The story behind Capple House!

Capple House is a community resource blog for Natural Healing and living an Earth Conscious Life. I created the blog name through a series of thoughts in mind for future endeavors. A catering company or a raw kitchen, possibly a yoga studio or a natural healing clinic. The list goes on and on in my overly tenacious mind! All in which I would have named Capple House. I have been for a while sending out little helpful references on FB and thought, why not just create a page and share all this juicy stuff that I am learning about health. Well, of course being raw, I bet you wouldn't guess what I juice every morning? 

Ding, ding, ding..Carrots and Apples! 

My body has taken over a new obsession with this juicing method. I literally depend on this daily. So for my love of Carrots and Apples, I created the name Capple House. 

Now, all of this stems from healing my daughter Taylor, naturally. I remember when she first got sick, I thought this is the scariest thing that has ever happened to me. What do I do? How do I fix it? Who do I trust? 

My world as I knew it, was forever changed...

 The doctor that diagnosed her said, "Your daughter has Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis." I said, "Well, lets fix it!" He said, "I am sorry, it is chronic, there is NO cure." He then said, "She will need to go in the hospital, here is a pamphlet." The pamphlet always got me..it's like, "Here's your sign.." I remember looking at the wall of pamphlets, thinking she is just a number to this disease. I had wondered how many pamphlets they predict to print in a year and how did they know we would all be getting sick? The first hospital stay was I thought the worst. We were alone, in Florida and clueless. All that I understood was that she was in pain and bleeding so badly rectally.  

Seeing your child held down for the first time by nurses is indescribable. The first IV, the first time putting her to sleep. The first of everything is always seemingly the worst. 

Little did I know, this was going to become my life...

Taylor was a little cutie, always starring up at you with her bright blue eyes. Her curly hair and chubby cheeks were just an accessory to her contagious laugh. She was luminous and happy. My images of her, in her little hospital blues, walking down the hallway together. She would hold my pinky and and look up at me with courage. I know she was being strong to comfort me and I in turn was for her. She was so innocent and pure walking down the hallway. I could write a book with that title. "Walking Down The Hallway." This is a common thing patients do. The hallway is a sign that things are looking up. That first hospital stay was really a walk in the park. It was the beginning to something no one could prepare me for.

A life without control.

Taylor in her life time has had:  

At least 200 IV's,

at least 10 PIC lines,

had her blood drawn over 200 times,

drank barium fluid at least 20x,

countless N.G tubes,

had 7 MRI's,
over 20 CT scans,
countless X-Rays, over 30 blood product infusions,
1 blood transfusion, 40 + Remicaide infusions,
3 yrs of weekly shots that I gave her,
7 years of steroids, endless, countless drugs,
16 seizures,
3 major abdominal surgeries,
1 Complete Colectomy, (Large Intestine removed),

1 prolapsed rectum,

1 blood clot, 1 broken fibula, 1 broken wrist, 1 Ileostomy,

2 Fallopian tubes removed, (understanding she will not carry a child),
has had fluid drained from her spine,
consumed endless bottles of hydrocodone,
missed an average of 50 days a year in school, (maintaining A's!)

lived over weight for years due to steroids, several occurrences of waking  up in pools of blood,

over 100 nose bleeds, menstruated for 5 months straight, swallowed 2 camera's, at least 10 colonoscopies and endoscopies, carried 2 large cysts full of blood inside her fallopian tubes for at least 5 months, lived at Texas Children's and Galisano Childrens' Hospital her entire life. She also was transferred in an ambulance to Chop in Philly and went there a few times. I am thinking in 12 years, this is too much.. Okay, so this actually isn't even everything, there is more..but I think at this point you get my message. These doc's have had her all over the place, putting her through endless amounts of pain. My daughter has spent 4 Birthdays in the hospital. I mean can you believe that? It is REMARKABLE that she has the spirit that she has. Listen, one drug after another caused most of these issues. Not understanding what Taylor was missing, regarding minerals, nutrients and such was a huge factor. Taylor is now finally healthy, naturally! The last 15 months were substantial in this movement in our lives. Changing her diet completely, to mainly a Raw/Vegan diet and then adding the minerals and vitamins she was missing, changed everything! The Gerson Clinic really changed our thinking. I desperately wanted Taylor to go to the clinic to be healed naturally, but unfortunately due to her NOT having a colon, it poses a problem. Of course, I did not let that get me down! I just decided to do as much as I could on my own. So Welcome to our story and Welcome to Capple House!
I will, in given time be sharing so much with this blog. There needs to be a message, a simply yet profound message. If my daughter's life experience helps save another child or adult from this kind of long term pain and suffering, than we have made the absolute best of the situation. Please be good to yourself, find the truth about your problems, make the right decisions, get opinions from Holistic Doctors, Chiropractor's, and people with life experience. Specialists do not know what you are going through, there are Meet Up groups for everything. Investigate, it is your LIFE! I have great appreciation for your time in reading my blog, I love feed back!!

Namaste~

Taylor has: Crohn's Disease, Epilepsy, Von Willebrands Disease, (severe level 1), Puseudo Tumor Cerebri and Osteopenia

Healthy and happy and ready for life!

