A recipe....by popular demand!

As I mentioned in my previous post, Mom is staying with us for a couple of weeks while Dad has returned to Boone for work. He will come back later in the month, and the two of them will head to Miami for the Holidays.
Yesterday, Mom and I made Canadian meat pies.  It's a recipe passed down, once again, by Mimi the First, Mom's maternal grandmother, Leonie Lemery LeGault.  Mimi made these pies, along with her children, grandchildren, and now her great-grandchildren, and they are amazing, though their distinct flavor may need acquiring to for some!  When Rob and I were first dating, we visited Up-State New York with my family, and had dinner at Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob's at their home in Argyle, in the foothills of the Adirondack's.  Aunt Jack had become the undisputed matriarch of the LeGault clan when Mimi passed on, and it was always a treat to be in her home and have her cook for us!  On that summer day, Aunt Jack made meat pies for dinner, and served generous slices along side the sweetest ears of corn I had ever tasted!  Rob cleaned his plate and complimented the chef, who promptly laid another heaping slice in front of him. He ate it all, and again, Aunt Jack gave him more.  After three or four slices, Rob insisted that he was done and refused any more. Aunt Jackie liked Rob a lot, apparently, since that day she gave him a green patchwork quilt, made by her of course, which we still have.  As we drove back to Glens Falls that evening, we were all so full and happy and commented on how delicious the meat pies were.  Rob instantly made a face and shook his head, as in disgust.  I asked what was wrong, and he said quite emphatically, that he did NOT like the meat pies at all!  I said, "But you kept eating it! Why?"  He said, "I just couldn't say no to Aunt Jackie!"  I've told that story many times to my children as an example of how to eat what you are served with a smile, especially when you are a guest at someone's table.  Rob has learned to love the meat pie, despite his initial dislike, and he ate two slices last night.
So yesterday, Mom and I made four of Mimi's meat pies. It was my first time making them, but it will not be the last! My house smelled like Aunt Jackie's all day, and I savored it.  Mom's shared on her Facebook status that we were making meat pies, and it brought an immediate onslaught of comments, several from her cousins sharing their mutual love for the dish, and several from people requesting the recipe. Well here it is, minus the dough recipe that I am still forbidden to share. You can use your own family recipe for it, or buy some Pillsbury, we won't tell!

Mimi LeGault's Canadian Meat Pies (Tourtiers)
4 lbs ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 teas salt
1 teas pepper
1 medium,onion finely chopped
Add all ingredients to a large pot. Cover with water, and simmer about 2 hrs, breaking up the meat as it cooks and stirring it occasionally.  Scoop off any foam that  comes to the top.  After 2 hours, adjust seasoning to taste. (We added more of everything!)  Cook 1/2 cup of macaroni pasta, drain and add to the meat.
Lay a pie dough round in four pie plates.  Evenly distribute the meat mixture atop the dough. (Don't drain the meat, despite the quantity of liquid. It will absorb into the dough, and make it amazing!)  Top each with another round of dough.  Cut a 1 inch hole in the middle of each, and brush lightly with an egg wash.
Bake at 375 for about 45 minutes until nicely browned.Serve with some sweet chili sauce on the side, and enjoy!

Baking Pies with Mimi....

Thanksgiving Eve 2010 

Mimi with Lily and Maggie

Pie baking is a big deal in our family.  It goes all the way back to the original Mimi, Leonie Lemery LeGault, my mother's maternal grandmother.  She was a French-Canadian immigrant who raised 12 children as a young widow during the Great Depression years in Glens Falls, New York. I remember her sitting on a rocking chair by the window at Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob's house, knitting a sweater and speaking in a heavy French accent.  She was known for her pies, and as I've mentioned in a previous post, my husband will not allow me to publish her pie dough recipe, believing that it is so good it could make us a fortune.  I'm not so sure about that...

But today, on this Eve of Thanksgiving, my mom sat at my counter peeling apples while my two daughters, Lily and Maggie, played with the scraps of pie dough that I made from Mimi the First's recipe.  They had a grand time, and made a fabulous mess which spilled out over the counter and onto the floor.  There was flour everywhere, and before long, their were little girl's footprints in that flour. They tracked it all over the house and up the stairs, and it took me, Mom and Dad with mops and brooms and vacuums to clean it all up.

It was worth the mess, however, to be in my kitchen baking my great-grandmothers pies with my mother and my daughters for Thanksgiving! 

My mom's favorite pie is her Mimi's pineapple pie.  Mimi used to call it "poor man's pie" because she could make it with a 10 cent can of crushed pineapple, which was cheaper even than apples back in the day.  People are always surprised when I speak of our pineapple pie, but it's a staple in our family, and it's especially good the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas, cold out of the frig with a hot cup of coffee.  I can't give you the dough recipe, Rob's orders, but I can share the pineapple pie with you to make with your own dough.  The price of a can of pineapple is not quite 10 cents now a days, but it is still cheaper than apples and it's just as good...

Mimi LeGault's Pineapple Pie
1 can of crushed pinapple
1 heaping tablespoon of corn starch
1/3 cup of sugar
2 pieces of homemade or store bought pie dough
1 egg

Mix the pineapple (do not drain) with the cornstarch and sugar.  Press dough into a pie dish. Pour in the pineapple mix.  Top with the second pie dough.  Press dough around the edges.  Brush top with beaten egg. Sprinkle with more sugar. Make slits in the top with a knife.  Bake at 350 degrees until browned and bubbly, 30-45 minutes.


For the record, we made 1 pineapple, 1 blueberry (Dad's favorite!), 1 pumpkin, and 2 apple...Dessert for the 24 Pifer-Metzger-Poulos-Rhatigans that will share Thanksgiving dinner at our house tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

So much to be thankful for...

Hey everyone! So sorry for the silence of late. I just wanted to give you a little update and share with you our holiday plans.  As you know, Mom's levels of heavy metals, such as mercury, lead, and cadmium, were found to be outrageously high back in April following her diagnosis and subsequent testing done by a holistic doctor in North Carolina.  She has been since undergoing treatments called "chelation" where a substance is given intravenously which binds to those metals and helps flush them from the body. Along with chelation, she has been receiving IV nutrition and glutathione, taking a ridiculous number of supplements, and using an infer-red sauna, all in the hopes of ridding her body of these toxins and slowing the degenerative nature of this disease.  It has been costly and exhausting, but we learned on Friday that it has not been in vain, I'm happy to report!  Dr. Cohn repeated the metals testing that he first did in April, and the results showed a dramatic decrease in her levels.  Her lead was at 47, it is now at 20. Mercury was 21, it is now at 3.2.  Aluminum was at 44, it is now at 18.  You get the idea. Most of her metals showed a 50% or more decrease, which was more than Dr. Cohn had expected or even hoped for.  It was really great news and a big boost to Mom and Dad.  The only metal that did not show a substantial decrease was the cadmium, and sadly, that's the most toxic. Dr. Karam weighed in on this, and explained that cadmium is just trickier to get out, and he is looking into other treatments for this.  This was really good news, and just in time for Thanksgiving!

