Thank you to all... We intent to carryon with the 3R plus Bible instruction. For my daughter we will use more direct instruction materials that will aloow her to keep up with their studies... With my son with Science and History we will focus on child led. There are several autoimune disorders. My son had full signs of Job's during 2012 when he was covered in boils... There can also be a combination of several types... I am no expert by any means. With HIES you can have a nornal life depending on the severity. His progression rate seem to indicate a quite severe case but there is some hope if we can get him the right diagnosis and treatment. I just want them to learn and develop a love for learning and I want to relax regarding academics. We have never had a full holiday since starting homechooling in 2010. And they keep on asking when is school starting again... So we will re-start slowly from Wednesday if all goes well with doctor tomorrow. A lesson of math, some reading, bible maybe start a new read aloud and had new stuff slowly. I am planing the following: DD 13 - Grade 7 Core W over two years starting in June when we get all our materials. She wants me to hand her the core but am unsure how she will do on the LA W. I will probably only select a few portions from there. We will be adding in SOTW with AG, audio books for both kids an I will let them pick which projects they want to make and Kingfisher History Encyclopedia. Carry on Hor 6B and move to MUS Pre-Algebra middle year. I wanted TT but she looked at the samples and did not like it at all. I need something more independant and she seems to like MUS's samples. For science we will finish the J. Tinner books, she is doing History of Medicine, followed by Biology, Physics and lastly Chemistry. She is reaing these and doing the little chapters tests on her own an enjoying it. The re-start Apologia General Science. The problem is that we were gifter the first edition and I am unable to teach her most days and all the classes found on DVD or flash drive is for the second edition. To the General Science I would like to add the Audio Book and might have to spend some time doing some class notes to assist her. She seems to battle doing this on her own. I am not sure how many of the experiments we will be able to do but we have gathered the materials. There are some place on-line where she can watch these so I will give her the links and let her watch and then do the ones we can. The problem we stopped with this is that she does not know how to make a lab report and really battles with this course. Is there any options for the first edition. She is a prolific reader but her spelling is bad, her handwritting rushed and crude and in general she hates to write. I need something that will start in the begining and cover the gaps. She also needs to be able to do it on her own???? I would like to cover Figuratevely Speaking book with her an maybe some other Literary Analisys resource. She reads for fun not with the intent to analyze and hates any book reports or other type of writting. Language and Arts is her weak point. So we need help with writting, spelling and grammar. For grammar I was thinking using Analytical Grammar with the DVD... We have Prima Latina and seeing she wants to be a doctor I want to use it to wet her feet in Latin. Maybe if we can swing it I would had the DVD's. She needs to learn a foreign language and I am leaning towards french. I am fluent and can help her with it. So to strat up French in 10 minutes a day looked fun and easy... For Art and Music I have no idea. She wants to join the HS musical and drama group but it is over an hour away and starts at 11:00 am which would mean losing another week day. Also with my son's illness it is hard to plan outside activities... I am looking for something to help her with outlining, there was some World History stuff recommended by the WTM but I cannot remember. Maybe some EPS or remedia resources. We will probably use this from June 2013 to end of next year 2014. We have part of the resources but not all. We were blessed and gifted with resources by some missionaries leaving South Africa. We have to wait for some funds to become available and I am considering a more portable way of schooling using tablets or notebooks. We were considering Galaxy Note 10.1 N8000 stylus tablets versus notebooks. We are waiting for some funds that should come from my in-laws estate that have to be used for the children's education. What do you think? Thanks for all prayers and advice.

Health care is no fun specially when not funded. We have good private cover here but we pay heavilly for it but at the moment we need to fubd him the right care. There are new drugs and clinical trials that might help. As far as the UK we would be covered because of he has an EU passport from the first original ten countries. I will look into the matter because the octor we want to see might inly be in private practice but also our private insurance is associate with the NHS in the UK. We will investigate further but we will nee to get all the necessary testing done so we will see. Our doctors (3 weeks only) handed us over to a new doctor. I pleaded an cried on the phone an the nurse ot us in om Tuesday so prayers and thoughts would be appreciated...

My daughter also hates writting but I do not thinks I have it on my computer, better check...

You are all wonderful. Pod's momyour story bought tears to my eyes and solace to my heart, Thanks to all for your wonderful advice. We manage to get him in with new doctor on Tuesday so we wait and pray...

