Monday, December 31, 2007

Our ALA Experiment

I'd read a lot on AutismNCD about using ALA as a natural, gentle chelator to get to metals in the brain. I read about some people using it in conjunction with DMSA, others with NCD. I read about the Cutler protocol, which calls for frequent low doses given on a strict schedule every three hours (4 hrs at night) around the clock for three days (then 4 days off). Apparently, the reason behind the strict dosing is that ALA can release metals from the brain, but, if more ALA (or some other chelator?) is not given regularly, those metals might redistribute elsewhere in the body, which we obviously don't want.

I initally started Demi on ALA in conjunction with NCD in early November. Since I'm confident that NCD (she's on 10 drops/3x/day) will mop up anything that ALA breaks loose, I didn't worry about the strict dosing. Plus, I'm not that great with strict dosing anyway. I'm very good about giving supplements at breakfast and supper, but anything in between (that can't be put in a lunch drink) would likely get forgotten.

So, initially, her doses of ALA were anything but regular, typically a couple doses each evening after school and haphazardly on the weekend. Not great, I know. Shame on me. Even so, I thought it helped her a little - nothing dramatic, could have been the rose-colored glasses effect.

Eventually, it got so haphazard that I stopped it completely until I could get a better schedule together. Once Christmas break came around, I decided to stick to a regular schedule for the ALA - during the day, that is. My plan was 5 doses (25mg/dose)/day. I had to set alarms to go off so I'd remember!

So, that's what we've been doing for the last 10 days. I can't really tell yet if it's working. I've read it usually takes 100 rounds (two years) to "work" so I'm not sure what to expect short term.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Supplements and More Supplements

Although I started slow, I have built up quite a cadre of supplements for Demi. It seems like a lot, but it's really not. I've read of autistic kids getting close to 50 supplements a day. Now, THAT's a lot!

What I give her and why:
1. Natural Cellular Defense from Waiora - liquid zeolite - for general detoxification, including mopping up any toxins/metals knocked loose by other supplements. For continuing maintenance as well as continued improvement. Demi saw gains on NCD alone for quite a while, but then plateaued. I continue to give it so that she gets the most out of the other supplements she takes as well.

2. Fish Oil - EPA/DHA - for general brain function, omega fatty acids. There's a theory of decreased myelination with Kabuki syndrome, which means the sheath around the nerves is not properly formed. I think additional fatty acids could assist in building up that sheath (which would improve neurological function in general), and they certainly won't hurt!

3. Juice Plus - for general wholefood nutritional support of fruits and vegetables. She does pretty well with vegetables, but she usually won't touch fruit.

4. Essential Daily Nutrients from Waiora - general nutritional support plus several beneficial trace minerals, additional wholefood goodness.

5. ALA - Alpha Lipoic Acid - antioxidant which acts as a gentle chelator, supposedly crossing the blood brain barrier. NCD picks up the metals knocked loose by ALA (hopefully). We've been using this on aggressively since she's been out on school break for the last week. It seems to be doing some good. She seemed to pick up more easily on her latest round of sight words - not nearly as much drilling as the last round. Could be my rose-colored glasses again...

6. ProCulture Gold probiotic - for improved intestinal flora and digestive support

7. SaccB - for fighting yeast, which sometimes increases when getting rid of metals

8. ThreeLac - for fighting yeast

9. GABA - for calming and slowing the brain down. Kind of the opposite of glutathione (which did not test well for Demi). Just started this one today - we'll see how it goes.

10. Zinc - Good to supplements with NCD, plus she tested at 100% for it, which supposedly means that her body needs it.

11. Digestive Enzymes - for digestive support

12. Homeopathic Insecticides - to get rid of insecticide toxins

13. L. Acidophillus - I haven't started this yet, but I have it on hand in case she has to get another round of antibiotics (which I try to avoid). It helps restore the good bacteria in the gut to maintain digestive health.

I think that's all. That's enough for me to keep track of right now!

Alternative Medicine

Close to a month ago, I took Demi to a local alternative health practitioner. A super nice lady. She explained everything about the machine she was using and answered all my questions. I had no misconceptions of what she might be able to do.

I went because I'm open to alternative methods of attaining health. I don't believe conventional medicine knows everything about the energy of life within each human being.

