Yes, I have treated my own ulcer type pain with bananas, but he has an aversion to them. I will have to try again :) I don't want to give him too much do to constipation. sigh.

My nine year old has been getting steadily worse with seasonal allergies, most recently had to have albuterol several times daily. Also has been sick with various viral things for the past three months (since getting diagnosed with GERD). Side effects of the meds are awful. Stomach pain(like constantly), constipation. irritability, and who knows what else. I REALLY want to throw out ALL of the meds...including zyrtec, flonase, prevacid(and then zantac), miralax. I think we just keep treating side effects of meds....making him worse. I should also add that he had not been ill for over a year and a half before all of this started. We do a super bland diet, no eating before bed, no windows open etc. Any success with anything natural with these ailments for anyone's child? Thanks, Christina

MY dh had about 4 bouts with "idiopathic" pancreatis in his early 20's. It is not only a fat issue, but also a bulk issue. It may be had to get the swimmers calories, but he should eat 6 SMALL meals a day. The dr could also prescribe digestive enzymes to take with each meal to help his pancreas out(by not creating too many enzymes that will get blocked up in the panc). You can also buy those at health food stores. Don't take ANYTHING with alcohol in it....even medicines. Get plenty of rest, and learn to deal with stress well. There are a few things that can cause this that take a while to find. There is a blood test for inherited Panc problems, and a ercp to test the sphincter od oddi, I think. It can spasm, causing this in an otherwise healthy induvidual. HTH. Christina

bump

Thanks. I'm looking into the CDs. From what I am reading, it appears that I had an actual nervous breakdown. There is SO much disagreement on the web as to effetive meds for this. I have had anxiety/worry all my llife, but it never "took over" before. I've dealt with a ton of super-stressful situations, and although the past few months have been stressful, I am dumbfounded as to how this has happened NOw as opposed to when mMAJOr horrible stuff happened. Anyone take any meds that have proven helpful? You can PM me if you don't want to post. thanks

Thanks and keep the replies coming!! I don't have insurance, so getting in with a doctor could take a LONG time. I took prozac as a teen before it went generic. It was great. When I tried it again, it was generic and gave me nothing but side effect. blah. I did just take a flexerile last night to sleep, but woke up at three and have been up since. Thanks for the help. This is so scarey.

I have been having panic attcks for almost a week. I don't know whta to do. My mom gave me a bit of xanax which helps, but makes me sleepy AND is addictive. I'm thinking of trying to go to the doctor to see about an antidepressent and something similar to xanax, like valiun or klonopin. Does wnyone have experience with anxiety disorders??? HELP I'm nausated, lost 10 pounds, can't eat, thirsty, thirsty thirsty, feel like adrenline coursing through me and PANICKED. I have to homeschool my kids, and I can barely function. To add insult to injury, my son (who is in therapy for anxiety) seems to feed off of my emaotions and is having a hard time also. What do you/have you taken to anxiety disorder? Looking back, I can see that this has been building for a few months, but I didn't realize it. Thanks. Chrisitna

1 child needs HIGH fiber (nothing white, pretty much), the other child needs no spice, tomato product and low fat (severe acid reflux). HELP!!! I'm panicing over dinners. We usually eat mexican. ALOT! Can't any more. Yikes! Christina

Thanks so much for that. How true it is. I feel so regretful about being so preoccupied when they were younger :(

Okay, thanks. Mine are 11 and nearly 9. I'm trying to choose!!! Buy it or not?!?! Thanks!

Okay, thanks.:)

Years ago we did SOTW 1 and used the activity pages. They seemed very much geared toward younger kids. We are doing SOTW3 this year, and I am debating the activity pages with myself! Any thoughts? Thanks, Christina

We will be beginning latin this year. I have one who will be 9 and an 11 1/2 year old. I'm wondering what latin programs you LOVE? I did take 2 years of Latin in HS, but, unfortunately do not remember much! Something with audio, or even better, video would work well for us, as they both tend to be very auditory/visual learners. Thanks! Christina

Like another poster said, the churches of Christ would be a good starting point. They strive to worship as close to the new testament examples as possible (nothing added that isn't authorized in scripture-hence the acapella singing). I'm not sure how old your children are, but if/when they are older it could be a good starting point of discussion about the NT...what it is...what it means to Christians....why there are certain things it says to do/not do. If it were me, I would try to explain to the kids beforehand that these folks are engaging in active worship(try to explain what worship is)...the singing isn't for everyones enjoyment, but for God's, the communion is for remembering Christ's sacrifice, the collection is to help with the work of the church etc. It may help them to understand the whats and whys. The children *should* be with you during services, but that could vary. You could go an hour before worship and let them experience Sunday school, as well. It really is a part of "what goes on" in churches. There will likely be an adult class as well. Good luck!

thanks. I'll see if insurance will help us out with this.

So my daughter has fallen arches...pretty bad. She also has a goofy gait. She has broken the sme ankle twice(in two different places), and recently she get pain in that ankle after she has been running barefoot. She tends to wear down her tennis shoes on the outter-side of the heel, and I purchased arch support inserts that haven't seemed to help her gait or pain. I'm not even sure where to take her...orthopeadist? physical therapist? Any insight? Thanks, Christina

I agree. I think Dave would say to work it into your budget. Start a "backyard and van" envelope.

I've read about testing many denominations "theology" or creed against the Bible. How about a church who's creed IS only the Bible? If the Bible is the infallible word of God....why do we need man-made creeds? EVERYONE should read: Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up? The Kingdom That Turned the World Upside Down , both by David Bercot These are simply about the history of the early church. Christina

dd 11 1/2 : The Little Princess ds 8 3/4 : A Bear Named Trouble

I wish I had something more to add, but melatonin works for my 8yo son. I've found that keeping a consistant bedtime helps, and have a let down period of at least 30 minutes before bed. I began researching this last year when my sons lack of sleep led to a tic disorder. I've read that most children with these sleep issues also tend to have underlying anxiety issues. Once I really studied on it, I began to realize that my son had always been the anxious sort. We are working on that together. He too had a hard time sleeping, even as a baby. Christina

I'm wondering which math programs people are partial to. We use CLE and love it, however, as the children get into upper math(in a few years), I would like to have teaching DVDs to help them. I feel that I would not do the math justice. I know there are several options with Saxon....any thoughts on those? I've looked at Teaching textbooks, but felt that it was too light compared to what they are used to. The 5th grade examples were on par with the 3rd grade work in CLE. What about BJU? Don't they have DVDs? Thanks!