Speaking of the holidays...Mom and Dad are currently in Raleigh visiting the Metzger family there before heading south.  They are coming here for Thanksgiving, along with a dozen or so other Metzger/Poulos's and I'm so excited to have them all here!  Mom will be staying south for the winter, sharing time between my house in Tallahassee and Jamie's in Miami,  soaking in the Florida sunshine and avoiding the Boone snow and ice which would be difficult and dangerous for her to walk on.  Dad will be back and forth between Florida and Boone for the winter, keeping up with business and the house in Boone and spending as much time down here as he can.  Casey and the girls are coming to Miami for Christmas, and Jamie and Brian are expecting a baby boy in early March, so this will be a really special winter for our family.

Well, that's it from Tallahassee!  We're busy getting ready for Mom and Dad to get her tomorrow, and the rest of the crowd on Wednesday.  We're cooking 2 turkeys, 5 pies, and a load of other goodies.  I'll try to post a recipe in the next day or two, but for now...

A Thanksgiving Proclamation
"It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people.  I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday in November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."     
Abraham Lincoln, 1863 

Happy Birthday Dad...

Happy Birthday Dad!  I won't mention your age, but the back of this picture says, in Memaw's cursive, "Paul, July 4, 1950" so you all can do the math!  We love you so much and we wish you many, many more!  Love-Rob, Shan and the kids!

My favorite picture of Dad and his three grandsons at the Boone July 4th parade a few years ago...So excited that another grandson is on his way!

October in Boone...

We had a great time visiting Mom and Dad in Boone last week!  I just can't describe in words to you the beauty of where they live, but those of you who have been there know what I'm talking about.  Mom and Dad's house sits on a hill at the end of the prettiest, windy mountain road imaginable. It's scary in the winter when it's covered in snow and ice, no doubt! But at this time of year, the road is shaded by a canopy of trees colored in Crayola-like beauty! 

My boys love exploring the woods and fishing at the lake behind the house.  The house is itself is cozy and warm, and always smells like something delicious has just been cooked and devoured.  It's such a special place, especially for my children who call it nothing but "Mimi's House", no disrespect to Granddad, of course!

Mom's wrist is healing well after her fall and surgery last month. I went with her to the doctor for follow up last week, and he put her in a much more comfortable and removable splint. She still has to take it easy with it, but she told me last night that she had made a big pot of lentil soup for dinner, so she's getting back to cooking!  Mom is struggling with her speech and walking, and we continue to ask you all to pray for God to heal her and give her peace through this trial.  She and Dad will be here for Thanksgiving, and we can't wait!

What I'm making for dinner tonight,,,

My mother has always made the best chicken pot pie. No really, it is.  It's rich and creamy as chicken pot pie should be, with lots of chicken and an amazing flavor.  They key is Bell's seasoning which I link below, not so you can buy it from Amazon, but so that you can see the box and find it at your local grocery store. It's a cute, old-fashioned yellow box with a turkey on the front, and it's the only poultry seasoning Mom uses.  I actually stocked up on it after the holidays last year when I found it in the clearance bin at Publix...People had no idea what they were passing up!  This recipe is a bit labor intensive, but so worth it! You can cheat by using a store-bought rotisserie chicken and canned broth.  We top it with Mimi LeGault's (Mom's French-Canadian grandmother) homemade pie dough, but I'm not prepared to give out that recipe since my husband insists we could make a fortune off of the stuff. He might be right, so top it with your own recipe or a store bought dough.  I have my chicken boiling on the stove right now, and I just got a "Yesssssssss..." and a fist bump from my 13 year old when I told him what it was for. My family will be happy tonight!

Janet's Chicken Pot Pie
1 3-4 lb chicken
3 stalks of celery with leaves (you can use the puny ones in the middle of the bunch)
1 onion, skin on
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Place all in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer till done and falling apart.
Remove the chicken. Drain, skim, and reserve the broth.  Remove meat from the bones and set aside.
In a frying pan, saute
1/4 cup butter
1 large onion chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
1 pkg. white mushrooms, sliced
Saute till the vegetables are soft.  Stir in:
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp. Bell's poultry seasoning
Mix well and add:
1 cup of milk
1 1/2-2 cups of reserved broth. 
Cook until thick and bubbly. Add:
1/2 cup frozen peas
reserved chicken meat
Add more salt and pepper and Bell's to taste. Pour into a large casserole dish.  Top with a layer of pie dough.  Brush dough with egg, sprinkle with kosher salt, and cut slits for the air to vent.
Bake 375 for 30-45 minutes until brown and bubbly

PS....We're heading up to Boone next week to visit Mom and Dad and enjoy Autumn in the mountains. I'll try to update you from there, and maybe post a few pictures! Love to all-Shannon

The Ultimate Comfort Food....

Well I guess that title is debatable!   Maybe we should take a vote or something, though I don't think even that would work as my taste in comfort food changes from day to day. Ok, maybe more like hour to hour sometimes!  I told you I did a bit of cooking for Mom and Dad when I was with them in Boone recently.  For each night that I made dinner, I doubled the recipe and froze half of it so that they would have an easy dinner already made after I left. Well, I made a terrible mistake one night.  I made them the Smoky Corn Chowder from the Real Simple cookbook that Casey gave us all for Christmas last year. I doubled the batch and froze half of it in a freezer bag, hence my mistake! We ate the un-frozen half in one sitting, and Mom wanted more the next day!  So...I retrieved the frozen brick of soup from the freezer and sat it in a pot to thaw.  My bad. I should have known!  It was the perfect comfort soup for Mom as she recovered from surgery, for me and Dad as we cared for her, and for all of us as we enjoyed the bit of autumn in the air!  Well fall has finally come to my home in North Florida, much to my delight. We've slept with the windows opened for the past two nights, enjoying the lower 50's and the sounds of leaves and owls as we sleep.  And I'm making this soup for my family this week, doubling the batch and not freezing a drop! Serve it with "Jiffy" corn muffins, and enjoy!

Real Simple's Smoky Corn Chowder
8oz. bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika (yes, it must be smoked, not plain!)
1/4 tsp.crushed red pepper flakes
20 oz. frozen corn
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-n-half
scallions for garnish, if desired

Cook the bacon in a large saucepan (or a fabulous le Creuset Dutch oven like my Mom's if you're lucky enough to have one! :) Cook till crisp and remove to a paper towel.  Add the onion to the bacon grease (I know. It's awesome!) and cook till soft. Add the garlic, paprika, and red pepper and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in the corn, broth, and half-n-half and bring to a boil. reduce head and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool a bit when it's done, and transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. (Be careful not to explode the blender with hot soup! Let it cool first and do it in small batches if necessary. Yes, I'm talking from experience!)  Return the pureed soup to the pot and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste, as well as the bacon. Top with chopped scallions if desired. Enjoy!

PS...I think this might be morphing into a food blog! Here is the cookbook this comes from...I've made many of its recipes and have yet to be disappointed!

A Brief Update...