The testing revealed some interesting possibilities that might be going within Demi's various systems. Over the course of the testing, she "treated" Demi periodically with the machine, a process similar to "reverse biofeedback." Perhaps it sounds hokey, but, like I said, I'm open to the possibilities.

Among other things, the testing revealed insecticides contributing to her toxic load. It did not show specific heavy metal toxicity. It also revealed consistent stomach problems which can often contribute to imbalances in other organs. The insecticides and stomach issues showed up as part of every organ analysis, so I elected to start a homeopathic remedy for the insecticides and digestive enzymes for the stomach issues.

Interestingly, the test also hinted at possible blood sugar regulation issues, something she has never shown signs of. She has even had a normal fasting blood sugar analysis. The test indicated that the pancreas might be under stress.

That's interesting to me because kids with Kabuki sometimes have blood sugar issues, largely masked until a crisis arises. One child even had undiagnosed hypoglycemia which subsequently led to her death following a routine surgery.

Just recently, I learned that another Kabuki kid (18yo, I think) was recently diagnosed with Type I Diabetes, where the pancreas shuts down insulin production, possibly caused by a virus. Could this test be indicating the very beginning of a problem where I could head off the onset of diabetes? That's a stretch, but a possibility.

Although the treatment could have positively impacted Demi's learning abilities and attention span, I have to say that I have not seen that (even through my rose-colored glasses). But I still believe the supplements we're giving her are helping, although very slowly.

The treatment did seem to coincide with a sudden onset of fatigue, fever, and general illness. Prior to the test, Demi was already suffering from a cold. Following the treatment, she became exceptionally tired and missed two days of school - lots of congestion and fever. I took her to the Dr during that to make sure her ears weren't infected again.

Even though the machine's treatment did not seem to help Demi's main issues, it seemed to have some very interesting insight into Demi's holistic health. The health practitioner was very sincere and involved during the entire 2.5+hr appt. I value her advice on supplements

I'll be sure to post with any additional developments in this area.

Continuing Ear Saga

After a week, the infection and perforation seemed to be resolved. I scheduled appts with her audiologist and ENT just to be absolutely sure everything was ok -- these were a few weeks out so we'd know whether the eardrum had healed completely or not. Her hearing seemed significantly affected right after the perforation. Since this was her "good" ear, I hoped no permanent damage had been done.

Early December, Demi saw the audiologist who verified her hearing was "mostly" back to normal. She attributed the mild decrease to a small amount of fluid still in the car. Mid-December, we went to the ENT for a final check. The fluid was worse, but no infection. Because of the worsened fluid, her hearing was pretty bad in that ear.

We have to see someone else in the future to verify the fluid has resolved. I'm looking for a natural decongestant to avoid using prescription or OTC decongestants.

Beautiful Moment

I spend so much time trying to "fix" Demi (to HELP her!) that I often lose sight of what a beautiful child she is, regardless of her abilities.

The other night, DH and I were watching a movie. Dana was already in bed (voluntarily!). Demi was flitting around the house, talking to herself, usually replaying some sort of fictional dialog, usually related to some recent experience. She seemed totally oblivious to us as she roamed from the living room to the kitchen, dining room, and back to the living room, playing the continuous dialog.

DH muted the TV and we focused on Demi, just watching her. She didn't stop her dialog. She seemed aware that we were watching her, but it didn't bother her. I listened to her dialog and thought it was quite creative and cute. True, a "typical" 6yo would not behave that way, but watching her brought a smile to my face because she was just being Demi. Viewed without the "expectation" filter, she was just enjoying herself, relating an interesting story. Very cute.

She's kind, friendly, happy, funny, cooperative, trusting, without a trace of viciousness or guile or ill will towards anyone, including her sister (despite some occasional underhandedness on the part of her sister). A beautiful person, inside and out. I'm so blessed to be her mom.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Ear Update

Monday, after Demi's eardrum ruptured on Sunday, I took her in to the doctor. There was so much fluid in her ear canal that he couldn't even see the eardrum to verify any holes. Because of the amount of drainage, he assumed it had perforated and prescribed an oral antibiotic as well as a topical antibiotic for the ear canal (which was the primary source of pain after the perforation).
I accepted the oral antibiotics as a necessity, but I bumped up her probiotics to counter the damage to good intestinal bacteria. She was already battling yeast; I hated to give it an even strong foothold.

