of what caused it. now water isn't a cure-all. BUT, it is a factor in how badly something could be affecting you. water transports your medications through the

bloodstream, which has a salt/water balance, it also transports hormones throughout the body. ever hear your ob-gyn say, if you're experiencing a difficult period...increase your water intake, and increase your rest? well, that's good advice, because you have increased hormone activity...so, dilute it!! this also means that you need to be aware of what is a diuretic. coffee, tea, juices, and soda...ALL diuretics, so if you have 12 oz. of a soda...add 12 oz. of water, on top of what you are already drinking for your daily intake. we don't get the same amount of water from our pesticidal fruits and veggies anymore. our produce doesn't have the nutrient values that they used to have. it takes 7 years for soil to regain it's value of nutrients to provide for the produce...and we over-plant, and plant every year...on the same soil.

(personally, i rotate the location of my garden each year) anyhow...back to water...our bodies aren't hydrated the way they should be, and we need to put an emphasis on this. again, NOT as a cure-all...BUT, as an intricate tool in managing symptoms, and reducing intensity of symptoms. if you KNOW that you or your child is dehydrated, get a pedialyte, or a generic brand that is comparable to a pedialyte. again the "salt/water" balance in the body....if you ever feel light-headed from drinking water...then switch to the electrolyte, as it has salt to draw water into the cells. never cut the solution of the electrolyte with water, as the electrolyte solution is already 97-99% water, and you don't want to change the chemical solution. for kids (or adults too), they have the pedialyte pops that are just like the freezer pops that you can have as a frozen

treat during a hot sweaty summer day. also, during your sleep, a person will lose 50% of the water lost in a 24 hour period. the most appropriate times to add 8oz. of pedialyte would be when you first wake up...and if you want 2 per day, add 8oz. right before bed...if you want 3 per day (which was my best) then in addition to the first 2 times, add one at roughly 2pm in the afternoon. when giving some of these potent meds to kids...be sure you get them to drink as much of an 8oz. glass of water as you can. it may improve the effectiveness of the drug, and have less side effects. dosing isn't just how many mg you put in your body...if you have less water in your system than you should, the drug may react more potently than expected. some meds will flat out say, "take with a full glass of water". but it isn't just the potency that is the issue when

the bottle carries the warning...it's the toxicity of the liver, or other affected filtering system of the body. some are absorbed through the stomach (ibuprofen), MOST through the liver, and some through the kidneys. 2. highly-refined white flour, sugary products, anything in a box on a shelf at the store....bad. unless you're at the healthfood store, or in the organic aisle. it's the cheap stuff, and the easy stuff...but we were built for live foods, live enzymes to digest our foods, and we haven't been consuming the right stuff (on the whole, i'm not saying that no one on this board is eating healthy), we need to focus on the right stuff though. a sugary cookie, or cake shouldn't be used as a tool for reward like when we grew up. on the whole, society is more and more unhealthy, and it is getting worse. there are many different

things to try here. and no two family members are identical, which can make things difficult, but depending on the level of difficulty one is already dealing with...and improvement in behavior, may outweigh the extra attention to the meal preparation. i like the BBC america channel show, "you are what you eat". if you have the VERIA channel...this is a wonderful channel to get information regarding alternative ideas. not every alternative is effective for every individual, but keeping an open mind to "thinking outside the box" is crucial in difficult situations. 3. the liver. that poor thing. for example...i am having excessively high liver enzyme levels, and without getting into the details...i am not taking enough meds on a regular enough schedule to cause the problem with my liver....BUT, even though i am as careful as my pocketbook allows me

to be with the foods i eat...my liver issues could be from the processed foods that i eat (as they are cheaper), if the body cannot filter everything that you give it....your liver does what it can...and then it gets stressed...little things can cause it to react poorly. when your liver goes...you're done. so read your labels, hydrate, watch your med intake, and try to keep a healthy balance there. 4. pain is an area i have great loads of experience with and information on. that would take up an email of its own. i have been seeing the leg pain emails...just to let you know...i fasted when i took myself off of morphine (yep, they tried me on that, and i had a rare side effect...that made pain worse)...my horrible vibrating severe leg pain (beefed-up restless leg syndrome) went away. i started eating organic raw veggies at first, and it didn't come

