Update on the ND!

It's been a month and a half since consulting with an ND (Naturopathic Doctor) and making all the changes she suggested.  

For Otto, all hyperness gone, solely do to diet!  Amazing!  We cut out all sugar, white flour, preservatives, and artificial anything.  All ADD meds we've tried have not worked for Otto (and we've tried a ton!), they all gave him terrible side effects.  So we've just lived with the extreme hyperness along with the other issues he suffers from....anxiety, moodiness, etc.  He is still on a med for these other issues, but our goal is to get him off of it.  The homeopathic remedies we tried last month helped with many, many symptoms that he deals with but didn't help a few.  So we are trying a new remedy this month.  

I have had extremely good results also!  My lump has shrunk!  In addition to diet, I have also been doing hydrotherapy to my lump as well as castor oil packs to my lump, liver, and ovaries.  I also had other complaints which have all improved except for a couple.  I have extremely irregular periods and last month received one!  I have always suffered from headaches (migraines and other).  I was taking 4 motrin a pop everytime I'd get one.  Those have significantly decreased and when I have had one, I only took 2 motrin and it worked.  I was on Lipitor for high cholesterol and took myself off of it and the ND ok'd it as long as I increased my fiber (via flax seed) and fish oil and limited my carbs to 3 servings a day.  The ND said today that she is confident the lump was probably noncancerous since it responded so quickly to treatment (decreased in size).  I was so relieved and excited by her saying this!!!!!

In addition to this change in diet, Aaron and I have started visiting a gym that has free daycare!  LOL  Chance to continue this quest toward health together and have some "us" time.  :-)  He's already lost 14 lbs in 2 weeks and I've lost about 12 lbs since I started the diet a month and a half ago.  Only been working out for 2 weeks.  I praise God for my lump b/c it has led to all of this!  

Alternative Medicine

I have been enlightened into the world of alternative medicine.  It all started in January when we discovered a lump on my thyroid the size of what my ENT described as a golfball.  At the same time in January, I learned that I would be losing my insurance coverage Jan. 31^st.  We tried to rush in a biopsy but was unable to do so.  I had one done in early February at my own expense.  $4000 later, we learned that the results came back “negative for malignancy” (praise God!) but the ENT wasn’t happy with the sample that was taken and therefore wasn’t comfortable telling me I was out of the woods.  Thankfully the hospital covered the hospital cost (praise God!), but we still have to pay the radiologist/ultrasound tech bill and the lab bill.  The ENT suggested either another biopsy or surgery to have the lump removed.  He told me that biopsies are only 90% accurate so the possibility existed that even if I had the biopsy redone, it may be false info.  If I opted for surgery, they wouldn’t just remove the lump but the whole left side of my thyroid (where the lump is located) so as not to disturb the lump if it is in fact cancerous.  The thyroid may continue to function normally, but if not, I would have to take thyroid pills for the rest of my life.  Either of the choices, redo biopsy or have surgery, would not be covered and would have to come out of our pocket.  Also, all of this…..and it may not even be cancerous!!!!!

So this was a big dilemma.  We talked with several people, prayed about it, mulled it over and over and over.  And after talking with a friend, the idea got sparked in me again of alternative medicine.  I say “again” b/c over the years, I’ve known people who are pretty into it and have crazy stories to tell.  And when Otto was diagnosed with ADHD and it was suggested to me to put him on medication, I researched alternative methods b/c I did not want to put him on meds.  However, researching alternative medicine on the internet is a daunting task b/c there is so much!  How do you know which sites to trust, etc?  So I used the networking tool of Facebook and put the question out there…..”Does anyone know about alternative medicine?”  I got great feedback!  Some suggested sites turned out to be very informative and I learned of many people curing their own cancer and getting rid of their lumps.  I also remembered someone I knew back in Ohio whose dad had prostate cancer and got rid of it in 6 mos on his own without chemo or radiation or surgery.  I began trying a couple things on my own to try to “shrink” the lump.  But wanted a trusted expert’s opinion on what to do, how much and what to take.  A friend from high school on Facebook said she consulted a Naturopathic Doctor and also sought a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) for her son who was on the Autism spectrum and now ISN’T anymore!  What?!  The thought was resparked in me to consult an ND (Naturopathic Doctor) for Otto too and all his issues.

I visited a website for the American Association of Naturopathic Doctors to find one near me.  Called a few up to compare prices, etc and learned that they actually go to medical school!  This made me feel very good and very excited to talk to one.  Of course insurance doesn’t cover them usually but I didn’t have any anyway!  Their philosophy is to treat the whole person, not just the current ailment and not just to throw a medicine at it and send you on your way.  It was an incredibly enlightening several conversations.  I learned a ton and was given several suggestions for both Otto and I.  First and foremost, Otto and I are on a “whole foods” diet meaning no refined sugars or white flour, no additives or preservatives.  Only fruits and veggies, whole grains, and protein.  After only 2 or 3 days, Otto’s hyperactivity reduced significantly!!!  I could write so much more detail about this but this is already sooooo long!

My lump has already shrunk considerably!  In fact, I really have to feel around for it to find it and have a hard time anymore!  I wanted to include a picture of my lump when I had a cold.  My glands were all swollen, the lump was swollen, and it was enormous!  Unfortunately I can't find the pic, bummer!  It was crazy!  If I find it, I'll post it!  Now, like I said, I can barely find it when feeling around!  I could write so much more detail and maybe I will in some other posts.  But for now, just wanted to share our miracle(s)!  I pray it continues to go away completely! 

