I am very interested in Botox and other facial treatments! No judgement here! But with one child in college and another going in a year I don't think I could convince my husband to justify the expense. BTW, what is Obagi? Elise in NC

My husband and I are going through the DVDs at home. I have been a listener to his podcast for years. I budget and the only consumer debt we have is a van that will be paid off in 2.5 years. I am already doing most of what Dave Ramsey says, but I haven't found anyone who is a better motivator than him. Also, I think his program is genius because it breaks down the overwhelming and often scary world of personal finance to most people. I'm convinced that a majority of people could improve their finances significantly if they followed Dave's program. I personally don't agree with him on many of his personal beliefs but I have to give him credit for providing a very worthwhile program. I highly recommend it! God Bless, Elise in NC

It sounds like you really want to homeschool again and feel that it's the right thing for your family. My advice would be to blend the best of both worlds and sign up for online classes for your oldest two. I've been homeschooling for 15 years and I wish I would have utilized outsourcing more and earlier than I did. I wouldn't have had as much stress. I started out just outsourcing writing for my high schoolers and then I added science but now my junior in high school is doing everything online and it's wonderful. She is getting a great education and I'm not stressed! Win - win! The kids are usually finished with school by late afternoon and we have our evenings free for extra curricular activities or just family time. My favorite online classes are through Landry Academy. Plus the earlier you enroll the better discount you get. Let me know if you have any questions! Elise in NC

My heart goes out to you all. We faced something similar two years ago. I was raised Roman Catholic but dh Protestant. He attended Baptist, Episcopal, and Assemblies of God churches growing up. We were married in the RC Church and had our first child baptized Catholic. I had every intention of remaining Catholic but I wasn't super serious about my faith at all. For many reasons we decided to leave the Catholic Church and begin attending the Assemblies of God church my dh's family attended (and still attends). We raised our four children in this church. We had many friends there and spent 15 years of our lives as Protestants. It's the only faith my children knew. Two years ago I had an experience that landed me in my local RC parish. It was a very powerful spiritual experience and it left me very confused. I began studying Catholicism as well as doctrines of other faiths. About 9 months later I knew I was supposed to return to Catholicism. In the beginning of this journey my husband and four children were very hesitant. The kids were ages 17, 15, 13, and 11. I was so incredibly torn. My heart longed to be RC and yet I was attending the AG church for my families' sake. I was very unhappy. I just kept praying that God would show me what to do. My husband became curious and started researching Catholicism for himself. Also during that time my two younger children began showing an interest in Catholicism. To make a long story short, my husband and two sons entered the Church this past Easter. It was beautiful. Our priest gave us wonderful advice during this process. He said that our children were too old for us to make the decision for them. They had to make the decision for themselves. Our two girls both decided to stay Protestant. My dh's family is also at that church and our children are very close to them. It wasn't easy to go our separate ways on Sunday morning. There were times that I questioned if what we were doing was the right thing. But now two years later we have peace in our home concerning our different faiths. I have come to realize that it's an extremely personal journey. I have also learned to trust God more than I ever have. We haven't lost close friends over this decision but it has been difficult. We live in the Bible Belt and there are some Protestants who no longer consider us Christians. We have had strained relationships with family and friends but it's getting better. It was definitely a sacrifice but it has been so incredibly worth it. In the earlier stages of this process I wanted to know how it was all going to end up. I was frustrated by the conflicts we had. I was scared that we were making the wrong decision. Thankfully, it has all worked out. It is still evolving even now. Our oldest is now in college and was hired at an Episcopal church to play piano and sing in their choir. Although it isn't Catholic it's pretty darn close. Our younger daughter still attends our old AG church but is starting to question A LOT. I hope your journey brings you peace and closeness with God and each other. I know the journey isn't easy but it's so worth it. God Bless, Elise in NC

I am also signed up for Matthew Kelly's Best Lent Ever. Last year for Lent I started attending our parish's Moday night Novena Mass. I've been going ever since. I also gave up Facebook but was right back on after Lent. This year I'm adding one morning Mass. This is going to be a true sacrifice because I DO NOT like getting up early, especially when it's cold. Im also going to abstain from (so embarrassed to admit this) any Real Housewives shows. Anyway, great thread! Elise in NC