back. i gave in and had a bowl of trix, and it took 6 hours for the leg pain to go away. i didn't take anything for it, as i was trying to keep track of it. i stuck to the organic veggies for a couple more days. then i decided that i would have the grocery store made chicken salad that my mother brought to me so i didn't have to make anything for lunch one day....it had mayo and sugar in it...the leg pain came back, and this time...for 12 hours. i drank water and only ate organic raw veggies again. now i know there is a trade-off, if i want that cookie, or that wheat thin cracker....i KNOW that i will suffer. and i don't take anything for the pain (which is pretty intense), because i chose to give in to the food, therefore i will stick out the pain, and gradually....i don't really like to have the pain, so i opt for the bad stuff less and less. kinda like the mouse that gets zapped in the lab. like i said, though...i have loads of information on pain. i'm not certain if anyone in here has that kind of need for info...but if so, just ask. i may not get back right away, but i'll try to. i'm a bit of an expert there. all my family members call me first before they go to the doctor at this point (which has its good and bad points to it - lol). ** remember, it is best to make only one change at a time, and keep track of improvements as well as new issues. you can do it as slowly as just eliminate soda crackers from the house diet for a week, and don't bring them back in. then add something to replace it. it doesn't have to be "all or nothing". gradual would be easier, and a more long-term solution to a lifelong practice. well, chronic fatigue is on my docket of labels, and i have reached my limit on this email. i hope that some of you find this information helpful. i just wanted to share some of what i have researched (well, about 1% in this email), and plant some ideas for you guys. i wish someone had done that for me a long time ago, but i'm glad that i have the info now. i hope this email finds you all well, and your children as well (mine is 13, with the same affliction as myself)...everything i learn, helps her future, even though it may not help me much at this point. it's about the kids, anyhow, in my opinion. hugs, ~k

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[Guest guest]

robin

you're welcome robin. glad you found it helpful.

~k

Re: ( ) a bit of info to share....

Thanks for all the info .

I'm keeping this post.

Robin

..

[Guest guest]

, first I want to thank you for sharing this with me. WOW!!! When I was getting my migraines to the point where I couldn't take the pain. I went to a neurologist. He said just what you had said. at that time I couldn't believe this was the problem...(still didn't find out what's causing the migraines) The Neurologist, first thing he said before he examined me was: I have 2 questions for you. 1). Did you eat Chinese food at all this week? 2) do you drink diet soda? He then explained that while these people use M.S.G. in their foods and Saccrine/Aspartame in their diet soda or diet food, I can put all my kids through college. He said this stuff causes more damage to you brain and body then I have time to list/explain to you. He also said to drink more water. That was it!!!, my

appointment with him was over. Until I read what you just posted, I couldn't see how stopping that could get rid of these painful migraines?. He even said that too much MSG, aspartame and saccrine can even cause a stroke or stroke like system. Even though I didn't believe him, I still wouldn't ever give my kids diet food/soda. If we do go to a Chinese restaurant, I would tell them my kids are allergic to MSG, not to put it in their food or you would need to call an ambulance. (just to make sure, its not in there). about what you just posted about being tired all the time. My medical doctor took every kind of blood test, examined me, then said, its because of all the running around I do that's causing the tired feeling. I don't buy that. I was always very active and never

felt exhausted like I do now. Maybe stress has lots to do with it? I also agree there are some things that you do have to spend your dollars on and just can't substitute for a cheaper brand. I will be reading your post on, the paragraph that starts with "pain" & , chronic fatigue, migraines" for later'. I will be reading those when you post them..... reading what you wrote about your personal pain make me want to cry and at the same time I'm so glad to hear you found a medical team that you like, and they listen to you, explain things to you. that is so hard to find. When you described your migraine's, lasting for days and in bed, exhausted, that's me. to the point where I can't even think... My GYN doctor said when I get older and going through menopause, you won't get them any more. He explained why, but I stopped listening to him with just the thought of all those year I'm

going to be getting migraine's, if what he is saying is true. Have you heard of migraine's stopping after menopause? Someone posted that their young child suffers from migraine's. I really feel for a child getting them... you also wrote you never did drugs, drank, smoked etc... unbelievable!!! When you see in NYC all the drug addicts living in the streets begging for our money to buy more drugs, they just keep going and going. they don't seek medical help. Outside from their hygiene, they're doing fine. don't understand that at all. wishing you the best Rose Hahn <kimberlyhahn@...> wrote: rose, a caution...if you start increasing your water intake, and if you begin to feel light-headed, or you feel like you "stood up too fast"...then stop adding the water, and add an electrolyte. after adding the electrolyte, you can go back to drinking water. you wouldn't have the electrolyte "in addition to" your daily intake...you would just substitute ounces of electrolyte for ounces of water. now, typically if you are mildly dehydrated...it wouldn't hurt to use it "in addition to" your daily water intake. where you get into trouble with "too much water" and "fluid on the brain", is like a marathon runner, who is drinking

