A Breath of Fresh Air

In the past month I have experienced a wild turn of events. It is something that is best described as a Miracle.

To give you a bit of background, my life has been marked by sickness and major surgeries since childhood. Normal daily activities have been hard to keep up with. To say that pregnancy was hard on me would be an understatement. I have been carted from specialist to specialist most of my life. Most recently, I had been experiencing jaw & facial pain. It had gotten so bad that I was mostly living off of smoothies.

I went to a specialist for TMJ--Dr. Farrand Robson in Tacoma. He told me that TMJ was the least of my worries. Instead, the greater issue is that I have been "choking on my tongue" for pretty much my whole life.

He went on to explain that because I had too many teeth pulled in elementary school the natural boundaries for my tongue changed. As a result my tongue is going too far back in my mouth and depriving me of oxygen. He said that this accounts for my low blood-pressure, high heart-rate, cold/blue hands and feet, and "asthma".

That same day he fitted me for a retainer. This helps pull my tongue forward. I thought the doctor was crazy until he put this thing in my mouth...AND I BREATHED like I have never breathed before. I got really dizzy from all the oxygen! After a few minutes of wearing the retainer my hands started feeling weird. I looked down and they were turning pink and were warming up!! I went home and slept like I have NEVER slept before!

My doctor said that a lot of my other health problems will probably fade away because my body will not have to put so much effort into breathing. We are hopeful, but also realize this will take time.

This will be a three to four month process with the doctor, fitting and adjusting the retainer (AKA orthotic) as my mouth and body adjust to the changes.This process will cost $16,000, which is not covered by insurance. My doctor is writing a letter to let the insurance company know that this is medically necessary for me. I am also going to make an appeal for them to pay.

Dr. Robson's office has a payment plan, but it is too steep for us. We know that God definitely brought me this far and gave me an amazing new joy-- experiencing oxygen!! We know that He will provide for this somehow.

Please pray for provision, and please pray for us as we go through this 4-month adjustment.

With and Without

 Here is a series of pictures that show the difference between when I am wearing the orthotic in my mouth and when I have taken it out for a while. (I have to take it out while I am eating)

The following pictures were taken without 
the orthotic in my mouth.

Before: This is what my hands used to look like a lot of the time.  This picture was  taken after a meal.

Before: Notice the white on the tips of my fingers. They are white because my capillaries are clenching and not allowing blood to come in.  

Before: Note the blue color, also the white sections.

Before: Another look at my hands without the orthotics.

The following pictures were taken with 

the orthotic in my mouth.

After: Blood is starting to refill my hands now that I have the orthotic back in. Notice the different color in my fingertips.

After: Blood is returning to my hands. This is another look at the  pinking up process.

After: This is after I had been wearing the orthotic for a while and my hands had fully warmed up. 

After: My new normal! A lot less blue!

Commonly Asked Questions

The following questions are in regards to my orthotic and the Oral Systemic Balance


How is this different from the mouth guard you can buy at the grocery store, or custom ones made by your dentist?
I tried the grocery store mouth guard and the custom mouth guard from my dentist before going to see Dr. Robson. Neither of these helped me, in fact they made me worse.

While, my orthotic does fit over my teeth in a similar way, however, the design of it is completely different. The other mouth guards just prevent your teeth from grinding on one another. This orthotic actually redirects my tongue and jaw so that I get more air.

My orthotic is worn all day and all night. The only time I take it out is to eat. I have grown accustomed to the proper amounts of oxygen. It is very noticeable when I take it out, my hands start turning blue, and my chest starts pulling back in. My body also starts to produce adrenaline to adjust to the decrease in air.

Why does it cost so much?
The orthotic itself does not cost $16,000, it is the entire process. This process is called Oral Systemic Balance. This is the estimated cost of my recovery process based on the best plan Dr. Robson has to get me well. The process can not be completed in just one sitting. As my body changes and responds to the increased level of oxygen, the orthotic needs to be changed and modified.

When I go to the office I am not just having a brief meeting with Dr. Robson. There are several technicians who work to adjust my orthotic. I also see an RN who is monitoring my body functions and changes. I receive complete care while in their office. Most of my appointments have lasted about 2 hours or more.


Have you continued to see improvement?
In the first week I noticed better sleeping, tone and color of my skin and more energy.

Within the month I stopped taking all my medications. 

Before I received my orthotic I had a large indentation in my chest. Since I have been wearing the orthotic my chest has pulled forward dramatically. The amount of air that I am getting in each breath has increased significantly.

Before this, if I did too many activities (fun or otherwise) it was always followed by some kind of sickness that lasted for a week. After getting the retainer/ orthotic I was able to go on a week long mission trip with my family, and I did not get sick when I returned.

