Saturday, December 28, 2013

Essential Oils Cough Syrup Recipe

    I got sick the week before Christmas and have only really been back on my feet today.  It was an amazing feeling to be able to get the kitchen mostly cleaned up today!  I was frustrated that I wasn't able to do everything for Christmas that I wanted to for my family, but learned a valuable lesson in flexibility and not piling stress onto my family by trying to push myself more than I was able.  I'm thankful that I was able to see where my limits were and adjust accordingly.  It ended up being a relaxing, enjoyable day, all things considered.

    Usually I am able to nip it in the bud when I can tell I'm getting sick, as I've referenced in my past posts about essential oils and home remedies.  I know my body well enough that I can usually tell that first "tickle" and can stave the illness off.  This time it came on so full and fast and without warning that honestly, I resorted to Nyquil to knock me out as well as deal with symptoms for a couple of days.  My throat was so sore pretty much immediately that I thought it was strep throat, but the dr.'s office confirmed that it was viral. Honestly, I'm sure I could have done more with essential oils than I did, but I am still learning and my knowledge isn't comprehensive enough for me to immediately sort out what I needed in order to handle things that way exclusively.  Once the worst of it wore off, I then was dealing with congestion that was trying to settle into my chest and sinuses.  Brittany started with the sore throat and I had a brain freeze trying to remember what to do naturally because she can't take any OTC medications.  Then I remembered a recipe I learned about 2 years ago at the essential oils workshop I took.  It's for a cough syrup that you make, blending three different oils and then taking a drop with about 1/4-1/2 tsp. honey--and boy howdy, does it ever work!  I took it regularly from that point up until today, and it did a great job of clearing everything out and keeping the cough productive.  I was especially concerned with this because some people around where I live are coming down with bronchitis and pneumonia as secondary infections from these kinds of viruses, and besides not wanting that myself I have no interest in my daughter dealing with something that serious, with everything she already deals with. Thankfully I had all the oils on hand, and funny enough as I was placing my order last month I kept having it come to mind to order eucalyptus radiata, which is not one I usually have. I don't think that was coincidence, and am thankful for that heavenly help. :)  Here's the recipe:

Essential Oils Cough Syrup Recipe:

In clean dropper bottle, blend equal parts tea tree, eucalyptus radiata and myrrh essential oils.  I did about 10 drops each to have a pretty good supply.  Put 1/4-1/2 tsp. raw, organic honey on spoon, add a drop of oil blend, and take by mouth (make sure you are using certified THERAPEUTIC, FOOD GRADE oils only when using for internal use).  This soothes sore throat, and is a great expectorant as well as cough suppressant.

    A lot of people don't realize that there are different types of eucalyptus and that they have different uses.  The company I purchase from, Ancient Legacy, has three different types: Eucalyptus Globulus, Eucalyptus Radiata, and Eucalyptus Citriodora.  I found a great link that explains the difference and uses really well, and looks like a good, comprehensive resource for learning about oils and how to use them. I'm impressed with the wealth of information on this site and thought I'd provide it here. My experience as I've talked with people about essential oils has been that many hear about how great they are but don't receive information on how to use them.  Here's a great place to start, regardless of the brand you choose to use!  The link I'm providing takes you straight to eucalyptus; you can click around the site for more information, as well as information on other oils.


    The author of the site uses oils from Young Living.  I haven't used Young Living myself, but in addition to Ancient Legacy I am impressed with the oils I have tried from DoTerra (DoTerra only has one Eucalyptus oil, however).  I'm trialing their peppermint right now to see how they compare, because with all the experimenting I've done I've always ended up back with Ancient Legacy.  I have to say that I'm equally impressed with the DoTerra peppermint so far.  Most that I have tried, although deriving benefit, have had a smell that drives me crazy and/or it's taken a much larger amount of the oil to get the desired result.  With Ancient Legacy peppermint, the potency and concentration is so high that you don't even need a drop to clear the sinuses out.  I use it all the time and the bottle lasts forever. I'm finding the same to be true with DoTerra.  One of the reasons I went with Ancient Legacy when I started a couple of years ago is because of the certifications they have, which includes certification from the Aromatherapy Board of France.  This is one of the most sought-after certifications because it gives the company access to a greater variety of sources to get oils from, as well as allowing access to higher grades.  This certification also ensures purity levels, which is essential for me because of my daughter's sensitivities.

Friday, December 6, 2013

Change of Work Plans :(

    Hard day for Britt today.  She made the difficult decision to stop working when she realized that buildup allergic reactions were why she started getting sick after a couple of weeks there.  She did an amazing job and loved it, so this has been really emotional for her.  Looking at the bigger picture helps somewhat, because a year ago she wasn't able to leave the house, her legs gave out on her all the time, and there is no way she could have even entered that part of the mall, let alone consider working there for four hours at a time.  We didn't catch it at first because initially she seemed fine.  The reactions we have been used to have been the instant, scary what-the-hell-is-going-on ones; this has been our first experience detecting buildup reactions (I'm sure she has had them for most, if not all, of her life but we didn't know what was going on).  So this is testament to how much stronger and healthier she was going into it than she has been, but she feels that if she continued it wouldn't take long to be back where she was before, and that was a scary place.

    The manager has been awesome.  Very personable, positive and understanding, and has been great to work with.  She planned to go in this afternoon and talk to him to quit in person, but got very emotional.  So instead she wrote him a letter so she could express herself the way she wanted to and I took it in to him (I work at the same place).  She wanted him to know how much she has loved working there and appreciated how awesome he has been with her.  He has taken a mentor approach with her, which has been wonderful and so uplifting.  She had me read the letter and I was in tears through the last paragraph;it was beautifully written and I felt so sad that it didn't work out the way she had hoped it would.  She and we were floating on Cloud Nine for those first couple of weeks; it felt amazing!  I know making the decision to quit was really, really hard on her, but I am proud of her for taking the right steps to take care of herself.

    One of the things she expressed in the letter is that through being given the opportunity, she learned so much, including the fact that she CAN work, and she can do a great job.  She discovered some talents and natural abilities she didn't know she had and found that she really enjoys interacting with customers.  she is ready to work but needs the right environment, i.e. no handling of food, no perfumey fragrances in the air, no popcorn-filled breakroom, etc. and supportive people around her who won't give her a hard time about what she needs to avoid.  Sounds like a tall order, but I know there are places and the right kinds of people out there; this manager we have been working with is living proof of how awesome and supportive people can be.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Managing Reactions With a Corn Allergy


    Just thought I'd put this up; we dealt with some kind of reaction tonight, and I'm not sure what it was exactly but it reminded me a lot of how Brittany's reactions were back in the very sensitive stages.  We had to do troubleshooting on a larger scale than we have in awhile, and made me think of addressing it here on the blog.