I realized today that I've written nothing since I've been home, and you might be wondering how Mom is doing since the surgery last Friday...
Friday evening was a rough one for her once the block wore off...She started feeling the pain fast and furious, and the pain meds took a little while to kick in.  She took them through the night, and that was the worst of it. On Saturday she began feeling a little bit better as long as she stayed on top of the meds. I had to leave and head back south that afternoon, and though we were both sad to say goodbye, is was made better for Mom by Paul's arrival and a visit from the Alger and Martin nieces and nephews!  I hated to leave, but I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be greeted at the airport by Rob and my five smiling children!  I missed them terribly, and it was great to be home!
Mom is feeling a bit better each day, and by today, Tuesday, she said she is not even needing Advil for the pain!  She has a doctor appointment on Friday, and Casey and Harper are coming tomorrow to spend the rest of the week with Mom and Dad!
Dad and Paul moved the sauna upstairs so that Mom can use it each day without dealing with the basement stairs.  She is ready to get back in it daily, and back on chelation therapy soon, to help flush those metals out of her system.  Keep praying for her...She cherishes your love, prayers, and support. We all do!
Blessings...Shannnon

It pays to have a nurse in the family...

In our case, we have about 5 nurses in the family, but today, the one who works in outpatient surgery at the Watauga Medical Center was worth her weight in gold!  Aunt Laurie, after getting Mom into see Dr. Flemming the other day and helping the surgery get on the books ASAP, worked her magic yet again and got Mom in and out of surgery in record time this morning.  Mom did great! They were able to do a block on her arm and avoid general anesthesia, and the surgery went off without a hitch in a little over 30 minutes.  Everyone there was so incredibly sweet and helpful!  Mom has some shiny new titanium pins holding a plate that is stabilizing her wrist.  We saw the x-ray and it looks like a long bug crawling up her bone. It's rather cool!  We were home before noon, Dad has gone off to the office and Mom and I are watching "Little Women".  The block should last the day, numbing her arm, and we have percocet ready to roll when the block starts to wear off. Mom is so thankful to have this done and to be moving on! Thanks for all of the prayers...Keep them coming for a speedy recovery for Mom from this injury! Blessings-Shannon

Update on Mom and Comfort Cookies for Dad...

So...After Aunt Laurie the nurse pulled some amazing strings and got Mom into see one of her favorite orthopedic doctors yesterday, Mom decided to go ahead with surgery to fix her broken wrist.  He believes that she will heal better, faster, and less painfully with her bones held in their place with a plate and a few screws.  He originally said Monday, but after some begging, pleading, and a little guilt trip, he moved some things around and got her in tomorrow. It's an outpatient surgery, and will happen where Aunt Laurie conveniently works. She'll be there to take care of Mom, and we all feel good about moving forward with this. Mom is nervous, understandably, and will be so happy when it is all over. Please keep her in your prayers tomorrow, and I will update when we get home.

In the meantime, I'll share another recipe!  I discovered this recipe for Ginger Snaps in a cookbook that Aunt JoAnne brought me from the Adirondacks years ago. It reminded me of the ones Memaw used to have in her cabinet in the orange box, Nabisco maybe?  They also remind me of Aunt Jack's Molasses Puffs in the flavor, but these are thin and crispy.  My Dad loves them, and has grown to expect a cookie jar full of them when he visits my house.  I made him some today, and I must admit, they are pretty awesome.  The rolling in sugar is a must, as it gives them the crackled top that makes them look professionally made. You might want to double the batch...Enjoy!

Ginger Snaps
3/4 cups shortening
1/4 cups molasses
1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling
1 egg
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
2 cups flour

Cream together the shortening, sugar and molasses. Add the egg and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls, and roll the balls in sugar.  Place the sugared balls on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will puff up and then fall into a flat, crackled cookie.

Greetings from Boone...plus a recipe

It's a beautiful mountain morning at Mom and Dad's house.  The doors are opened wide to let in the cool, pre-autumn air, the birds are buzzing around the feeders and the leaves are just beginning to turn and drop.  I've been enjoying my visit with Mom and Dad, and got an extra treat yesterday with the arrival of my cousin, Chris Metzger, with his wife, Linda, and adorable baby girl Avelyn, who I call "mini-Chris" as she is a clone of her daddy!  She's a cutie-patootie and brought lots of smiles and laughter to the house. It was great seeing them on their way up to New York.

So, Mom really did a number on her wrist.  It's broken in a couple of places, and she's still in quite a bit of pain.  There is talk of surgery, and we are trying to figure out what's best for Mom.  We welcome your prayers, as always, specifically for wisdom with the wrist situation.  We don't want to put Mom through surgery unless its absolutely necessary, but we also want her wrist to be back to 100% as soon as possible.  Keep her in your prayers, and I'll keep you posted.

In the meantime, I'll give you a recipe!  Cousin Chris is a serious foodie, as are most of us Metzgers, and I told him that if Mom hadn't broken her wrist, she'd be making him an outrageous gourmet meal.  Instead, he got me, cooking in my mother's kitchen trying my best to fill some very big shoes!  I had the benefit of my mother sitting not far away, adding her two cents as I cooked. I called her a "back seat chef", since we all know what a back seat driver she is!  So for breakfast, I had to make our favorite Boone breakfast, Southern sausage gravy and biscuits.  Chris said it smelled like Thanksgiving as I was cooking it. He and Linda loved it, as did Avelyn who chowed on the stuff and graciously shared with Keno who had wisely parked himself next to her.  Mine wasn't as good as Mom's, but I think it came close...

Janet's Biscuits and Gravy
1 lb. breakfast sausage (a roll of Jimmy Dean works!)
3/4 stick of butter
1 small onion or 1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup flour
milk (maybe 2-3 cups?)
poultry seasoning (Bell's is best. It's in a little yellow box with a turkey on the front)
salt and pepper
biscuits (You can make them yourself, pop a can of Grands or open a bag of frozen ones...however you roll!)

Cook the sausage in a skilled until done, breaking it up as you go. Drain and set it aside.  Meanwhile in a separate pot, melt the butter and add the chopped onion, stirring and cooking till soft.  Add the flour when the onions are done and mix it in well.  Add 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning and start whisking in the milk.  Keep whisking and adding milk until you have a thick but pourable gravy, whisking out any flour clumps. Add in the sausage and season with salt, pepper and more poultry seasoning if you need it.  Serve the gravy atop warm biscuits.  Enjoy!

"I'm leaving on a jet-plane..."

Uncle Dave used to sing this to us when we were flying to or from Florida for a visit, and I still sing it in my head (and sometimes out loud) when I fly!  I'm flying up to Boone tomorrow to spend the week with Mom and Dad. I can't wait to see them and to lend a hand as Mom recovers from her little spill.  I'm going alone...Rob will be holding down the fort here at home with a little help from some amazing friends.  Mom has a doctor appointment on Tuesday to make sure her wrist is healing properly, and I'll go with her for that.  I'll update from the mountain to let everyone know how she's doing.  Prayers for travel safety and for my family while I'm away would be welcomed and appreciated, as well as continued prayers for Mom.
Much Love-Shannon

Ugh!!!