Well the new doctor working with us for an entire 2.5 weeks has also quit. The problem is that there is a diagnosis. It all fits in a box even unrelated simptoms. This doctor has refered us to a new doctors and then we start again. In the meantime his condition is excalating at an unprecedented rate. I have spent the past few weeks reading medical journals. I really feel like the parents in Lorenzo's oil. Thanks for all the prayers. The fact that if properly diagnosed he would be the first case in South Africa does not help. I just wish they would stop messing around and proceed with the genetic testing needed to confirm dianosis so we can try and enter him in the trials and then he can have a real fighting chance.

I will be praying for you but please remember in the end you know what is best for your kids. Eleven is a difficult age all of a suden my son has become mouthy and we are struggling with his behaviour. Lots of people around here question my decision to HS all the time but really as your kids mother you know what is best. Keep strong...

ElizabethB, I have looked into your lessons and found them really helpful but had forgoten about it. I will try to use them but our internet is not always the best. I will let know if we are having problems with it. I would like to thank all of you once again for the kind words of advice and encouragement. There is always hope and I know the Lord is in control. My DH is not taking it well and now he keeps on telling me he wants out (ok he was saying it before so I guess this is just the drop). I know it sounds like I do not care but I rather deal with this on my own than to have someone around me that does not want to be here. DH got his own demons to deal with and this preassure is not good for him. The doctors attending to my son are repeating some of the tests for the third time. I know it is a rare condition and I know that he is probably the first one diagnosed in this country and I also know from what I have read that his case seems extreme but it is what it is and I just wish they would move on and started assisting us in getting all the right testing done and would guides us towards genetic testing (the only way to get a definite diagnosis). I am aware that there is only limited help here for him so we will have to consider moving. After getting all the testing done we want the doctors to liase with the doctors in the US where the clinical trials are being held then if he is not accepted then we can decided where to move where doctors can monitor and control it an keep him confortable. Moving is on the cards either to the US or the UK... I guess DH does not want to move but I will do what is needed for the child. DH feels like all his choices have been taken away from him so the stress around here is very high. My DD walked on us and she is know aware that her brother's chances are limited. I find her crying all the time... Please pray and send good thoughts my way so that I may be guided in the way I deal with my family, their schooling, my marriage and the possible move...

I actually find coconut cream and milk quite nice when replacing in recipies...

Thank you all. I am exploring all these suggestions... Praying and hoping for a miracle with a broken heart. This is so hard...

Thank you for the support and well thought solutions. We already own some of these resources and there are quite a few that I have been looking at. Hunter please drown me with information as it keeps me busy otherwise all I want to do is cry and cry some more.

Thanks you all. I am so sorry about yourchild momtoone, I will be pray for your ds Texas Rachel.. This is also a very rare one, less 1000 worldwide since the 60 when it was first identified. We are preparing our selfd for times of remission and times of flare up and will take each day has it comes. We have some of the resources so I will be looking into using them... All suggestions are appreciated...

Thanks ladies... I will keep this post alive and hope more will chime in. I think at one time or another we can have life chalanges that make HS go woobly. I hope these suggestion help someone.

Thanks to all your advice. Your words of wisdom have help validate some of the decisions we were making regarding the kids school. We are in a lot of pain but we are trying to live from minute to minute... My little boy is feeling ok but his recent count is an indication that something is wrong. Either real decline or an oportunistic infection such a pneumonia. Pneumonia is the best case scenario so we are trying to live while waiting for our marching orders to take him into hospital. It is a cruel disease, he feels ok, he is batling to understand why he has to go for all these blood tests... The kids were asking if they could go swim or if they could spray each other with the hoses and I had to explain that he might have a bad flu and we are waiting for the results of yesterday's bloods . He was fighting me says he is ok but I had to explain that he has spy genes and that his sickness act like bad spies, he does not have to feel sick in order to be sick. That is also the reason for all the bloods. They were outside trying to build a tree house and they tied a piece of rope to a pillar an are skipping. They were reading some Sonlight books and wants to build and dressed up as make belief tribe and they are building their own village. They are also collecting clothes to make old fashioned clothes for the missionaries. I have to get my camera. We need to use the camera more. They have not finished the village say they will continue tomorrow and they have collected a bunch of materials and are quietly painting outside. I sit on the front sun room (enclosed porch) and look out whilst trying to fight the tears. There are so many arrangements needed to be done. So many plans but all I want to do is be still and savour this moment. My husband organized a helper and his moving the furniture around. We have donated our spare room furniture to a family in need. These people are strugling financially and the husbands father has terminal cancer. They have to move both his parents in and were stressing and strugling because they did not have a bed or a matress for them. We only heard of it on Sunday after we had gotten our diagnosed but decided that we will live as nornal life as possible and let our children see that even during personal hardship there are always ways we can bless others. Him and his helper have packed boxes. Unpacked the bed and furniture, loaded the van and are on their way to deliver it. I guess that is his way to cope but I am so proud of him to jump to help others, I was also helping bu directing them to do what I wanted done... I have steeped down from the Wednesay night childrens class and it was hard when I walked in to check on the substitute teacher with the kids huging me and asking me when I would come back. In our small Children's ministry I have fought to kept it alive and at one time or another ended up teaching all the ages because other teachers were unavailable. I love those children, most of them whether in my class or and at one stage or another have been my students . Some of them I started with as babies and they are now 3rd Graders and still my students. But it is hard to be around them. I want to cry and scream and hold them tight. I want to do the same to my children. School is off for a while I declared we are on school holidays. We are mourning and in pain but this to shall pass. My son started very young talking about baptism and we need to focus on studying more about what the Bible says. He has neuro problems, he was premature and was in NICU, has SPD that makes him very dislexic. I know his reading is behind but mentally an emotionally is at about 8-9 years. Please can you give me your best suggestions for school on the move as cheaply as possible (lots of expensive medical bills ahead) and using technology like tablets and so forth. Please note that we are in South Africa. By the way my daughter is 13 and my son is 11...