Ear Problems

Various things going on with Demi that I need to update. Following some nasal congestion in late October, Demi's "good" eardrum ruptured. Apparently infected, but the only warning I had was "My ear hurts" once on Thursday evening.
Friday afternoon, she declared she didn't feel good and wanted to go to bed, but no ear complaints.
Saturday morning, a slight trickle of amber fluid from her ear. I had put some drops in her ear on Thursday; I assumed perhaps they'd melted some wax and it was coming out. Lots more complaining Saturday; enough to prompt me to call the on-call doctor, who agreed we should wait and see.
By Sunday morning, amber fluid had matted her hair to the side of her head and crusted her cheek and neck. Not much doubt in my mind that it had ruptured. Poor baby!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

NCD vs Viral Meningitis

I'm way overdue posting some of our adventures!
We went on vacation to Canada last month to visit family. The day after arriving, Dana (4yo) complained that her stomach hurt and her head hurt. She didn't want lunch and just wanted to lay in bed (VERY unusual for her). I had had a mild headache for the last day or so, but this same day, my headache intensified and was quite uncomfortable. I tried taking aspirin which my aunt had available, but the headache persisted.

Later that night, poor Dana had a temperature of 102. We both had a troubled night with frequent wakings and a steady headache. My neck was also very sore, to the point that I had difficulty lifting my head while lying in bed. We had no idea what the problem was.

Thankfully, the next day, Dana seemed to snap out of it in the afternoon. The following day, I got some ibuprofen in hopes of alleviating the headache. I was not going to let a headache, no matter how bad, ruin our vacation. We had places to go and people to see!

Anyway, the headache eventually went away, after bothering me for two days, and we finished our vacation.

After returning home, I spoke to a friend, whom we had last seen about a week before we left on vacation. Her daughter is good friends with Dana. She told me how her husband had ended up in the ER after developing a terrible headache that he couldn't shake. The description she gave sounded amazingly like the symptoms Dana and I had experienced! He was eventually diagnosed with Viral Meningitis.

After looking it up on the internet, I learned that Viral Meningitis is fairly common, sometimes coming from mosquitoes, and, although uncomfortable, is not a serious condition. It typically clears in about a week. The lining of the brain and spinal cord becomes inflamed, which causes the headache and stiff neck. (Bacterial Meningitis is the serious form of meningitis which needs to be medically addressed immediately. The bacterial variety can kill in a matter of days.) My friend mentioned that the only thing that can help with viral meningitis is an anti-viral drug.

All the symptoms matched except the one-week thing. Dana's was over in a day and mine took about two days to clear. We both take Juice Plus+ and NCD. I believe the JP+ give our immune systems a head start to fight off any kind of infection. Since NCD also has anti-viral properties, the virus didn't get very far. Far enough to give us each a nasty headache, but not far enough to put us out of commission for a week and ruin our long-awaited vacation!

Truth Gleaned from "Cancer Update from John Hopkins" E-mail Hoax

You've probably already received an e-mail claiming to be from "John Hopkins" which explains how dioxins and other harmful materials leach out of plastic when heated or frozen.
You may have also discovered, perhaps through Snopes, that the e-mail is a hoax. It was not disseminated by Johns Hopkins and plastics don't even contain dioxins.

But, this analysis, from an official Johns Hopkins source, reveals that, although the e-mail was a hoax, we still have reason for concern about plastics and foods.

Dr. Halden explains how dioxins are horrendous environmental pollutants, from both natural and man-made sources, which cause reproductive and developmental defects, liver damage, and cancer. However, plastics do not contain dioxins.

He goes on to explain why people should be more worried about the quality of the water they're drinking rather than the container they're drinking from.

He continues explaining that, although plastics do not contain dioxins, they do contain phthalates, which are added to plastics to make them flexible and less brittle. Phthalates interfere with the endocrine system, which can lead to numerous health issues. Heating plastics increases leaching of phthalates from containers and allows contamination of food and liquids. He gives an example of a simple drinking straw with a warning about not for use with hot liquids. If such a labeled straw is used in a hot liquid, those phthalates or other chemicals leach from the straw into your hot beverage and eventually into your body where they cause havoc.

Although we can avoid pollutants and contaminants by learning about the dangers, we can't possibly know about every single toxin we put into our body. The only way to avoid toxins is to stop eating, stop drinking, and stop breathing. I'd rather not, thank you.