Mom took a little road trip yesterday with her dear friend and neighbor, Wendy, to Winston-Salem to visit Wendy's family and do a little shopping.  Unfortunately, she lost her footing going up some stairs and took a tumble last night.  Wendy took her to the ER for x-rays, and sure enough, Mom broke her wrist pretty badly in the fall.  She's home now, all hopped up on percocet and resting. She'll see an orthopedic doctor in Boone Monday or Tuesday, and in the meantime, Dad is taking care of her. Laurie and Carol were bringing her Pad-Thai for dinner, which she was excited about.  She's pretty loopy on the drugs, so for now, please don't call. It's best to send your well wishes by email, facebook message, or regular mail. But the best thing you can do for her is to pray for her!  She said to Rob on the phone earlier, "This sucks!" to which he laughed out loud, never having heard Mom say such a thing before. But really, it does!  So please lift her up in prayer. Pray for the pain to be tolerable as she is pretty uncomfortable right now. Pray for wisdom for the doctor next week as to how best to treat the break. Pray for Dad as he cares for her and deals with this added stress. Pray for Mom's emotional, physical, and spiritual strength through this added trial.  Thank you all, and I'll keep you posted when there is news. Much love, Shannon

And the plot thickens some more...

I'm so sorry to have been silent for so long on Dr. Karam and his research, but up until yesterday I had nothing to report.  My parents and sibling were able to conference call with Dr. Karam, and Paul took some great notes which I will relay to you here.  I'm afraid that I still have more questions than answers, but I will fill you in on the latest so you can all be up to speed and know how to pray for Mom...

• Dr. Karam spent 5 days working in Atlanta at Emory and the CDC on Mom's case.  He followed that up with a visit to Memphis to talk to some chelation experts.  He has also spoken to experts on metals, chelation, and ALS from Dartmouth College,  as well as Barcelona, Berlin, and Italy.  He's taking this case international!
• He and his team have looked into the heavy metals, doing more chemical analysis.  Something they weren’t expecting to see was a bio-chemical change in mom’s tissue.  Ultimately, they believe that there is a neuro-toxin being produced that they have found in her muscle biopsy.  Dr. Cruz (?) looked at her biopsy and the results, checking to see if there was something blocking the ability of the nerves to fire at the frequency and adequacy necessary.  They have seen a disruption in these neuropathways. 
• Another option they looked at as the source of Mom's illness was a sub-concussive traumatic event to the brain, that can lead to the initiation of the degradation of the motor cortex.  This could cause similar symptoms to ALS, and has been found in athletes of various types (runners, horseback riders, gymnasts).  Casey even sent us an article from the Times not long ago asserting that Lou Gehrig might not have had the disease that bears his name, but brain injury caused by multiple concussions from playing ball before the days of helmets.  Dad indicated that there are really no such events in mom’s life that could lead to this sort of brain trauma.
• Ultimately, a lot of this is still a mystery.   The doctors are still trying to get an idea of where these metals have come from.  One thing they have asked for is a chronology of where Mom has lived throughout her life, and any major events.  Additionally, he has asked for hair samples of all the children (and possibly siblings) in order to better create this roadmap and narrow down any possible sources. He wants more blood and another MRI from mom.
• He is looking into starting her on an experimental regimen of protease inhibitors, already being used in HIV and cancer patients.  It might help hold the insulation around the nerves that are dying and slow progression.  Pray for wisdom and direction in this.
• He wants mom to spend more time in a hyperbaric chamber and is looing for one in NC.  Mom hated this in Juarez!  Pray that one can be found nearby and that mom can deal with it better!
• Mom and Dad were GIVEN a sauna by one of their wonderful neighbors on the mountain!  It is currently set up in the basement and mom is using it daily. (She says it feels like Florida in the summer!)  The hope is that it will force the metals out in her sweat. Dr. Karam encouraged her to keep this up, and will be looking at sweat samples to see how effective it is.  We're praying that this is working.
• Chelation will continue, and Dr. Karam is consulting with Dr. Cohn in NC as well as others to plot the best course for this. They want to be aggressive while being careful not to overwork mom's kidneys.  Pray for wisdom in this, and that these metals will be removed quickly.

In Dr. Karam’s words, we are not closer to an answer, but perhaps we are closer to which path to go down. Please pray for the path to become clearer for these doctors who are investing so much in caring for Mom.  Dr. Karam made a point to say yesterday that that Mom & Dad made quite an impression on the doctors and staff in El Paso and Juarez, and they have all been willing and excited to see what they can find to help Mom. This is a tremendous blessing, having such brilliant, determined, caring professionals on our side!  Please continue to pray for these doctors as they seek answers to their many questions and plot a course for Mom's treatments. Also pray for Mom through all of this, of course. She is frustrated, with her speech especially, and with the many unanswered questions that still remain about her health. 
Thank you all for your continued love, prayers, and support.  It is priceless to all of us!
Much love-Shannon

September Comfort Food...

We are still awaiting word from Dr. Karam on his trip to Atlanta, and I promise I will post an update as soon as we hear from him.  In the meantime, I thought I'd share another family recipe, since I've been getting so much great feedback from people on the recipes I've posted. 

It's September 1st, and when I hear the word September, I immediately think of apples.  Maybe it's from years of being in classrooms as a student and later as a teacher, with bulletin boards and calendars for September decorated with bright red apples for back-to-school.  (...even though we start school in August down here, which I have always had a strong, almost moral, objection to.)  Maybe it's from growing up in New York, remembering all of those trips we took Upstate in September to enjoy the cool, fall air and beautiful scenery that my Mom especially loves. We'd drive from into Vermont to pick apples, loading up our van with them to bring back to Long Island, smelling their fresh sweetness all the way home.  While picking them, Casey and I thought it was just hilarious to eat an apple while it was still on the tree, leaving just the core. Cute kids, right?


On those trips Upstate, the highlight for all of us kids was visiting Mom's Aunt Jackie and Uncle Bob.  Aunt Jack was Grandma's oldest sister, the matriarch of the LeGault clan.  I remember being scared of her when I was little, partly because she was missing a few fingers from a farming accident, and all kids know that people with missing parts are scary! She would also yell at us when we'd come in from visiting Uncle Ed's dairy across the street,  "Take off your shoes! I don't want cow-shit on my carpet!"  It was quite shocking!   Uncle Bob is a war hero who landed in France on day 5 of the Normandy Invasion and fought in the Battle of the Bulge.  They lived in the foothills of the Adirondacks in Argyle, New York, with rolling hills behind their house that we'd sled down in the winter. Uncle Bob would take us on tractor rides over those hills, and Aunt Jack would always have cookies for us!  Chocolate chips. Snicker-doodles. And her famous Molasses Puffs.  I promise to share some of these soon.  But today, in honor of September apples and the coming fall, despite the fact that it's 90+ degrees outside as I type, I'm sharing with you Aunt Jackie's Apple Brownies. It's really more like an apple cake, but she called them brownies. It's a dessert I make often since it's so simple and uses only pantry staples plus a few apples which I always have on hand. It's a great way to use that bruised apple that no one wants, or the one that a kid took one bite of before changing their mind!  It's one of our favorites, and now that I've written this, I'm heading into the kitchen to make a pan! Enjoy!
PS...Be sure to keep scrolling...I unearthed some gems!!