Yoga in the Prison System "Developing Calmness"

Imagine a world where children are raised with Yoga! Imagine a world where parents focus on family values first, making meals together that come from their garden. If children were taught Yoga and Meditation from childhood, there would be very little crime, no disconnection between themselves and the surroundings of their environment. There is much to be done in changing our lives, how we perceive things, and letting go of what we "think" is best. We need to have community again. We need to face that we have real problems happening within our society that if we don't turn around now, more tragedy is only to come. I love that Yoga is entering the prison system. Again, I feel that if these men and woman had this in their lives to begin with, these crimes would not have occurred. Feeling lamented over your life choices is an unfortunate way to live. You can fight crime, disease, drugs, hunger, all of our worldly problems with "Developing Calmness" within us and our children. There is hope for us and our kids, we just have start somewhere! I am encouraged to help parents, children, educators, prisoners, whom ever is willing to make the difference! It takes time, I am still on my journey to calmness. It is a life commitment. Here are some testimonials of prisoners regarding Yoga and how it changed them. Some men expressed that they had been for years taking classes on anger management, therapy etc. Only until Yoga was introduced in their lives did their anger disappear. Happiness overwhelmed them. Mind, Body and Spirit! Namaste~

Testimonials / Quotes from Current and Former Prisoners

''Yoga and its emphasis on the power of a single breath has promoted for me a respect for life and a profound realization of the destructive force of violence.'' - S.L.''I have a strengthened identity with self and a sense of something universal. It has given me the ability to affect my own well being and peace without dependency upon someone else or chemical substance.'' - T.W.
''I have experienced decreased anxiety and improved ability to deal with stress. I have also been able to relieve back pain and in general manage pain and injuries.'' - S.L.
''I used drugs and alcohol for many years basically to kill the pain of my life. Yoga has helped clear my mind, deal with the pain, move into the present and just love myself and who I am.'' - J.B.
''I truly believe I have found a process (in yoga) to deal with my personal struggles without medicating. I have found a path to calming myself when faced with adversity, and quieting my mind to see the world from a different perspective.'' - P.U.
''I came in contact with yoga before I came to prison but always thought it was for hippies or older folks. But now that I have taken yoga, I feel less physical pain, I sleep better and I'm more at peace with myself.'' - D. W.''It was mainly because of the inner peace and trust that I have developed and nurtured through my Yoga practice that I was able to respond to a potential violent situation with calm.'' - B.B.

A simple wish...

Have you ever simply wished you could get a "re-do" for your day?
Have you ever simply wished you had handled a situation differently?
Have you ever simply wished to have a simple message to people, yet profound?
Have you ever simply wished to see your friends and family healthy?
Have you ever simply wished to be taken seriously?
Have you ever simply wished to be deeply supported?
Have you ever simply wished to have help?

I simply wish for all of those things and more. It is okay to say it out loud, to express how you feel. It is also good to cry. If you want to be in a better state of mind, if you want to know your facts, if you want to be heard correctly, if you want to see the truth, if you want to simply wish...Start somewhere, do your research and care deeply for what you know you need and want.. I know my facts and care deeply about everyone around me. Learning to help people when they WANT help is something I must learn to understand. I am very concerned all the time for everyone around me and want desperately to help, but I have to understand that my help is not always wanted. Today, I simply wish that I can help change one person's life. .

Namaste~

Love.Carrots.Apples.

Capple House is a place for my daughter and I to ramble on about our experiences on healing ourselves naturally! My tenacious daughter has been ill for a greater part of her life. A series of events, years of heavy medication and not enough quality time with very pharmaceutically driven doctors has prevailed multiple times, leaving her with yet another chronic illness. My research has been going on for years, searching for the right answer, attempting to discover the missing piece. Honestly, it has taken a very long time to get to this point. Many mistakes, catastrophic dissappointments and endless amounts of love.
I am before anything a Mother. Truly, a distinctly elegant effort that fortifies my daily existence. Allowing myself to not be socially pragmatic in the medical world has relieved me from the doom that resided within me for so many years.The agonizing thoughts that streamed through my restless mind, aged me and tethered my spirit. Every ruminating thought revolved around Medication. What will this do to her in the future? How will she metabolize this? Can I handle 35 mixed side effects? What if? What IF?!! Petrified Mom is not something they teach you in high school. In-fact, I gathered no education on parenting, nor did anything I absorb in school prepare me for the reality of life. Petrified Mom & Willful Mom needed to do something.
We are no longer vulnerable. We are no longer encased by the walls of the hospital, the taxing medication that was killing the very natural healers within her. We are on a journey to self healing. I have resigned my position from "Petrified World." Who wants to live and work there? I am loving the very essence of what is provided by Mother Earth. Thus far you will see that by us basically, GIVING our BODIES back their RIGHTS, we are becoming free. Free from disease, free from that casting cloud that hung over us, and most importantly free from future disease. Listen folks, I just want my kid to be ALIVE! It is simple:

Care more about your body, care deeply for yourself. When your body calls your name in the morning for attendance, raise your hand man and say here!!! If you put waste into your body, you seperate you from you?? Strange concept to me that we all know this and are just okay with it? This all sounds kinda preachy, but that is what Capple House is all about, freedom to suggest a supreme life.

If you have children, a family member, friend or yourself with illness, please feel free to open up to Capple House. Self healing takes a community. Do not let that "SELF" word freak you out. Nothing in life needs to be done by yourself.

Capple House will be talking daily about collective experience on the healing garden. Recipes, household products, juicing, Raw versus Cooked, (rawesome debate) and of course herbs and viti's!! I will share our family values, books to read, Yoga tips from the heart and powerful, yet delicately simple ways to find peace within.

Thanks for being apart of Capple House.
Namaste~