I have had many more amazing experiences -- like what it's like to sing and breathe at the same time!

Our quality of life has improved dramatically. I am told that this is just the beginning.

Is this a common problem? 
As I understand it, this is an extremely common problem. There are lots of testimonies with dramatic results for all kinds of symptoms. There has been amazing results for those with Fibromyalgia, Autism, ADD and ADHD, Bulimia, Anorexia and many drug and alcohol addictions, depression, chronic fatigue, sleep apnea and the list goes on.

Side Note: I did not have any of the above conditions. 

How can I find out more about it?
Further information can be found at www.oralsystembiology.com.

A fellow patient and blogger share's her story at: http://myhealthtestimony.blogspot.com/.


There are numerous discussion threads that mention Doctor Farrand Robson
and Oral Systemic Balance(OSB).

Article by Dr. Robson

Article: Miracles in Medicine

It felt like a good idea

I love telling stories to children. I have to say that I think using felt pieces makes story telling extra fun. Children can see the story, and you can animate it for them. Then after you tell the story the children can play with the story elements.
I have even used felt pieces when teaching my creative writing class to older children. They loved it.
There are lots of sets out there to buy. The best ones tend to be rather expensive. I have been blessed because some friends gave us a bunch of felt pieces. Some of them are simple shapes and animal shapes. I use these to help the girls practice counting and simple addition and subtraction.
We also have some sets of fairy tale stories. They love to listen to those stories, then make up their own variations during their own pretend play time.
Most special of all, my Grammie gave me her felt board pieces that she used to use in Five Day Clubs. They are Bible characters and stories. Some came from kits, others she drew and colored herself. They are in amazing condition. It was so special for her to pass them to me. She knew I would use them as she had.

So, imagine my extreme excitement when I discovered a bag stuffed full of felt Bible pieces in our local thrift store for $20. I wanted to see what pieces it contained so I took it to the counter and opened it. Much to my dismay when the bag was opened an odious smell rose to my nose. To me the pieces reeked of cat pee. They were also covered in cat hair. (I am allergic to cats)

I brought this to the attention of the two ladies at the counter. So the ladies took turns sticking their faces in the plastic bag. "Oh no," they said ", it doesn't smell like cat pee, a cat just sat on it."
I was not convinced, I was still smelling cat pee, but they were sticking their faces into that smelly bag and coming back up only smelling cat.
So then began the group discussion as to whether or not these felt pieces could be washed.
Another customer joined the discussion and also smelled the bag. The lady thought they could probably be washed in the machine on cold and a delicate cycle.
Everyone had voted and I was out numbered. But, I was not going to pay $20 for a bag of felt pieces covered in cat fur and possibly cat pee.
So the ladies at the counter decided to take the bag of felt pieces to the experts in the back.
The experts in the back said that it reeked of cat pee and that they were going to throw it out. However, if I wanted them I could have them for free.
At this moment my brain malfunctioned.... it focused in on free felt pieces... sweet! I forgot to remember: #1. These are covered with cat pee. #2. They are covered with cat hair, and I am allergic. #3. I never looked to see what stories it contained. #4. Do I have time for this project?
Finally, after months of procrastination, I decided to open the smelly bag.
My friend Maria had started selling Norwex. The Norwex products are really quite amazing and I will be featuring them on my blog often. She gave me a sample bottle of the odor eliminator to test out. (All the products are environmentally friendly and safe for people with extremely sensitive allergies and asthma).

I threw the bag of stinky felt into the wash on cold with the odor eliminator. Amazingly it worked! There was no odor! But, they still had cat hair on them.
There were a lot more felt pieces in there than I realized. But the more I looked at them, the more random and weird they seemed. I had to lay them out to dry, and they took up my entire counter and table. Then I ended up using the lint roller on each piece. At this point Rory was very concerned that I had totally lost my mind.
I had to do an extensive online search to try and determine what story the pieces were from. In the end, they came from a bunch of different stories.
So there is a sad ending to this story.... I couldn't use any of the pieces!!! After all that time and energy.
However, the church has a similar set that someone donated. So maybe they will be used for good after all.
And, I got to test out the Norwex Odor Eliminator and I like it a latte! Check it out!

More than a Little Chicken

On Fridays I would like to take the time to talk about facing some of my many fears. Now, when I refer to something as a fear... it is more along the lines of an apprehension. For the purpose of this blog I will define 'fears' as:  things that I am not confident with, avoiding, have never done, or have tried with out much success. Since I have many  things that fit this description I have decided to devote a category to it on my blog. Here is the first installment of Freaky Friday. Freaky Friday is devoted to me sharing with you the story of how I tried to face yet another fear.