Easter Fun!

     Colored eggs

    Owen was so excited to finally get to eat the eggs that as soon as I said he could, he grabbed one and bit into it!!!!  Unpeeled!!!!

    Cascarones!!!!  The eggs are drained, filled with confetti, and dyed.  You crack em over each other's heads!  So much fun!


        

Hubby's picture hobby

Check out Aaron's pix blog @ http://iphoneaventura.com.

Visitors from Austin

Aaron has a friend in Matamoras, Mexico.  He and his wife live there and are missionaries.  They run a preschool and also tutor older kids in English.  They had a group come down this week to volunteer and work, and the group was a little large for the projects they had planned.  So his friend wondered if we could take about 9 of them and find some work for them to do.  Of course!  There's always work to do!  The village we work in, Revolucion has many things that could be done to bless people.  The church building we are meeting in is one room.  Recently they have added on a room to the back of the building so the children could meet there during the service.  It has been done for a while, done meaning "roughed in", all cement block.  A family we know from Michigan donated all the money needed to buy stucco to finish it (it wasn't going to be finished for awhile til they had more money).  So the men worked and finished the inside before the group came, and the group did all the painting.  They painted a Noah's Ark theme.  I don't know if the pix do any justice but it turned out sooooo cute!  And the kids love it!  Under the rainbow, we had them do handprints with their names and they just loved it!  The group also brought crafts to do with the kids and we ran the after school program extra long and both the days the group was painting.  So the teenagers in the group helped the kids with the crafts, sang all the songs together with lots of energy, and practiced their Spanish most of them were taking in high school!  :-)  Our kids got to practice their English introducing themselves and asking some intro questions like "how are you," "how old are you," "what's your name."  It was great practice for them to speak with other people besides us and practice.  And the teenagers were great with them!  What a fun time for all! 

Like....Mexico?

A friend of mine asked me recently if I like Mexico, and my 1st reaction was "Yeh!"  But then in my head I pictured the Mexico that I see when we go and I began to wonder, "Do I like it" I realized the answer was yes and no.  I LOVE going and seeing the children and being with the people.  The children are so comfortable with us now in the after school program that they run up to us when we come and the good-bye is several minutes long with hundreds of repeated "good-bye's."  It's so cute, worth every trip!  And the people are so warm and welcoming and grateful.  I love that!  I love their sense of family and getting together and hanging out.  They are such relational people.  I love that!

Physically though, the parts of Mexico I see are dry and dusty with litter everywhere.  They are not conscious of making sure to throw garbage in the garbage can.  Here, you can get a fine!  Also, it seems we're more environmentally conscious.  But I remember a day when I was little when it was acceptible to open a piece of gum in the car and throw the wrapper out the window and it wasn't a big deal.  I didn't think anything of it, and I didn't get in trouble for it.  Nowadays, I'm totally into recycling and at least "thinking" of the environment and would NEVER allow my children to litter!  But in Mexico, it's not a thought.  It's no big deal, everyone does, and no one thinks anything of it.  Hence, it affects Mexico's appearance.  Also they don't have nicely manicured medians and sidewalks and not much lush, green grass like I'm so used to here.  So there is quite a noticeable difference.  Of course there are areas that are nicer than others, but what I see is as I described.  Of course, the houses are another big difference.

I love the adventure of going to Mexico though, being in another land, it looks so different, smells different, sounds different, it's another culture and I love that!  And the boys LOVE going too!  They always ask if it's a "Mexico Day"!  Mexico makes me appreciate lots about my life!  Mexico grounds me, humbles me, gives me a realistic perspective on my life.  All that to say, after processing the question more, "Yes, I like Mexico!" 

Happy Adoption Day, Otto! 4 years!

My goofy nut!  And he totally is!  Otto loves to make people laugh and feel good.  At therapy today, there was a little boy crying and Otto walked over to the boy and offered him one of his pretzels.  So sweet.

As I reflect today on our precious boy, so many wonderful attributes come to mind.  And I think what makes it all that more amazing to me is that they exist despite the many trials Otto has faced in his short little life.  Despite it all, Otto is a very trusting, loving, little boy who lives for people!  He loves to be with people!  He is aware and concerned for your state of being as well.  Are you happy, sad, mad, etc?  He wants to know and also how he can help.  When we came home to visit in January, Otto was in social heaven!  Every single day was jammed packed with visits with friends and family.  He was so happy and living it up that week!!!!  One day right before going down for a nap that week, he asked me (with anticipation) who he would see after he woke up from his nap.  

As you can imagine, he loves school!  When he's home, he's always asking when he goes back and is always talking to his friends from his class while playing or is pretending he's his teacher.  He is such an inspiration to me.  What he's overcome and continues daily to overcome.  He is an example to me of God's compassion and love for people and also of God's strength and mercy.  Otto's perseverence to survive and thrive spur me on.

Please pray with us for God's absolute best for Otto and that Otto would reach the ultimate potential that God's already planned for him.

I'll share a poem I wrote for Otto before we had him that we recite often with him....

"Once upon a time, a long, long, time ago,

God thought of a little boy, his name was Otto.

He knew the place and time, when you would arrive,

He planned you all along, from the beginning of time.

On November 23rd,  a little cry was heard,

Otto Gabriel was born, and the world you did adorn!