    She's been getting sick for the past few days; seems to be more "crud" related than allergies, so she already wasn't feeling well.  I spent quite a bit of time keeping peppermint tea going and doing essential oils, etc. to help with migraine pain.  She has had trouble sleeping so was overtired, but wanted to stay awake as much as possible to prevent her sleep patterns from flipping since she wants to keep working her seasonal job. Saw some good progress with pain levels and then after dinner (I made homemade chicken vegetable & rice soup) she felt kind of bloaty and so I decided to apply some ginger essential oil to her abdomen.  I'm not sure what went wrong, but within 5 minutes of doing that she got nausea, had her legs collapsing on her, was dizzy, had trouble talking, etc.  I've never used ginger oil AND the oil I used is from a different company than the one I usually use, so I'm not sure if it's ginger itself or problems with the purity levels (I suspect the latter since we use ginger all the time in teas and cooking).  If there was alcohol used at any point in processing the oil it's just about a guarantee that it is corn based, so I'm suspecting something like that was the problem. That bottle went straight into the trash, let me tell you.


    So. . .here are some tips when dealing with a reaction, that help reduce reaction time and the severity:

1.  Have compounded Benadryl on hand.  This means that you cannot use the Benadryl you buy at the store.  You need to have your doctor write out a prescription for it, and on the paper s/he needs to include, "To be compounded free of. . . ." and write down all of the things that you are allergic to.  In Brittany's case it says, "To be compounded free of corn, wheat, dairy and soy."  All of these things make their way into medications by way of derivatives.  Be proactive with the compounding pharmacist and ask what kinds of capsules they use, what fillers are available, etc.  We have Brittany's filled in clear gelatin capsules (there are some with a white stripe and that is not okay) and I bring our own tapioca flour for them to use as a filler.  Using a filler makes it less time consuming and easier for them; we have also found that it's easier on her system than just having the straight active ingredient.

2.  Have quercetin (a supplement) on hand.  TwinLabs makes a Quercetin + C that is safe for corn allergies.  Quercetin lessens the reaction and recovery time.

3.  Bentonite clay is another wonderful thing that helps a lot.  Living Clay is very pure and you can even ingest it.  For a really severe reaction I mix about 2 tablespoons with 6-8 ounces of water and she drinks it. As it works through the system, the clay pulls toxins out of the body with it.  You can also use it in a bath; the recommended amount is a cup, but since she is very sensitive I usually use less.  Have the person soak in the bath for about 20 minutes.  It helps, again, with pulling toxins out of the body and relaxing so you can sleep.  It can leave you feeling "floppy," though, so I wouldn't do it too often.  You also need to make sure to hydrate well because the clay dehydrates.  Drink lots of water.  If drinking the clay, also make sure to drink a lot of water and keep in mind that it can be constipating.  Start with less clay when you are first trying it to see how your body does with it.


4.  For Brittany, we have found coconut water to be really helpful for bringing down headaches and lessening reactions.  Back when her body was having global reactions where her limbs went numb on exposure, drinking coconut water restored feeling in her limbs within about 30 minutes as opposed to a couple of hours.  If you can tolerate coconut, this might be worth looking into.  I would stay away from brands that come in a carton, since the packaging is usually waxy and therefore most likely corny.  The brand that she likes best is C2O and it comes in a can.  Coconut water is naturally high in potassium and electrolytes, so is great for hydrating.  It has been used in the Pacific islands as IV fluid in cases of emergency.


5.  Epi-pen.  This is only to be used as a life-saving measure in case of anaphylaxis.  You HAVE to go to the emergency room if you use it or the person can die.  There is a lot to consider if you have a corn allergy with this because the hospital is a minefield of derivatives.  IV bags use glucose unless you specify saline only, and that's just one aspect of what you have to contend with.  So far we have been able to avoid using the epi and thus going to the ER by taking measures at home to bring reactions down.



    Usually the first thing we do when getting an accidental exposure like something airborne at the store or something is pop a few quercetin.  Usually two, sometimes more if it's really bad like heavy perfume or cigarette smoke.  If it's something severe then we usually follow it with Benadryl (she prefers to avoid that if she can because of how drowsy it makes her).  Typically a regular reaction that isn't too terrible will be quercetin and coconut water; when we are out we usually have a few cans in the car and I always have quercetin and benadryl in my purse (she has them in hers, as well).  We don't usually use the clay unless it's a more severe reaction.


    I hope these tips help.  For your own information, read as much as you can on quercetin and bentonite clay to become familiar with why and how they work, and research anaphylaxis.  Here is a good link: http://www.aaaai.org/conditions-and-treatments/allergies/anaphylaxis.aspx

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Witnessing MIracles--This Corn Allergy Isn't Beating This Girl!

    I'm sharing the following in hopes that it can help shine a light at the end of the tunnel for anyone else dealing with the effects of having a severe allergy to corn.  The process of learning to live corn-free and of dealing with the physical effects of that process, as well as the effects of the allergy itself, is not for the faint of heart.  It can be really, really rough and very discouraging.  I am so thrilled with where things are now, and want others to know to keep hanging in there and live with hope.  It's not a pipe dream; things can get better!

Here is my Facebook status today:

    "I witnessed miracles today watching my daughter on her first day on the job.  At this time last year she couldn't leave the house and had trouble walking without her legs giving out on her.  Today she was in an area of the mall for four hours that she used to have to avoid because of fragrances in the air and came away energized afterward.  She caught on so quickly and had so much fun, and turns out she has a natural gift for sales!  I loved seeing how much people were drawn to her (and had to chuckle at how many of them were young men :) ).  It has been a beautiful day and you have no idea how incredibly thankful and joyful I feel.  Miracles and healing are possible and do happen!"

Yesterday's status:

    "I love it when synchronicities happen. :)


   So. . .I posted about how getting my job at Hickory Farms happened and was so fast.  A couple of other things have come out of that "idle thought" I had Saturday night to walk down there and see if they were still hiring.  Brittany has just recently become well enough to consider being able to work, and is starting there tomorrow. :)  This will be a great way for her to start building her work experience.  The other cool thing that happened today was a conversation my husband had with my manager.  Hubby has had some great business ideas for quite a while; two in particular but hasn't been sure how to proceed.  Yesterday an answer came to him on how to create a prototype he wants to market, and in this conversation today my manager gave him some resources that will give him the tools he needs for the other idea; he is also an entrepeneur with similar background (both he and my husband have parents in franchising).



    You never know what those little nudges are going to bring your way!"


