Typical Tuesday...Far from Perfect

It's a typical Tuesday at our house. Our counter usually looks like this with infusion supplies and a sharps container strewn about. Sometimes, it is worse!  It's the story of our life.

My middle son and I watched a homeschooling video this morning and I laughed and cried. It portrays the perfect homeschooling adventure. Our family's homeschooling video would be completely different. We are somewhere in the middle. Maybe. Just a little.

It is a struggle, trying to accept God's will for your life when you compare yourself to others. When our children were born, we had hopes and dreams..... we saw the homeschooling adventure in the video before us. It's wonderful for those families who live that dream. Sometimes, God has other plans. Yet, His will is perfect and while the adventure we've had isn't exactly what we dreamt it would be, I wouldn't change it for the world. God's version IS perfect. We've learned how to truly offer up our joys, works and sufferings to him. Most days, anyway.

Somewhere between the medications, infusions and hospital visits, we manage to homeschool. Our oldest graduated from Seton last year, never having been to regular school, and did well his first year at Belmont Abbey. Two more to go. God willing S will graduate next year and J the following year. Part of our homeschooling is transitioning them to adulthood with the ability to take care of all their own medical needs. This is proving to be the hardest part of our journey so far.

While our homeschool adventure is only a tad bit like the video below, this is an awesome video. Something I truly always dreamt ours would be. I am ever thankful that God makes up for where we are lacking..... and feel blessed that while not the best example of homeschooling, God called us to this way of life. He knew what He was doing when He put it on our hearts to homeschool our kids.



Seton Home Study School - Catholic Homeschooling from Two Sense Films on Vimeo.

How You Can Help Hobby Lobby at the Supreme Court on March 25

Dear friends, 

In 2012, it was my special honor serve as "Rally Captain" in Winston-Salem for the "Stand Up for Religious Freedom" campaign that hosted hundreds of rallies all over the country in opposition to President Obama's HHS Mandate. I'm writing today to ask for your special help supporting the cause of religious freedom when the U.S. Supreme Court hears oral arguments in two critical cases next week. 

On March 25, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius -- the first two cases on the HHS Mandate to reach the high court. The HHS Mandate is one of the most controversial parts of Obamacare. It forces employers to provide FREE abortion inducing drugs in their health plans -- without any regard to religious or moral objections. 

The Green family, owners of Hobby Lobby, and the Hahn family, owners of Conestoga, are standing for ALL of us who cherish religious freedom by challenging the HHS Mandate in court. So where do you come in? There are THREE ways you can support the Green and Hahn families when their cases go before the court: 

1. Attend a prayer vigil and rally at the Supreme Court on March 25. If you can't be there yourself, let all your friends and family in the area know about it. Here are the details:

 EVENT: Vigil and Rally at the Supreme Court WHEN: Tuesday, March 25, 9:30-11:30 a.m. WHERE: U.S. Supreme Court, 1 First St NE, Washington D.C. 

The Rally will take place on First Street, right in front of the court steps. You can get a map and more details here: http://standuprally.com/2014/march25

2. Spread the word about these important cases and the religious freedom issues involved through every channel: email, Facebook, Twitter and your personal blog or other website. Forward this email to all your contacts, and find Facebook graphics to share, a link to the Facebook event for the rally, hashtags, sample tweets right here:

 http://standuprally.com/2014/march25 

 3. Keep the Green and Hahn families, all their attorneys and the Supreme Court justices hearing their cases in your prayers over the coming days before the oral arguments. Thank you for doing your part to support the cause of religious freedom as these two critical cases go before the Supreme Court on March 25. 

Sincerely, 

Pattie Curran 

3 Antibiotics at a Time

Having immune compromised kids means we battle infections. All the time. 

J started antibiotics 10 days ago for a sinus infection. 4 days in, he developed a skin infection in spite of the fact the antibiotic he was on covered most skin infections. We added a second antibiotic last week. 

His neutropenia and neutrophil chemotaxis issues cause dental problems. Because a medication he takes for his neurogenic bladder adds to the dental problems, we have to bring him every three months. Because he is immune compromised, he has to take antibiotics before dental cleanings or procedures. Because the two he was already on don't cover dental work, he took a third one this morning. 

Here's what his toe looked like while already on an antibiotic. No entry wound found and keep in mind he's had four surgical procedures on his great toes so there's no ingrown toenail. 

Butterbur for Migraines

This was something else that was too interesting not to share. The neurologist also started my son on 75-100mg of Butterbur BID. We found 75mg capsules at Whole Foods.

Who knew!?

I found this info at Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/028866_butterbur_migraines.html#

(NaturalNews) New research into the causes of migraine headaches reveals that a little-known herb called butterbur offers tremendous promise for migraine headache relief. Clinical trials also indicate that butterbur, discovered originally in Germany, can prevent the recurrence of devastating migraine headache pain.

Butterbur's Two-pronged Action for Migraine Headache Relief

Butterbur acts on migraine headaches in two ways. It removes painful migraine headache symptoms by lowering the inflammatory effect of chemicals like leukotrienes and prostaglandin E2. The second active benefit found in butterbur is its ability to function as a natural beta blocker whose action results in the normal flow of blood to the brain. This helps control blood pressure and spasmodic capillary action, which can also contribute to the onset of migraine headaches.

Wondering how well butterbur works? In a study of 245 people conducted by the Department of Neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 68% of participants saw the incidence of migraine headache symptoms reduced by at least 50%. This is a huge breakthrough for people suffering from migraine headaches and the results are better than those of many dangerous over-the-counter and prescription medicines.

The May 2000 issue of the journal, "Headache", states that butterbur is gaining recognition in the US as an effective alternative migraine headache treatment. Additionally, the report confirms its ability to reduce active migraine headache symptoms and prevent future migraine headache attacks. The best part is people taking butterbur reported no significant side effects and only infrequent, mild stomach upset.

Buy Specially Processed Butterbur at Health Food Stores and Online Herbal Pharmacies

When buying butterbur as a migraine cure, be sure to choose a brand labeled PA-Free. This means the product was processed to remove potentially harmful, toxic chemicals found in the butterbur plant. The special butterbur extract is prepared by having all liver-toxic alkaloids removed. Purchase butterbur at most health food stores and online herbal pharmacies.

Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Butterbur for Migraine Headache Relief

Double-check with a healthcare practitioner before using butterbur as a migraine cure. Clinical guidelines for using butterbur for migraine prevention include documenting the frequency of migraine attacks, determining the recurrence of migraine headache symptoms and whether they interfere substantially with daily routines, and charting the patient's use of conventional medications and how well they are tolerated.

The recommended adult dosage is 50-100 mg twice daily to reduce migraine headache symptoms and to prevent future migraine headaches. Take butterbur for an adequate amount of time to observe its efficacy. A three month trial is suggested for this assessment.

If conventional medicines or other herbs are taken for migraine headache treatment, consult a doctor for a timetable to wean the individual off those other preparations to avoid interactions between medicines. Avoid using butterbur if the person is allergic to ragweed, daisies, chrysanthemums or marigolds.

The use of butterbur as a migraine cure and to prevent future attacks of migraine headaches is on the cutting edge of alternative treatment for this debilitating condition. Speak to a holistic doctor to find out how butterbur may be integrated into an individualized treatment plan for migraine headache relief.

Sources:

http://www.petadolex.com/
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA281222
http://science.naturalnews.com/pubmed/156236...

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028866_butterbur_migraines.html##ixzz2q320i400