A Typical Day

Yesterday was just like any other day. I worked on my blog first thing in the morning while nebulizing my daily dose of glutathione. I made breakfast. Eggs (for those who don't react to them), bacon with no nitrates or preservatives, grapefruit and fruit smoothies. Colin checked his blood sugar. He was 90! A nice start to the day. We did our daily round of supplements (which I will detail in a later entry), did our nasal sprays, and began our chores.

Reagan came in with a nosebleed. He had just taken a shower. We racked our brains like we always do. A new mystery to begin our day. Mold in the shower? He would have a nosebleed every day if that were the case. New book? He got a new set of cards in the mail yesterday. They didn't have a chemical smell. It had to be his room. He shares a big room with Kristen and Ryan.

I smelled something as soon as I walked in but couldn't identify it. Was it something from outside? The cabinets still off-gassing? Ryan suggested the trash. I walked over to the tiny basket. Bingo. Major chemical smell. We didn't go through it to figure it out. It could have been an empty box that at one time was stored near a bottle of Round-Up. Who knows. I do know that the nosebleed lasted an hour and made me nauseous.

Colin's finger was bothering him. He had a cut the other day and put a Band-Aid on it. We thought nothing of it. Until he removed the Band-Aid and the area got red. Very red. Itchy red. Uncomfortable red. What would cause a reaction like this? Of course, latex. This is a new allergy for us. I'm just beginning my research.

Colin's rash on his stomach was spreading. Itchy. Very itchy. Must be the belt we bought him last week. His nickel allergy started when we were in the Colorado house. He was hoping he could wear a belt now. He told me yesterday to get rid of it. "I can't wear it anyway, Mom."

I put him in a hydrogen peroxide bath. There are three types of baths we do. Epsom salts and baking soda for general de-tox. Clay baths for de-tox. And hydrogen peroxide baths for itchy skin. We follow those baths with tea tree oil. We also have emu oil, neem's oil, and grapeseed oil, depending on the skin irritation.

Chris took some of the kids to the store. We were out of grapefruit and green apples. Megan and I decided to clean the floors with peroxide. We washed the shower curtains and changed all the sheets.

We sprayed hydrogen peroxide in our air. If outdoor mold is causing a problem indoors, this will help.

Chris got home at 1:30 p.m. Just in time for lunch. Every meal is a major event. When you take away processed foods, you take away convenience. I had a breakdown. One a day usually. He hugged me and smiled. He said something that made me laugh. Something about how little we knew when we said our wedding vows.

Kaitlyn had a rough afternoon. A meltdown and a headache. We spent some time trying to figure it out but decided to leave the mystery unsolved. We did a series of burber and pinella doses. Two herbs designed to help de-tox the brain.

Erin went out with a friend from college. She reacted to a fragrance. The exhaustion that comes from an exposure is hard to describe. "How am I going to live with this?" she asked. She's just now connecting fragrance and chemicals with the way she's been feeling.

Kristen had remnants of a sore throat she got after a haircut last week. Shannon took her to a nice salon to treat her. They both came home with headaches. Kristen's throat began to sting. She took a shower and washed out her beautiful new style. "I'm never going to a salon again," she said.

There were some highlights to our day. Shannon and Ryan went horseback riding. The kids worked on homework. A new bright spot in their day. Who would have guessed?

Reagan learned a new magic trick.

Chris made hamburgers stuffed with onions, peppers, garlic, and broccoli. Lettuce for the buns. And then the Ohio State football game came on. I used to see football as an escape. Last night the cheering and yelling were music to my ears.

We won't know if we'll be able to stay in this house until it is tested, but we have hope. We don't want to have to leave another house. Especially one that seems to fit us well. But this is our life. There is no escape. We only have respites: rest stops along the road to recovery. And I welcome each and every one.