Aunt Jackie’s Apple Brownies


2 sticks of butter, melted
1 ½ cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp. Salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Vanilla
2-3 apples, peeled and chopped into chunks

Melt butter and pour enough into a 13X9 glass pan to coat the bottom and sides well. Pour the rest of the butter in a bowl and mix with the remaining ingredients. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for30-40 minutes.

The view from the top of the hill toward Aunt Jack and Uncle Bob's...I think that

's me and Casey.

Me and Casey, propped up on a pillow from Aunt Jack's couch, taking a ride with Uncle Bob!  I miss that view!

My first day of school. Oceanside, New York. September, 1977.

And the plot thickens...

We are all so thankful for the tireless work of Dr. David Karam, the neurosurgeon in El Paso who performed experimental stem cell therapy on Mom a few weeks back.  (You can catch up on previous blog posts in the archives to see what that was all about if you're a late comer.)  Dr. Karam didn't just do the treatments, take his payment, and send Mom and Dad on their merry way.  He has, in his words, "...taken a very strong personal interest in this case..."  and we fully recognize that this is a God send!  You'll remember that Dr. Karam and his team were concerned and confused about the outrageously high levels of metals, particularly cadmium, found to be in Mom's system.  The doctors tested Dad when he was at the clinic in Juarez as well, concerned that since my parents have been married close to 40 years they may have shared a common exposure to these toxins. Dad was clear, thankfully, which added to the mystery of it all.  Dr. Karam and his team in El Paso/Juarez are confounded as to her levels, as well as when/where/how/why she could have had such an exposure.  He has since sent Mom's labs to some metals experts at Emory University and the Centers for Disease Control, both in Atlanta. He has had several conference calls with these doctors on Mom's behalf, and has consulted with another expert doctor from the University of Berlin in Germany. It seems doctor Karam will stop at nothing, and tomorrow morning, he is flying from El Paso to Atlanta to meet with experts at Emory and the CDC for the sole purpose of discussing Mom's case. The hope is that they will be able to pinpoint the source of Mom's exposure, and to determine the best course of treatment to remove the metals. These doctors, experts all with years of experience and education, are not convinced of Mom's diagnoses based on all that they have seen. This could potentially be metal toxicity, not ALS, and that gives us more hope than ever that something can be done to help Mom! 
I'm writing this to ask all of you to pray, especially tomorrow. Pray for Dr. Karam and the doctors at the CDC and Emory, for wisdom and understanding. Pray that they can solve the mystery of all of this and plot a course for Mom's treatment. Pray that she doesn't have ALS at all, and that the metals can be removed so that Mom can be well again. Thank you all for your love, support and prayers. Shannon
"Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  Ephesians 3:20-21

Trashy Comfort Food and a Psalm...

I just talked to Mom on this Sunday evening before school starts.  I'm crazy busy making dinner and getting everyone ready for tomorrow, but I had to stop and share what's in Mom's oven in Boone as I type.  I was telling her about this morning's sermon at our church, which had me both laughing and crying.  Our pastor preached from Psalm 13 is his timely series called "Psalms for the Suffering."  It prompted Mom to quote verse 2 from Psalm 30, which says, "O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me."  Amen to that.  And then she said, "I'm making Chicken Divan for dinner. I wanted some comfort food."  Comfort food indeed!  Mom discovered that recipe not long after we moved to Miami, I think, and it quickly became a family favorite despite the cans of  Cream of Chicken soup. In our foodie family, anything with condensed soup is labeled "white trash cooking", but don't take that as a derogatory title since it never stops us from eating it!  I think Rob fell in love with me partly because of a pan of Chicken Divan, and not much makes him happier than entering a house that smells of it.  Enjoy this comfort food from Mom's oven to yours!

Janet's Chicken Divan
1 bunch of broccoli, chopped in bite size peices
2 cups of cooked chicken in, sliced, approximately 4 breasts
2 cans of cream of chicken or mushroom soup
1 cup mayo
2 tsp. lemon juice
1-2 tsp curry powder
1-2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
1 cup bread crumbs
Steam the broccoli till slightly soft. Drain and layer in the bottom of a 13x9 pan.  Spread the cooked chicken on top of the broccoli. Mix the soup, mayo, lemon and curry. Add more lemon or curry to taste.  Spread evenly over the chicken. Top with the cheese and the bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes till melted and bubbly.

So What Now...

I'm sorry that I haven't posted anything since Mom and Dad returned home...We're in back-to-school preparation mode down here, and with kids going into kindergarten, second grade, fifth grade, and seventh grade, I am slammed with lists of things to do and buy.

Thank you all so much for your comments, both on this blog and to me and my family in person.  It means so much to all of us, and I encourage you to become a follower of this blog and leave your comments, questions and prayers for Mom.  Several people have asked me what happens now.  So I thought I'd fill you in as best as I can...

Dr. Karam, the doctor in El Paso who did the stem cell treatments on Mom last week, has sent her samples and results to some heavy metal expert doctors at Emory University, as well as to the CDC.  They are studying Mom's metal exposure, comparing it to other patients and analyzing it, in the hopes of finding the source of her contamination.  They are particularly interested in the cadmium, since it is the third most toxic element in nature behind plutonium and uranium, but they are also looking at the lead and mercury.  This may take weeks or months to learn anything, and the fact is that we may never know where all of this came from.  One theory is that Mom growing up in Schenectady and Glens Falls, New York, near several factories, may have been exposed  to these metals at some point in her youth.  Dr. Cohn, the holistic doctor in North Carolina who first tested her for the metals and has been doing chelation therapy to remove them, has explained that some people just hold on to metals for some unknown reason. Mom could just be one of those people who was exposed at a young age, has been hanging on to them for all of these years, is now seeing the devastating affects of them, and needs help getting them out.  She will need a lot of chelation, 30 plus treatments, to rid her body of these toxins.  Mom will resume chelation therapy in a few weeks, once the stem cells have had a chance to do their thing. Our hope is that through the removal of the metals and the boost of good stem cells to target areas, this disease can be halted or delayed.

We do have a prayer request to share, along with the prayers I know you already lifting up on Mom's behalf.  Mom no longer has health insurance, and even when she did, the chelation treatments were not covered. The cost of it, along with the stem cell treatments last week, are exorbitant.  As of October 1st, Mom will be receiving Medicare coverage.  Dr.'s Cohn and Apgar will be helping Mom to get Medicare to cover these treatments, but it will probably be a fight.  Please pray that Medicare will immediately cover the expenses of Mom's treatments without question or delay.

Home at last...

I just wanted everyone to know that Mom and Dad made it home safely late yesterday afternoon.  It was a long day of travel for Mom after a long week undergoing the treatments in Juarez, so she was exhausted when I talked to her last night. She was happy to be home, and thankful for all of the birthday wishes yesterday!  Pray that she'll be able to rest and recover these next few days, that the stem cells will do their job, and that the doctors in El Paso and Atlanta figure out the mystery of the Cadmium and plot a course for how to get it out as soon as possible!

Birthday Wishes....

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

We all love you soooooooooo much!!!