The No S diet eliminated 99% of my emotional eating. No S stands for No Sweets, No Snacks, and No Seconds except on days that start with S (Saturday, Sunday, and Special occasions). I have been following it for 13 months and I've lost 12 pounds and several inches. I'm in a size 4 pants and I'm 40. http://www.nosdiet.com Good luck! Elise in NC

Praying. My heart goes out to your sister. I can't imagine what she's going through. Elise in NC

My dh and I were very active before children. But once the kids started coming I lost interest. My poor dh was pretty unhappy and so was I because I dreaded going to bed at night. Now that our youngest is 13 life is so very different. My interest is back and dh is very very happy. I'm so glad that you found a treatment that works. I now have so much more compassion for what my dh went through all those years. I'm not so sure I would have been quite so patient. Elise in NC

This thread stresses me out just reading it!! We plan on staying in out home for the foreseeable future but if we ever sell I want to do it the way my neighbors did. They found their new home but it needed some updating. They were able to renovate the new home while living in their "old" house. Once the renovations were completely finished they moved into the new house. THEN, they listed their old house and it sold within two weeks. Of course they were financially able to carry two mortgages indefinitely. But the process seemed much less stressful than others I've seen. Good luck to you! Elise in NC

We received a few cards when our 15 1/2 year old dog had to be put down. We were devastated. The cards meant so much to me. It acknowledged that we had lost not just a dog but a member of our family. Elise in NC

I started doing the No S diet January of last year. It has helped me SO much with portion control. The rules of No S are very simple: No Sweets, No Snacks, No Seconds, except on days that start with S (Saturday/Sunday or special days). Cutting out snacking for me was huge. The author says that in the beginning you will probably overeat when you have your three meals but over time you will eat less and less. I have definitely found that to be true. I don't freak out when I'm hungry now. It doesn't bother me at all. I also do not enjoy feeling full either. It really upsets my stomach. I've managed to lose 12 pounds and I'm 40. I still want to lose 10 pounds and although the weight comes off slowly I believe I can eat this way for the rest of my life. Good luck! Elise in NC

I would definitely take him to his regular pediatrician. I wouldn't risk the germs of an emergency room or an urgent care. Keep us updated! Elise in NC

I haven't read all the responses but I wanted to share our personal experience. We also have UHC. My son has epilepsy and has taken name brand medication for many years. Our neuro does not want ds on generics because manufacturers can change with no knowledge on the part of the patient. When manufacturers change so do certain ingredients. Any chemistry changes for a person with epilepsy is bad. So over the summer UHC decided that ds should take generic medication. Our doctor contacted me and said that it was illegal for an insurance company to override his decision. I contacted the insurance company and a very nice woman told me that all we needed to do was "try" the generics. She said that if ds had an issue within the very first day we could report it and they would then cover the name brands. We didn't even have to do that. Our doctor contacted UHC and let them have it. We haven't had an issue since about them covering his meds. What's interesting is that the co-pays for the name brand and generics were the same, $60 per prescription. You think UHC's decision was financially motivated? Hmmm. I hope you get it all sorted out! Elise in NC

I am SO very sorry for you and your family. I pray that Chriatmas will end up being special for you all even under such difficult circumstances. (((Hugs))) and prayers for you all. Elise in NC

Here are some of my favorite Catholic saints: St. Maximilian Kolbe (WW II) St, Therese of Lisieux St, Ignatius of Loyola We also are adding special thigs to certain feast days like Our Lady of Guadalupe. There's a great blog by a Catholic mom who tries to live the liturgical year with her family. Her website is www.catholicallyear.com. Anyway, to celebrate St. Joseph on March 19th we have an Italian dinner and put flowers around the table because of a tradition the Italians have. For Our Lady of Guadalupe we had a Mexican desert but next year I want to plan better and make a Mexican feast! There are lots of movies about saints as well. The Song of Bernadette is a well know one which earned the lead actress an Academy award back in the 1950s. The story of St. Bernadette is well known to many Catholics and millions of people flock to Lourdes each year! Good luck on your journey. It's wonderful that you're exposing your daughter to many heroes of the faith! Elise in NC

You could drive yourself insane worrying about all the potential causes of your dd's seizures. The longer my son has epilepsy (12 years now) the more I think that most of his seizures have no triggers. I definitely know of some of his triggers, like exhaustion. Also if my son hurts himself by falling or playing too rough with his brother he will have a seizure. I know FOR SURE those are his triggers. The best thing you can do is to educate yourself about epilepsy but don't let it take over your life. Reassure your dd that everything is going to be ok. The side effects of the meds will more than likely disappear after a few weeks but if not there are so many other meds out there to try. (((Hugs))) Elise in NC