My status on Monday:

   "Coolest story on how I got my seasonal job. :)  On Saturday hubby and I went to early dinner, movie and did some stuff at the mall.  I've been thinking about getting a seasonal job but haven't really wanted to fill out a stack of applications and figured I probably missed the window anyway.  I had this idle thought to stop by Hickory Farms while we were at the mall to see if they were still taking applications, thinking I was probably late (I worked there five years ago).  I stopped by and talked to the manager.  After telling him I had worked there before, he said, "Well, if you want to stay for a few minutes to fill out the application I need someone to start on Monday."  I couldn't believe the perfect timing and how fast and easily it all happened!  I found that everything came back quickly today; it was just like getting back on a bicycle.  The extra money will be nice, and it's about as stress-free as it can get.  I'm also glad to be at a location that stays busy; I like talking to people. :) Bonus:  The dress code is more relaxed than before, so I'm not restricted to black and white under the apron! :)"


    And there you have a little summary of what a cool week we have had as a family.  I'm still pinching myself. Getting to this point has been a long, rocky and sometimes very scary road.  Sometimes there have been turns in the road that have seemed like dead ends, and to proceed we've had to pull out the shovels and start digging to create more road.  Anyone who could have been a fly on our wall this time last year would scarcely believe that today could have been possible.  I'm so thankful for the resources we've found that have helped Brittany on her road to health and healing, and that we were able to figure out what was wrong in the first place.

    I am so happy, and so excited to see her moving forward and upward.  She is so radiant and beautiful; she literally drew people to her like a magnet today and that was really cool to observe.  I think she has a lot of potential to be a force for doing much good for others during her life.

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Herbal/Home Remedies for Combating Cold and Flu Season--Some Corn Free Options

As promised, here are a few things that have become some of our go-tos for treating symptoms associated with flu and junk this time of year.  If you haven't already, be sure and read the post I did yesterday on essential oils; that is definitely a big part of our frontline defense!

Some other things I wanted to mention that help are ginger tea, peppermint tea, astragalus root and honey and cinnamon.

Honey and Cinnamon:  I first saw this home remedy on one of the herbal/natural healing pages I follow on Facebook.  I put this to the test one day quite awhile back when I felt myself starting to get a fever that came on without warning.  I had no symptoms prior and felt crappy really fast.  It was one of those things that brought body aches with it really quickly.  I remembered saving this remedy, found it and tried it out.  Mix together equal parts pure, raw honey (buy local if you can from someone you have questioned and KNOW doesn't feed their bees corn syrup, candy cane residue or anything stupid like that) and ground cinnamon.  I started out with mixing 1/4 c. each in a bowl and took a teaspoon about every 15 minutes until I felt better and then took it about every hour or so.  I was very surprised at how quickly this brought my fever down, and the body aches subsided within about 20 minutes.  I definitely took it easy and rested and felt a LOT better the next day.  36 hours later I was functioning well and didn't have any residual symptoms.  I gave myself a few days to ease back into exercising, was careful to not overdo it on being out and about with errands or whatever, etc. just as you normally need to do after being sick, but it was nothing compared to what it normally would have been for me with those kinds of initial symptoms.  I know my body pretty well, and when I have had that kind of fever and those kinds of body aches I've usually been down for about a week before starting to ease back into things.

Peppermint Tea:  We make this from dried peppermint leaves, rather than buying prepackaged tea bags, which are corny.  I bought a metal tea ball and that is what we use.  The general rule of thumb with herbal tease is to use 2 teaspoons per 2 cups of water.  Bring the water to boil, then turn the heat off and put the tea ball in to the pot.  Let it steep for about 20 minutes; remove tea ball and pour tea into mug; add honey to taste. Peppermint tea is great for easing pain and helping your body to relax; it's very soothing. Very helpful for headaches, etc.  Honey is beneficial for strengthening the immune system so is a great thing to add to the tea.

Ginger Tea:  Same rule of thumb as far as the amount of ginger to water; follow the same procedures listed for peppermint tea.  You can use either fresh ginger (that funny looking root thingy in the produce section) that you peel and chop up, or dried ginger.  Our preference is the fresh; I love the way it smells.  Something to keep in mind is that the longer you let it steep, the stronger the tea is going to be.  Ginger already has a kick to it, so you are in for an eye-popping experience if you leave it in there for too long. LOL This tea is also great for headaches and helping your body to relax.  It's also very helpful for upset stomach and problems with digestion.  If you make homemade chicken soup with vegetables, etc. in it, add some chopped fresh ginger to that, as well.  The flavor it adds is amazing!

Astragalus Root:  I stumbled upon this when I was looking for something to help rebuild Brittany's immune system in general.  I get email updates from Mountain Rose Herbs and got a notification when they started carrying astragalus root.  When I looked it up and saw the benefits I had a really strong feeling that this would be beneficial for her to have each day.  I ordered some dried root, which we used for making tea, and she loved the flavor.  I noticed an increase in her feeling better in general when she was drinking about 3 cups per day.  I also ordered it in powdered form and later filled gelatin capsules with it for her to take in place of the tea.  When she took this, she took two capsules in the morning.  Astragalus would be another good one to take when sick to boost immunity.

Again, this is all just scratching the surface compared to all that is out there, but if you are new to these kinds of remedies it's a great place to start.  I hope you find this helpful!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Combating Cold/Flu Season While Dealing With Corn Allergies: Essential Oils

    I had the thought to post this as I was amping up my essential oils usage today.  I realized that I had a major challenge on my hands in March of 2011 when I made the connection with medications having corn derivatives (as well as wheat, dairy and soy derivatives, all of which my daughter is allergic to) in them.

    At the time, she was on several prescription medications for various things.  After I had the lightbulb moment, I had the strongest feeling that we needed to get her off of them NOW.  All of a sudden it made so much sense as to why nothing had worked for ridding her of pain (for a long time it was migraine-type pain that never went away, no matter what we did.  We bounced around from doctor to doctor, trying medication after medication.  I'm not trash talking modern medicine in stating this; it's just that we were barking up the wrong tree and no one made the possible food allergy connection for several years.)--the very medications that were supposed to help reduce or eliminate pain contained ingredients that due to her allergic reactions, caused her pain.  So we were adding to the problem, not fixing it.  And I found myself backed into a corner where I literally could not give her medication if she got sick. There are some medications that can be compounded, but not all can be. Out of necessity, I HAD to learn other methods of treatment.

    At this point I knew pretty much nothing about natural remedies. One day as I was pondering what to do and felt worried about the direction I felt insurance was going to go in the not-too-distant future, I had some distinct words come to my mind, some of which were, "Learn how to treat illnesses at home."  This doesn't mean that I am anti-doctor; we have a wonderful one who we use now, but I'm so thankful that that's not my first line of defense anymore. I never knew up to that point that there was so much you can do on your own to treat symptoms without over-the-counter medicines and prescriptions, and that is what we do first now.  I feel like I have a really good sense now of when it's truly out of my hands and I need something more.

    Shortly after having those words come to me, I got a nudge to learn about essential oils from a friend who lives near me.  I ended up having the opportunity to attend a 12-hour weekend workshop she taught where I learned so much.  Since starting to use them over two years ago, I have literally not been to a doctor for illness.  The few times I have felt myself starting to get a bug, I have nipped it in the bud and been fine 24 hours later.  It's the coolest thing.  Last year was a particularly nasty year for flu and weird strains of it around where I live and a lot of people were dealing with it for long periods of time.  I realized with a jolt one day that our family hadn't caught the flu at all.  I was thankful for this because we had more than enough going on already, but it was such a testament to me that essential oils really work.

