this blog is not supposed to be about me so i am going to keep this short and simple...
i have started school to become a certified naturopath.
who would have thought 17 months ago when i wrote my first post that this is where my journey would take me.
i have glimpsed life with the very real possibility of john dying very sick and very young.
i have glimpsed traces of a teenager in my baby boy.
suddenly my priorities have rearranged.
i want to say that this will be so good for us. and it will.
but i also feel compelled to say that this will be so good for me.
life it is a changin'. please wish me godspeed.
k
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
family fun times and celebrations
three weekends ago:
we went to ride the tioga railroad dinner train. the kids had never been on a train and weren't sure what to expect but ended up really enjoying themselves. lasagna dinner was delicious, the 3 hour ride was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the dining car was classy and the open air car took your breath away. we got to see an osprey, an eagel nest, and lots of deer along the way. we got a ton of pics and it was genuinely a family memory.
two weekends ago:
we started out by going to eldridge park on friday night and the kids rode the carousel (it goes so fast it makes me sick so i sit and watch, or cam or clic pics) and we rode the jasper (boat). the weather was beautiful, the water calm and the sunset was like a painting. but that wasn't the best part (for me anyway). the best part was the dance hall that has been rebuilt and is actually in use. there was a "big band" with a singer who looked like she was straight out of the 1940's. and there were these people, ... these really elderly people like in their 80's, who were dancing the night away! oh my it was SUCH fun to watch. of course the kids were bored out of their minds but all i could think was, "Goo would looooove this". (Goo, my grandmother who passed away last year). There must have been 30 or so couples dancing song after song, the two step, the box step, a little rumba. and to be sure these people had set out to dance when they left the house that night! ...matching dance suits, patten leather dance shoes, a flower behind the ear. it was all very lawrence welk. and another 30 or so elderly couples sitting watching. i'm pretty certain i looked out of place at my age but i swear it was one of the best times i've had in quiet some time. i felt like Goo was standing there watching with me.
last weekend:
we went to PA to see john's family. his niece was having a graduation party and while the 4 hour drive is a bit of a toll with 3 kids and a dog, once we get there i'm always happier. it's the only time that i can read or take a nap or sleep in or whatever. the kids play with their kids and john spends a lot of time hanging out with his sister. there's 4 wheeling and a pool and a trampoline (can i just mention that as i was flying through the air and suddenly got queezy i realized that it's been a l-o-n-g time since i was on a trampoline). of course there's always the crazy family drama but really, what would family be if not crazy and/or dramatic? we also made it out to lake erie for a sunset picnic. it truly was beautiful.
yesterday and today:
quiet family time. ...and ice cream =)
and so how are the kids?
isaiah received the president's award for academic excellence (only 3 kids got this in his class). while he loves to read and is super smart, ... he also best enjoys a gazillion hours on the computer. it will be a conscious effort this summer to remind him that a world exists out there but i bet once we get him in a pool all will be well. he's funny and a peace keeper for sure. such a pleasure.
noah has decided, totally on his own, that he wants to continue his violin lessons through the summer and at the same time has created his own website. he was voted best smile and best writer in his class. he's showing interest in sculpting. he's such an interesting kid. he's artistic and musical and creative, ... and will get so mad so fast he'll scare the heck outta you vs look at ya twice. i guess the word to describe noah is passionate.
mary will be attending girl scout horse camp this summer. she keeps reminding me that i told her i'd buy her one but strangely enough i do not recall such a conversation. hmmm. she suddenly has a big interest in lacrosse, much to john's delight. and while she's dressed in all pink with a huge bow in her long curly hair she will be the lacrosse player who clips you on your ass. she's a tough girl. a tough girl who makes me turn off lights in the house 'so we can save the polar bears'. oy. she will rule the world one day.
this summer we'll be camping and going to the zoo and to the water park and chuck e. cheese and sonnenburg gardens and to canada (provided john's passport thing works out. long story).
we will live life.
why do i share all this with you? b/c i don't want to leave the impression that life here is all illness and worry and dread and detoxes. it's not. life is good.
