I can’t believe I’m going to be 50 this month!

And thanks to GAPS and feeling so much better, I am having a birthday party!  I have always loved disco and so that is the theme I chose.  I’m also serving mostly foods from the full GAPS list, except for one little exception… I’m going to include corn tortilla chips to go along with the guacamole and hot sauce that a friend is making for me and I won’t be eating the corn chips myself.

Here’s the menu:

• Meatballs with barbecue sauce
• Chicken wings with spicy sauce
• Guacamole
• Hot Sauce
• Corn Chips
• Vegetable Tray
• Fruit Tray
• Chocolate Coconut Flour Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Chocolate Cookies
• Banana Walnut Muffins
• Black Olives
• Pickles

I think that will be good.  People probably won’t even realize there is no bread, crackers or potato chips.

Matthew and I are dressing up like the characters from Saturday Night Fever. I bought Matthew a costume that is a white suit with a black undershirt.  I’ve had to alter it quite a bit because the pants were too small but I’ve almost got the alterations done.

My cake is HUGE!!  I almost bought a cake pan by Wilton from Joann’s and had it with me in line when I was checking out but it was $20 and I decided I could just use a cookie sheet since the layers were going to be thin anyway.  I used an 11″ x 17″ cookie sheet and one cake recipe (of the one I linked above) makes one cookie sheet layer.  I wanted three layers.  There are 30 eggs in the cake alone!  So far I’ve made two batches of frosting and I’m going to need at least two more batches of frosting and maybe a third if I want to do any decorating!

Oh!  And the cute pet rocks in the photo above are the ones I made to give out as party favors. 

I’m also having a 50% off sale on all my e-books!  That means you can get:

• Beyond Grain & Dairy for $8.49
• Baking with Coconut Flour for $9.48
• Everyone Loves Pudding for just $4.98

You could even buy all three of them – just place them in your cart and then use coupon code BIG5OH when you check out.

I’ll be sure to post some photos of the party and in the meantime I hope you have a wonderful week!

I feel confident that the dentist I chose was qualified to do the job right, to protect me as well as is possible. I had the materials sensitivity testing done and my dentist used materials to which I was least reactive. I knew that even though I was protected, my body would probably still react to the removal.  But past taking that into consideration, I focused on what I’d read in Dr. Hal Huggins book (this is my Amazon affiliate link) It’s All in Your Head: The Link Between Mercury Amalgams and Illness where he said that some people feel great after they have their amalgams removed and some people’s thyroids start to work properly and their temperatures rise to 98.6°F.   I guess I was being optimistic and didn’t want to allow fear of the unknown or what might happen get in my way.  It was hard enough to make the appointments and keep the appointments.  It helped that I felt better after the first removal.  Unfortunately, I began to feel worse after the second removal as I wrote in my last update post: My Latest Cherry on my GAPS Cake – Thyroid Support.

Things were going along just fine since starting on GAPS.  Lots of little aches and pains subsided or went away entirely. My feet stopped hurting and I could wear pretty feminine shoes.  My back stopped hurting when I was in bed too long (7 hours was the “limit”) and I can now stay in bed for 10 hours at a time if I want.  For someone who loves to read in bed at night before sleeping you don’t know how much I missed being able to do that.  I was functioning in my daily life.  Let me explain what I mean by “functioning”.  I don’t know if I’ve ever had “normal” or shall I say “optimal” levels of energy.  I remember when I was in grade school in the fourth grade hating to run and hating P.E.   When we played softball I would volunteer to be the one that went way, way, way out in the field because no one ever hit balls that far and I could just sit down in the grass and look for four leafed clovers.  I read many, many books in my childhood as that was my past time of choice – laying down and reading.

In the last three decades as an adult I would experience these bursts of energy every so often.  While tracking my fertility I discovered that these bursts of energy coincided with the few days prior to my cycle beginning.  It’s hard to keep your house clean when you only have good energy two or three days a month.  In my 40s those urges started to come less and less, maybe once every three or four months.  That makes it even harder!!  Now that I’ve entered menopause I rarely feel those bursts of energy… my point is that I have never had much energy.   Still – I felt TONS better being on the GAPS Diet.

And then I had amalgams removed and began this chelating protocol and I started to lose entire days. If you’re curious, this link is a quick overview of the protocol I’m following: Oral Mercury Chelation – General Guidelines.

My energy levels dropping to the point where I was having to spend one to two days each weekend in bed really made me start to question my decision. Obviously there’s no going back so I have to press onward and do the best that I can. Thankfully I think I am past the worst and have figured out how to tweak the protocol so that it is manageable for me.