    I've also slowly learned about herbs; this is an area that really appeals to Brittany--she loves learning about them.  It's so cool to learn what they do and how to use them.  I still have TONS to learn, but we have come up with a few staples that we keep on hand.  I also love learning about home remedies.  Below I'm listing a few standby oils that I use the most and what for.  This is really just scratching the surface, so I encourage you to learn as much as you can.  You can really move to a place of feeling empowered, which is an awesome contrast to how overwhelmed and helpless I felt as the "can't use this" pile got bigger and bigger.

ESSENTIAL OILS

*French Intensive Method:  This is the method I use anytime I am initially treating illness, pain or injury symptoms with oils.  For the first hour, you apply the oil to the needed area(s) every 15 minutes.  For the second hour, apply every 30 minutes.  For the remaining four hours, apply once every hour.  After that, apply as needed to relieve symptoms.  It's amazing how quickly and effectively this works.

    If I were going to choose four essential oils to absolutely always have on hand they would be tea tree (sometimes labelled as melaleuca), peppermint, ravensara and lavender.  For the purposes of this post as it relates to treating common illnesses, I'll address the first three and talk about lavender in another post.   You can get a lot of information through google searching on the uses, but here are a few basic things I use them for: (NOTE:  All three of these can be harsh on the skin, so you may want to use a carrier oil with it.  I generally use pure jojoba oil or extra virgin coconut oil (you can also get it as fractionated oil so that it stays in liquid form and has no fragrance) as a carrier, but there are others you can use such as grapeseed and avocado oil.  I personally wouldn't do almond because it has a very distinctive smell and I wouldn't want that to mix with the fragrances of the essential oils. To use a carrier oil, put about a teaspoon in the palm of your cupped hand, then add a couple of drops of essential oil to it.  Rotate your hand gently to mix, then gently rub hands together and apply to needed area. In addition to the skin sensitivity issue, using a carrier oil is a particularly a good idea if you need to spread the oil over a larger area. 

Tea Tree:  Tea tree oil feeds off infection.  It LOVES it.  It also tackles viruses like nobody's business.  As soon as you feel that first tickle in your throat, reach for it.  The brand I use is food grade and 100% pure with a high potency level, so you can actually put a drop on your tongue, swish it around in your saliva and then swallow (I would not recommend ingesting oils that are commonly found in stores and will not do that myself). I've done that "at first tickle," gone to bed and been absolutely symptom free when waking up the next morning.  I also use foot reflexology charts to see where the various areas of the body correspond on the feet, and apply the oil directly to that part of my feet.  It's crazy how quickly that works; you can literally feel it within seconds (the bottoms of the feet are the fastest receptors to the rest of the body). If you feel you are starting to get a sore throat, you can apply a drop or two on the sides of the throat and in front at the base (top of your chest).

    I have also successfully treated ear infections on myself using tea tree oil, colloidal silver, and a heating pad. Put a drop of the oil on your finger and run it around the base of your ear on the outside (never put the oil inside of your ear), tracing it down the eustacian tubes down the side of your throat.  Lie down with affected area on heating pad.  I use colloidal silver in the amount recommended by the company twice per day for 10 days, just as you would for a prescription antibiotic (colloidal silver is a natural antibiotic).


    Another cool thing I did with tea tree oil was to eliminate the need for surgery to have tubes put in my ears to drain them. This is a big deal for me, because from the time I was a small child I have had trouble with having fluid in my ears.  My parents didn't know what was going on until I was in first grade, but by the time I was three or four my father figured out that I was lipreading.  I got tubes put in for the first time in first grade, then had them again the summer after ninth grade.  I needed them again about twelve years after that when my kids were small.  I realized for a couple of years before discovering oils that it was that time again because I was turning volumes up on the television and radio, saying "What?" all the time and actually found myself defaulting to lipreading again.  Isn't it crazy how your system just reverts to something like that?  No conscious decision; just closely watching people's mouths while they talked to get clarity.  I had the thought to try and treat it myself with tea tree oil and did the same thing I did for ear infection, minus the colloidal silver. I also applied the oil to corresponding areas on my feet.   I had cleaned my diet up quite a bit after having testing done and identifying sensitivities, as well. Within less than two weeks of applying the oils regularly and using the heating pad every night when I went to bed (rotating which side I laid on to take care of both ears), my ears were clear.  All of a sudden I was hearing background music at work that I hadn't even known was on and could understand the words.  Totally the coolest thing EVER!

    Tea tree smells and tastes pretty nasty, but it's totally worth it in my book.  One thing that sucked early on, though, was that Brittany's body reacted to it and it was frustrating to know that I couldn't use something for her that has so much possible benefit. Now that her sensitivity levels are lower she uses it topically.

*Peppermint:  This is another oil that is so versatile, and this is the first one that I tried using.  I kept it on hand and used it all the time for about a year before learning more and doing the workshop. Initially my friend had passed me some when she noticed I had stuffy sinuses and it was crazy how fast they cleared up when I put less than a drop at the base of each nostril; I barely touched my skin.  I made the mistake of using my index finger, which she told me NOT to do, and then later rubbed my eyes.  Yeah.  Not a pretty sight. You always want to use your pinky or ring fingers when applying oils, since you are less likely to touch your eyes, etc. with them afterward.

    Peppermint is also so great for easing headache pain, tired legs, etc. It has a relaxing effect.  If I use it on my legs I use a carrier oil with a few drops, rub my hands together and then rub it into my legs.


    I use peppermint oil a LOT on my feet when I'm treating sinuses (something I deal with a lot even if I'm not sick because of allergies).  The pads of all your smaller toes are receptors to the sinuses, so I apply there. You can also apply to your chest for congestion, as well as to the bottoms of your big toes since they are the receptors to the chest.


*Peppermint is NOT recommended for young children.  Use spearmint instead, which will have the same benefit but be much safer.

Ravensara:  I was so glad I had this on hand last year when Brittany had some episodes where she had a really hard time breathing.  Whether it's congestion or inability to breathe deeply, this oil is fantastic for opening up those airways.  I used a couple of drops with a carrier oil and applied over her entire chest; also applied to her back.  She felt the benefit very quickly.  This is also safe to use on babies, but rub into the bottoms of their feet.  Since they're so tiny you really just need a drop rubbed between your hands and then rub their feet.

    I'll address the herbal/home remedies in a post tomorrow.  I hope you find the information I've shared here helpful (and coherent; I know I shared a lot and I typed this up pretty late at night)!


Saturday, November 2, 2013

WOW--The Numbers are Swelling! Corn Allergies "Rare," Huh???