Day 5 Update....Last Day in El Paso & Juarez

Arrived at clinic about 11:00 Am. Immediately went into room for IV. Jan got amino acid IV. Dr Karam then injected stem cells into IV. About 1 hour later Jan went into Dr. Saenz's office. A brilliant plastic surgeon. He injects growth hormones and stem cells into throat, neck abdomen, and head. This was difficult on Jan, but as always, she was a trooper. Dr. Karam held her hand and I tried not to worry to much. Dr. Karam said that the hair sample he took of Jan showed that the Cadmium is not recent. Jan had been exposed years earlier than now. He is using his contacts to see if the exposure and source can be defined.


That was the end of the day. Returned to Double Tree. Spoke with Dr. Karam. He is going to set up a conference call with us, Dr. Cohn, the CDC, and his heavy metal specialists at Emory. He will advise us when that will take place, hopefully next week pending everyone's schedule.

We said a heartfelt goodbye to Dr. Karam. He was very appreciative of our thanks. I have said this before, he is a wonderful Dr. He cares deeply about Jan and our family and is doing more than what may be imaginable to help us all.

Paul J. Metzger

Day 4 Update from Dad...

Arrived at clinic about 11:00 AM. Mom & Jamie went right in for stem cell injections and IV of amino acids and stem cells. BTW, Mom is doing GREAT. After that, Mom & I went into the hyperbaric chamber. Mom is having difficulty relieving the pressure in her ears as we travel down in atmospheres. It is painful for her, but she is a trooper. We were in for about 1 1/2 hrs total time. After that we were done for the day.


Dr. Karam asked us all if we liked steak. Obvious answer from all. We left his office, drove about 3 blocks and proceeded to enter a REAL Mexican eatery. Mom & Jamie had a rib eye, and I had a fillet. Not a morsel was left. Beef in Latin America is great, I know from my days in Honduras. We also had avocado, refried beans, chips, salsa, and pork skin rinds. Jamie's comment, we finally had great authentic Mexican food, and it was.

We waddled out of the restaurant and proceeded to the border crossing. We had the longest wait so far, about 1hr. 15 min. The girls decided they wanted to shop (real surprise). Dr. Karam dropped us off at Saddle Blanket of El Paso. Got here at 4:45 and found out they close at 5:00. Mom & J shopped fast and out we went. Cab back to Double Tree.

Really a good day except for the ear issue with Mom. I am not going to let her in the hyperbaric tomorrow. She needs some rest before we get on the plane Saturday.
My LOVE to all,   Paul J. Metzger

Day 3 Update from Jamie

Today we went in to Juarez. Not bad...got in pretty fast.

 

11am- An IV is started on my mom and an infusion of growth factors, amino acids and proteins.

11:43am-Dr Karam begins to push in moms IV about 13 million stem cells (15 mL). It burned some but was done by 11:50am and the burning subsided shortly after.

11:58am- Dr Karam injects about 300,000 stem cells each injection into the area above her patella (knee cap) and one on either side of her calves into the myotendonal junctions. Those all hurt and burned but again, shortly after subsided.

Shortly after her infusion finished. She felt lightheaded as they expected but overall still doing great.

Mom and Dad then went into the hyperbaric chamber for a little over an hour. All went ok, just hurt moms ear (you know that terrible feeling you get when the plane is descending and nothing gets rid of it...that is the one feeling she can't get rid of right now).

After that I met mom with Dr Karam, Dr Saenz, and another doctor and I held moms hand as Dr. Saenz injected mom with growth hormones, growth factors and some other factors (forgot the name) into her throat, pituitary, all along her head, near her belly button and lower abdomen. It took about 20 minutes. Dr Saenz was amazing with the needle. Mom handled it all with a couple "ow's" and than a "that's it?"...so it went well.

 

We hopped in the car and all came back leaving the clinic aroudn 2:30pm. We are back at the hotel, mom is resting and we will venture out again for some Mexican food...I am determined to have good Mexican food other than at the hotel (which is really good).

 

That's it here on our front. Tomorrow more stem cells in the legs then hyperbaric...that should be it. We will talk tomorrow.

 

Love
J

Day 3 Photos

Quality time in the Hyperbaric Chamber

The first stem cells going in...

Waiting...I think Dad likes the scrubs!

The chamber!

Day 2 Update from Jamie

Day 2...Mom with Dr. Karam and Jamie

Today has been an informative day. We traveled about 10 minutes from the hotel to Dr. Karams office in New Mexico, where he discussed with us the results of Mom's muscle biopsy. He showed us the changes in moms cells that are different from "normal cells". He also showed us in the cells how much cadmium is in her body...a lot! (Cadmuim is a toxic element, and we have no idea why Mom has so much in her.)  Dr. Karam is going to be sending Mom's samples to Emory University to be examined by toxic metal experts who will hopefully identify where mom may have gotten this type of exposure and advise her as to treatment. They are also going to test Mom and Dad's hair tomorrow. Hair samples can help determine if the exposure has been recent since it holds information for about 2 years.  If it is present in Dad as well, it will tell us that it is a recent, possibly ongoing exposure (ie. something in their house or water).  If it is not present in Dad, it can be assumed that her exposure was years ago. Did these metals cause ALS or ALS cause the metal toxicity to be expressed??   We don't know. Either way this is very mysterious and Dr. Karam is very interested in getting to the bottom of this. That being said...our goal right now is to slow the progression of this disease by this stem cell therapy and removing the metals by chelation when Mom gets home. Tomorrow, we head back to Juarez. There I will go into the treatment room with mom and a couple of doctors while they poke and prod at mom and together decide where to inject these stem cells. The injections should take about 45 minutes. Then back in the hyperbaric chamber where my mom and dad can spend some quality time together...wink wink! LOL
Please pray for a painless day for my mother tomorrow and a steady hand for the doctors that will be working with her. Also pray for wisdom for these doctors as they investigate the cause of the heavy metals in Mom and determine her future treatments.
Love
Jamie

Day 1 Update from Jamie...

Day 1-
Well I am here...in sunny, very sunny El Paso. Mom and Dad were already picked up by Dr Karam and taken into Mexico when I arrived, so I hung out at the hotel and waited for them. They left about 1030am and came back by 4pm. While there, mom had muscle biopsy from her arm and calve as well as 5 more vials of blood taken! She handled it like a champ. She recieved some more nutrients via IV, and then my mom and dad camped out in the hyperbaric chamber for about an hour with another father and child as they all watched Shrek and were taken down 4 atmospheres. Sounds deep to me!! They spent some time talking with Dr. Karam about Mom. He is quite interested in why these heavy metals in her system are so high. It's as if she was sitting in a furnace while cadmium, lead and mercury were being melted for hours and all the time while she absorbed all these metals in her system. Where did all this come from is the mystery question. We don't know yet, but Dr Karam has some ideas he wants to share with us tomorrow. That really was it for today. We finished off the evening with quesadillas and enchiladas. Tomorrow, we will head to Mexico and get to spend some personal time with Dr Karam and talk about my mom and what he is thinking. My mom and dad once again felt very comfortable with Dr Karam and have a sincere sense of trust with him. Thank you all for your prayers and love. It is truly felt here.
Lots of love,
Jamie

Mexican Comfort Foods...