k
we went to ride the tioga railroad dinner train. the kids had never been on a train and weren't sure what to expect but ended up really enjoying themselves. lasagna dinner was delicious, the 3 hour ride was beautiful, the weather was perfect, the dining car was classy and the open air car took your breath away. we got to see an osprey, an eagel nest, and lots of deer along the way. we got a ton of pics and it was genuinely a family memory.
two weekends ago:
we started out by going to eldridge park on friday night and the kids rode the carousel (it goes so fast it makes me sick so i sit and watch, or cam or clic pics) and we rode the jasper (boat). the weather was beautiful, the water calm and the sunset was like a painting. but that wasn't the best part (for me anyway). the best part was the dance hall that has been rebuilt and is actually in use. there was a "big band" with a singer who looked like she was straight out of the 1940's. and there were these people, ... these really elderly people like in their 80's, who were dancing the night away! oh my it was SUCH fun to watch. of course the kids were bored out of their minds but all i could think was, "Goo would looooove this". (Goo, my grandmother who passed away last year). There must have been 30 or so couples dancing song after song, the two step, the box step, a little rumba. and to be sure these people had set out to dance when they left the house that night! ...matching dance suits, patten leather dance shoes, a flower behind the ear. it was all very lawrence welk. and another 30 or so elderly couples sitting watching. i'm pretty certain i looked out of place at my age but i swear it was one of the best times i've had in quiet some time. i felt like Goo was standing there watching with me.
last weekend:
we went to PA to see john's family. his niece was having a graduation party and while the 4 hour drive is a bit of a toll with 3 kids and a dog, once we get there i'm always happier. it's the only time that i can read or take a nap or sleep in or whatever. the kids play with their kids and john spends a lot of time hanging out with his sister. there's 4 wheeling and a pool and a trampoline (can i just mention that as i was flying through the air and suddenly got queezy i realized that it's been a l-o-n-g time since i was on a trampoline). of course there's always the crazy family drama but really, what would family be if not crazy and/or dramatic? we also made it out to lake erie for a sunset picnic. it truly was beautiful.
yesterday and today:
quiet family time. ...and ice cream =)
and so how are the kids?
isaiah received the president's award for academic excellence (only 3 kids got this in his class). while he loves to read and is super smart, ... he also best enjoys a gazillion hours on the computer. it will be a conscious effort this summer to remind him that a world exists out there but i bet once we get him in a pool all will be well. he's funny and a peace keeper for sure. such a pleasure.
noah has decided, totally on his own, that he wants to continue his violin lessons through the summer and at the same time has created his own website. he was voted best smile and best writer in his class. he's showing interest in sculpting. he's such an interesting kid. he's artistic and musical and creative, ... and will get so mad so fast he'll scare the heck outta you vs look at ya twice. i guess the word to describe noah is passionate.
mary will be attending girl scout horse camp this summer. she keeps reminding me that i told her i'd buy her one but strangely enough i do not recall such a conversation. hmmm. she suddenly has a big interest in lacrosse, much to john's delight. and while she's dressed in all pink with a huge bow in her long curly hair she will be the lacrosse player who clips you on your ass. she's a tough girl. a tough girl who makes me turn off lights in the house 'so we can save the polar bears'. oy. she will rule the world one day.
this summer we'll be camping and going to the zoo and to the water park and chuck e. cheese and sonnenburg gardens and to canada (provided john's passport thing works out. long story).
we will live life.
why do i share all this with you? b/c i don't want to leave the impression that life here is all illness and worry and dread and detoxes. it's not. life is good.
k
Saturday, June 27, 2009
over the river and through the woods to the naturopath we go
last weekend we went to PA to visit john's sister for her daughter's high school graduation party. only intending to drive up sat and back sun, we didn't pack much. then, we ended up staying until tues. that being the case, there wasn't much clean underwear going around.
ewwwww.
on sunday night john got the idea that maybe the naturopath would be able to fit us in if we called her. we had planned on rechecking his blood at the 6 month mark, which was last month. we called and she said she could get us in so we ended up seeing her late monday afternoon for a 2 hour consult. she drew his blood just like last time and analyzed a live culture and then a dry one, looking for improvements and comparing it to the draw she did 6 months ago.
overall, john's blood has made some good progress, and we still have far to go.