    Just saw a post on the Facebook Corn Allergy & Intolerance Group from the administrator saying that we are now over 1,400 in numbers in the group.  This kind of blows my mind because when I joined about a year and a half ago, we were at 300.


    I remember the post just a few months ago when we hit just over 1,000.  This just confirms what many of us have felt would happen--more and more people are either developing the allergy or figuring out that it's at the root cause of symptoms they haven't been able to figure out.  While it makes me sad that people need to be there, it is also validating.  It's not fun having people disbelieve or minimize what you are trying to tell them is wrong.


    Anyway. Just thought I'd share.  If you are dealing with this allergy, you really need to join the group.  There is strength in numbers, and besides emotional support, this is a very solutions-oriented group.  I'm including the link, even though there is one on my sidebar.  Cheers!



Friday, November 1, 2013

Homemade Deodorant Recipe--Corn Free, Gluten Free, Soy Free, etc.

    I don't know why I haven't posted this sooner.  Brittany made a new batch of deodorant about a month ago and I had the thought, "Huh!  I haven't put this on the blog!"

    If you've looked on the Disclaimer tab on the blog, you will have noticed that I mention how besides food, you need to look at other things, including hygiene and grooming items, if you are dealing with this allergy.  In trying to rid the system of traces of corn, things like shampoo, toothpaste, soap, deodorants, etc. need to be considered as well since the body absorbs the elements used in making these items.

    I felt like I was permanently cross-eyed for at least 9 months after realizing there were many more hidden sources of corn than I had realized.  Added to the "Lost in Wonderland" feeling was a lot of alarm because as we got more out of her system, her sensitivities shot sky high as a defense mechanism.  We had a few "honeymoon" periods of time where she did noticeably better and then all of a sudden she would get sick again and we would trace it tosomething like a derivative that we didn't know was from corn that was in such a miniscule amount that you wouldn't think it would be a cause for concern, but it turned out to be her body going after every tiny little trace once it got that signal of feeling better when the more obvious sources were gone and worked out.  (And yes, I realize that was a horrible run-on sentence and today I do not care.)


    The question of whether or not to change deodorants came when at one point the skin under her arms had a green tinge to it.  She noticed at one point earlier in time that she had to switch deodorants up or they stopped working.  When we realized that fragrances were corny I got some unscented and it didn't work. We tried crystal stick deodorant and that burned and also didn't work for eliminating odor.  Also, if I remember correctly, it was after using the crystal stick that her underarms looked sunburned.  It was awful. I knew coconut oil was healing so got some for her to use, if for nothing else than to heal the skin.  I had also seen on the forums that some people just use coconut oil for deodorant and it works fine.  For her, she had to apply many times during the day for odor but it did help heal her skin.

    I then tried a combination that I found somewhere that just involved shea and cocoa butter, I think it was. This worked better than coconut oil, but she still had to apply it several time per day.  It did soothe her skin, though, and it wasn't long before the skin looked normal again.  It had kind of greasy feel to it, though.  It didn't prevent perspiration and didn't last as long as I thought it would when I made it up.  She also started reacting to the cocoa butter after awhile (something I hadn't considered even though chocolate showed up on her list of sensitivities).  One thing I really like about using mango butter is that it doesn't add any fragrance--with the cocoa butter she said she felt like she smelled like a chocolate chip cookie. :) I get both the shea and mango butters at my health food store.


    Through some trial and error and looking at tips from other people I finally happened upon a good combination that works well. Zinc oxide is a key ingredient for helping with perspiration.  The person who clued me in on this had a combination that she felt prevented perspiration TOO much, so I adjusted the amount down according to her recommendations.  Adding baking soda to it occurred to me while I was making it and I'm pretty happy with the results!  When this cools it is really thick and solid.  You could probably pour this mixture into deodorant stick containers, but I haven't found a store locally that stocks them and I don't feel like ordering them, so we just use a jar.

    Ready for the recipe?  Here you go!


Homemade Deodorant

4 oz. pure shea butter
4 oz. pure mango butter
4 oz. zinc oxide (pure without fragrance; Walgreen's brand is really good.  Just be careful not to get the kind labeled for "baby care" since they tend to put a baby powder fragrance in it)
1/8-1/4 c. baking soda
20-40 drops essential oil of choice if desired (we use bergamot)

    Fill a medium pot about halfway with water and place jar in water.  Put shea butter, mango butter and zinc oxide in pint-sized jar (a mason jar is fine) as you bring the water to boil.  When the water starts boiling, reduce to simmer and continue to simmer until ingredients are melted.  Stir frequently during the process to combine ingredients well. When completely melted (no lumps), remove jar from water to cooling rack to let cool. This will take quite a long time and it's best if you can go in and stir every 20-30 minutes to keep ingredients from separating. About 3 hours into cooling process, stir in baking soda and essential oil.  After about six hours you can leave it alone since it will be a lot more solid, but it will still be creamy.  If you are doing this in the evening, it will take until the next day for it to be completely solid.  Apply with your fingers as you would for a cream or lotion (pretty sure this is how it was done before deodorant sticks, sprays, etc. were invented).

    
    That's it!  I think Britt only applies this morning and night, but this will vary according to the person's body chemistry.  I am one who does great with just coconut oil (and a dusting of talc in the summer) a few times per day.  I used to use crystal stick and it worked great for quite a while, but then I made the mistake of missing my Secret brand pear scented deodorant.  Used it a couple of days and it made me itch like crazy, so I went back to the crystal stick and I think there was a chemical reaction because boy howdy, OUCH!!! It was then that I had deeper empathy for the burning rash she had had before.  Coconut oil was the only thing that soothed it.  I've snuck her deodorant a few times and it works really well, so I think I'm going to make me some, as well.

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Happy Halloween! Arrrggh!!!

I hope you have had a Happy Halloween.  This holiday is a minefield for people with corn allergic kids, because of all the candy and trick or treating.  Since Brittany is now a young adult, that isn't such an issue for us.  It is her favorite holiday, though, and so usually she has a party with friends.  I have been so impressed with the things I see young moms on the corn allergy forums doing to make it a fun holiday for their allergic kids.  One mom posted and said that she had made homemade corn-free gummies for her child to trade his trick-or-treating candy in for.  I thought that was a great idea!

    One thing this allergy makes you do is think outside the box when it comes to holidays, birthdays and other occasions.  Before figuring out what we we were dealing with, our family was one of those that relied on eating out and going to movies for fun family time. Typically parties with our kids' friends happened at our house when they were teenagers, and let's face it, the default food for teens is usually pizza.  Sooooo easy to pull off when you can grab Little Caesar's for $5.00 a pizza.

