Intro from newbie to group-long but interesting (I hope)

[Guest guest]

I'm so glad I found this group!

I'm Tracey in Indianapolis. I've been gradually doing Traditional

Nutrition for over two years, as I've been able to afford it and find

sources. I'm a homeschooling mom of two (I remember Carma Padden

from an excellent homeschool e-group that got too busy for me to keep

up with; her posts were always interesting; hi, Carma!) with one more

on the way. I also have a home business selling Usborne books that

is what enables us to eat this way. Otherwise I'd be wistfully

shopping at the grocery, where I've only been about once in the last

year to get birthday cake decorations.

My story:

My parents both grew up on farms where they raised their own food; my

dad's family had been Amish until his grandpa left the church. So

they had good, strong native nutrition with only a little western

influence. My mother, though, was unable to nurse me. As a result,

the family tendency for hayfever turned into horrible allergies for

me. By the time I was two I was tested for cystic fybrosis becuase

of my mucus production and tiny stature. It was negative, but I was

constantly sick. I was a walking Petrie dish, catching everything.

My pediatrician refused to give them a referral to an allergist for

some reason. Finally when I was 8, and had missed 1/3 of 3rd grade

due to contant illnesses, they took matters into their own hands and

contacted an old highschool friend who happens to now be the most

respected allergist in the country, the Jarvik of allergies. He did

a patch test and discovered that I was allergic to 80 different

classes of molds alone, let alone pollen, dander of various animals,

smoke, yeasts, mildews; no foods however.

He didn't then (and still doesn't) believe in shots, but avoidance.

But my condition was so bad he put me on decongestants and

antihistimines so I could get some relief. He told my parents I

could have no processed food. Because of their backgrounds, that

wasn't too difficult.

I did get some relief quickly; however if I missed a dose I was back

to square one. And as I grew I needed ever higher doses.

Two or three years later, a professor at our local college bought a

couple of milk cows, Guernseys I think. He had seven kids and milk

prices were skyrocketing. But the two or three cows he had were

producing more milk than they could drink, and he was frugal. So it

quietly became known in certain circles that his milkhouse was always

open, and for some reason people left money in a basket on the shelf

and left him empty gallon jars at precisely 4 p.m. (cow shares had

not been invented yet). His farm was right next to my dad's pharmacy

on the edge of town, so it was simple to get milk from him, within an

hour of milking.

We drank that milk until I was 18 and went to college--in the same

town, but I was drinking and eating all commercial food at the dining

commons. We had thought I'd outgrown my allergies, because about six

months after we started getting raw milk, I started going through

puberty, and my symptoms eventually nearly completely vanished. I

still took my medications, but hadn't had to have an increase in

dosage in several years. The last year of high school I forgot to

take them alot, with no ill effects.

But within a few months of starting college, my symptoms returned.

My allergist had to up the dosage. Within a couple more years he had

to start me on inhaled steroids and Claritin. And when I was 25, I

was so constantly ill again, even with all the meds, that I nearly

dropped out of graduate school.

While I was at graduate school, when standard medicine failed to stop

my illnesses, I went into an herb store that I passed every day on my

way to classes. I told the owner my problems, and he suggested I try

goldenseal. It did help kick the persistant URI I was having. I

began going to health food stores in the area, and my energy level

began to improve, although my symptoms were still just as bad. I

remember I was craving kefir.

When I was 31, I had a severe reaction to some food at an Indian

restaurant and nearly died. All I could think of was my 1-year-old

son. My allergist did another patch test, and found that while some

of my old allergies were lesser in reaction, I had a whole crop of

new ones, including some foods this time. I was put on so many

medications I could not afford to buy them, even with copays. He

gave me samples as much as he could to help. I was having a hard

time advancing at work by now because I was sick so often.

Two years later, when we'd outgrown our house with the birth of my

daughter, we moved. I opened a Montessori-style daycare in my home,

promising organic food at lunch. In the course of search for

affordable organic kid food, I found out that a local farm was going

to have milk. At this point I hadn't done any research. I just

remembered loving it as a child.

The farm didn't have any cowshare owners yet when I contacted them.

They had just bought several Dutch Belted cows and were worried that

no one would trust them enough to make their investment pay. I was

thrilled to get the milk. They were thrilled to have me. They gave

me a Realmilk.com flyer.

I was astounded by what I read. I started telling everybody I came

into prolonged contact about it. I noticed myself that that winter

my allergies weren't as bad as previous years, and they continued to

lessen. Within a year I was greatly improved, but still kept my

rescue inhaler and shot kit with me.

Then I went to visit a friend in another part of the US. She has an

old, dusty house; several cats and dogs, a mildewy fish tank; and

lives in a pine grove. All major allergens for me. I forgot my

meds. She overbooked inviting friends, and I ended up on the same

couch that the animals loved to roost on. I was panicing thinking

that they were going to have to rush me to the ER in the middle of

the night, and it would ruin everyone's visit.

Instead, I slept soundly with nary a wheeze or sniffle.

That was April a couple of years ago. That summer, and every one

since, and every spring since, people have had to tell me it's a bad

year for allergies, because I sure couldn't tell!

And my previous two pregnancies took three months each to get

pregnant, and then I was sick the entire pregnancy, the second time

with pneumonia, resulting in premature birth. This time is was one

or two tries; I'm healthy as a horse (just chased a cold in under 10

hours), and the midwife says my uterus is so big it's either twins or

I'm extrordinarily muscular. I've lost about 30% of my body weight,

I don't need as much sleep, and I'm 39 years old!! I feel about like

I did at 18.

What we're doing now:

Garden of Life Living Multi (wish they made it for kids--does Jordan

Rubin ever visit this forum?)

Raw Milk (pasture fed from the best breed, Dutch Belted

Coconut Oil,

Pasturefed Beef

Free range chickens and eggs

Celtic sea salt

deep ocean fish; cold water

spring water

Ezekial bread; whey-soaked oatmeal

codliver oil (Carlson's)

all organic produce and peanut butter

raw butter and cheese from pasture-fed

liver from pasture fed

Just started Beet Kvass, kefir, and creme fraiche last night

will be starting Kombucha in a month--is that safe when I'm PG?

Just about to stop eating pork (Maker's Diet)

I want to do lots of whey-fermented produce this summer, because the

kefir will provide me with plenty of high-quality whey!

Anyhow, that's us, in a coconut shell, which is probably where we

belong!

Smiles,

Tracey

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tracey Rollison

Supervisor

Usborne Books at Home,

One of Fortune's Top 100 Small Businesses 2003

(317)894-7040

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