Not a success story yet, but if you want a buddy... I just started per my doc's recommendation. :)

Is she seeing a Lyme Literate doctor? An ILADS (not IDSA) affiliated doctor? I did not read the entire thread, I'm sorry, as I have limited time right now, so I don't know if you've addressed this. I don't think an ILADS doc would suggest post-Lyme syndrome. C Diff is not easy to diagnose sometimes, and there can be false negatives. (I've survived recurring bouts of C Diff, and it's horrible!) ...You might consider checking out the C Diff support board - google it. Or if you want to go straight to supplements, I have sometimes headed off a bout with Oil of Oregano, and hefty doses of Florastor (which contains S. Boulardii, a beneficial yeast which basically eats C Diff.) Garlic and turmeric help with the inflammation and pain. And, of course, take the regular probiotics. Have you sent her bloodwork to Fry labs in AZ? I have just begun treatment for the newly discovered protozoa - also tick-borne. It causes GI issues, among other things. I did not have all the symptoms, so that's not necessary, but here's a quick run down about it, so you can review your daughter's symptoms and see if she has any: Protomyxzoa Rheumatica: Is a newly named protozoa that is a prodigious biofilm former that is incredibly difficult to eradicate. It creates a hypercoagulable state and when attacked it creates massive Herxheimer reactions with a tremendous increase in inflammatory cytokines and a worsening of hypercoagulability. Sign and Symptoms: Cold hands and feet, often clammy, Poor capillary refill, skin color changes including pale, dusky, hyperemic (red), purple, mottled, HA, pain behind/in eyes, Scalp sores, Sinus congestion, PND, teeth pain, Palpitations, SOB, air hunger, dry cough, episodic and periodic, Abdominal pain, nausea, IBS, Bladder pain/dysfunction, interstitial cystitis, Joint and muscle pain, weakness, twitches, Profound fatigue, complete loss of aerobic exercise tolerance, Sweats (night/day), chills, flushes, dizziness, Insomnia, profound brain fog, poor balance, Anxiety, panic, OCD, irritability, agitation, impulsivity, ADD, emotionality, Hypercoagulability that has been associated with diseases such as CFS, Fibromyalgia, Scleroderma, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, ALS, Parkinsons, Autism, CIPD, and others ETA: her symptoms really sound like C Diff. :( But another avenue for testing would be a GI panel from Diagnos-Techs. If it's not C Diff, it could be intestinal dysbiosis. A great integrative doc would be helpful on that front. My LLMD referred me to one who often works with her, and it tremendously helped my dysbiosis (that was pre- C Diff)... Denise, are you thinking of Dr J in CT? He is a hero!!!

We once found a camera at the park, and turned it in to the Parks and Rec Dept office. They did have a lost and found. :) No idea if the camera's owner reunited with the camera, but I hope so.

Normal has many faces. I am on a similar schedule, though I do take melatonin to fall asleep - otherwise I'd stay up reading all night. As long as you are healthy, I think it's okay for all of us to be different. One thing I learned is that I have adrenal issues which impact waking up, so where a "normal" person's adrenals might start revving up around 5 or 6 am, mine don't. At all. So I have to take meds upon waking, but it makes mornings difficult until they kick in. I wonder if you might have sluggish adrenals? A lesser version of needing meds, but still enough to impact your mornings? ...Just a thought, if you are inclined to investigate it medically.

That would be annoying. Maybe your realtor can stress this somehow, so that time and effort is not wasted. I'm glad you posted this. DS has severe cat allergies, and cannot visit my mother because she used to have cats. Instant asthma, and so bad it's put him in the hospital. So we stay in a hotel to visit her. But we are getting ready to move now, and I had not considered that we will have to find a new home that has not had cats! That adds another layer of complexity onto our search.

I didn't even click the link, and now I know I will be singing this all night long! :tongue_smilie: If she's doing well with AAS, and enjoying it, have you tried the readers that go along with the levels? Maybe after you take a break, if that's the route you choose, the readers might be a good bet. My 8 yo was similar - and the AAS readers have been a big help. ETA: We also had some Scooby Doo phonics readers which were very motivating - my kiddo is a Scooby boy. For a while, we just backed off of everything, and he read one Scooby Doo reader per day. Short and sweet. It wasn't great literature, but I didn't care at that point.

I like Thorne Basic Detox Nutrients. Thorne's products are very well done. I order them from Amazon. The one linked above looks good, too, though!