Mom and Dad are in El Paso this morning, heading across the border into Mexico later today.  It will be the first stamp on their new passports, so to celebrate, I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite Mexican comfort foods.  The Mexican clam dip is one that Casey or Jamie found on www.epicurious.com, our favorite food website, for Mom's 50th Birthday celebration in Boone, nine years ago this week in fact.  It was so good! Everyone loved it, and it has since become a family staple.  The second one, Sopapilla Cheesecake, is a new one from my friend, Rachel.  I made it for everyone when we were in Miami last month, and let's just say it was a huge hit! Uncles Dave and Mike were scraping the crumbs from the pan! 

Mexican Clam Dip
12 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 (6 oz.) cup salsa verde
1 40z. can diced green chilies
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 6.5oz. cans chopped clams, drained well
Fritos for dipping (Yes, it must be Fritos, not Tostitos. Trust me.)
Beat cream cheese till smooth. Add the salsa, chilies, and cilantro. Add the clams and mix well.  Add salt and pepper and more cilantro to taste. Transfer to an ovenproof dish. Bake at 350 till bubbly, about 30 minutes.

Sopapilla Cheesecake
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup honey
Preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Beat the cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Unroll the cans of crescent roll dough, and use a rolling pin to shape each piece into 9x13 inch rectangles. Press one piece into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture into the baking dish, then cover with the remaining piece of crescent dough. Stir together 3/4 cup of sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Dot the mixture over the top of the cheesecake.  Bake in the preheated oven until the crescent dough has puffed and turned golden brown, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely in the pan before cutting, or serve it hot and gooey!

Enjoy!

Fighting Part III...More about Mexico

Rob took the kids out for a while, so I'd better keep writing while the house is quiet! 
We all had lots of questions and concerns about this stem cell treatment as I'm sure you do too.  Feel free to ask questions if I don't address them here. While we are all far from experts on the subject, we have learned quite a bit and I think between me and Jamie we can maybe answer them! 
Why stem cells?
The future in diseases like ALS, Parkinson's, MS, and paralysis seems to be in stem cells.  Dr. Karam was quick to point out how mysterious it all still is, even to doctors like himself. He said no one really understands why the stem cells do "good things" in the body and not bad, but they do. He likened it to prayer...He can't explain how and why prayer helps people get better sometimes, but he has seen it happen many times. (I have some ideas on how and why prayer works, but I'll save it for another post!)  They seem to have the most success when the patients own cells are used, as opposed to donor cells or embryonic cells.
Why Mexico?
A big question for all of us was why Mexico?  Dr. Karam explained to us that because our government makes it so difficult to get FDA approval for a study like this and ties their hands with parameters which limit who they can help, they have taken this to Mexico. There are none of those regulations there, and they can work freely on whomever they wish.  While those regulations are designed to protect people, I'm sure, people like Mom with a disease like this don't have time for bureaucratic red tape. So off to Mexico it is!
Is this legitimate and safe?
Dr. Karam is a real doctor who works with other read doctors and real nurses. This research project is through the University of Juarez. The clinic in Juarez is as state of the art facility as any here in the states. It is barely across the border and far from the crime and such we have heard of in the news lately.  There have been no adverse reactions experienced by any of the patients who have received this treatment.
How successful has this been for other patients?
Dr. Karam said they have about an 80% rate of success.  While that sounds great, the results vary greatly from patient to patient.  Success for one person may not look the same as that in another person.

Prayer Requests for this Week...

• Pray for peace for Mom. She is so nervous about this, particularly about the injections. She calls it the "torture sessions"!
• Pray that it all goes well and is not as awful as Mom fears.
• Pray for safety as they fly to and from El Paso (Jamie flies in tomorrow), and also as they drive into Mexico on Wednesday through Friday.
• Pray for success! Pray that the cells go where they need to go and do what they need to do to reverse Mom's symptoms. Pray that we see good results from this that are long lasting, even permanent.
• Pray for wisdom for Dr. Karam and his team, and that the work done with Mom this week will serve to advance their research and help more people in the future!
• Pray for strength for Dad and Jamie as they support Mom this week. 

Look for updates from El Paso and Juarez later this week!

Fighting Part II...South of the Border

Sorry for the delay in this one!  As I type, my Mom and Dad have just landed in El Paso, Texas, where they were picked up from the airport by Dr. David Karam.  Talks of this trip began way back in April, not long after Mom received the diagnosis of ALS.  My sister, Jamie, a pediatric nurse in Miami, was working at the time on getting her Master's degree through FIU. (She just finished and is now a Nurse Practitioner...Congratulations, James!!!)  When she shared Mom's news with the doctor she was training under, the doctor immediately said, "There's someone I want you to talk to." Within hours, Jamie was on the phone with Dr. David Karam, a neurosurgeon working in El Paso, Texas doing experimental stem cell treatments on patients with neuromuscular diseases and paralysis, primarily ALS patients!  It was the first of several conversations with Dr. Karam where he described in detail his research, the treatments, and the possibilities.  In July when we were all in Miami, I along with Mom, Dad, Jamie, Casey, Uncle Dave and Aunt Laurie spent close to two hours on a conference call with Dr. Karam where we learned more about his research and asked our many questions.  Mom and Jamie were able to meet with Dr. Karam in Miami a few days later.  After much talk, thought, and prayer, Mom decided to go forward with this treatment.  I'll do my best to explain it to you here...
Tomorrow, Mom will be evaluated by Dr. Karam and the team of doctors who work with him.  They will harvest stem cells from Mom, from her blood, fat, muscle, and/or bone marrow. Hopefully, the first three will produce enough good cells for them to work with, thus avoiding the more invasive bone marrow procedure.  They will send Mom's cells to a lab in Juarez, Mexico where they will grow over 2 days to a number over 20 million.  On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, Mom, Dad and Jamie will be driven about four blocks across the border to the clinic in Juarez where Dr. Karam and his team work.  Mom will have her multiplied stem cells put back into her body, some intraveinously, some by site-specific injections which target the areas where Mom's muscles are deteriorating.  She will receive injections in her mouth and throat to help her speech and swallowing, her feet to help her mobility, and other areas that are being or will be affected by the degenerative nature of this disease.  She will receive the stem cells, and then spend time in a hyperbaric chamber, which will flood her body with oxygen and help the stem cells get where they are going.  They will then be brought back to El Paso Doubletree to spend the night. So much is still unknown about this disease, and while this is not a cure by a long shot, the stem cells do seem to cause a slowing of the disease progression and a temporary reversal of its symptoms in many of the patients who have received this treatment.  I'll write more later and try to answer some of the questions you probably have, and Jamie will be blogging from El Paso this week, keeping us all up to date on how the procedures are going!

From Aunt Laurie...