"gallons" of water per day. now the coffee...you need to drink extra water for your coffee intake. reducing coffee wouldn't be a bad idea. eliminating soda ALTOGETHER would be one of the best things you could do for your body just behind eliminating smoking. and next in line...anything with ASPERTAME...get that OUT of your system. for 16 years they couldn't get aspertame passed by the fda...under a different name...they changed the name, did a different study, and rummsfeld managed to get it passed (i promise to not get started on THAT rant). just consider those eliminations (if this pertains to you or someone else) to be a "christmas present to yourself". the most valuable, prized treasure that anyone could give another, you could do for yourself. chronic fatigue i need to spend some extra time working on that email. so i will put one together over the next couple of days. i didn't know anyone was suffering from that one. any kind of energizer, i guess from the exhaustion from being everything to everyone at all times....anyone today could use some help with this. i always thought that i had chronic fatigue-like symptoms because i was a single mother, working full-time, getting sick all the time and injured frequently. something important that i forgot to add into that email of things you can do....enzymes. digestive enzymes. your best bet would be a multizyme. and don't get me wrong...it isn't cheap. NEVER use regular over the counter from a mega-store supplement. it is worth your time and extra $$ to get an all natural multiple vitamin for yourself, and for your

kids! this is where i say, DON'T SKIMP!! just because, i don't know, and can't guarantee what fillers any of those vitamins have. some have reported that the vitamins don't even get absorbed completely...so if you aren't getting your vitamin...you already gave away money. if you have a reaction to a filler in a vitamin...you just gave yourself a new symptom. with kids and chewable multivitamins...for example, my daughter (she's almost 14 now...but for the past five years of doing research...) i got a chewable vitamin for her, that was all natural, and actually had a black cherry flavor...she LOVED it!! and the directions stated 2 tablets per day. well, i am ALL about moderation...what the heck do THEY know about MY kid?? we have defective collagen, and a high incidence of drug reactions!! (another email to

dedicate drug reactions that ALL parents should know). enzymes...our body produces its own enzymes for different purposes. one is called digestive enzymes, which help you to digest your food. another is metabolic enzymes. it is my understanding that you are born with all the enzymes that you will have...and that metabollic enzymes can be changed into digestive enzymes, but not vice versa. which can/may contribute to chronic fatigue. you NEED to digest your food...we are more and more consuming foods that aren't "live" foods, so instead of using the live enzymes in the raw fruits and vegetables to help digest our foods...we are relying completely on our own body's digestive enzymes...AND that could mean that we're using metabollic enzymes to be converted and digest our "non-food" items (i call boxed goods, "non-food" items). so, taking an enzyme

supplement before each meal, or at least start with before one meal everyday...your largest meal, perhaps...would be an improvement. i disagree that making changes must be an "all or nothing" kind of an experience. add one bottled water to your daily intake...take one enzyme (like a multi-enzyme, from a health food store) before one meal, daily. eliminate one vice...like boxed cookies from your pantry. add one raw vegetable daily to your diet. these are all small steps, attainable, and do them one at a time...so you can take note if it actually helped or not. portion size is another small step you can take (that was kind of "punny" as there is actually a "smallstep.gov" that you can go to and it is one of their recommendations - lol; i have just always referred to it as small steps, NOT baby steps...for those of you who saw "what about bob" lol). pain...again...loads of info to share on this if anyone is interested. i have one more email to kick out tonight, so i'll save a pain email for later, a chronic fatigue email for later, an insomnia one for later, and a migraine one for later...if there is interest in those. as for my personal pain...it is a constant learning process. i see a physical therapist 3 times a week, one pain doctor once a week and another one (who is amazing) once every "whenever they can schedule me in"...he is incredibly popular, as he is really, truly amazing!! we have made little discoveries as we go along. i appreciate the team of doctors and therapists who i have found in recent years. i appreciate them to no end, as they don't mind me asking questions, and they explain things to me quite thouroughly. i have the affliction and the personal experience

with my disorder...they have the knowledge, and it is our discussions that help us to understand more of my situation and to help "them" to help me, and to help "me" to help me. (wow, that was wordy) i have had some great success with my migraine management, but it is difficult, because, for me, there are SOOOO many different reasons that i can be having the migraines...so pinpointing them is difficult. i have completely eliminated the 3-day long migraines of complete inability to function. that's good. but i have been having on and off migraines for consecutive days, where i can knock them back a few notches from becoming a full-blown in bed and devastated migraine...but it teeters back and forth, and doesn't completely go away...but this is without any meds...as i'm not supposed to be taking any. imagine a migraine, untreated....they're cracked!!!!!!!!! but i have managed to go several hours without taking an