    When we got wise to the allergies and realizing just how bad they were, I was quite proud of myself for pulling off some decent food for Brittany's Halloween party.  I can't remember everything we had, but I made sure that the food was either stuff that everyone could eat, or if there was something Brittany couldn't have, I provided a comparable alternative for her.  One of my favorite websites for recipes is The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen--these people are brilliant and the recipes she comes up with are pure genius.  I made these pumpkin cupcakes, along with the "frosting": 


    I didn't say anything to anyone about them being healthy (Brittany knew but didn't know the ingredients) and I was really gratified to see people going back for seconds and thirds.  I just chuckled to myself.  LOL  Not sure they would have been as excited if they knew the body of the frosting was mashed potatoes!

    This year Brittany came up with ideas for a pirate-themed party, including ideas for a feast.  She researched food found on pirate ships, including the fact that when stocking the ship before sailing it included livestock for eggs and milk and then later for fresh meat. Sleep patterns flipped just before last weekend and in trying to flip them back was running on 4 hours of sleep in the past two days. She started baking last night and realized midday today that she wasn't going to make it.  We have a lot of the food done, so we are being flexible and having our pirate feast tomorrow night instead.

    Flexibility and taking care of yourself.  Those are two of the things you are forced to learn with these kinds of extremities.  So, in what has become a family tradition called Birthday Week, we are having Halloween Week. :)

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Soup Recipe #2: Potato Leek Soup, Allergy Friendly (Corn Free, Dairy and Soy Free)

It's been chilly around here today, so I made potato leek soup and it was divine. :)  I think the first time I made this was last year, and I was so proud of myself for being able to figure out substitutions that worked!

I modified this from a recipe I found on allrecipes.com .  The original recipe is called "Potato Leek Soup III" over there.  I'll list the original recipe first, then relist with the modifications I made (besides corn free, I also have to make sure it's wheat, dairy and soy free).  Even if you don't have allergies, the modifications make it a LOT healthier--coconut oil is good for you, so way less guilt than that large amount of butter; and hooray for replacing the heavy cream!  It turned out really good!  It's very thick, so keep in mind that a little goes a long way once it settles. LOL


Original ingredients list:

1 c. butter (yikes)
2 leeks, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch (that word gives me nightmares)
4 c. potatoes, peeled and diced (Yukon Gold suggested but I just used russet)
2 c. heavy cream (yikes again)


Heidi's modified ingredients list:

3/4 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. ghee
2 leeks, sliced (I slice in half lengthwise first then chop thinly like I do with green onions)
salt and pepper to taste
1 quart chicken broth (I was a little short so combined chicken stock with vegetable stock to make a quart and it tasted great)
2 Tbsp. tapioca starch/flour (with tapioca, whether the box says starch or flour it's the same thing.  I increased to 2 Tbsp. because I didn't use heavy cream and wanted additional thickener to make up for it)
6 c. potatoes, peeled and diced* (I increased from 4 c., again because I didn't use heavy cream and this added to the thickness)
2 c. canned coconut milk (I use milk from young, green coconuts, no guar gum added.  If you use coconut milk that has guar gum added to it, reduce tapioca starch to 1 Tbsp.)



1.  Over large pot over medium heat, melt coconut oil and ghee.  Add thinly sliced leeks and salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes.

2.  Stir tapioca starch/flour into broth, then pour broth into pot.  Add the potatoes and bring to a boil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Pour in the coconut milk, reduce heat and simmer at least 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender.  Adjust salt and pepper if needed to taste.  After removing from heat, use potato masher to lightly mash most of the potatoes (this will also help replace the thickness lost from not using cream).

* This did turn out very thick, so if you don't want it quite as thick or want a better idea of the starting point, reduce to 4 c. potatoes and see how you like the results with that.  Then you can adjust the amount you put in accordingly the next time.  My husband and I ate ours in bread bowls, and honestly one serving of soup (about two ladles full) was plenty.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

I Have a Kitchen Floor!

    Praise the Lord, after a month of even more chaos than usual I now have a kitchen floor again!  Let the Hallelujah Chorus now commence.  It is so pretty--I did a pirouette earlier and am seizing the opportunity to clean the walls since the stove, etc. can't be moved back into the kitchen until tomorrow morning.  I will probably do some more happy dancing before the night is out.  It is absolutely aMAZing being able to walk barefoot without the fear of splinters!  I'm a barefoot girl so I didn't love having to make sure I had something on my feet to go into the kitchen.  What can I say, I guess I'm high-maintenance.

    Lovely, lovely linoleum--I may kiss it before the night is out.  Sorry, hubby. . . ;)

    Tomorrow will be glorious.  I will finish canning tomatoes and will bottle grape juice.  Barefoot.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Soup Recipe #1: Don't Be Scared of the Cabbage!

    My daughter has told me a few times that I need to post my soup recipes, specifically this one.  This recipe is one I came up with a couple of years ago when a neighbor brought us a huge wheel of green cabbage her father had grown and she cut it up to share with people.  The amount she gave us was about 1/3 of the cabbage and it was HUGE!!!  As I was thinking about what to do with it, this just kind of came together.  Besides the cabbage, there is a beautiful variety of root vegetables used and the flavor is just lovely.

    If you're not a cabbage person, try and give this a chance.  It really is wonderful, and I'm not saying that because this is my recipe.  Besides loving the flavor, one reason this has been a hit with my daughter is that no matter what state her health is in and what foods her body is rejecting, or if due to a fuller allergy bucket she just needs to eat really simply, her body responds well to it.  I don't know all the reasons, but I do feel that part of it is that it is so simple and light, easy to digest, etc.  Calorie-wise this is about as guilt-free as you can get; I don't use potatoes in this one so there really isn't anything to watch as far as starches go.  Did you know that you actually burn calories when you chew celery?  True story--it takes more calories to chew it than what is in the celery in the first place.

    A really telling fact that showed us how beneficial it is was that during the demolition that went on after the laundry flood, while she pretty much had to camp outside, she was feeling really crappy because of the initial exposure she got to the chemicals they used. We had a camp stove, etc. set up outside and I pretty much kept this soup going as a staple.  She couldn't get enough of it and it helped her to feel better.

    I also think that a key to the flavor and benefit is the fennel. Fennel is really good for inflammation and pain; I've used fennel essential oil on her when she has had a lot of abdominal and/or ovarian pain, and it has helped a lot.  Fennel compliments the cabbage beautifully; there's something about the combination of the two that is just really lovely.  As I was thinking of what to do with that huge cabbage, I kept remembering a time when I lived in England for a year and a half and boiled cabbage was a mainstay that a lot of people used as a side dish to dinner (excuse me, tea--not dinner! ;) ).  I had many invitations to dine with people and to me the cabbage always tasted really good.  This was pretty amazing because I had never been a cabbage fan--HATED coleslaw, etc.  As I was thinking back to this time I remembered that there were usually little seeds in the cabbage and realized that it was fennel, and THAT was the taste that had been missing whenever I tried doing boiled cabbage myself (usually after it was boiled, it was drained and tossed with butter, salt and pepper)--you boil the fennel WITH the cabbage.  When you make this soup, you can just use fennel seeds or you can also cut up fresh fennel--I use the green tops (including the feathery looking part) and chop them up the same way you would with green onions.  I use the bulb part of the fennel to add to pot roast, putting it in with the carrots, potatoes and onions.