I will share some of the info but not all. As you all know my little boy has been ill for a while. We are finally getting some of the results in. He has one of the Hyper IgE sindromes or even a combo. He is 11 and has only know started to read.He can read readers Level 4 but I have caught him reading his sister Apologia General Science book the parts that interest him. He is very ill with an extremely rare auto imune disease. I will not disclose all the details but these are what we are facing now: According to his tests in less than a year his counts became 6x higher (these should have double or trippled - that was the worst case scenario a year ago). The treatment options are limited. Most of them unproven. Today we had to stop and rush to get tests done and are waiting to hear if we have to rush him into hospital because he has organ failure. He can look alright, jump n skip but his little body is dieing inside. But let me not regress. His prognosis has changed from 40-50 years, to lasting maybe until 25-30 and now the doctors say that if he does not enter in remission or if we can not get him into the clinical trials it may only be 2-5 years (life expectancy). As a homeschooler what would you focus on teaching him curriculum wise. Reading, Math, Child Lead. We have decided that if he can not be entered in the trials as his parents (this is a personal choice) we opt for quality of life vs. life expectancy. We will endevour the best within reason but we will not imprison him in a clinical enviourment to move the 2-5 to a 5-10 years. Also due to oportunistic infections even sending my daughter to school is not a option. At the moment I do not want to push academics I want her to enjoy an build memories with her brother. The two of them learning an exploring together. Yes, that might mean that she graduates late but we as a family need to build memories that will last a lifetime. It is hard I am a box ticker and make the kids work hard but in view of the above this has changed... PLEASE HELP. What would you do under these circumstances?

:grouphug: :grouphug: I feel sorry for you and could give you mine but will not steal your thunder... But lets just say we are all feeling it LIfe is no picnic...

:grouphug:

Please test. My son has always suffere from severe eczema. Through out the years his allergies have increased or the testing is better now. There are a very large batteries oft tests that the doctors can run. Please note that if he has a cross reactive allergy the dust mite one can cause allergies to Port an shellfish... Yesteray we got the news that we are now working from a list of 54 safe foods and that this can still be reduced further as this is only half of the testing. Just on the food sice: Started with intolorances to MSG, THQB, Certain Colourants. Then we moved on to peanuts (ANA), sesame and tree nuts... March 2012, we had a list of 20 forbiden foods. Now we have a list of 54 safe foods for now which can de reduced after all results are in. SO please test allergies are no fun. By the way my son is also now allergic to chilies. Please ask for a IgE count. Any count above 2000 (new guidelines) indicate an underlying auto imunne problem. My sons count were 2200 in 2006, 3300 in 2008, 5600 in 2012 and now on the general test from GP (my previous allergist was stuped and recommended a doctor 1600 mile away) was above 7000. The doctor 1600 away the top allergist in this entire country (South Africa) has moved to Indiana in US doing reserch. It tooks over six months to find a doctor that would take his case. So please check IgE and if climbing even after special diet it needs to be investigate further. PM me and I will send you info. I have had to fight the doctors here, ctc Unis, talk to professors, send endless e-mails to find a doctor willing to help. Even outside the ANA scenarion other allergies are dangerous, can be progressive and even have long term evastating effects on the body. WIll be praying for your and your child. P.S. I am in South Africa by the way