the good news is that john's blood shows improvement in: pH/acidity, bacterial markers, metal levels, yeast/fungus levels, food particles (leaky gut), digestion and overall toxins. she was pretty happy with the improvement in pH and said that it usually takes people much longer to bring up their alkaline levels and it's usually a struggle the whole way. john seems to have pulled this off primarily with his change in diet and things have gone well. there was still yeast/fungus, some food particles, some bad bacteria and metal but significantly less. also he has a sluggish lymph system, 'parasite markers' and the way his blood looked around the edges was indicitive of a decrease in muscle strength and mass; but, overall, there's been definite progress.
the area that is still pretty bad is his parasites. and, to be honest, the parasite cleanse is the one that he has been putting off for some reason. last time she kept using the word 'parasite' and this time she kept using the words 'parasite markers'. we're not sure what the differeence is but whatever. i also noticed that last time we saw moving parasites and this time they looked more like very large scar tissues in his blood; it's hard to explain. she also kept mentioning 'white rivers' and 'white puddles' in his dried blood sample but i have no idea what the heck she was talking about in regard to that either. (i know, you're wondering why we didn't ask. seriously, this is like a 6 hour chem class crammed into 2 hours. i take notes. i'm lucky that i pick up all that i do so i consider anything that i'm able to retain as a small victory). she explained to him that he's pretty much gone as far as he can go without addressing the parasites and that as long as he has them in his system it does not matter how many other things he tries to improve he will still feel like crap. so we made a plan and an appt to follow up in 5 months.
while continuing the dietary changes (lots of water, little to no refined sugar/soda, no artifical sweeteners, few white carbs) and the vitamins (multivitamin, fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes, milk thistle, chelating, MSM, olive leaf extract, evening primrose oil, cod liver oil and flas seed oil), we also need to do a few things.
for the next 2 weeks john needs to triple his olive leaf extract intake (kills off parasites). then he needs to do a 7 system organ cleanse (this is the one that made me fall asleep all over town for 15 days). after that he needs to do a parasite cleanse for 2 weeks on and 5 days off, ... 4 times. the whole while he is to continue the olive leaf extract and the chelating (for metal) but suspend all the other vitamins (except 2). he'll be taking the chelating b/c studies show that as parasites become aware they are being flushed out, ... they are very smart and resiliant, ... they tend to hide behind metals in the blood. after the 4 cycles he's to go back to the triple dose of olive leaf extract and resume the other viatmins until we see her again. we also need to start switching to green cleaners in the house b/c of the connection between parasites and metals (there are metals in otc household cleaning products). for the sluggish lymph she recommended magnesium oxide and potassium glucinate (the 2 he needs to continue during the detox). above and beyond all that she also recommended calcium, B6, B12 sublingual (the kind that you take under your tongue), CoQ10 (helps oxygen levels in the body), vit E, folic acid, and vit C.
it's a very hard, aggressive plan (not to mention expensive) but necessary. he may feel weak or fatigued and exhausted. he may get cranky or feel sick. or he may be just fine. there's no way to tell until he does it. pulling all this crap out of the body can fatigue but allergies to the supplements can do the same thing and you just don't know until you do it.
i am now researching green cleaners. there's much to learn there. my brain is tired.
she recommended 'muscle testing', something that john's chiropractor does but has just started learning so he's not really a resource. it's a very specific practice, one that this naturopath is not schooled in, so we may need to find somebody about that. i think i have a lead in the ithaca area. the little that john's doc does know has led him to tell john, "from all that i can see in you, all of your problems revolve around your digestive system". that was no surprise, as the more we learn the more we are believing the theory that 'all disease begins in the colon'.
i still have not had a chance to read the 'eating 4 your type' book i picked up that speaks to the idea of eating based on your blood type and i also have purchased 'the omnivore's dilemma' but have not had time to turn my attention to that either. i'm shooting for those to be read by the end of the summer. i have heard good things about both and people that have had good results with the 'eating 4 your type' book. i think both may offer us some useful knowledge.
we have an appt the wed before thanksgiving at 9am. the first session will be john's check up and after that i am having a baseline draw done. i'm kinda freaked about what she'll find but that's 5 months away and this isns't about me so i'll shut myself up about that.