You have my sympathies! We have a similar situation, although not for weight loss reasons. Kiddos and I both have different food allergies, we are all gluten free, and now I am on a special (life long) diet due to medical issue and can no longer have more than 15 gms of fat per day. I'm also pre-diabetic, so no sugar for me. I am not the chef in our house (that falls to DH) so my cooking is generally very simple, but I will share some random ideas that have worked here. We don't do things like casseroles here, so I'm no help there - sorry. For the most part, we all eat the same things - grilled chicken, steak, etc - along with healthy sides. However, I have adjusted my cooking to accommodate my own needs, and any fats (butter, oil, ets) are added to the sides after serving, or I set aside my portion and dress everyone else's. I don't put big serving bowls on the table, but dish up the plates ahead of time now, so that I'm not tempted to take just a small helping of something I shouldn't have. Salads here are a big thing, and can go a long way toward normalizing my meals - DH makes incredible salads, and I love balsamic vinegar on top, or some yummy fat free dressings we've found. The kiddos don't eat salad, but having that option for me keeps me feeling less deprived. Oh, and I often keep brown rice cooked and ready in the fridge to add to meals. We now keep low/no fat alternatives in the house (prior to this I did not use anything but butter, etc, because I avoided chemicals, but now I'm looking at the trade off, and keeping something like "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" spray in the house for those moments when I must have a slice of whole grain (gluten free) toast doesn't seem too bad! DH makes us a very good pizza, too. :) He uses gluten free crust which is very low fat (I think it's Rudi's brand), makes his own sauce (omitting any oils) and uses fat free mozzarella. I was hesitant, but it was a winner! You could easily make pizzas for the kids with regular cheese, and a fat free version for DH. Hmmm, these aren't really recipes, so maybe not what you're looking for... Just my random thoughts on things that have helped us. Keeping things like fat free, sugar free popsicles in the freezer has helped, too, and other fat free snacks - there are moments when I just feel overwhelmed with the idea that this is a forever diet, and I feel deprived. It helps to have snacks to grab! Popcorn helps, too. FWIW, I've lost 10 lbs in the last 6 weeks or so, just cutting out most fats. :)

We lost our house underneath clutter for a while, too. Life was very hectic and nothing had been sorted or donated for, well, a few years. :tongue_smilie: It's taken a lot of time to dig us out! We couldn't devote a solid week to doing it, so we had to take it in small chunks. I say go for the cleaner. Hire someone weekly, and they will do the kitchen and baths, change the sheets, and whatever they can do (working around your piles)... And that will free up more of your time to deal with the piles and clutter, finding places to put things away, etc. We still have our weekly cleaner, and no plans to part with her any time soon. Another turning point for us was cleaning out the closets and "unseen" spaces that another poster already mentioned. Cleaning those out meant that we freed up space to put away the stuff we do use. Brilliant. It was a tip in a thread here, somewhere. Freecycle is my friend. Really. It is a great tool for slow decluttering (as long as you don't succumb to picking up other peoples' clutter!). Post an item, choose a recipient, put it out on your doorstep and *poof!* ... It's gone. Love it. Oh, and Flylady! I tried for years to get into her system. I loved the concept. But had the same problem you did - I didn't want to read inspirational stories and ads for her dusters and saving dinner and so on, though I know they are how she supports herself. And it was a bit too cheerleaderish for me, too, "C'mon Girls! Throw on those shoes!" ...Just not my style. I like Motivated Moms though. It's an app, and I'm married to my iPhone anyway, so it works. Very straightforward checklists. Another WTM tip. :)

DH switched to a stand up desk about a year ago. He loves standing. :001_huh: I had not considered using one for the kiddo, though - what a good idea for a fidgety boy. No experience on either of those models in particular, just wanted to say that DH's experience with a stand up desk has been very good.

