Kettleman City, CA and Birth Defects

According to this article Ketttleman City is toxic because of Chemical Waste Management Inc

They own us.

I grew up in central California, so I am very familiar with the sights and smells of the endless sea of manure and cows. One can smell Kettleman City way before you even get there as you drive along I5. Interestingly there was no mention of the mass production of cows living in horrendous conditions that we've all read about and seen on t.v. And now this, which I am sure is related. I am happy for Greenactionand hope their families don't suffer for nothing.

Rifelabs.com Dave Nelson passes away

I was very saddened to learn that Dave Nelson, the owner of RifeLabs.com, passed away suddenly in October. No, I wasn't close to him, just one of many customers that purchased a Rife machine from him over a year ago. I knew instantly he was a person with integrity. I actually had a couple interesting conversations with him - he was one of us, someone that "gets it." He knew what my life was like, and patiently answered all my questions about this new therapy. Dave has helped so many people maximize their wellness with his machines. He will be missed.

So Much Newness!

So much newness! A new house, school, community. And Leo is 11!

The kids LOVE it here, although they miss their friends. My biggest concern, of COURSE, was my big boy. Would I undo all that we've done? We moved largely to be out of a tick endemic area. Which kid is most important? Upsetting the apple cart vs. having a cleaner environment for my daughter?

Fortunately he seems to be thriving, also demonstrating there are no holes in his programming and that his recovery is real. Out of his comfort zone of the same kids, school, neighborhood, and community. It amazes me how he has the confidence and adaptive skills to adjust to EVERYTHING being new.

The cleaner environment seems to help HIM in addition to Sydney, as he does struggle with his bacterial load, including a lyme co-infection Mycoplasma fermentans. He is asymptomatic about 95% of the time (tic-free, headache free).

Leo continues to love sports, loves playing basketball and baseball. Still amazes me he can do it and CHOOSES it after he had such a hypersensitivity in his face for everything, let alone flying objects. He is actually good at it! And again, with completely different kids in a different league/culture. Another adaptation.

Leo had a very successful class birthday party (just the boys) at our local gym. I can't believe he is 11 and that puberty is around the corner. Our next milestone. Grandma visited and so his birthday celebration was big in spite of being in transition.

We are still in LYME HELL with my 8 yr old daughter, but she has made progress this past year. We are beginning year 2 of her treatment. My goal is that she is pain-free by year 3 - seems to be a fair marker. So, I spend all day doing the things you know i am doing as a parent with a special needs child.

The kids play every day with the neighbor kids in our new cul de sac. It's so surreal to me, how happy they are running around, knocking on doors. Going back and forth between houses. A really really nice group of kids (so far, I am in the honeymoon phase!)

The kids have their own room, and as you can imagine they relish their new TURF. It's very cute how they are coming into their own as they mature.

I unpacked my homeopathic school books - I hope to start studying as things calm down settling into the new house. It'll wax and wane as Sydney's needs vary.

All in all I am happy with the new year, and hopeful that Leo will continue to thrive and that Sydney continues making progress toward recovery.

Kid's Jewelry

For China's low-cost jewelry makers, it was an open trade secret: The metal cadmium is shiny, strong and malleable at low temperatures, regardless of its health hazards. And it's cheap.

Anyone with a chronically ill child or a child with special needs has probably heard this years ago. Like most things - hormone milk, organic this and that, green living. What steams me is that no one has mentioned how there is a huge problem with how we monitor toxins. Since jewelry isn't food, the FDA doesn't have to worry about it. Or light-up shoes that contain mercury. Light-up candy canes for your yard and other holiday crap. Oh right, and the toy thing. Time and time again this stuff gets into our systems. Easily. Another reason why we have a damaged generation.

So far, nothing from toy stores or anything from OUR government. It's CHINA'S fault per usual. But is it? Who is accountable for what goes into our children's mouths, what they wear, what they play with, and what is in their homes?