Luckily, we have the benefit of the master detoxifier, NCD liquid zeolites, to rid our bodies of dioxins, phthalates, heavy metals, and any other toxins that sneak into us. Learn more...

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Autism Case Lands in Court

Cases of autism, inevitably caused by toxic poisoning in some form, are becoming more and more evident. Natural Cellular Defense can make a huge difference for an autistic child.
This landmark court case is reviewing, in a court of law, whether or not autism can be caused by vaccines.

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

IEP Time!

It's that time of year again, as anyone with a child with special needs knows, to review progress and come up with a new IEP. I just went today for Demi's. MUCH better than last year! Yea for Demi!

Last year, as I've mentioned here before, Demi struggled to make progress. What seemed like simple goals (trace her name, draw a stick person, cut across paper) were mountains for her. She struggled with the same tasks for most of the year. I started her on Natural Cellular Defense (liquid zeolite) last March and she finally started making progress. By the end of the school year, she had started to make progress, but not enough to accomplish her goals.

Amazingly, she didn't regress at all over the summer and continued slow, but steady, progress this entire school year. In the words of one administrator at the meeting today, "she has made amazing progress!" Her speech has increased incredibly (from barely intelligible at home to mostly intelligible to strangers), she recognizes all her upper and lower case letters, as well as their sounds, which is actually age-appropriate - woohoo! She accomplished her goals so quickly this year that we started adding new ones back in December and again in February!

Of course, none of her progress would have been possible without support from great teachers and therapists (who have remained largely the same over the last 2-3 years), but I believe NCD lifted some fog in her brain which allowed all of the learning to sink in.

As my skeptical father said at one point, "Whatever you're doing, keep doing it!" I definitely will!

Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Therapeutic Listening

We've been on "break" from the Therapeutic Listening since before Christmas - over 2 months now. I haven't seen any regression at all. Hard to say whether the listening had a good effect that stuck around or had no effect. We definitely noticed difference while going through it, so it was touching something.

Demi is visiting grandparents this week of "Mid-Winter Break". Yea! No kids for the week! I feel a slight tinge of guilt for feeling so unfettered, but it soon passes. ;) I'll be interested to hear the GP's report on Demi after this week. They haven't seen the girls since Christmas. Of course, they're always positive, but they try to be as honest and unbiased as grandparents can be.

We ran out of ThreeLac before I took them to the GP's. I'm a bit worried that Demi will regress with out it (i.e. yeast will flare). I need to get it ordered so I can hit it hard when she comes home.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

No negatives yet

I started Demi on Liver Life last week when it came. We worked up to 10 drops/3x/day on that, per advice from AutismNCD group. Once I started the LL, I started increasing her NCD. We did 10 drops today with no ill effects. I got the liquid zinc earlier this week but have not given her any yet. I plan to hold 10 drops through the weekend, start a low dose of zinc tomorrow (just in case), and then ramp up more on NCD next week. I've gotta keep a handle on the yeast; I think it's starting to creep back in again.

I've had some nice mini-surprises lately. Last night when I was making supper (manicotti), Dana asked what the spaghetti sauce in the bottom of the pan was for (Dana is typically sharper than Demi). Before I could answer, Demi spouted, "It's to help it cook better!" I had not mentioned anything about the dish or the process before this exchange ( and I don't think I'd ever made manicotti before!). She was totally clued in!

We had speech therapy today. Her therapist mentioned that she was going to need to test her again to make sure we're still on the right track. She said once certain skills start clicking (oral motor), others fall into place quickly. She needs to reassess where Demi is, even though it's only been 6-7 months since she was tested. Now, that's progress! :D

Another "new" thing for Demi has been chiropractic adjustments. She just had her third one today. I can't say it's doing anything (who knows!), but I thought it was worth a try since it was extremely convenient (same time and location as her weekly therapy) and also covered by insurance. On the evening after her first adjustment, she seemed unusually chatty on the phone. Typically, she answers questions with single word responses. That night (a week ago), she was yakking on about different kids in her class, different things she'd done. Of course, Nana couldn't understand most of what she was saying, but she was talking up a blue streak! Could be all coincidence...

Monday, January 22, 2007

Ramping up NCD again

Things seem to be back to normal now for Demi. After taking her NCD dose down to 4 drops (12/day) and giving her 2 sachets of Threelac each day, her severe lack of attention dimished last week.