the other thing that we need to address during this next 5 months is john's low blood oxygen level and his sluggish lymph system. she gave him some breathign exercises to do and encouraged light exercise. john is always hesitant about this b/c even slight exercise can set off a wave of vasculitis and honestly every time he goes to play lacrosse in the yard with the kids sure enough he starts experiencing symptoms. frankly, it sucks ass. all that man wants to do is play with those kids and he ends up soon thereafter with ruptured blood vessels and swollen joints and pain and squishy leg. sucks ass i say.
she also talked about at what point we start taking him off all of this but each supplement is different. for example she said something about one year for the chelating but that probiotics are good for life. she mentioned decreased vit E levels over time and, ... there was more but my brain is way full.
the naturopath said that if all is well at the nov appt then the next thing we need to tackle is john's leaky gut. food is still leaking through his intestines (probably from the chemotherapy thinning his intestinal wall) and for reasons i can't rememebr but i'm sure i'll learn, ...that's just not good. it's leaking less than 6 months ago but still enough to cause concern. she said something about alglutimate helping to repair the intestine lining and repair muscle but let's take one thing at a time, yes?
as for john's health currently, he is ok. not great, but ok. he is experiencing slightly stonger symptoms more and more frequently of slightly longer duration. the blood clot leg has been acting up more than usual; squishy and painful. he still says he can feel things moving through the vein. (gag). the vasculitis dots seem to come more often and have started to itch again (if he itches them they scar). he gets tired easier but tries to push through for the kids. but i did notice that today he tried to put a positive spin on things and said that he's pretty sure that all this "activity" going on in his body is 'healing'. "i'm feeling healing going on. that's what it is". i don't know if he was trying to convince me or himself but i said how good that was and we both left it at that.
glass half full.
keep the prayers coming please!
sorry this post was so long and all business like. next time i'll talk about our last two weekends. that's way more fun.
peace out,
k
ewwwww.
on sunday night john got the idea that maybe the naturopath would be able to fit us in if we called her. we had planned on rechecking his blood at the 6 month mark, which was last month. we called and she said she could get us in so we ended up seeing her late monday afternoon for a 2 hour consult. she drew his blood just like last time and analyzed a live culture and then a dry one, looking for improvements and comparing it to the draw she did 6 months ago.
overall, john's blood has made some good progress, and we still have far to go.
the good news is that john's blood shows improvement in: pH/acidity, bacterial markers, metal levels, yeast/fungus levels, food particles (leaky gut), digestion and overall toxins. she was pretty happy with the improvement in pH and said that it usually takes people much longer to bring up their alkaline levels and it's usually a struggle the whole way. john seems to have pulled this off primarily with his change in diet and things have gone well. there was still yeast/fungus, some food particles, some bad bacteria and metal but significantly less. also he has a sluggish lymph system, 'parasite markers' and the way his blood looked around the edges was indicitive of a decrease in muscle strength and mass; but, overall, there's been definite progress.
the area that is still pretty bad is his parasites. and, to be honest, the parasite cleanse is the one that he has been putting off for some reason. last time she kept using the word 'parasite' and this time she kept using the words 'parasite markers'. we're not sure what the differeence is but whatever. i also noticed that last time we saw moving parasites and this time they looked more like very large scar tissues in his blood; it's hard to explain. she also kept mentioning 'white rivers' and 'white puddles' in his dried blood sample but i have no idea what the heck she was talking about in regard to that either. (i know, you're wondering why we didn't ask. seriously, this is like a 6 hour chem class crammed into 2 hours. i take notes. i'm lucky that i pick up all that i do so i consider anything that i'm able to retain as a small victory). she explained to him that he's pretty much gone as far as he can go without addressing the parasites and that as long as he has them in his system it does not matter how many other things he tries to improve he will still feel like crap. so we made a plan and an appt to follow up in 5 months.
while continuing the dietary changes (lots of water, little to no refined sugar/soda, no artifical sweeteners, few white carbs) and the vitamins (multivitamin, fiber, probiotics, digestive enzymes, milk thistle, chelating, MSM, olive leaf extract, evening primrose oil, cod liver oil and flas seed oil), we also need to do a few things.
