That Terrible Salt

My three year old son is allergic to MSG. Really allergic. If he eats it, he throws up violently until it's purged from his system...just like his Daddy. We discovered this last Thanksgiving. It's not a big deal, because we rarely eat anything with MSG in it. I have shown the kids the mega-container of MSG available for purchase at Smart and Final (a warehouse store) and mentioned that I could kill their Daddy with it. The other day, Troubles was not feeling well and told me he felt like he had "The Terrible Salt" in his belly. How's that for reasoning from a three-year-old?

My Oldest Thing

(originally posted on my other blog 7-09-08)

What's the oldest thing you have? Here's mine:

It's not too much to look at, but it's a great old book from 1743. It's bound with hide and written in Latin. It's Volume Seven of a series on Catholic teachings, I think. I'm pretty sure this page mentions the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and eucharist.

I don't read Latin, so I'm not certain of the specifics. If you can translate, please comment!! It has a coverplate from Sutro Library in San Francisco, CA as a lovely valley with a few log homes and a man with a pickax working on the soil.

I got a bit curious about my old book last night. I didn't have the Internet when I bought it! I googled Sutro Library and found it still exists! I also read about Mr. Sutro, who loved books, was mayor of San Francisco for a short time, made millions in the railroad industry and mining, built the Sutro baths, (I had heard of them, but hadn't put the two together). Some of his library was burned in the 1906 earthquake, but some still exists in the Sutro Library. Here's a link about him.

Adolph Sutro

I called the Library this morning and described the book and asked if they had any information about it's history. The lady on the phone took the information, searched in the computer, took some more info about the book, then asked if she could have the Head of Antiquities call me tomorrow. She said "This is very interesting....I know she will be eager to speak with you."


Here's hoping they want the book back for a cool $25G! One can dream, right?? I actually had it appraised years ago. The hippie with the pot smoke floating about his head said it was worth about $200.


I'll let you know what happens with it!

*Update* The Librarian called me back and said that they do indeed have a copy of the book, and she hasn't any idea how this copy ended up in a swap meet in Rocklin, CA. Poof- there goes my 25G...oh well.

Camping Pictures

(originally posted on my other blog 7-7-08)

As you may remember, we camped a little over a week ago. We went to our lovely Sequoia National Forest, which we SO enjoy visiting.

After setting camp, we explored, enjoyed and relaxed. We were blessed to be with our dear friends, R and E and their three kids. R is quite adventurous, and among other things, knows how to rock climb. He brought his equipment and all the children got to climb up and repel down!
I have many more pics, Grandma, if you want them. All the children made it up to Daddy, even Troubles! They had a great time.

We also fished in the pond, with a few little fish being caught. We hiked, enjoyed smores and learned that crushing fern and rubbing it on nettle burns makes the stinging stop.

I found a wonderful exoskeleton of a dragonfly nymph that had "made the change" while clinging to a blade of thick grass. I collected it, but it was accidentally crushed before I got a picture. We also got to see a newly emerged dragonfly resting on his discarded exoskeleton. Here is a photo essay on the process. We observed chipmunks, squirrels, birds of various kinds, water skimmers, trout, and lots of insects. We collected pond water and creek water for observation under the microscope.

At home, we found tiny plants and microscopic little worms in the pond water and had a discussion on why you always boil water from natural sources before drinking it! We haven't looked at the creek water yet, so we won't find anything living, I think.

Here is a picture of all of us in front of the Sequoia in our campsite. The 'cave' in the tree that is behind me was big enough for most of the children to fit inside, all at once. Sequoias often have these hollows.

Potty Talk...

(originally posted on my other blog 6-30-08)

If you don't care for potty talk, skip this entry!


The Background: My three year old son, Troubles, is lactose intolerant. He gets diarrhea badly when he drinks pasteurized milk or eats regular ice cream. We buy him raw milk and special ice cream. He calls store-bought milk and ice cream "diarrhea milk and diarrhea ice cream" since that what he gets.

Last night we allowed the children to have ice cream, forgetting that he was out. We said that he could try some of the regular ice cream if he wanted and he happily ran into the kitchen bellowing "I GET DIARRHEA ICE CREAM!! I GET DIARRHEA ICE CREAM!!!!

The BoogeyMan

(originally posted on my other blog 4-23-08)

My son is nearly three. One day, as we were getting out of the van to go to the bookstore, he announced, "I'm the Boogeyman!" I asked him what he meant.

"I had a big boogey in my nose." he replied.

"Where did it go?" I asked after checking his nose and finding it clean.

"I put it on Brother's yellow shirt....very gently." he said with a smile.

Ty's Funny Comment

(originally posted on my other blog 2-19-08)

I have so many things on my list of things to blog about, but most need pictures uploaded, and I haven't done that, so...I will leave you tonight with this little gem:

Our friend was visiting Monday with his three children. Ty is five years old. He was sitting with my daughter Miss Banana, who is speech delayed. Since she knows Ty, she was trying to talk with him instead of being silent as she often is with people (other than our family).