Today's Fear: Cooking a whole Bird

One of the most important keys to keeping your grocery budget down is to stop buying individual pieces of meat. It is best to wait until chicken goes on sale and then buy the whole bird. Your first meal will be Chicken Dinner, then you cut up and freeze the cooked meat and use it in other chicken dishes through out the month. From Chicken sandwiches, to salads, to stir fry, to chicken pot pie.... the list goes on. This should save you time and money.
I have heard this rule of thumb time and again. It makes sense.... I want to do it, but some how that bag of frozen, boneless, skinless, chicken breasts keep jumping into my cart while at Costco.

Then this little hen fluttered into my life....
As a family in the ministry at a church in a rural farming community we enjoy and also rely on people from the congregation sharing with us. We enjoy and survive on fresh meat, fruits and vegetables donated by people from their personal farms. It is a wonderful thing!
So when my friend Kris put a frozen chicken in each of my hands-- I thought "Here's my chance!"
These chickens came home with me sat in my freezer for a month, while I worked up the nerve to cook them. Then one day it happened.... we needed chicken. I defrosted the bird in the fridge and put it in the pan. Then I panicked.
What do I do with this thing! Do I need to reach up it's crevasse and pull some stuff out? Does it matter that there are a few feathers on the feet? Do I wash it off or something?

Fortunately my friend Maria was on her way over. She knew exactly what to do.
First she asked me, "How well did you know this chicken?"
"Well, I didn't know it personally, I am sure I saw it pecking around my friend's house before," I answered.
"Ah, so it's a laying hen!" Maria replied.
I just gave her a slow wide eyed nod at that point.
"Well in that case, put it in a pot and boil the heck out of it! Don't take it off the stove until the meat falls off the bones. You can't bake a laying hen, the meat will be too tough."

In a few swift moments Maria then sliced the laying hen open to make sure there were no parts left inside. She got rid of what remained. Then she washed the dirt off in cold water and plucked the remaining feathers.

I pulled out my one big pot and stuck the bird in there. But there was an issue with the feet. The fact that there were still feet.

No problem, Maria tired to use a knife to cut them off and then just started bashing the leg/foot against the edge of the pot until it broke off.

After filling the pot with water I added celery, onions, carrots and various herbs and olive oil to the pot while it simmered. Then when all the meat was falling off the bone I strained out the bones. I set some chicken and broth aside for chicken and rice soup. I kept a few containers of meat to use in Chicken Pot Pie. I also filled several ice cube trays with broth so that I would have smaller amounts available while cooking. Then I froze larger amounts of chicken broth in cleaned out yogurt containers.

As promised, that little chicken has provided several meals for us and lots of nourishing broth to use is many meals and soups to come.

Easter Bunny Bypass

It is that time of year again where parents find themselves in a merry-go-round of faith, logic and emotion.
To quote my husband, "Easter is the most important day of the whole year!" As Christians, Easter is the day that trumps all other days. Without the resurrection of Jesus Christ there really is no point to Christianity. So when it comes to celebrating Easter... it is kind of a big deal to us.
Growing up, my parents definitely put a lot of emphasis on Easter. One thing that they did was separate celebrating Spring from celebrating Easter. We did all those fun things like decorating eggs, baskets filled with goodies and finding the eggs all on the First Day of Spring (or close to it). Then when it came closer to Easter we could focus on the meaning of it as a family.
Another thing that happened in my childhood around Eastertime was the first of my major surgeries. I was only 10 and it was a major and painful surgery (Pectus Escavottum). (My chest cavity grew inwards and was restricting my lungs and pushing my heart up into my shoulder.) My friends and family were so sweet and also worried and they showered me with gifts-- because of the season it was lots of little bunny figurines and little chicks and sweet pastel colored things. I really enjoyed the gifts, but now they are forever connected with times of great pain and days in the hospital. It is so interesting how much seeing those things really take me back to that time.
I am not sad that all these bunny rabbits and cutesie Easter decorations are synonymous with pain for me. It sends my mind on a direct path back to the cross. The pain I felt did not compare to the pain that Jesus endured on the cross. However, it did teach me about the meaning of pain. I could not believe that someone went through that much pain for me. It also gave me a glimpse at the meaning of separation at that young age. I was separated from my friends because I could not play with them for months. I couldn't be hugged or bumped because there was nothing protecting my heart. (The cartilage in my sternum had been removed so that it would regrow in a new shape that left more room for my heart and lungs.) The separation I felt in no way compares to the great separation that Jesus endured as God turned his back on him, when he took on the sins of the world. But what I experienced made me think about how Jesus must of felt.
I believe that culturally all the bunnies and chicks are meant to soften something grotesque. It is hard to think about Jesus being crucified on the cross. None of us want to face the fact that we are sinners and that Jesus died because of things that we have done.
So we try to paint the scene at Golgotha in pinks and yellows. We have a lovable bunny character bounce from house to house and give our kids candy. But in the end all the "Easter extras" are like spraying lilac scented air freshener in a stinky bathroom-- it smells like lilacs but it still smells like poop. So the question has to be asked-- is it improved? All this to say, we have to acknowledge our sin and face the cross straight on because our attempts to sidestep it or candy coat it get us nowhere.
So here I am, a mother of two sweet babes. I want to above all teach them to know Jesus. But, I also want to preserve their innocence and not overburden them before they can process and respond properly. I don't want them to grow up feeling deprived of fun and excitement.
So with much prayer we move forward at Eastertime--teaching, playing and most of all rejoicing that we have a Father in heaven who loved us so much He sent his one and only Son to die in our place, so that we could live with God forever in heaven and be guided through this life on Earth by His Holy Spirit.