for the next 2 weeks john needs to triple his olive leaf extract intake (kills off parasites). then he needs to do a 7 system organ cleanse (this is the one that made me fall asleep all over town for 15 days). after that he needs to do a parasite cleanse for 2 weeks on and 5 days off, ... 4 times. the whole while he is to continue the olive leaf extract and the chelating (for metal) but suspend all the other vitamins (except 2). he'll be taking the chelating b/c studies show that as parasites become aware they are being flushed out, ... they are very smart and resiliant, ... they tend to hide behind metals in the blood. after the 4 cycles he's to go back to the triple dose of olive leaf extract and resume the other viatmins until we see her again. we also need to start switching to green cleaners in the house b/c of the connection between parasites and metals (there are metals in otc household cleaning products). for the sluggish lymph she recommended magnesium oxide and potassium glucinate (the 2 he needs to continue during the detox). above and beyond all that she also recommended calcium, B6, B12 sublingual (the kind that you take under your tongue), CoQ10 (helps oxygen levels in the body), vit E, folic acid, and vit C.
it's a very hard, aggressive plan (not to mention expensive) but necessary. he may feel weak or fatigued and exhausted. he may get cranky or feel sick. or he may be just fine. there's no way to tell until he does it. pulling all this crap out of the body can fatigue but allergies to the supplements can do the same thing and you just don't know until you do it.
i am now researching green cleaners. there's much to learn there. my brain is tired.
she recommended 'muscle testing', something that john's chiropractor does but has just started learning so he's not really a resource. it's a very specific practice, one that this naturopath is not schooled in, so we may need to find somebody about that. i think i have a lead in the ithaca area. the little that john's doc does know has led him to tell john, "from all that i can see in you, all of your problems revolve around your digestive system". that was no surprise, as the more we learn the more we are believing the theory that 'all disease begins in the colon'.
i still have not had a chance to read the 'eating 4 your type' book i picked up that speaks to the idea of eating based on your blood type and i also have purchased 'the omnivore's dilemma' but have not had time to turn my attention to that either. i'm shooting for those to be read by the end of the summer. i have heard good things about both and people that have had good results with the 'eating 4 your type' book. i think both may offer us some useful knowledge.
we have an appt the wed before thanksgiving at 9am. the first session will be john's check up and after that i am having a baseline draw done. i'm kinda freaked about what she'll find but that's 5 months away and this isns't about me so i'll shut myself up about that.
the other thing that we need to address during this next 5 months is john's low blood oxygen level and his sluggish lymph system. she gave him some breathign exercises to do and encouraged light exercise. john is always hesitant about this b/c even slight exercise can set off a wave of vasculitis and honestly every time he goes to play lacrosse in the yard with the kids sure enough he starts experiencing symptoms. frankly, it sucks ass. all that man wants to do is play with those kids and he ends up soon thereafter with ruptured blood vessels and swollen joints and pain and squishy leg. sucks ass i say.
she also talked about at what point we start taking him off all of this but each supplement is different. for example she said something about one year for the chelating but that probiotics are good for life. she mentioned decreased vit E levels over time and, ... there was more but my brain is way full.
the naturopath said that if all is well at the nov appt then the next thing we need to tackle is john's leaky gut. food is still leaking through his intestines (probably from the chemotherapy thinning his intestinal wall) and for reasons i can't rememebr but i'm sure i'll learn, ...that's just not good. it's leaking less than 6 months ago but still enough to cause concern. she said something about alglutimate helping to repair the intestine lining and repair muscle but let's take one thing at a time, yes?
as for john's health currently, he is ok. not great, but ok. he is experiencing slightly stonger symptoms more and more frequently of slightly longer duration. the blood clot leg has been acting up more than usual; squishy and painful. he still says he can feel things moving through the vein. (gag). the vasculitis dots seem to come more often and have started to itch again (if he itches them they scar). he gets tired easier but tries to push through for the kids. but i did notice that today he tried to put a positive spin on things and said that he's pretty sure that all this "activity" going on in his body is 'healing'. "i'm feeling healing going on. that's what it is". i don't know if he was trying to convince me or himself but i said how good that was and we both left it at that.
glass half full.
keep the prayers coming please!
sorry this post was so long and all business like. next time i'll talk about our last two weekends. that's way more fun.
peace out,
k
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
the absent blogger
i have not forgotten about this blog. truly. there is much to report, plenty of posting material to be sure.