I have had a full week to say the least. My house has never had so much activity, with all 4 of my kids home, as well as Carol's kids, and they don't come home alone! Of course they all want to be together. I think at one point I had 10 kids sleeping in every corner of my house and I loved every minute of it! As always when the kids are home, and this time was no different, they ask, "Can we go to Aunt Janet's"? So at the beginning of the week we spent an evening visiting with Aunt Janet and Uncle Paul. We sat on the deck, laughed a lot, and just enjoyed being there. Carol and I both know that our kids particularly love Aunt Janet's house because it's just nicer than ours, and we all know Aunt Janet usually feeds them better!  Now today, Saturday the kids were all taking off and asked, "Can we go see Aunt Janet before we leave"? Janet and Paul are leave tomorrow for Mexico where Janet is to receive an experimental stem cell treatment. I will leave the details of this for Shannon to fill in on her next blog as she is a much a better writer than I, but today was a different visit for these kids. They wanted to pray for their Aunt Janet. What a precious moment to see these kids surround their Aunt Janet and pray Gods protection, peace, and healing on her. And one by one each of them embraced her, comforting and being comforted. They will forever be touched by her. Laurie Martin

Fighting-Part 1...The Suzanne Sommers Connection

Since receiving the devastating diagnosis of ALS back in April, Mom has been fighting this thing on several fronts.  We learned very quickly that modern medicine has little to offer in the treatment of this disease.  The diagnosis is rare, around 5,000 new cases a year in the United States, so it gets neither the attention nor the funding for research that diseases like cancer or Parkinson's Disease get.  Mom and Dad wanted to fight it, but didn't know where to turn.  While my Aunt Jo Anne, mom's sister, was visiting in May, she found a place to start.  Aunt Jo, herself battling breast cancer, was reading up on holistic medicines.  One of the books she had with her in Boone was one by Suzanne Sommers, (you know, Chrissy from Three's Company!) who is into holistic medicines, healthy dieting, etc. Mom was thumbing through her book, when a name jumped off the page: Dr. Apgar in Wilkesboro, NC.  Mom knew him, and had treated his veins in her job as medical assistant for Dr. Ty Bell in Boone!  Dr. Bell called Dr. Apgar the next day on Mom's behalf and learned that his clinic, just 28 miles from Boone, had treated  ALS patients before. Mom had an appointment a few days later, where she and Dad met with Dr. Apgar and his partner, Dr. Cohn, who evaluated Mom.  After lots of poking and prodding and giving of blood, Mom learned that the levels of heavy metals in her blood were through the roof.  Mercury. Lead. Cadmium.  Toxic metals linked to ALS and other diseases were found in Mom's blood in outrageous proportions. When I met with Dr. Cohn in July, he showed me the chart and said her metals were "off the chart and back around again".  It's unclear where it all came from, probably years of environmental toxins building up in her system.  It can't be said that it caused Mom to get ALS, but there is a correlation. So...In a weird kind of way, it was good news.  Something to work with!  Mom, who as we all know LOVES going to the dentist (read that with a sarcastic tone!) had all of the metal fillings removed from her teeth and replaced with ceramic.  She has switched to a natural deodorant without aluminum, and stopped eating fish and other foods known to carry mercury. Under the care of Dr.'s Cohn and Apgar, she has been undergoing chelation therapy, where metals are drawn out of her body. She is also taking a crazy number of supplements daily as well as IV nutrition and glutathione, which helps protect the nerves.  The hope in all of this is that it will slow the progression of the disease, and it has given Mom something to fight it with!
Coming tomorrow...Fighting-Part II...South of the Border!

Mom's Prayer...

Lord give me strength, cleanse my body from all unrighteousness,
Heal me, have mercy on me.
I'm waiting to serve you Lord,
I will worship while I'm waiting,
For my God is with me!

I am also reading Philippians 4:6-7, which says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus."

Thank you all for your love and prayers!  Janet

Comfort Foods

Anyone who's been around the Metzger/Poulos family for more than five minutes knows that it's all about food.  Whether a holiday, a homecoming, or a plain old family dinner, the food is of the utmost importance.  It's flavorful. It's plentiful. It's the center of attention for all to applaud and critique, analyze and improve upon.  Good recipes are shared in a flurry of emails, and bad ones are discarded with disdain.  And as everyone knows, my mother is the chef-matriarch of this family. She's the best cook that we all know. She makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich amazing.  She's the one we call on Thanksgiving or Christmas with a question about the turkey or the prime rib, and she always knows the answer.  So as much as we celebrate with food in this family, we also rely on food for comfort from time to time.  And I know my siblings will agree, that our number one comfort food growing up was, and still is, my mother's Greek soup.  Mom made it for us whenever we were sick, and sometimes just because.  Papou made it for her as a child, and I carry on the tradition with my own children. It was one of the first real foods they ate as babies, and they all still get excited when they smell it on my stove top. In Greek, it's called "Avgolemono" which means "egg and lemon", which sounds disgusting.  But just call it Greek Soup like we do, and trust me on this one...

Janet's Greek Soup
48 oz. of chicken broth
2 eggs
2 lemons
3/4 cup of orzo pasta
Bring the broth to a boil and cook the orzo till soft. In the meantime, separate the eggs and beat the whites with a mixer until they are white, foamy, and begin to stiffen. Add the yolks and continue to beat. Add the juice from the lemons and continue to beat. Add 2-3 ladle fulls of the hot broth and mix. When the orzo are done, remove the pot from the heat and stir in the egg mixture.  Add salt and pepper and more lemon juice to taste. Add some cooked chicken to make it heartier, if you like.
Enjoy!
PS...I've linked you to an amazing cookbook that my sister Casey gave each of us girls for Christmas last year. It's from Real Simple, where Casey is the Photo Director.  I love this cookbook!  The recipes are, well, really simple, and so delicious! You'll find some more great comfort foods in it, like the Smoky Corn Chowder on p.20.  Check it out!

The title of this blog...

Wow! We already have two followers and a comment! (thanks, Uncle Phil!)  Mom took a look this morning, and although I told her to think about it and give me feedback before we spread the word, she immediately started sending the link around! So...I guess we're moving on with this! I'm urging her to write something today, but we'll see. In the meantime, I thought I should explain the title of this blog. It sounds oxymoronic, I know, to call ALS a "light momentary affliction."  I won't go into the pathology of the disease here, but if you are unfamiliar with it, as I was a few months ago, you can go to alsa.org where you'll learn very quickly that it is anything but light. The title of our blog comes from 2nd Corinthians 4:16-18 which says:
"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."
So much can be said about this passage of God's word, especially in light of what my mom is facing. It encourages us not to lose heart. It reminds us that we are all "wasting away" whether we have a disease or not. Our bodies are here for a season, but the weight of glory that awaits those of us who have put our faith in Christ is for eternity.  It is the eternal that we are to look to, which is hard because it is unseen and requires great faith.  It is sobering and comforting all at once, and it gives us hope in something greater than this life!

The reason for this blog...

My mother, Janet Metzger, was diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, in April of this year.  She is loved dearly by our outrageously large family and countless friends, and we thought a blog might be a good way for all of you to keep up with her. Mom is fighting this awful thing with new medicines and treatments, as well as with her unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We'll post updates about how mom is doing, what treatments she is undergoing, what she is cooking for dinner, you name it. We'll also link you to books mom is reading that are encouraging her in her faith, like "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller, which is re-teaching us both how to pray.  We hope that this will be an outlet for her to share what she is going through and what God is doing in her life through it, as well as a way for you to stay in touch with her and to know how to pray for her. More tomorrow, including the reason for the title. That is, if mom lets me go on with this!  Blessings-Shannon