Check out the Everyday Paleo blog for great recipes! She has good cookbooks, too.

From one special needs momma to another...hugs! It ain't easy. The first thing that struck me after reading your post was the fear in your voice. Fear for your child's future, fear for your own future, fear of failing your child... Forgive me if I'm wrong, but that's how it strikes me. You are frustrated in the day to day drudgery of teaching a hard to teach child (me, too!), but mainly you seem frightened for a child whom you love very much. I have certainly been there, and I don't have any easy answers. For me, I have had to grieve what will likely never be and give up the ideal future I had planned for my child. I have to learn to work with the raw material that I have been given, even if that "material" doesn't soak up things as fast as I think he or she should. I have to be willing to give up on the "perfect" little homeschool and outsource things I simply cannot.teach.that.child. Yes, it happens, and there is no shame in bringing in outside help. I have had to learn to recognize when it is time to step away from the books and just let them go set fire to stuff in the driveway with a magnifying glass (the current obsession around here!) or just chase them around the yard. I have had to learn how to recognize the beauty in their differences...they may never go to Harvard, but one of them loves God with an abandon that shocks me every day. Another can barely function in public and runs in terror from crowds, but put her in a paddock with a frightened horse and watch the magic happen. A third has a passion for adventure combined with a skill for building that has me dreaming of the structures he will build and the mountains he will scale. I have one gifted child who stands out in our family for his academic prowess and there are days I grieve what "might have been" for the others, for sure. But if I can look carefully, I can still see the future that God has for each and every one, even if it isn't what the rest of the world thinks it should be. That, and a good dose of prayer, is how I don't throttle them all when we are going over the same thing for the 15th time, even when I feel like it. And when I can't manage to hold my tongue...we get out the magnifying glass and head outside to scare and amaze the neighbors once again. It works for us. A nice cup of coffee helps, too! ;)

No, but that's a good idea! He could barely walk yesterday, so I took him in again. They x-rayed his leg and there was nothing visibly wrong, so they are convinced now it is a tick disease. He is perking up on the antibiotics, so that's good. Doc says we caught it early and he should be okay. I certainly hope so!

He has had some bloodwork that did not indicate a rise in white blood cell count but did indicate some other things (I'm confused...) that would lead the doctor to suspect a tick borne illness but good overall health. I think he may be looking at other bone related issues as well, but suspecting tick. My guess is that he is not 100% sure at this point because I do remember him saying something to the effect of "we are treating both..." His lameness is significantly worse this morning. :(

My precious 6 month old golden retriever has a tick borne disease...don't know which one yet. He is running a low grade fever, is lethargic, had yeasty ears (got cleaning meds) and is limping pretty badly in his right front leg. The doctor started him on doxycycline and an anti-inflammatory. Poor little guy...well, big guy at 60 lbs, but so sad! A friend in my neighborhood had to put down her elderly dog after he contracted something similar...I am so scared for my little sweetie! Does anyone have experience with this? Any advice or ideas on what will turn this around for him? Is our treatment protocol enough? Such scary stuff online! TIA!

Ignore the daughter and ask the questions. I'm POA for a mentally ill BIL in a nursing home and the daughter is simply on a power trip. Sounds like she needs medication to me....request a psych eval. She doesn't need to feel miserable and isolated (and push everyone away in the process!) in her final years when it is possible that there is help available. So sorry!

So sorry. I don't have much advice but do want to offer you an understanding hug! My BIL is seriously mentally ill and addicted (some may remember the long story about getting a mental health warrant and chasing him around town with it!) and until he recently became physically disabled, he was in and out of jail on a variety of charges. It is very painful and feels very out of control...I well remember! To make matters more difficult in my case, I am a mental health professional and many people expected that I could manage to get him the treatment he needed. Nope, not while in jail and barely while he was out of it. Those who do not want help very often can manage to avoid it altogether, then innocent people get hurt. :( His psychiatric treatment while incarcerated was always sketchy at best, harmful at worst. He was kept on meds after a psych eval and placed on a psychiatric unit...has this been mentioned for your BIL? The best I can suggest for you is that you pressure whomever ends up as his lawyer to have him placed on a psych floor and evaluated. Their focus will not be on treatment for your BIL but rather on safety for all while he is in jail...you may have to appeal on that point in order to get him meds. If you anticipate he will be in jail until trial, you might need to google local mental health advocates and see if you can get someone to help you appeal for at least adequate medication while behind bars. This may, unfortunately, require you to hire a private attorney. If you can do none of that, keep on calling the jail and asking to speak to "someone in charge" (daily if necessary) and claiming your BIL is a danger to self and others if not medicated. Squeaky wheels eventually get passed on to higher authorities when safety is involved. This certainly has potential to work against your BIL legally, though...in my case, I just didn't care so long as he got the meds he needed to be safe. It worked in our case...perhaps it will work in yours. Ask the former psychiatrist to call as well. We didn't get the ideal meds...in fact, he ended up with a nasty case of tardive dyskinesia from their choices...but he was at least psychiatrically stabilized. Safety is the main thing here. If they have reason to believe that his condition will be a risk, they will medicate. Many hugs and prayers.