I'm ready to try again, but I procrastinated and only ordered the zinc and Liver Life just now. I'll try increasing slightly, but I won't go over that dangerous 8 drops level until I can get some zinc and liver life into her, which might not be until next week.

Last Friday, her teacher tested her for letter sound identification and she got all but 3. Yea, Demi! Based on that result after listening to the Alphamotions song MANY times at school, I'm guessing she's an auditory learner. I'll have to figure out how to teach her things that way. Any suggetions?

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Yeast Control

Perhaps I'm getting too impatient. Or perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions.

I'm just upset that Demi has been so "not with it" since mid-December. I'm pretty sure it's because I pushed her NCD dose without yeast control in place (we had run out ThreeLac). I really didn't notice her lack of attention and spaciness untilafter Christmas some time (close to 2 wks after running out of ThreeLac.) Unfortunately, I think the yeast got a firm foothold and it's not yet backing down.

I'm wondering if I should hold on the NCD and let the ThreeLac start to catch up over time, or should I stop NCD long enough to get the yeast under control before ramping up on NCD again. I guess I should ask them over at AutismNCD to see which would be quicker and more effective.

Saturday, January 13, 2007

Hitting a wall at 24 drops

Well, we worked up to 8 drops, 3x/day, on Thursday as planned. However, Thursday night, I noticed that dry cough coming back. Friday morning when she got up, she had a lot of mucous in her eyes, like the start of pink eye. I backed off to 6 drop doses on Friday, 7 drop doses today (Saturday). She's been back to normal since I backed off the 8 drops.

According to the "experts" at AutismNCD, she needs some zinc to bust through those cold symptoms. I guess that will be the next thing added to her supplement arsenal that's building. Wow, you just kind of wade into this thing looking for alternatives and then you start seeing changes, along with a few negatives that need another solution, then more gains, then more problems requiring yet another supplement. You just don't know how out of balance a system is until you try to get it back into balance.

I'm happy to do it all as long as I continue seeing gains!

Tuesday, January 09, 2007

Another "Restart"

Demi had a bit of a break over the weekend to get rid of her detox symptoms. Yesterday, she had 5 drops, 3x/day. Today up to 6, 3x/day. We'll hold at 8 drops (24/day) through Monday and then progress more slowly. Perhaps what she went through was what they call a "detox crash" over on AutismNCD.

We also have ThreeLac again now, so I'm giving her two sachets of that a day to hopefully improve her latest regression of not listening. It was so nice having her be SO compliant just a few weeks ago. She would even do things without being asked and was quite tuned in to helping out, even cleaning up her room without being asked. Lately, she's been off in her own world, not caring what anyone else is doing. For me, it's rather difficult to see the benefits until you see a regression back to what it used to be.

I've mentioned that I'm giving her fish oil before, but I don't know that I've ever said how much. I give her about 2T/day. Regular dose is 1 tsp/day, so she gets about 6 times the normal dose. Because Kabuki may be related to insufficient myelination, I believe she needs all the EFA's I can get into her. She's very good about taking her liquid fish oil.

Saturday, January 06, 2007

Dangers of Toxins

Much more often, we're starting to hear about the dangers of toxins in the mainstream media:

NCD Today Show: Toxic People
Ground Zeo Toxicity
National Geographic's Pollution Within
Canada's CBC News Chasing The Cancer Answer

Just to name a few.

Understandably, it's a growing concern. Far too many people have never heard these reports (those would be the ostriches with their heads in the sand) or choose to ignore the information (the notorious "it could never happen to me" or skeptical "it's all hype"). Wake up call! 1 in 2 people in North America will get cancer. Ok, that's either you or me, and I'm not ignoring the facts. (Hopefully you aren't either and there are 2 other unfortunate souls out there somewhere.)

“Most of the diseases of aging —vascular, most cancers, arthritis and others-- have been shown to be associated with toxic metals …..”
Dr. Robert A. Nash, Chairman of the American Board of Clinical Metal Toxicology

“Evidence from 21 research studies … linking toxicants in the environment to breast cancer…” Breast Cancer Fund, October, 2004

So why aren't more people doing something about it? There IS something you can do on a daily basis to combat toxins in the environment, water, food, air, cleaning products, toiletry products, etc., etc. Sure, you may choose to invest in a whole-house water filter, eat all organic foods, make your own clothing from organic cotton grown in your back yard (might take a few years to get that new shirt). Living in an area with "cleaner" air, eating "healthier" foods, shunning toxin-laden toiletries like deoderant and toothpaste (cleanliness is over-rated) are all good things to do to decrease the amount of toxins entering your body. However, NO ONE can escape them totally.