The Andrew Cutler Chelation Protocol in a Mustard Seed

The days that one is on the chelation medication is referred to as a round.  It is recommended to do 3 days on and then give your body a 4 day break to recuperate.   Andrew Cutler’s book recommends beginning with a higher dose, but some people have found that most do best beginning at the lower dosage of 12.5mg.  DMSA (Dimercaptosuccinic acid) chelates mercury from the body.  There is another medication called ALA (alpha lipoic acid) which is not taken until three months after amalgam removal and this removes mercury from the brain as this medication is said to be able to cross the blood brain barrier.  My understanding is that you should do DMSA first, then ALA. I have not yet studied up on the ALA part but I think these are taken together. It is recommended to chelate from at least six months to two years or longer, and one is supposed to continue chelating for some time after they feel well to be certain they have moved the mercury out.

My Experience So Far

Now granted this weekend is only Round 4 so I have not had all that much experience with this protocol but I’d like to share my experience so far:

Round 1: April 26, 27, 28  (Friday, Saturday, Sunday).  12.5mg DMSA every 4 hours around the clock

I begin chelation 11am on Friday morning (I had planned to begin at 7am but didn’t get up in time and forgot).  My dosing schedule is:

• 11am
• 3pm
• 7pm
• 11pm
• 3am
• 7am

I did not feel any different than usual on Friday or Saturday.  On Sunday I missed an afternoon dose by 1 hour and 20 minutes.  I did not know that if you miss a dose by more than 30 minutes you should stop the round.  I went ahead and took my dose.  Before too long I felt very fatigued and could not function. I had to go to bed for the rest of the day.  I’d emailed two friends who are familiar with this protocol and they both told me I should have stopped the round and that I caused mercury to re-distribute.  Now basically my limited understanding of how this protocol works is you keep the chelator medication in your body on a regular schedule and you keep taking more every X number of hours to keep the same amount in your body.  The chelating medication is picking up mercury and moving it and setting it down. Then it is picked up again and moved and picked up and moved.  It’s a bit like musical chairs.  But when you stop taking the medication or you miss a dose the mercury just sits there and your body has to deal with it in a different spot than it was before and it just sits there so this can cause you to feel miserable.  Forgive me for not knowing the official terms on how this works exactly.

At work I felt pretty good following this round.

Round 2: May 3, 4, 5 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). 12.5mg DMSA every 4 hours around the clock

I began chelation on Thursday night at 11pm.  Friday I felt okay. I was extremely paranoid about missing a dose now.  Funny but when I told my mother-in-law about this protocol she told me not to be so hard on myself if I missed a night time dose, she was sure it wouldn’t be that big of a deal.  She doesn’t know anything about chelating and she didn’t want me to miss sleep by having to wake up every four hours and her intent was good but I am glad I didn’t take her advice to heart.  I was constantly watching the clock to make sure I didn’t miss a dose.  I created a spreadsheet with a chart to print out so I could mark down each time I took the doses.  I’m also taking thyroid medication four times a day every five hours, adrenal support every four hours, and taking my temperature every three hours.  My cell phone alarm is going off almost every single hour.

I had trouble getting to sleep on Friday night and was still in bed around 10:30 on Saturday.  I had spent many hours on Friday working on a project.  On Saturday morning I got an email regarding said project which completely devastated me.  I spent hours crying my eyes out.  I knew this could be part of the chelating process (to kind of go bonkers) so I called my son and my sister to get their take on the situation. They both felt I was overreacting – I trust them both without question so I focused on the fact that maybe my life had not ended due to the situation.   I spent most of the day in bed, miserable and very upset.  My husband cooked breakfast and dinner for me.

Sunday was a little better but I still felt very non-functional.

I was still exhausted from the weekend for my entire work week.  My husband started to read Amalgam Illness by Andrew Cutler and mentioned to me that perhaps I should trial not eating sulphur foods as it is recommended in the book.   Apparently these foods can move mercury around. Some people find they feel better when avoiding sulphur foods, while others find they feel better eating them.  Some of the foods I need to avoid are vegetables that I eat every single day of my life: garlic, onions, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and more. I decided to eliminate all sulphur foods. This includes eggs and chocolate.  This does not leave a huge amount of vegetables. I have been eating zucchini, lettuce and carrots.

I also wrote to a Yahoo group which I’d joined to ask if this is normal, to be expected and can I skip the weekend of my birthday party. I do not want to be sitting on the floor in the middle of the room sobbing like a five year old at my party.  They tell me that some people chelate every other weekend so I am glad to have that information.

Round 3: May 13, 14, 15 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). 12.5mg DMSA every 4 hours around the clock

I began my chelation medication on Thursday 11pm.  Friday I felt okay.  I start to see a pattern.  Saturday I turn into the Wicked Witch of the West. I feel like my husband is picking on me but in reality he’s being completely understanding and waiting on me hand and foot, cooking my meals and bringing them to me in bed.  I have to stay off my computer because I find myself getting agitated  and wanting to comment but realizing that perhaps I’m taking things the wrong way. Sunday I was less of a basket case but my energy was extremely low.  I felt unsure as to whether I could withstand my upcoming birthday party.  That made me cry because I don’t have anyone who can help me.  I’m determined to have only GAPS foods at my party so that Matthew doesn’t feel deprived.