...and life is so working against me right now.
so, i'm gonna break it down. i'm gonna tell you about our fantabulous time two weekends ago. i'm gonna tell you about this past weekend and our trip to PA. i'm gonna tell you about john's 6 month check back with the naturopath (yes indeedy we did that) and our plan for the next 5 months. i'm gonna tell you some random stories about life at the townson's. i'm gonna tell you about my new news.
but not tonight.
tonight i am exhausted.
so, tomorrow. tomorrow we will start to break it down.
for tonight, i must sleep.
k
...and life is so working against me right now.
so, i'm gonna break it down. i'm gonna tell you about our fantabulous time two weekends ago. i'm gonna tell you about this past weekend and our trip to PA. i'm gonna tell you about john's 6 month check back with the naturopath (yes indeedy we did that) and our plan for the next 5 months. i'm gonna tell you some random stories about life at the townson's. i'm gonna tell you about my new news.
but not tonight.
tonight i am exhausted.
so, tomorrow. tomorrow we will start to break it down.
for tonight, i must sleep.
k
Thursday, June 11, 2009
i got it!
remember back a few weeks ago when i made that list of 12 things that we have newly added to our diet that i'm relatively shocked about, ... but then could only come up with 11? remember that? ok, i have the 12th thing: Mrs. Bragg's amino acids.
amino acids.
isn't that the oddest thing ever?
k
amino acids.
isn't that the oddest thing ever?
k
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
is it over yet?
so john's doing a 10 day yeast cleanse and i've been working on a 15 day organ cleanse (today is day 15 thank goodness) and it is whoopin' our butts.
cleanses make a person tiiiiiiiired for sure. he is draggin'. i am draggin'. we're falling asleep randomly throughout the day, naps left and right, and sorta nonverbally agreeing to alternating who gets to fall asleep at 6:45pm each night. i think tonight is his turn. crap.
the kids are pretty much runnin' the house.
k
cleanses make a person tiiiiiiiired for sure. he is draggin'. i am draggin'. we're falling asleep randomly throughout the day, naps left and right, and sorta nonverbally agreeing to alternating who gets to fall asleep at 6:45pm each night. i think tonight is his turn. crap.
the kids are pretty much runnin' the house.
k
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Dear Mr. LaLane
i'm writing to tell you how wonderful your juicer is. http://www.powerjuicer.com/
when i juice i feel better, my complexion rocks, and i sleep better. when i juice i have more energy, feel healthier, am in a better mood and do not have cravings. when i juice i have a happy digestive system and am amazed at the clarity in the whites of my eyes. when i juice my clothes fit better, my thoughts are more sharp, and my hair glistens. when i juice, i am simply a better person.
but ooooh Mr. LaLane, you did not warn me, in your handy dandy little accompanying booklet, that when i juice, i will be in the poor house because it is SO FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE. nor did you warn me that if i do not wash said juicer immediately upon completion of happy juicing experience, the pulp WILL STICK AS IF CEMENTED to the various juicer parts.
Oh Mr. LaLane, why is being healthy such work?
k
when i juice i feel better, my complexion rocks, and i sleep better. when i juice i have more energy, feel healthier, am in a better mood and do not have cravings. when i juice i have a happy digestive system and am amazed at the clarity in the whites of my eyes. when i juice my clothes fit better, my thoughts are more sharp, and my hair glistens. when i juice, i am simply a better person.
but ooooh Mr. LaLane, you did not warn me, in your handy dandy little accompanying booklet, that when i juice, i will be in the poor house because it is SO FREAKIN' EXPENSIVE. nor did you warn me that if i do not wash said juicer immediately upon completion of happy juicing experience, the pulp WILL STICK AS IF CEMENTED to the various juicer parts.
Oh Mr. LaLane, why is being healthy such work?
k
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