So, with that said, here's the recipe:


Heidi's Feel-Better Soup



32 oz. safe-for-you chicken broth (we use Kitchen Basics)
32 oz. water
medium onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
medium large turnip, peeled and chopped
3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped
(Optional: 2 stalks bok choy, chopped - how much I put in usually depends on how much celery I have. If I don't have enough celery, then I supplement with bok choy.)


1/2 green stalks of fennel, chopped
1/3 of medium green cabbage, cut into 1" pieces


2-3 Tbsp. dried parsley
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2-3 Tbsp. dried fennel seeds (you can add more if you aren't using fresh fennel as well)

Put broth, water and spices into large pot (I use the standard two-handled one that came in my set of pots and pans).  Add vegetables in order listed while bringing to a boil.  Turn down and simmer until all the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes (longer if needed), adjusting spices if necessary to your taste.  Cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.


    For those of you who may not know what fresh fennel or bok choy looks like (I know I didn't when first using them!), here are some pictures. :)

This is fresh, feathery-topped fennel.

This is bok choy. Or, Chinese cabbage.


Friday, October 4, 2013

Recipe! Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms (My Daughter's Creation--Corn, Gluten, Soy and Cow Dairy Free

I thought I had died and gone to heaven several days ago when Britt made this for dinner.  She made up the recipe herself, and it is fantastic.  It was a happy, happy day when she was able to have goat cheese (for quite awhile she reacted to the enzyme that makes cheese so it didn't matter what source it was from), and she has loved figuring out ways to use it in cooking.  You should try this!

http://ramblingsoftheblissfullyblonde.blogspot.com/2013/09/recipe-time-corn-free-sugar-free-cow.html

And the Laundry Saga Continues. . .

    The asbestos got pulled out last week, and the insurance finally got the final estimates, etc. done and we got the call to pick out flooring, which we did yesterday.  No idea how long it will take for the restoration to get going.  I am so ready to put my house back together (not that I am a fantastic housekeeper in the first place but this has produced even more chaos than usual); I am very ready for the refrigerator to not be in the dining room anymore.  It would be really cool to not be walking on sub flooring in the kitchen, too.  I should count my blessings, though, because I had a friend tell me that they had a flood several years ago when their family was on a vacation and her parents' kitchen still looks like ours; I'm guessing they probably didn't have insurance that covered everything.

    I think the big reason this has taken so long is because two days before Sir Maytag gave his attention-grabbing performance, we had a really big storm in the area that caused flooding in a lot of homes. For some reason we didn't get any flooding with the storm, but since our incident happened right in the wake of all of that, we have been one of many claims.  If I remember correctly they have been processing about 120 other claims locally at the same time.

    I will be glad when everything is done, and am a little worried about adhesives and other smells when they put the new flooring in.  If it turns out that we need to reconstruct "Hoboken" outside for a few days, I'm really hoping that the work will coincide with a pocket of warmer weather for several days.  It has been COLD lately and my daughter doesn't need to get sick again.  Her allergy bucket has been filling up a lot more lately than it had in a long time and we've had to keep the compounded Benadryl handy a lot more than we have in awhile.  On the whole things have been a lot more encouraging as far as her getting well, so having these setbacks is frustrating and discouraging.  As much as I hate seeing her sick, I know it's a drop in the bucket compared with how she has to be feeling.

Monday, September 23, 2013

Laundry Woes, Continued

    Good lord, things have been a royal pain in the patootie since I posted last about our lovely flooding.  It took forEVer to get the homeowner's insurance rolling on cleanup and repairs.  I have been using the jimmy-rigged Sir Maytag (remember, I married MacGyver) on the less possessed cycle outside and it's been working okay--the only thing is that the patio always ends up with a lot of water where the hoses join because there is water that squirts out.  The insurance finally did the analysis towards the end of the week last week and then had the restoration company come and do cleanup/demolition in the kitchen on Friday. They literally called on Friday and asked if they could be there in 20 minutes.

    I had to squirrel my daughter away in our bedroom to sleep (she has had flipped sleeping patterns again and had just gone to bed), because our room is the furthest away from the main part of the house.  I was worried about the treatment they were going to use once they got the flooring torn up to eliminate any mold or mildew that may have started, because she is so chemically sensitive.  My husband gave them a heads-up on the fact that she has severe allergies and they assured him that this should be fine.

    Once they started spraying I knew she was NOT going to be fine. She was extremely frustrated when she woke up.  She started off setting up a computer table in our room to camp out there, but after awhile she realized her legs were feeling heavy and she fell back asleep for several hours, then went outside.  We have a patio off to the side of our house, between the house and garage.  My husband set up a camp chair, table and space heater for her and she ate quinoa and vegetable stir-fry I had made (cooking outside on a camp stove) for when she got up.  I was so tired from being up all night that I didn't know about those arrangements--when I went outside and saw her she looked like a homeless person warming her hands over a barrel or something. We kind of joked about it later and she said the same thought crossed her mind, especially when she found herself warming her hands over the food while she was eating.  It was horrible. She pretty much stayed outside just so she could breathe and when she was ready to go back to sleep she laid in our room again.  When they came on Saturday to do readings they asked how we were and I said, "Sick."  He said that was so weird because in five years of doing this they've never had complaints.  Uh-huh, whatever.  I know we're the weird allergy people but seriously???  That first night my eyes were burning and my skin was prickling and the next day I felt mildly sick to my stomach.  When my husband got back from work he opened the garage and made a hangout for her with the space heater, table, chair, an old TV, the Wii system so she could play games or watch Netflix, and a boom box.  That way at least she didn't have to just sit outside and freeze and would have something to do.

    Yesterday when I got up I saw that he had set up our tent just in back of the patio facing in so she could sleep there if she wanted to. It's a two-room tent and he put the air mattress in there with her bedding, etc.  I went out there to check on her and she was in a lot of pain and nauseous.  I have learned how to do some energy work, so I was able to do some and ease her symptoms and she finally slept peacefully.  She wanted me to lay there with her for quite awhile.  At some point the restoration company came to take readings on the drying process, and then I heard my husband moving things around on the patio.  He set up a long table as a cooking station, and an old couch facing opposite to where the tent is, with the TV and game system he had set up in the garage on the end of the table facing the couch.  Then he put a tarp up to where you enter the patio from our side door to block the view from the street, and the wind because it was pretty chilly.  It is such an awesome setup, really.  It looks like a little apartment the way he has it enclosed, but outside.  He even put a welcome mat at the door of the tent. :) When she got up, she was pretty excited.  At one point when she was laying on the couch either doing stuff on the iPad or game system I checked on her and said, "So how does it feel to live like a hobo?" and she laughed and said, "Pretty luxurious hobo, if you ask me!" Hubby and I have been kind of taking turns staying up during the night and keeping watch since our family room window looks out to the patio.  I've been freezing because the weather has been chilly but we've had to keep the windows open to air the fumes out. I still can't believe how ridiculous this whole thing has been, but I feel like we're handling it pretty well under the circumstances.  If you're not gonna laugh what are you gonna do???  My maternal grandmother would be finding the humor all over the place in this if she were still alive, and would be loving how clever my husband has been with setting things up.