The main problem is that I’m losing Saturday and most of Sunday.  That would be fine if I didn’t have a blog, if I didn’t have to manage my husband’s accounting for his businesses, pay our personal bills, cook meals, clean house, have a party coming up, etc.

During the week I am looking on Amazon and find there are two books that people have written to share their experiences with mercury chelation.  One Kindle book that I bought is called (this is my Amazon affiliate link) The Mercury Diaries and the author finds that his body metabolizes the medication more quickly so he is not keeping a constant amount going.  He has terrible, terrible experiences with the mercury redistribution, much worse than I’ve experienced.  Still, it makes me think that maybe I too need to adjust my dosing.

Round 4: May 24, 25, 26 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday). 12.5mg DMSA every 3 hours around the clock

I began my chelation medication on Thursday 11pm.  I decided to change my schedule to every 3 hours, but since I don’t have my alarm clock set up I start out with every four hours.  11pm, 3am and 7am.  I planned to start the 3 hour dosing at 10am Friday morning but got distracted and my husband reminded me at 10:20 about my dose.  I decided to just continue taking my dose at 20 after the hour.   My dosing schedule is:

• 7:20am
• 10:20am
• 1:20pm
• 4:20pm
• 7:20pm
• 10:20pm
• 1:20am
• 4:20am

If I miss a dose, I have to stop the round.

I have a gut feeling that this protocol is going to be a big healing step for me, so I am trying very hard to stick with the schedule.  It helps that I have my cell phone set up for all these alarms.  There are actually more alarms going off all day long… this is what a typical Friday, Saturday and Sunday looks like:

• 7:00am Thyroid medication
• 7:20am  DMSA
• 8:00am Adrenal support
• 10:20am  DMSA
• Noon Thyroid medication, adrenal support, 1st temperature
• 1:20pm  DMSA
• 3pm 2nd temperature
• 4:00pm Adrenal support
• 4:20pm  DMSA
• 5pm Thyroid medication
• 6:00pm 3rd temperature
• 7:20pm  DMSA
• 10:20pm  DMSA
• 1:20am  DMSA
• 4:20am  DMSA

It’s close to 4pm on Saturday.  I have not felt much effect of the medication today as I did on previous Saturdays.  It seems that my body was metabolizing the medication more quickly and I must have been having mercury redistribution in between each dose.

Apparently rounds are usually ended in the evening so that the mercury redistribution that occurs will happen during the night and not while a person has to be up and awake.  It seems like I am sleeping very well on the days I am chelating but not so good on the other nights.  I am anxious to see how Sunday night for this round goes.  Will the mercury redistribution be harder on me?

So far it seems that every three hours is better for my body.  I won’t know the full extent of this round until I make it through my work week.  Next weekend is my birthday.  I still have a lot to do to prepare but I am optimistic that I am going to have a fun party and enjoy spending time with my family and friends.

UPDATE: Monday morning. I ended my round with the 10:20pm dose. I slept very restfully all night long and feel okay today. Whew.  I will be skipping chelation next weekend.

If you are still with me, thanks for reading through to the end.  I would sure love to hear from you in the comments if you have any questions or want to share your experience with chelating.

When I started on GAPS we had dairy goats.  I considered their milk to be liquid gold.  I made kefir every single day – my grains loved the raw warm milk and thrived.  We learned to make cheese, sour cream, yogurt and more with our raw milk.  Unfortunately as it turns out, none of us tolerate milk, even when it’s fermented.  While we owned our goats I learned to do blood draws, and I have a instructional booklet called Drawing Your Goats Blood in this homesteading bundle.

Welcome to the monthly eBooks Bundle featuring eBooks authored by members of the Nourished Living Network. Each month, we feature a themed bundle of informative eBooks at a reduced price and I am both a contributor and affiliate for this bundle.  In this bundle you will get five e-books plus 2 bonus e-books.

• Pioneering Today by Melissa K. Norris
• The Urban Chicken by Heather Harris
• Livestock Guardian Animals by Jim Mitchell
•  Making Hand Milled Soap for Fun & Profit by Susan Godfrey

Plus the two bonus e-books are: Adventures with Kids! On the Farm by Chara and Beneficial Garden Wildlife by Marie James.

The May eBook bundle theme is Homesteading!