Natural Cellular Defense (NCD), cellular zeolite, liquid zeolite, whatever you want to call it, helps the body eliminate the flood of toxins present in today's environment. With the body burden lifted, the body's immune system kicks in, nutrients are better absorbed, organs function more efficiently. Having extra help to get toxins out of the body helps the body fight disease today and prevent disease from occurring in the future. What a bargain!

Remember, NCD does not treat or cure any disease. The BODY does that on its own.

Friday, January 05, 2007

Waiora: Incredible Opportunity

Ok, I just have to digress a bit. As time goes by, I get more and more excited about this company Waiora and the products it offers. They've definitely helped my daughter, but I talk to new people every day who are seeing great results. Not just with Natural Cellular Defense, but with Essential Daily Nutrients (High 5), Healthy Aging, Superior Fiber Blend, Advanced Antioxidant Formula, not to mention the "Botox in a Bottle" Antioxidant Serum, and the list goes on.

The products are based on such sound principles that it's easy to see why they're so successful. Just the liquid zeolite/High 5 combination, for example, helps so many different ailments. This combination first takes the toxins out the body, which allows the body to start healing itself, and then gives the body critical nutrients with which to heal and repair damage done by toxins and disease. These products simply make it easier for the body to heal itself! Who doesn't need that??!

It won't be long before people will be knocking down the door to get in with the company, if only for the great wholesale discount. Plus, you get the added bonus of earning commissions to offset the cost of your own healing products. How is that not a great deal??

The timing is great because the company is still extremely young (less than 3 years old), rock solid financially (0, nada, nothing, zilch in debt), and coming out with a new block buster product every year. Natural Cellular Defense in 2005, EDN in 2006, and a new product scheduled for release in 2007. They're addressing the critical issues for an aging population: fighting disease and aging, aches & pains, looking and feeling youthful. Hello! Who out there hasn't heard of that generational phenomenon called the Baby Boomers?? They've affected some industry in a big way in each phase of their lives; the wellness industry will be no different as they enter their Golden Years.

You can really build a real business with Waiora. You work hard and produce results, you collect a large check. You develop of team of like-minded, excited individuals who you enjoy spending time with (usually on the phone ;) ). You can work from your home in your jammies if you like. How many companies offer that package to ALL of their associates?? You can build a business, a future, a dream, all in the process of helping people regain their health and freedom. Now that's a fulfilling job!

Waiora has the whole package, lock, stock and barrell. And it's so simple to get involved!

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Detox Symptoms

Almost two weeks later now (my, how time flies through the holidays!).

Less than a week after the last post, Demi had been taking usually 10 drops 2x/day of cellular zeolite, just because I was forgetting the third dose. Last Friday, she suddenly came down with cold-like symptoms - runny/snotty nose, coughing, tired, red eyes. Her eyes got more red on Saturday and by Sunday, I was convinced it was pink eye. Luckily, we had some leftover drops to use, so it didn't get too bad and didn't infect her sister. She is still coughing a bit and has laryngitis.

A couple of other mothers over at AutismNCD mentioned seeing very similar symptoms, so I strongly suspect that Demi is getting detox symptoms from the increased dose. It just took 1.5 weeks to show up. If that's the case, I guess I need to back off the dose a bit so she can get back to normal. It's no fun being sick, even if you're detoxing and not really sick.

We also ran out of ThreeLac a few weeks ago. I wasn't sure it was helping that much, since I wasn't totally convinced Demi had a yeast problem. Lately, I've been noticing that she doesn't listen very well. Could that be part of the equation, too? It's difficult figuring out what works, what doesn't, what works with what, etc, etc. It's all a balancing act and you're never quite sure what things you're supposed to be balancing.

Oh, by the way, did I mention that I've partnered with Team In Training and will be running the ING Atlanta Marathon (yes, that's 26 miles. ugh!) in March. All donations go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for finding a cure for those diseases. Check out my TNT website for training updates (14 miles scheduled this weekend) and to donate.