He has a good sense of humor and always tries to turn it into something funny. He thinks those bubbles that allow to walk on water are so cool. The thing he is upset the most about is toast. But I guess this has always been is normal. He has had to give up so much, food and lifestyle and after being bedridden, covered in banages from head to toe (he called himself the resident mummy), not being able to write, walk in constant pain for a year an having doctor after doctor turning us away unable to help giving up foods seems easy. The few times he could walk he woul insist on acting normal and going out to b with other kis even though he had bandages uner his clothes. He has had to give up things all the time so this is his normal. He is a brave little boy

Thanks will look into anti fungals... Members 123 posts 0 warning points Posted Today, 03:13 AM He is my special child. I know it looks odd but it is probably caused by sometypeof auto immune syndrome. Just think his best protection would be bubble boy. His enviourmental IgE counts for the few that can be tested here are even higher than his food ones. The lab also indicated that there is a high risk for developing cross allergies so why we need to test further. I do not think he has ever eaten red cabbage but has got both IgG4 n IgE antibobies for it and is alergic to it. For instance they advise no foods not on tested list so avos are out n so is carob. Also dairy in his case is all animal milks (lactose and casein and goat and sheep as well already confirmed). He was probably alergic to my breast milk (so much for trying to prevent allergies) and all my effort for extending breast feeding and pumping whilst on a very limited diet feels in vain. But God is good we have avoided lots of the complication because of our intuitive choices. I had to edit. Felt too much info on. Thanks for all the encouragement

He is my special child. I know it looks odd but it is probably caused by sometypeof auto immune syndrome. Just think his best protection would be bubble boy. His enviourmental IgE counts for the few that can be tested here are even higher than his food ones. The lab also indicated that there is a high risk for developing cross allergies so why we need to test further. I do not think he has ever eaten red cabbage but has got both IgG4 n IgE antibobies for it and is alergic to it. For instance they advise no foods not on tested list so avos are out n so is carob. Also dairy in his case is all animal milks (lactose and casein and goat and sheep as well already confirmed). He was probably alergic to my breast milk (so much for trying to prevent allergies) and all my effort for extending breast feeding and pumping whilst on a very limited diet feels in vain. But God is good we have avoided lots of the complication because of our intuitive choices. I had to edit. Felt too much info on. Thanks for all the encouragement

Forgot to a Green Peas & No honey. They also recommend no eating anything not tested in the 1OO + foods. So no coconut either and he was not tested for Agave, stevia or Maple. We can get organic maple here at 10 dollars for less 8 ounces. We just paid over 200US dollars non insurance refundable and I feel that we need 270 + foods and all specif recomemded cross allergy testing another US 1000. We can get some high oleic sunflower oil and some sunbutter. But due to low sunflower production they are not making the sunbutter and probably will stop the Sunflower Oil. Have to try and ctc company and check how much I can get my hands on.

I am consulting 4 two companies now and am having a hard time balancing work, hs 2 kids, keep this house as clean as hospital (not really but on the report they indicate that is extreme dust mite allergies might have cause the shellfish and pork new ones - he does not eat it because I try to avoid high allergies foods) which is not happening and know once again learning how to cook. And this means more specialize expensive hard to source ingredients... Going from shop to shop looking for stuff. Do you want to know what he was upset. No more toast! Until mommy learns how to make some everything and Yeast free bread... After some extensive research, we had found some decent taste expensive local bread with the previous allergies (the same company doctor told me last week) and know that is out. Also lots of the pre-prepared stuff eggs are replace with linseed or flax seeds. None of those here...

Thanks... But at least all is 'unrelated' health issues are now starting fit in the puzzle. I guess also HS has prevented some other serious symptoms from developing. The problem is where to go, what to do, we should not develop 20 new ones in a year...

No Goat or Sheep Cheese or Milk it was also on the list. I just thaugh dairy was easier to type. We have been having Rice and Coconut Milk but they advise not to eat any foods that have not been tested on the 100+ test. So that eliminates coconut milk and the organic rice milk got rapseed lecithin in it which might also be bad. We will probably ask doc to do the 270+ food allergy test. They warn about similar ingreedients and developing cross allergies. We are in South Africa and I do not think camel milk is available here... Thanks

Thanks. Bob Mill is not safe because of peanuts... Organ and Glutagon were goo choices before but now it looks like I will have to start making my own flours... Also it is hard to get grains here... I am battling to get HS in routines... I thought we had just found our grove.