    HOW cute is my husband???  He is so sweet and is seriously the cutest dad ever. Who else has a guy so sweet that he would even put a welcome mat in front of the door of the tent?  He is adorable. He sure loves his "little girl."

    I have to say that I am glad to have all the equipment off finally--they came and turned it all off and took it away today.  The sounds from the machine and fans were driving me mad.  Now I get to wait for whenever they decide to replace the floorboards and linoleum. Oh, and after us telling them that the spray made her sick they said, "Maybe we should use this less allergenic one when we do the downstairs."  I wanted to kick someone, especially because WE TOLD THEM we deal with allergies!!!  They should do tile instead of linoleum or something, and eat the difference in cost for all the crap this has put us through.

    And in even more exciting news, they discovered asbestos in the ceiling downstairs and had to have a separate company come out and take a look at that.  When they start work downstairs, it will look like a scene from E.T. with the plastic tubing coming out of the house and everything.  Who knows how long it will take to get everything fixed once they tear everything out down there.  Maybe at the end of all this my defunct washing machine will prove to be a blessing, because everything that is being done is thousands of dollars in work that we can't afford, and we are planning on trying to move next year. The flooring in the kitchen needed to be replaced anyway but we don't have the funds right now, and we didn't know about the asbestos.

    We are definitely looking like the classy people on the block.  I need to do laundry again and need to figure out how to do that without flooding out the cool new outdoor apartment. LOL

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Laundry Woes

Gaaah!!!  I am so frustrated!!!  The End.

Just kidding. :)  And, I promise there is an allergy-related nugget in the following rant.  I just need to be a drama queen for a few minutes, if you don't mind.

Our ancient Maytag washer decided to demand retirement in a very dramatic "Look at me and thank me for my zillion years of service" kind of way several days ago.  It started when I had been running both Sir Maytag and the dishwasher at the same time and wasn't sure which one caused the lovely flood in my kitchen.  It was evident that it was the washing machine when we realized it wasn't draining before spinning and throwing water everywhere.  My husband figured out that if we used the cycle on the opposite side of the dial it wouldn't do that, so we thought we'd be fine with that solution.  Well, the problem with that turned out to be that when it hit the "off" spot it started filling up again, which we didn't realize until it continued on to the aforementioned possessed cycle.  Of course more flooding came along with those discoveries.  Sooo much fun.  It seeped under the floorboards and we haven't been able to get it all up yet, the linoleum is bowing up, etc.

Day before yesterday my husband figured out that if we only ran medium loads and used the cycle that doesn't flood along with setting a timer for 30 minutes we could then run into the kitchen and turn the dial to the possessed cycle's "off" button.  We had been able to clean the other messes up mostly with towels, although it was obvious we were going to need to replace flooring.  Yesterday we ended up with the biggest mess yet that extended to the downstairs carpet and bubbling in the ceiling, requiring a wet vac.

So we decided to head to the laundromat to do our mountains of laundry, safe and unscented detergent in hand, only to realize when we got there that not only was the perfume in the air worse than the laundry aisles at the store, but even with our safe detergent we couldn't use the machines because of how much residue from perfumed detergents and fabric softeners was caked in the dispensers.  So much for that effort.  I was so frustrated!!!!  BUT, I'm glad that 1) my daughter was still asleep so wasn't with us to get bombed with the airborne allergens, 2) I made the realization that using the machines was a bad idea for even the piles that weren't her laundry, because the towels are in the other loads and she would have gotten chemical exposure that way, and 3) I am married to MacGyver.  My husband is now in the process of moving Sir Maytag outside and hooking him up to the hose, with the idea of channeling whatever spillover happens into the grass until we can find a royal replacement.

Sooo. . .if you are corn allergic, don't go to the laundromat.  For oh-so-many reasons.  It probably won't end well.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Invisible Dragons


    A friend of mine shared a post she did on her blog called Invisible Dragons, addressing some challenges they deal with in their family.  She does a beautiful job of describing how we all fight battles but it is particularly challenging for those whose dragons are invisible.

    As I've interacted with others on the allergy forums, the subject of being poorly treated by others who don't understand the range and severity of their symptoms often comes up.  It's often a very isolating experience. Brittany has had people tell her to her face that she is just making excuses to not get out and do things, to stay home, etc. and it has been very hurtful.  There are people in our lives whom I would have expected to have been a source of loving support and have been extremely cold and silent instead, and it has been very evident that there are people who think we either lie about this or exaggerate how bad it has been.  You know, because we love not being able to attend functions due to environmental factors. Anyone who has known us over the years knows that we love socializing, and Brittany has always, prior to this experience, been the person cycling, rock climbing, hiking, etc.  Spending the majority of time inside is NOT her idea of a good time, but she has made the most of the circumstances.  It has been really hurtful and one of the strangest experiences I have ever had.

 Anyway, as I read her post I felt that a lot of people can relate to her words, although our individual circumstances vary.  And it is a beautiful, gracious reminder to try and not judge people for what we see on the outside.  You just never know what people are dealing with.  First I am providing the link to her blog and then copying her post here.


http://invisibledragons.wordpress.com/

What are your Dragons?

 
Everyone has them. Not all are seen. Not all are heard. They are there. They are standing guard protecting man’s greatest treasure. Happiness. Some days our Dragons are more visible, other days they are invisible to all but the brave soul waging war to seek out the treasure of happiness. While I struggle with my own Dragons, the ones that seem to win more often than not are the ones I have to watch my sweet son battle. As a mother, nothing is more heart-wrenching than sending him in to battle against his Invisible Dragons. I give him the weapons, support, encouragement and help that I can along the way but in the end it is a battle he must wage on his own; at 5. It is a battle most will never understand and one that he is constantly judged for. When the adversary is invisible, the judgements are harsher. None of us see the size, strength or determination of the foe. All we see are the times the knight falls down, drops his sword, loses his resolve. We don’t understand the quest he is on nor how vigilant he must be to protect himself from the Dragon while on his quest to find the treasure. Let us all be a little more understanding, patient, kind and loving as we see others struggling against their invisible Dragons.
May we all take a moment to ask ourselves, “What are my Dragons and how can I make progress in my quest to secure that treasure they are so skillfully guarding?”
If we are truly honest with ourselves, I’m sure the answers will surprise. My hope is that as I share some of our experiences, positive and negative, with my son’s Dragons that others will find support, strength and encouragement to wage battle.