I've had it come out badly, too. I think the secret is to use some coconut milk with the pan drippings first, add sifted coconut flour slowly and give it enough time to really cook. Almond flour or arrowroot flour may be easier for you, if coconut flour is giving you trouble. My DH actually prefers almond flour, as he's not a big fan of coconut "where coconut doesn't belong," ie. in anything other than a dessert! ;)

Any root veggie is good with a roast! Turnips, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, whatever you like. You can always go with sweet potatoes if root veggies are not your style. Gravy can be made with coconut or almond flour, too. Google Paleo gravy recipes for ideas! You can still have your recipe...just alter it a bit to fit.

I'd make a crust less quiche! Dice or slice the sausage, add veggies and spices as you like!

My mom used to take grape seed extract when she was younger and said it was fantastic! Too expensive for her now, though. :( I wonder if she could do the gin soaked raisins instead!!

I certainly need to look into sero-negative RA...I'd not known about that, and I'd hate to be doing the opposite of what I need to be doing!! IMAK gloves sound very interesting, too...gonna try those!! I'm already doing a strict Paleo diet, so no sugar (even fruit at the moment) and no processed foods. I've been doing it for almost two years and it definitely does help! I've not gone the whole anti-inflammatory route, though, so perhaps I need to try that. I could definitely eliminate nightshades (boo hoo) and eliminate the cheese I sneak in every so often!

Ouch! Can't even imagine that right now, but I can see how it would work! I'll give it a try!

I've heard that fine motor exercises make a difference, so that makes sense!

My nodules reside only on the knuckles closest to my fingertips. I've been told they are "impressive" for my age! ;)

According to some of the websites I've looked at, the only real options left for me seem to be surgical. Hmphh. In that case, I'm best off going to my orthopedist, who has already done surgery on one finger. Seems I've done about all there is to do. Suck it up or cut it up may be the only options now.

Thanks, I didn't know that...

I haven't seen a rheumatologist, but I have been tested for rheumatoid arthritis by two docs and it has shown up as negative. My orthopedist has also done multiple X-rays, an MRI and one surgery...never changing the diagnosis. It does worry me, but no one in my family history has ever had rheumatoid, so I hope I am okay. Would you still recommend seeing a rheumatologist?

I have pretty severe osteoarthritis in my hands, knees and shoulders. I'm fairly young considering how bad it is (I'm 45 with a long family history of this problem) and it is making daily life fairly difficult. My joints are popping in my fingers just typing this post! I have large nodules on my fingers already, one of which is seeping fluid and hurts like the dickens. I have arthritis in a shoulder joint that has abraded my rotator cuff and gives me trouble anytime I raise my arm in a certain way. It can take me out for a week or two. Okay, whine over...now, I need to know what is working for pain relief in others! I have some surgical options I may need to pursue, but it is too costly for the moment. I already take large doses of pretty pure glucosamine, chondrotin, MSM and curcumin daily. I try to avoid NSAIDs, but am needing them more often than I'd like. I try to keep moving. I eat a Paleo diet. Supposedly, I'm doing just about everything right, but there has to be something else. At this rate, I'm going to be crippled by the time I'm 50! Uggh. Thoughts?

Very strange.

Oh, cool! I didn't know about this! Request to join sent!! :)

Thank you for filling out this questionnaire. Your Aspie score: 29 of 200 Your neurotypical (non-autistic) score: 177 of 200 You are very likely neurotypical

If anyone is interested, this personal friend of Rick Warren explained the "why" of it pretty well as he sees it. Well said, IMHO. http://pastormark.tv/2013/04/10/rick-warren-critics-and-the-hope-of-god-s-son

We have one. We really like it, but in our small town, no one knows how to repair/install it! They've had to learn on the job...not always helpful! If you do get one, be sure to buy a well known brand. We did not and that was part of the problem. Otherwise, it works well and we are happy with it. Not sure I'd want to do my whole house that way, though.

If it makes you feel any better, my DS once completely severed (not to mention crushed into about ten pieces!) the growth plate in his ring finger when he cut his finger off at the first knuckle in a door. It was sewn back into place and the growth plate repaired itself with no damage. His finger is growing normally now, eight years later, and the only issue is a little bit of difference in his nail bed. It will be okay!