Going in circles that lead somewhere!!!!

Today I made a decision that I felt would give me peace. I am constantly obsessing over my health and the health of my family. So today I decided to create a power point presentation regarding the genetic malformation that runs in my family (more to come on that) to present at Easter.  So I started gathering information. In my quest for information regarding MTHFR I stumbled upon something called Pyroluria. What is Pyroluria??? Pyroluria is a genetic blood disorder, a chemical imbalance, involving an abnormality in hemoglobin synthesis. Hemoglobin is a protein in the body, that holds iron in the red blood cells. The complex process regarding this synthesis abnormality results in a deficiency in B6 and zinc. This disorder comes with these symptoms: severe inner tension, ongoing anxiety, poor stress tolerance, digestive issues and difficulty digesting protein, frequent colds and infections, joint pain or stiffness, acne, eczema or psoriasis, mood swings and reactivity and poor short term memory. 

The questionnaire provided by primalbody-primal mind:
1. Little or no dream recall
2. White spots on finger nails
3. Poor morning appetite +/- tendency to skip breakfast
4. Morning nausea
5. Pale skin +/- poor tanning +/- burn easy in sun
6. Sensitivity to bright light
7. Hypersensitive to loud noises
8. Reading difficulties (e.g. dyslexia)
9. Poor ability to cope with stress
10.Mood swings or temper outbursts
11.Histrionic (dramatic) tendency
12.Argumentative/enjoy argument
13.New situations or changes in routine (i.e., traveling) particularly stressful
14.Much higher capability and alertness in the evening, compared to mornings
15.Poor short term memory
16.Abnormal body fat distribution
17.Belong to an all-girl family with look-alike sisters
18.Dry skin
19.Anxiousness
20.Reaching puberty later than normal
21.Difficulty digesting, a dislike of protein or a history of vegetarianism
22.Tendency toward being a loner and/or avoiding larger groups of people
23.Stretch marks on skin
24.Poor sense of smell or taste
25.Feel very uncomfortable with strangers
26.Frequently experience fatigue
27.A tendency to overreact to tranquilizers, barbiturates, alcohol or other drugs (in other words, a little produces a powerful response)
28.A tendency toward anemia
29.History of mental illness or alcoholism in family
30.Easily upset by criticism
31.Sweet smell (fruity odor) to breath or sweat when ill or stressed
32.Prone to acne, eczema or psoriasis
33.A tendency toward feeling anxious, fearful and carrying lifelong inner tension
34.Difficulty recalling past events or people
35.Bouts of depression or nervous exhaustion
36.Prone to frequent colds or infections

Among the highlighted areas above that affect us, in my recent blood test I had high levels of hemoglobin which usually means high iron level. The allergist once prescribed zinc for J's behaviors. These are the connections that I made today that I am kind of excited about because it puts me on another path for discovery. Pyroluria also presents similarly to histadelia which is high histamine, which is what I started out thinking J had. So alas.....the circle that lead somewhere!!

http://naturalinsight.hubpages.com/hub/Pyroluria-A-Hidden-Disorder
http://www.primalbody-primalmind.com/?p=398

Milestones...

When the clock strikes 7:15 the kids get a second wind of hunger. Last night when they requested a snack I created a "new" treat. We have been recently eating an Enjoy Life new cereal that are cute little balls that have the texture of grape nuts, meaning you could break your teeth chewing them! So I put about a 1/4 cup in a bowl and a couple of blueberries and then poured in a tad bit of coconut milk. The kind with only 2 ingredients, not the one in the box, we aren't there yet. The girls were so excited to be eating "cereal". This made me realize that not only has M NEVER eaten a bowl of cereal but J hadn't had one in over 2 years!!! I was so happy. Here I was watching my girls eat something that I never thought they would be able to enjoy! J had a second serving and then ate the remainder of M's because, lets face it, the little lady is picky as she can be (while still being able to eat raw broccoli for fun).
So not only were the girls eating cereal, but they were eating berries with a non-dairy milk!! There was a time, not too long ago, when we couldn't tolerate anything from a package let alone a milk alternative. This was also the time the only fruits on our plates were plums, pears, apples, melons and banana with the occasional grape. Both girls could not have all of these, this is the whole list for both girls included. Now we have added minimal amounts of blueberries, avocado, honey dew and tomato. I have given myself so much more flexibility when cooking and it seems to be going okay so far. But of course when I write it down the jinx is not far after.
Our animal reactions have reduced so much. At the beginning of our journey J wasn't able to be around a dog for more than 5 minutes on her biggest dose of antihistamine. She is now able to spend the day with a dog on 3/4 dose of antihistamine. At one point she would actually react to sitting on someone's lap who owned a dog!!
After this reflection.... all I can do is thank God and all of those in our lives who have given us strength through our long journey. I look at my girls today and smile... for the laughter that my little M brings and the strength I see in my little trouper J. They are a great example to me about what life is all about and have taught me more about myself and LOVE than I could have ever imagined!!