Hi! Welcome! As you read above, you are not alone! Evening primrose oil and vitamin E helped me get through these issues. You need to take the oil at the rate of 1 tablespoon per hundred pounds of your weight per day (and round up!) The biggest reason people don't get results is that they take a capsule or two and think it's good. Use the liquid in the refrigerated section of the health food store for best results. Reduce your junk food and sugar consumption. Make sure to go on a walk EVERY day. Increase vegetables.

Idea for when you aren't feeling good -- Have the kids listen to classic literature on CD or downloaded free from librivox.org. Put out some drawing materials and let them make pictures as they listen. Or put out legos or blocks so they can build as they listen. Then put on some Wee Sing audios and help them learn the songs. Here are a few Amazon links so you can see what I'm talking about. :0)

Hang in there! You can do this.

Music Masters CD's: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000001KCL/?ta ... hoolchr-20
These tell the story of a great composer and play his music. Bach is linked but there is a whole series.

Sign of the Beaver book on CD: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0087DK2XM/?ta ... hoolchr-20
This is an adventure story that will interest your children. It's relatively short so you can get them accustomed to listening. My very active son was listening to stories that were 15+ disks long by the time he was about six because we started with shorter ones to grab his interest.
Treasure Island CD: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1419347071/?ta ... hoolchr-20
While you could download this one free from Librivox, this particular recording has an excellent, professional narrator who does all the pirate voices. :0)

Wee Sing CD: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0843113626/?ta ... hoolchr-20
The Wee Sing series has lots of fun songs for your children to sing. The linked one has finger plays (like Eensy, Weensy Spider), and I particularly like the one that has folk songs.

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Thank you so much Martha. I have started making some changes to my eating and I hope to start noticing some changes soon. I will definitely try those ideas. Thank you for giving of your time to help me out. I appreciate it so much! Thank you so much for all of your encouragement and support. It means so much!

Michelle

Wow! I am the original poster. I am not on the boards regularly and I couldn't figure out how to get on with my original username. Anyway, wanted to say to smozboyz if she is still around that I can really relate to what she wrote. I, too, have three spirited boys and a highly spirited toddler girl as well. I went back to my osteopathic GYN after writing the first post. My vitamin D level had dropped to 28. She likes to see it 70-80. Her basic recommendations for everyone are rest (8 hours of sleep as well as some recreation/fun every day), nutrition (low-glycemic, south beach-type as well as certain supplements: multivitamin & DHA in the morning and 1000 mg cal, 500 mg magnesium, 1000mg C and 5000 IU D at night. My D levels went up considerably when I switched to Carlson liquid drops under the tongue instead of the gelcaps), and exercise (30 minutes a day). Now I don't follow all of this perfectly, but these things do help. On the bad days, I have learned to pray and ask God for wisdom and guidance. I am learning that even though I don't feel well, God will still show me what I can do and think to honor Him in my circumstance. I just need to keep reminding myself to turn my eyes on Him and off of myself.

Now I see why the name looked familiar! I might have to try your Carlson drops for Vit D! I don't suffer the same affliction, but I AM allergic to the sun (I get an allergic rash when exposed, then 2nd Degree burns - all in less than an hour's exposure) - and so keeping my Vit D up is a challenge!

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I used to be allergic to the sun! Your reaction sounds much worse, though Also, the further north you live, the harder it is to get decent D exposure from the sun.

Hey!

I agree about the evening primrose. Ever since I had my third munchkin (last February) it's been completely and utterly horrible. I started taking evening primorse and about 2 cycles in it was a complete difference. My doctor wasn't much help (unfortunately) and my mom used to give my evening primrose when I first started my period and I had forgotten what a different it made. I pray you find something that works.

Stephanie