excedrin...but it increases in intensity and i finally give in once a day. but still...that's an improvement from 2 excedrin every 4-6 hours throughout a day for these 3-day long events. i can explain the process and what's going on in, physiologically but again...that's a whole separate email. those are just the migraines (as they are more difficult in the spring and in the fall - change in season is the worst). i'm managing alright...i have 2 dislocated ankles, laxed knees (nearly falling several times a day), a dislocated shoulder, spinal compression that i can't keep up with lately, and multiple ribs out right now...so i'm a bit challenged at the moment...but this is NOTHING compared to my worst day. the ankles are a bit annoying, with walking, and the shoulder is gnawing at me...but again...keeping things in perspective helps with coping...this is nothing compared to my worst day, and the pain management, i can put that in

another email. NON-pharma methods, since my liver is having issues (oh, by the way, have NEVER been a drinker, i was such a prude, i never drank in high school, never smoked a cigarette and not sure i spelled it right - lol, and never did any street drugs - i was an athelete year-round in school...which made my undiagnosed connective tissue disorder worse now than it could have been). anyhow, thanks for your kind words about the pain. comedy and laughter helps tremendously. people see me walk into a store with my bracings on and ask, "oh what happened?" or now with my new hemi (sp??) shoulder brace, "oh did you have surgery?" instead of explaining the whole complicated story, or saying, "no just living"...life, the extreme sport...i joke about and say, "no, i flew off the trampoline....i'm a huge supporter of "surrounds"." lol we all can have a laugh then, and i dodge the bullet of explanation and

blank stares. i try to think of other creative things that get the subject of the injury like, "just got bored of my t-shirt and jeans attire...thought i'd spice it up with something a little more daring". or, "well, my arm was just getting in the way today...so i locked it up" ) then i immediately ask them a question or direct the subject off of myself onto brittney spears or onto the other person...people love to talk about themselves (me included...just not appropriate to share all my woes with perfect strangers who were really only interested in 5 minutes of an explanation anyhow...learned that one the hard way). that's why i try to only share the things that may be pertinent to someone else. the left side of my brain is so full with research, i swear that one day it will close it's borders!!!! with all this info...i firmly believe that

nutrition...individualized nutrition, is the best coping mechanism for what we're up against though. it isn't everything, but i believe it is the bulk of our attainability to the most functinoal we can make ourselves and our children. be cautious and question everything when it comes to medications for yourselves and your kids. have good relations with your pharmacist. be upfront and ask your doctors for alternative suggestions...natural suggestions...it is a rare few who will offer that kind of advice...but if you don't ask for it...you most probably won't get it. i asked for it, and my daughter's pediatrician offered melatonin supplements for her insomnia. when the first words out of her mouth were benedryl...once i asked for the alternative, she blurted out melatonin so fast with a smile on her face....she was pleased that i asked for the alternative. again, insomnia is a

whole separate email of information and possibilities. after 7 years of insomnia, personally...this was the first year, where i haven't had it. i have just this last week started having some again...mainly pain-related, and not taking anything for it...getting ready to try a new method that i just learned about on the new VERIA channel...very excited to try this!! anyhow, i've rambled a bit long, my apologies. rose...good for you teaching your kids about good water habits!! all we can do is arm them the best we can. and love them unconditionally. even if we pull all of our hair out once they are sleeping like angels. oh, one last thing...since schools (in our area, at

least...up until i decided to homeschool my daughter), they aren't encouraging kids to drink water, and it is a hassle to have them go to the bathroom so much. so my daughter's pediatrician would write a script each year for "unlimited drinks of water", which changed to "unlimited bottles of water to be with child at all times", and "unlimited bathroom breaks" (don't want the first one without the second one)!! and my daughter is sooooooooo shy...that she wouldn't talk to the teacher if she started getting a headache, so my pediatrician also put in her script, "child to be allowed to have mobile phone on her at all times". she had no problems with speaking to me, and it was an act of congress to get the staff to allow her to phone home...lol, i guess that's kinda funny too, get my little E.T. to phone home with permission. we call ourselves "odd-bods", and "mutants". we have a healthy sense of humor in this household!! ;o) thanks rose, hope this finds you and your family well. hugs, ~k Re: ( ) a bit of info to

share.... Hi , thanks for posting all this information. the part that you said about migraines, drink water, I'm gonna try that. I get the worst migraines that hurt. I also know I don't like water but drink a whole pot of coffee. Also, you stopped writing when you got to the chronic fatigue part. I would like to read what you post on that, if your up to posting it. I wish for all the people that's in pain, I could help them and fix it. I feel so bad when I hear of someone that is in constant pain. I'm sorry you are feeling it. This was so nice of you to share with us all this information because you know first hand how important it is to take care of our children and ourselves. I'll make sure my kids drink enough water for the day, I'll also show them how

to divide 2 into their weight to know how many oz. of water to drink per day, starting today. Hugs to you and thank you for sharing. I hope you find something that works and continues to work to help stop all you pain. Hugs to you Rose .

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