In Pioneering Today-Faith and Home the Old Fashioned Way, author Melissa K. Norris explains practical and easy methods to cook from scratch, garden, preserve your own food, and see God’s fingerprint in your everyday busy life. You’ll learn how to:

• Decrease your grocery and energy bill
• Improve your family’s health by cooking from scratch and over 40 delicious recipes
• Grow and preserve your own food
• Reduce your time in the kitchen without sacrificing taste and nutrition
• Expand your view of God in your daily activities

Whether you live in the middle of the asphalt jungle or on the side of a mountain, you can experience the pioneer lifestyle and start your own homesteading journey. When you surround yourself with things made from the hand of God, you can’t help but see Him.

132 pages / Retail Value: e-book-$2.99 Paperback $9.99
Follow Melissa K. Norris on Facebook.

Learning how to raise chickens doesn’t have to be difficult. In fact, The Urban Chicken by Heather Harris will walk you right through each step of the way, from choosing a breed to where it will live, all the way to processing. A simple, easy to read guide that will quickly expand your knowledge and making getting fresh eggs and meat from your own backyard seem like child’s play.

41 pages / Retail Value: $3.99
Follow the Homesteading Hippy on Facebook.

Would your farm benefit from a livestock guardian animal to defend your property and stock? In Livestock Guardian Animals, by Marie at Rural Living Today, learn how donkeys, llamas, and livestock guardian dogs deal with threatening predators. Read about the instincts, abilities, and limitations of each type of livestock guardian. Then evaluate your needs and make the right livestock guardian decision for your farm, ranch, or homestead.

23 pages / Retail Value: $2.99
Follow Living Rural Today on Facebook.

Drawing Blood from Your Goats by yours truly is a helpful instructional guide which will walk you through the process of drawing blood from your goats, complete with photos, labeling instructions, how and where to send the blood for testing. Instead of calling out your local veterinarian and shelling out dollars, learn to draw blood yourself and save money on your homestead!

19 pages / Retail Value: $4.95
Follow Starlene on Facebook.

Making Hand Milled Soap for Fun and Profit by Susan Godfrey includes instructions and 52 recipes to teach you how to make your own designer soaps at home! It also includes many tips and resources for making a profit selling them!

45 pages/Retail Value: $3.75

Remember – this sale is for ONE WEEK ONLY! It disappears forever on May 20th at 11:59pm!

This weekend I’m trying to get most of the party cooking out of the way.  I’ve decided meatballs are on my 50th birthday party menu and I stopped by Costco on the way home last night to buy hamburger in bulk.  It is $2.99/pound and I bought 60 dollars worth.  I am thinking 12 pounds of meatballs is going to be more than enough.  I still am not sure how many people are planning to attend, but so far it looks like I can count on at least 30 adults and their children.

One of my favorite kitchen tools lately are scoops.  They make the job of measuring so much simpler.  Commercial kitchens use them, so why not use them in the personal kitchen for time efficiency?This is my Amazon associates link to the one I used: Norpro Stainless Steel Scoop, 1 Tablespoon, 35mm

169 Meatballs

This recipe made 169 meatballs, your count will likely vary depending on the size of your meatballs.

• 6 pounds ground beef
• 2 cups almond flour (loosely packed and sifted to remove any hard packed balls of almond flour)
• 6 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
• 3 tablespoons onion powder
• 6 whole eggs
• 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
• 2 – 6 ounce cans tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Place ground beef, almond flour and parsley flakes in a large mixing bowl (do not mix yet).  Whip the six eggs and place in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the remaining ingredients blend together.  Add to the large mixing bowl and mix all ingredients together.  It works best to put on plastic gloves and mix with your hands because there is such a large amount to work with, it is hard to move with a spoon.

Grease a large cookie sheet with butter, lard, bacon grease or coconut oil.

Using a tablespoon measurement (or the above mentioned scoop), drop mounds of meat on the cookie sheet.   I scooped 24, then stopped and used my hands to roll each scoop into a uniform ball.  Lay the meatballs side by side on the cookie sheet.  I was able to bake 12 rows of 8 (96) on one 17-1/4″ x 11-1/2″ cookie sheet. This is my Amazon associates link for the one I used: Wilton Recipe Right Cookie/Jelly Roll Pan, 17-1/4 by 11-1/2-Inch.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F.

Remove from oven.  After cooling I placed these in a freezer ziploc bag for storage.

I would really like to start doing some bulk cooking.  It was be so nice to have something cooked for dinner already. It took me less than an hour to mix up the ingredients and form the first 96 meatballs.

Matthew saw the meatballs and requested that I make spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  If by chance you don’t want to make 6 pounds of meatballs, here is the recipe for one pound:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
• 1-1/2 teaspoons onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Baking time will be the same.  You could also fry these meatballs, but I recommend baking them because I think it’s the tomato paste that causes them to burn easily.  At any rate, if you do wish to fry them, watch them closely and use plenty of good healthy fat.

Let me know if you get a chance to try these.

This post was included at Fat Tuesday.