Matthew's Puzzle and a mom putting it all together

How Verizon Wireless FiOS Makes My Life Easier

May 16, 2011 By Maryann

When we decided it was time to move one of the things we were most excited to find out about our new neighborhood was that it was FiOS ready. Our old neighborhood wasn’t supposed to get FiOS for several more years and we were sick and tired of the local cable company. We even tried one of the satellite companies, and although they were better than the cable company, they still weren’t great. So having Verizon FiOS in our new home was a great selling point.

“But what is the big deal”, you may ask? “Why would she care so much?” Well first of all, my hubby loves electronics so anything that makes them faster and more accessible has his two thumbs up, but for me it comes down to reliability and convenience. As a mom I need to know that when I turn on my computer to find out if my children need to wear a rain coat today, that connection will be made quickly, because I don’t have a lot of time in the mornings.

But even more so I need to keep in touch with all of Matthew’s therapists. We are often in contact over email to follow his progress, to make scheduling changes and to discuss any issues that may arrive. During some of the storms we had this past winter, FiOS helped keep me well informed so we could make decisions about ours, and our therapists’, safety. And speaking of storms, since our FiOS cables are buried, we see little interference from weather. Lately, this has become a big deal to us because although our area historically does not have tornadoes, the last few years have shown a drastic change in that pattern. Just this past month we had five counties under tornado warnings, the highest ever in our state, and since my hubby was out of town, I needed to have up to the minute information in case I needed to round up the boys and head to the basement. FiOS Internet and television allowed me to do just that, even when the weather conditions were extreme.

And while my husband was out of town we used both the FiOS Internet and telephone services to keep in contact. The boys loved talking to their daddy over Skype, which Larry installed on my machine before he left. And I felt better knowing he was only a phone call away.

The Internet is truly a lifeline for us as a biomedical family. I order almost all of Matthew’s supplements on-line and I use it to research doctors, protocols and autism news. Because we are so concerned with toxins in our food supply we order organic produce through a local CSA and that is done exclusively from their website. We even keep in touch with his DAN! Doctor through email, making adjustments to his supplements as needed. And as a Rescue Angel with Generation Rescue, other ASD families rely on my email to get in touch with me and start down the path to recovery.

Since we have three small children it isn’t always easy or practical to go out, so we often have “date night” at home. We use the video on demand option to catch up on TV shows we may have missed, or to watch a movie. But one of my favorite features is the YouTube Widget, where we have watched many spoof videos, which always leads to more silly videos. Another awesome feature is the local WeatherBug Widget, so I can keep track of those pesky tornadoes I told you about. (Really, I’m not that weather obsessed, it is just a cool option.)

Now you can see why I was excited to have a FiOS-ready home.

Stay Well.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Verizon FiOS blogging program for a gift card and/or payment. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Why I use Enhansa and Barlean’s Olive Leaf Extract

May 12, 2011 By Maryann

Right after Matthew was born, 6 years ago, I developed a sharp pain in my left hip. I couldn’t cross my legs, I couldn’t sit crisscross applesauce on the floor, and I couldn’t sleep on either side at night. The pain would actually wake me from a sound sleep. I saw my primary care physician who told me it was sciatica and there wasn’t anything that could be done. Sometimes it got a little better when I was pregnant, but not much and I ended up suffering for years with the pain. I tried yoga to stretch it out, but it never did much. Finally after our youngest was born I decided I needed to take care of myself, so off to the orthopedic doctor I went. He immediately diagnosed me with bursitis to the left hip. I got a cortisone shot, my first ever, and was looking forward to feeling much better. But then the doctor informed me that one shot usually didn’t do the trick, you needed a second. I barely had time for the first appointment, how was I going to come back in 6 weeks for another one?

So I started looking on line for home remedies and came across a suggestion of curcumin, the active compound in turmeric. Well I already had Enhansa in the house because we use it for Matthew, so I decided to give it a shot. I worked myself up to two capsules twice a day and I noticed a marked improvement in my hip pain. But it was still there. Then I decided to try some Olive Leaf Extract, not for the hip pain, but for yeast. I went to the market and found Barlean’s Olive Leaf Complex and decided to try it ( along with their omega 3-6-9 orange swirl which is super yummy!). After adding Barlean’s to the mix I was surprised when my hip pain was completely relieved. I don’t know why this worked. I really have no idea, but it did. I sit here pain free for the first time in 6 years.

NOW, PLEASE REMEMBER I AM NOT A DOCTOR AND THIS INFORMATION IS PURELY FOR ENTERTAINMENT! YOU MUST TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR TO DETERMINE WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU!

Curcumin can be contraindicated in some people and I have no idea about olive leaf extract, so please talk to a knowledgeable doctor first.

Sloppy Joe Recipe

April 18, 2011 By Maryann

Matthew was asking me to make GFCF Bisquick biscuits For dinner. I figured I’d make a batch, but I couldn’t come up with anything to go with them. I finally settled on Sloppy Joes.

1 lb of grass fed ground beef
1 medium white or yellow onion, chopped
Several sweet peppers, I used about 4, red, yellow and orange. -they are small and look like brightly colored jalapenos, but they have no heat.
Several small button mushrooms, diced small
1 carrot, diced small
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
1/2 small can of tomato paste
1/4 cup or less brown sugar
1/4 cup or more vinegar, red wine or cider
Couple tablespoons of molasses
2 teaspoons McCormick Montreal Steak Seasoning

Sauté onions, sweet peppers and carrots in a large pan with a little olive oil. Once they have cooked and are soft you can add the mushrooms, and steak seasoning. Cook until mushrooms are soft. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, brown sugar, and vinegar. Let cook for 5 to 10 minutes and add meat. Meat will cook in sauce and will break apart making a nice sloppy joe. Cook until meat is fully cooked, stirring often. Taste and adjust vinegar and sugar if necessary. Serve with GFCF biscuits!