Ty came to me and said, "Excuse me...?"
"Yes?", I answered.
He pointed to her. "She's speaking Spanish to me..."
"No, she's speaking English, honey" I said.
After pondering a minute or so, he replied,






"Then I don't speak English, I guess." and walked away.

I've Discovered a Natural Treatment for Nephrotic Syndrome that REALLY Works!

*Make sure to read the comments section. There's been lots of conversation about the specific way I use garlic, rather than the general way I posted originally.*

**Please do NOT DISCONTINUE PREDNISONE once started. Doing so can cause great damage to your child!  Garlic is to be used as an alternative to prednisone at the beginning of a relapse to prevent the need for prednisone, not a replacement when prednisone is actually REALLY needed.** 

My six year old son, Jack, has kidney disease. It's called Nephrotic Syndrome. A simple explanation: when his immune system is challenged by a bug, his kidneys begin to allow protein to exit the body through the urine. This damages the kidney and can lead to renal failure. When he begins to have sustained elevated protein counts, he needs a two and a half month course of prednisone. We found out about his NS one month after his second birthday. I had noticed that his eyelids swelled slightly when he had a cold, but the doctors that he saw said it was nothing to worry about. One morning, after he'd had a little cough for about three days (no fever, no nothing else), I went to his room to wake him and found him swollen, terribly, from eyelids to toes. It was shocking! He was in no distress, so I arranged for a friend to come to watch the children and took him to the clinic. Since he wasn't yet adopted, we had to go to the state Medi-cal-accepting clinic instead of Kaiser. The doctor who saw him did a fine job of examining him, consulting with other doctors and diagnosing his condition. Several hours after entering the clinic, he was admitted into the local hospital with consult with the big Childrens Hospital in the closest big city. Three days later, his condition was under control and he was able to go home. I had learned a lot in those three days! For the next year, he relapsed and required Prednisone three to four times a year. Poor baby. That strong drug has so many terrible side effects! Blessedly, he is Prednisone respondant, so it worked and further kidney damage is avoided. I hated for him to be on it though. I found little on the Internet as far as natural treatments. I did find that raw milk helps boost the immune system, so I searched out a local source and added it to his diet. We also had a year old son who was lactose intolerant. As an aside, he can drink the raw milk with absolutly NO trouble. I initially began the research on raw milk due to him. It just happened to benefit Jack as well. I also read that sugar depresses the immume system, making it much easier to catch any viruses that are floating around. We cut back on sugar. Around the same time, I began making our bread from freshly ground grain, and cooking much more food from scratch. Jack would still get ill occasionally though, end up on Prednisone. Here's the natural treatment that works, though, even with elevated protein counts: A small clove of garlic, eaten with honey or applesauce, chased with a saltine if he has trouble swallowing the last bits of garlic, brings the protein count down in just a few hours. Seriously. Even at a 3+, it works. He may smell like garlic bread, but he has not needed medicine but one time in almost three years!! I begin "garlikin' him up" as soon as I notice an elevated count and usually give it every day for a week, or until his count stays down without the garlic. We do daily urine tests during this time. (Click this for a link to the testing strips we use.) After a week, I stop the garlic and keep testing daily. If the numbers go above 1+, he takes a clove, under 1+ and he doesn't. If his count stays good for several days without garlic, I begin testing every other day. When it still remains low, I test him every three or four days. I'm so thankful that the Lord created this wonderful bulb. It's so very useful, even to the point of 'curing' us of our ails! ETA: I originally wrote this post 1-25-2008. Jack has remained well, despite ups and downs in his counts. We still use garlic. He takes it himself and takes it with a saltine cracker, yogurt or applesauce. ETA: It's now March 2012.  This post still gets lots of hits, so I thought that I would update.  Jack still is variable in his protein counts, so he has not "outgrown" nephrotic syndrome as his doctors thought he might.  We still successfully use garlic when his counts rise and he has not needed Prednisone.  He is now 10 years old and growing well!  We have removed wheat from our diet, 100% for many of us, including Jack, and mostly for everyone else.  Jack's eczema, which he had as a baby, but recently returned, has responded well to the removal.  I have been moving toward Mark's Daily Apple's way of eating for six months or more. We all feel a lot better without wheat! ETA: It's now December 31, 2012.  We've had the worst cough and headcold going through!  Jack's counts increased to 2+ one day, and he had a little swelling of an eyelid, but garlic came through again.  His counts are down, his cold is gone and he is healthy with no prednisone. Jack eats a little wheat now and then, but it does affect his eczema, so it's kept to special occasions.  Someone else questioned milk in his diet, and I do have to say, that also, is consumed much less frequently than it used to be.  Most of us don't drink milk.  I cook with it now and then and we use whole cream or half and half in some smoothies. Jack and Troubles have almond milk smoothies.  We do use a ton of butter and no one seems to have issue with it at this time.  I don't bother getting raw milk anymore. My son who is lactose intolerant began to react to even raw milk, so he drinks almond milk.  Jack doesn't care to drink anything but water, but will have almond milk if we have some homemade granola.   ETA: It's June 2014 now.  Jack had a bad relapse with some swelling of his face, arms and legs, and counts at 4+.  We had a change to our insurance, and were having a very hard time finding a pediatric nephrologist. Blessedly, I was able to find a nephrologist who only sees adults who was willing to see him.  Since he was in the middle of a relapse, and garlic wasn't seeming to be able to get it under control this time, I was getting nervous!  The doctor ordered bloodwork....more detailed bloodwork than any other doctor has ever ordered.  It came back as expected, showing a severe relapse, but no other issues.  Our new doctor (for he was willing to keep Jack on as a patient, after meeting him and seeing how mature he was) wanted to be patient with his system and see if he could beat this relapse on his own, without medication, and with the Lord's help and the garlic's, too.  With close monitoring, we were both delighted that after several weeks with elevated counts, sometimes quite high as I said, he finally came down to negative and stayed there!  His bloodwork after the relapse came back perfect. Praise the Lord with me!! ETA: It's August 2015 now. Jack continues to have minor relapses, all controlled and eliminated with garlic. I now include GSE (grapefruit seed extract) when he (or anyone else in the family) is ill. These are drops that are stirred into water or orange juice.  GSE also comes in pill form.  This extract works like a natural antibiotic. Research it to see if it might be helpful for your family!