Resurrection Eggs

Last year was the first time I heard about Resurrection eggs. My friend Tammy told me how she and her family had been opening an egg that had a little figurine and Scripture to represent a part of the Easter Story. They had 12 eggs to open for, one for every day on the 12 days before Easter. I thought this was a wonderful idea. 

You can either make your own Resurrection Egg kits or buy them prepared. I wanted to make our own. However, I found that some of the items are a little hard to come up with and take either planning or a sharp eye looking out for them through out the year. 

I had great plans of making Resurrection Eggs and making part of our family tradition. I got as far as getting an egg carton and filling it with 12 plastic eggs. Then my girls got very sick for a whole month. So this project didn't happen. But to my great joy and surprise, Rory's mom had made Resurrection eggs for their family in April of 1981. She still had them and they are in perfect condition. Even the piece of bread she lacquered was still in tack. Rory does not remember using them, but his older sisters do. These are even better than what I could have come up with and the fact that these were from when Rory was a baby makes them even more special. Rory's mom said we could use them this year.

This Resurrection set has more than 12 eggs to open. Rather than go through one egg each night-- Grandma and Grandpa hid them around the yard and the girls had great fun finding them. Once inside we opened up each one and went through the story. It was so much fun!

Tips from this Kit made by Rory's mom Lillian 

(Pictured below):

~Use larger eggs. These eggs are too big to be stored in a regular egg carton, but the larger size makes it easier to find emblems that will fit.

~ Spray Lacquer on your bread and that piece of bread will last over 30 years.

~ Print out the verses and stick them inside the eggs with the figurines

~Number the outside of the eggs- these just have little stickers, but you could use puff paint or a permanent marker.

~ Be creative, and keep your eyes open for items that would work.

* Scroll down to see more items you can add to your kit*

1. Bread-- John 6:8

2. Coins to represent the 30 pieces of silver. Matt. 26:14-16

3. Rope- Used to bind Jesus. John 18:12-13

4. Robe- John 19:2

5. Crown of Thorns- Matt 27:29

6. Whip- John 19:1

7. Cross- John 19:18

8. Sign reading ' King of the Jews'- John 19:19

 9. Sponge- John 19:28-29

10. Spear- John 19:33-37

11. Linen Clothes- John 19:40

12. Spices- John 19:39

13. Empty Tomb- Matt. 25: 5-6

14. Angel- John 20: 11-13

Other items that you can add to your kit include:

~Palm Branch-  Matt 21: 8-9

~Donkey- (John 14:14-15)-- If you can't find one, borrow a donkey from your nativity scene

 ~Cup- (Matthew 26:26-28, Mark 14:23-25)--A doll house cup would work. Or you can make your own goblet out of clay.

~Foot or a Basin and Pitcher- (John 13:1, 3-5), Represents Jesus washing the disciple's feet

~Praying Hands - (Mark 14:32-24) Look at a thrift store, you can fashion some out of clay.

~ Three small nails - (John 19:17-18) You would open this between the Whip and the Cross eggs

~Dice-(John 19: 23-24)  

~Rock- (Matthew 27:57-61, 65-66) Check your back yard or pick one up special while on vacation this year. 

*** After the Empty Tomb and Angel***

~ Fish- (Luke 24:41-33)

~ Clouds- (Acts 1:11) Cotton Balls

Rory and CJ discovering what's in the egg. 

The eggs after they have been found. The tin Grandma used to store them in all these years. 

Rose and  her Grandma the creator of this set.

Here are some eggcellent stories and a movie full of songs and rhymes to go along with your Resurrection Eggs. We really enjoy Miss Patty Cake and her songs. They are catchy and full of good teaching.