March 27, 2011

Update on the Update

Let's see if I can get this all down before my battery dies.

So I have been taking detox baths and I have been sleeping better. Yay!

We had CKS (almost 4) treated and he is doing amazing. He has had a bit of honey everyday. He has eaten spinach, cucumber, tomato, black pepper, fresh apple juice, and cauliflower. Also, finally, the Pro-EFA fish oil. No reactions. Cheeks are clearing up. Urination less frequent and less urgent. Eye-contact is unbelievable! His eyes sparkle with life. Praise God!!! Thank you, Jesus!

Our two older kids have had a rough week after getting sealants from the dentist. I will have to think twice about that the next time. Weak. Tired. Achey. Sick to stomach. Headaches. Emotional and behavioral issues. They are not themselves this week. It has been five days. It is a bit better, but not yet back to our new normal. Ack!

KES (almost 5) is up late with leg cramps. Not sure where that came from.

KRS (10) has had a rough day. Emotional upset. Generally negative and unhappy. Headache. And more. We quit giving her fruit and honey as of yesterday because of eczema and signs of yeast. She may be having a bit of die-off. Eczema is better and is healing so I think we may be on to something.

SSS (almost 2) is throwing a lot of tantrums (itty bitty tantrums) these days. He's two (almost), but I think he may be responding to everything and everyone around him. I have noticed that his worst days are always on my worst days.

So, I am thinking that it might be beneficial to have everyone's food sensitivities treated and then repeat intro one more time. We could actually progress through the intro diet and get to full GAPS and therapeutic doses of probiotics, as well as FCLO, Pro-EFA, seed and nut oils, kefir and other ferments. Then we would really be on our way to complete healing.

God is also working in our lives to break us free of strongholds that have kept us in bondage for too long. Praise God, for He is working in us and He is going to bring healing to our family: mind, body, and soul! He is able! He is willing! I have only to trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there's no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey!

Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Read God's Word. Pray and talk to Him about it. Ask Him to give you wisdom. Ask Him to show you what it all means. I do not remember the reference at this moment, but His Word says that he will show you unsearchable things that you have never before known. He does! His Word IS living. It is amazing what He can do! Seek Him and you WILL find Him! I am finding Him to be more beautiful than I ever imagined He could be!

Jesus, thank You for revealing yourself to me in such a personal way. Thank You for the peace that comes from the readiness of the gospel. Thank you for teaching me to put on the full armor of God and to take up the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Thank You for teaching me to pray at all times about all kinds of things. (Ephesians 6:10-18)

You, Lord, are faithful through all generations. You will complete the good work you started in me. It is you, God, who works in me to will and to act according to Your good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Thank You for keeping me in Your arms and for carrying my children close to Your heart and for leading me gently (Isaiah 40:11). Amen.

March 23, 2011

Update

I have been taking a break from all of the overwhelming information that is out there on the Internet. I dropped all yahoo groups for a while and quit writing in my blog. I just needed a mental break and it has been good. The Lord is really doing a good work in my life right now. Things are changing and I am very happy and excited about all of this. Change is good.

So, we are still following the GAPS diet. Everyone is up to a therapeutic dose of Bio-Kult for several months now. I am still 1-3 capsules short of therapeutic, but close enough for now. I may increase it again soon. It is rough going when I go through die-off and I needed a break!

I went to a doctor who treats allergies and I have been able to eat a wide variety of food that I could not tolerate before. I can eat broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, berries, nuts, spinach, butter, ghee, apples, and so much more. It has been great. At first, there seemed to be no reaction at all. Now I am not sleeping well and I had some major emotional upset during my cycle. Frustrating. I think it may be detox, but I am not sure. I did stop taking detox baths because I was doing so well. I started taking baths again a few days ago and I think it is making a difference. I will need to give it a few more days to really know for sure.

We are going to go ahead and have our little CKS treated tomorrow. He is the one with the most issues. He is going to be four years old next week. WooHoo! He is doing great developmentally and socially. He eats well. He talks well. He is learning. His imagination and creativity are exploding into some very cool scenarios. He has this weird thing about sharing (invisible) chocolate with me. He has not had chocolate for nearly two years now. What's up with that?!! We fish with imaginary fishing rods and catch all kinds of interesting things. He's a fun kid. He's still very reactive to the world we live in. He has rough red skin on his cheeks, hands, and bottom. It gets better and worse and sometimes almost goes away, but then it comes back. No clue what it is from. Sundays are still difficult days. I suspect he is reacting to people's perfumes or something like that. Anyway, he's doing well overall. I am anxious to see how treating him for food allergies will effect him. I wonder if the rash will go away. I wonder if it will decrease the urgency and frequency of his urination. I wonder if he will really be able to eat a bit of honey without becoming a sensory seeking wild child. We shall see!

The baby is going to be two in two weeks. He is doing great! He has never had a vaccine. He has been on GAPS for his entire life. He can eat everything I can eat. He is still nursing and is doing well with everything I eat. He poos regularly. He is a happy kid. He eats well. He is coordinated and is developing normally. I think he may be a bit behind in language development, but I am just watching and waiting. He has a lot of words. They are hard to understand. He is not stringing any words together yet, but he does get his point across quite well. Every word he says sounds like a question, going up at the end. A little odd and very cute. He is a sweety.

KES is going to be seven in May. She still can not eat any fruit or honey. She still gets leg cramps if she runs around in the sun for any length of time. She still gets eczema on her forehead and breaks out in rashes and hives from time to time. She still reacts to the world around her, however she is growing and learning and developing into a lovely young lady. She is more and more capable and is doing more around the house to help the family with all that we do. It is nice to see. She is still very tiny. She and her (almost) four year old brother both weigh 40 pounds. She is a bit taller than him. He's stalky. People often ask if they are twins, but they are three years apart.

Our oldest, MKS, is growing into a fine young man. We have kept him GF/CF and Feingold stage one and on GAPS. He is a totally normal twelve year old, except for the fact that he is likely more responsible, reliable, kind, considerate, and caring than most twelve year old boys. I am excited to see how he is growing and developing. He is finally ready for some real challenges. He can now do things with ease that were a struggle even a few months ago. His memory is good. He can figure things out on his own. He can coordinate and accomplish complicated sets of tasks. Yay!!!

KRS is doing well, too. She is a horse-crazy, art lovin', wanna-be farmer. She is reading chapter books now. She reads and studies and creates informational books about horses. Two years ago, she could hardly read or write. I have been giving her a bit more fruit and honey lately and her eczema is coming back a bit. There are signs of yeast. She has had some headaches again as of late. She has been feeling angry with her sister and with people in general a little bit here and there.

I am thinking of taking us all back to a modified intro again after we finish celebrating all of these birthdays we have coming up. I know it would be good for all. It has always brought a greater degree of healing through it.

Praise God who has given us all that we need. His grace is sufficient for me. I am thankful for all of the healing that has taken place in our family and I look forward to more and more and more. I am letting go of my timeline and I am going to watch and wait and just marvel and praise God for every step toward wholeness. He is our Great Physician. He is our Healer. He is good all the time. He knows the plans He has for us and they are good plans. They are plans to prosper us. They are plans to give us hope and a future.

Thank You, Lord Jesus! Amen!!!