I like Birks. This summer, I switched to this style, and I love them. They don't scream, "Birks!" quite as loudly, but still have all the comfort. I have a few other pairs, and rotate, but those are my current favorite. Oh, and Naots are wonderful, too. :)

What about writing a few articles to post online? There are a few sites that aggregate articles, and you get paid a small amount each time the article is read. I am not sure exactly how it works, but pm me if you want the limited info I have on it. I have heard that some people really crank out articles and supplement their income that way. My MIL works for an organization that helps local people with bills and large expenses. It is connected with their church's food pantry which serves anyone, without checking anything, but this service is more along the lines of helping with occasional large expenses - car repairs, glasses, expensive meds, that sort of thing. Maybe someone in your county has info about a service like that in your area? And, on this note - In several states that would be considered voluntary impoverishment, and CS would be calculated on your ex's income prior to quitting his job. If he did not pay, it would come out of his tax refund, and that check would go to you. If you haven't investigated that, please do. Not sure about your state, but maybe worth checking. :grouphug:

Goodness, those were my thoughts, too. You are so far ahead of me! We also do evening clean up, lay out breakfast dishes and clothes, and generally get ready for the next day at night. But, I'm not a morning person, and we do this by necessity. I also exercise in the evenings, either when DH arrives upstairs from his office, or after evening clean up. By that time of day, I desperately want at least 20 minutes of my own thoughts, and that's how I get it.

How does your morning progress? Do you have a routine? I am not a morning person. This isn't going to change. I have finally realized that it's time to accept that, and figure out a work-around for our family instead of flying by the seat of our pants every day until I'm awake and functioning. FWIW, there are medical reasons for the slow mornings, and until my meds kick in each morning, I physically lack the chemical/hormonal components that most people have to get them moving. I'm not just being lazy. :tongue_smilie: (Am I the only non-morning person here? I can't be, can I?) So... any other non-morning people who want to come out of the closet with me, and strategize how to get the kids moving and learning while we, a-hem, drink gallons of coffee?

I had endo, and found adeno during one of many surgeries. I tried many, many treatments to avoid a hysterectomy, but to no avail. I had my hyst at 28. I can't say I wish I'd done it sooner, because of my age at the time - I needed to know that I had tried everything before giving giving up my fertility. But had children not been an issue... the story there would be different. It is very liberating to live without debilitating pain! I would highly recommend the above mentioned site, HysterSisters, as well.

Another asthma vote here. Sounds like my kiddo's asthma cough, which is exercise induced and exacerbated by chlorine. No wheezing here, and kiddo has very severe asthma, so definitely keep that in mind. (I sort of envy the people with wheezing, as it makes it all so much easier to identify!) The only other idea I have is that the pool is not properly kept up... Could they be neglecting the chemicals?

1. Have you used both mac and pc? I always used PCs until DH converted me about 8 years ago. Wow. My computer experience has completely changed. :) It is so easy. So simple. I have an older MacBook Pro (7 years old, DS uses it, works beautifully), a Macbook that I use now, and DH has a MacBook (6 years old, still going strong). 2. What do you love about your mac? It is open and go. No messing around with it, no configuring, just pull it out of the box and it works. It has never crashed, and I have never had to reinstall everything. I think PCs are great for some people. My brother is one of those people who wants to mess around with every aspect of a computer. He wants to configure and reconfigure, even pull it apart. Not me. I just want it to work. I want to know it will do it's job, and I could care less about messing with it. It's a tool that needs to work, in my book. I love the ease, the simplicity, the dependability. And aesthetically - I love the way it looks and feels. I love the attention to detail that went into the design. 3. What do you dislike about your mac? The price tag. Really, that's all I can come up with. They are expensive. 4. Do you find it easy to use? Yes. See above. There was a small learning curve as I shifted from PC, but it was minimal. 5. Do you have trouble finding compatible software? Never had an issue with that.