No way, no how!!!! Not ever! The only way I would consider it is getting a hotel room myself and going with them all. There would be separate rooms for girls and boys. Especially since your ds and the girlfriend have not been responsible at times. I can't say NO enough! Elise in NC

I forgot to ask if you all have emergency meds on hand, just in case? I always keep Klonipin and Diastat at home in the event of a cluster of seizures or any seizure lasting more than 5 minutes. Thankfully I haven't had to use them often. The issue with epilepsy is that seizures may always stay the same or they can change without any warning. It's not a predictable condition. Anyway (((hugs))) to you! It sounds like you are doing all you can. God Bless, Elise in NC

A VNS is not placed in the brain. It has a battery about the size of a silver dollar, a little bigger and thicker, and it is in the chest wall right below his left collar bone. The wires go up into his neck and wrap around his vagus nerve which sends electilrical impulses up into the brain. Obviously you all aren't at that point yet. My son was diagnosed with epilepsy at 3 and had the VNS surgery at 6. I would just keep it in the back of your mind as an option someday. Hopefully between the diet and meds surgery will never be necessary. I would imagine at Hopkins they are used to dealing with all kinds of people and all ways of paying. People from all oer the world go there for treatment. I would definitely call and find out the situation. I imagine any good neuro will be very familiar with the ketogenic diet. God Bless, Elise in NC

It sounds like I have a son like yours. My son had a stroke at birth and is a joy. He is wonderful and bright. I would be so proud of how well he did in most of his classes. But I would transfer him and have him commute to a school closer to home. I would do that for any of my children, not just my son with special needs. I wouldn't look at it as a punishment. Maybe the academics plus living on campus are just a little too much right now. I would want him to have the tools he needs to succeed. (((Hugs))) I don't envy your decision! Elise in NC

I agree with what so many others have said. Your dd needs a neurologist. For example, our neuro will not allow my ds to be on generic meds. The manufacturers can change and although most of the ingredients stay the same there can be differences and differences aren't good for epilepsy. My son also has a Vagus Nerve Stimulator, which has helped, but hasn't cured ds's epilepsy. Has your dd had an EEG or an MRI? Those would be very standard tests. An MRI will rule out any potential reasons why your dd has started having seizures. An EEG will likely show how often your dd is actually seizing. It will also show if there is seizure activity in the brain that isn't manifesting itself physically. I am not trying to scare you but people die of epilepsy every year. A pediatrician is not capable of handling a complex neurological condition such as epilepsy. God Bless, Elise in NC

Lol! Now that's funny! Elise in NC

I totally understand not wanting to debate. It's just that when someone makes inflammatory remarks about deeply held personal beliefs it tends to get a bit heated. The fact that you know "about" something really doesn't make you an expert. For example, if I wanted to know about a particular country I would want to talk with someone who has lived there or at least visited once or twice. The opinions of a person who has read about or studied the country doesn't hold as much weight IMHO. You may know something about Catholicism but I bet it's all from a Protestant perspective. I said a decade of my Rosary for you tonight, BTW. I don't mean that to be snarky either. Your delusion about Catholicism is sad. There's a beautiful quote from Archbishop Fulton Sheen that says, "There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate the Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be." God Bless, Elise in NC

I'm trying to understand the meaning of your post but my brain just isn't cooperating. What exactly do you mean? :001_smile: I left the non-denom/AOG church 2 years ago and returned to Catholicism. Elise in NC

I'm curious if you have ever been to a Catholic Mass or ever read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Paragraph 161 states: "Believing in Jesus Christ and in the One who sent him for our salvatation is necessary for obtaining that salvation. 'Since without faith it is impossible to please [God]' and to attain to the fellowship of his sons, therefore without faith no one has ever attained justification, nor will anyone obtain eternal life 'but he who endures to the end'" What is interesting about that paragraph is that the footnote references the Council of Trent. Also what does your comment mean about how you know Catholics who seem to be "regenerated" (which I take to mean saved) but they wouldn't be considered good Catholics? That has truly confounded me. You don't seem to know much about Catholic doctrine but don't mind judging their eternal salvation. Interesting. I am an orthodox Roman Catholic revert. I spent 15 years in an Assemblies of God church and non-denom. I've been on both sides. Elise in NC