Swanson Broth...A Thanksgiving Mainstay!

(originally posted on my other blog 11-28-07)

Thanksgiving means different things to different people. This Thanksgiving meant something new to me. It meant v.o.m.i.t.

My husband has some food intolerances. I think I have it figured out. It seems to be to sulfites and glutamate. Sulfites are a poisonous preservative, glutamate, a naturally occurring substance that man has copied and corrupted into MSG and it's cronies.

My mil (unbeknownst to us) had used Swanson canned chicken broth in the stuffing and the gravy. The ingredients? Water, MSG, MSG, MSG.

Only a couple of minutes after dinner, my husband knew something was wrong. He is familiar with his symptoms and knew how the night would go. My little guy, BabyJ, hasn't struggled with MSG consumption. We don't eat much of it. I cook from scratch with real ingredients, not from boxes!

But he was affected...and how. After telling us he wasn't feeling well, he snuggled down into my arms wrapped in a blanket. We went outside a while later, to sit by the firepit. I'm glad we were outside! I was just going in when his tummy finally rejected the poison. All over the sliding glass door. And me. And him. And again and again.

After our showers, again.

And again.

It was very sad. I hate to see him sick! I didn't find out until the next day that Swanson MSG Broth was used in the dinner. I have to think that he must be sensitive, like my husband. He was totally better the next day, which is also a clue that it was the broth. I will be more vigilant in the future, especially when I'm not cooking!

For much more information on MSG, visit www.msgmyth.com Make sure to visit the "Hidden Names For MSG" page. It surprised me to read some familiar terms.

Who's On First?

Here's a peek into how things sometimes go in our home.
(originally posted on my other blog 11-09-07)

I went to The Common Room and found this entry by JennyAnyDots. I watched the very funny videos with the Lambies. After viewing the parody of "Ticket To Ride", the Lambies wanted to watch the real Beatles perform it, so we did. As we listened, this is what was said:

EmBlem: "Who's alive, Mom?"
Momma: "Two are alive and two have passed away."
GirlofGod: "Who had a wife?" (mis-hearing who's alive)
Momma: "They were all married, as far as I know."
Polly: "They were all married?! GROSS! That's a sin"

Whew....it's a wonder anyone learns anything sometimes!

Ant Killer

(originally posted on my other blog 10-10-07)

We have had ants on and off for a few months. I have finally for something easy to mix up that seems to do the job.

Ant Killer
Combine on something the ants can climb easily onto/into; I used a canning jar lid:
1/2 tsp EACH aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet, etc it's a potent poison, to humans and insects!), Borax, and honey.
Add a drop or two of water if needed to thin out the mixture. Mix well.
Set into the path of the ants. They will gather, many thousands together, and take it back to their colony for food. It should wipe them all out in a day or two!

I had ants in my cup cupboard three or four weeks ago. I used this and I haven't seen one in the kitchen anywhere since!

They were in my bathroom this morning. They came from under the counter top by the wall and tracked down into the sink. I guess they were thirsty?! Out came my mix! I put it out at about 6:30 AM, and by 9 AM, it was surrounded by thousands of ants drinking their way to death. I took this shot at about 10:30 (photo deleted), when most had already gone back home and poisoned the queen. Many of the ants you see here are stuck in the honey and drowning. I have only about 20 ants roaming the counter, and they will be gone by this afternoon.

Happy killing!
Momma

(6-2008 Update) They did disappear. I haven't had them back yet this year either. Insert Happy Dance Smilie!

(1-2010 Update) Still use this when we get the occasional ant trail. Still works just as well!