:grouphug: You will get through this. It will be a bumpy road, but you can do it. I remember the excitement, the fear, all of it... of being just diagnosed after years of not knowing what was wrong and going to specialist after specialist. In fact, I wonder if the LLMD you saw speak might be the same who left me in tears, with answers, years ago. That was in 2005, and I was diagnosed with MS and DH and I were looking for a one story home as he could not keep carrying me up and down the stairs. Lyme and co-infection treatment gave me a life again! It took 4.5 years of treatment, it was a hard road, but worth it. I think now, with what my LLMD has learned, my treatment would be shorter. (And, by the way, I am now actually in treatment again, for one remaining co-infection.) Had I been diagnosed years earlier, I would not have the lifelong consequences that I do now. But, I do have a life! And your family will, too! Does your daughter have bartonella? (You don't have to answer that here, for privacy, of course.)... If so, I found bartonella treatment harder than some of the other co-infections. Be mentally prepared for that. Bart seems to hit teens hard, too, and a lot of the symptoms seem to mimic mental illness in teens. Our family has some unfortunate experience there. Follow all directions to a T. Don't ever neglect making sure your kiddo (and everyone else on treatment) takes probiotics. And adding in S. Boulardii would be very, very wise. A good S. Boulardii is Florastor, available at CVS. It is a beneficial yeast that will help prevent C Diff. We all stay so focused on avoiding candida, that it's easy to forget to monitor the overgrowth of C Diff, which is scary, painful, and can derail Lyme treatment (yes, I had that experience, too, ouch!). Take all the supplements for reducing inflammation and herxing recommended. They will help. And... Don't overlook the new protozoa recently discovered by Dr. F in AZ. Protomyxozoa Rheumatica. I am treating for it now, and hoping that it will alleviate my remaining symptoms (fatigue and migraines). You are welcome to pm me, if more support would be helpful. I know you have lots already, but it's always good to have another brain in one's corner. :) For ticks on the animals... You have suggestions already, but I don't think I saw anyone mention Damminix Tick Tubes. Dr B (the big LLMD) recommends those, if you have property. They are very helpful in reducing tick populations over time. Oh! One more note - my LLMD also advocates treating tick bites. Waiting till symptoms show can mean that the spirochetes are already wreaking havoc on one's immune system, allowing the other co-infections to take hold. I am so grateful, living in a Lyme endemic area, to have our LLMD on board, and that she treated my son with 30 days of abx, when we needed it. I know there are people who disagree with that approach, but the lifetime of pain that Lyme has given me makes me take it as very serious threat to the well-being of my family. If we were not in an endemic area, I might have a different view on that issue. :grouphug: Hang in there. Knowing is half the battle!

What a coincidence. We are dealing with something similar, and just had the doc look at it yesterday. Not to say it's the same thing - it may not be - but this might alleviate some concern until you get reassurance from your own doc. Our little one had what looked like a small bite on her hand, the next day it was redder with more of a shiny, full look to it, with a small white area in the middle. The next day it was bright red, still with small lighter area in the middle. On that day, we were at the family doc for another appt, and I asked her to look at LO's hand. Our doc's thought is that it was a bite, and this is just LO's body's way of handling it. She said not to worry unless it spreads more, and if more pop up, or petechial spots appear. FWIW, the bite has significantly faded today. :) I hope your kiddo's spot is something similarly insignificant!

This may not be helpful, but we use both TT and Life of Fred. :) I like that TT is more independent, and that it gets done. Life of Fred is fun, and we read it together.

They have a glass chemistry set that we have loved... "Real" test tubes, bunsen burner, etc. Great to use with other kits, or to do experiments from books, etc. And, well, just gobs of their stuff seems to clutter up our house. It's all great. My kiddo saw the catalog right before the holidays and called it his "Wish Book." :lol:

Hi, Spryte here. :) Another military brat who lived all over the place, then finally put down roots in the SW. Only to be uprooted when my one and only love re-appeared out of the blue and swept me back to the east coast. :001_wub: Wouldn't change it for anything, but I do miss the desert. Homeschooling my 8 year old kiddo, and loving it. We arrived at homeschooling due to serious allergies and safety reasons, now we do it for academic reasons. I confess that my kiddo has a skewed view of the experiences of kids in brick and mortar schools, he thinks they have a lot of time in recess and the rest is spent on science and art. Also have a little one wreaking havoc on our school days, and chewing on books. She devours them. :D I love these boards. At first I spent way too much time on the K - 8 board, and finally caught on to the fact that doing so was prompting me to spend way too much time shopping on Amazon. Now I try to stay away from the K - 8 board unless looking for a specific answer. Much better for the budget!

We struggle with the same issue, so this thread has been a great read. Lots of inspiration, though implementing a lot of it is difficult, given our area as well. What about Habitat for Humanity? Boys and Girls Club (do they take volunteers?)? Community Centers? It's definitely going to take some creativity on our end, too. Our community does have a small group who volunteer to help the elderly and anyone who is sick or just needing a hand. It is not affiliated with a church. We have a local yahoo group, and they offer help periodically. I think starting a group like that would be a good idea for the right teen, although it would take some work to get it going.

My name sort of comes from a long bout with Lyme Disease. My doc had me drinking gallons and gallons of lemon water, and DH used to joke about the Lemon Lime drink - Sprite, only the Lime in my drink was Lyme. (Does anyone else remember those old commercials from the 80s, for Sprite?) ...Actually, the whole thing makes no sense, now that I try to type it out. How 'bout we just go with this - I'm a shortie, definitely on the small side, and I do love elves, sprites, and other (pretend) magical creatures? :D

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