What a small world we live in....

What a small world we live in.  In April of 2011, I went to San Diego for a business trip.  While I was there I wanted to see some of the sites.  A member in my ward suggested that I go see the Mormon Battalion Museum or in other words the visitor center for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints for the San Diego area.

I caught a bus from my hotel and got dropped of a few blocks from the Mormon Battalion Museum.  I got their a little early, so I had to wait for them to open.  After they opened their doors, I proceeded to walk in and there was a lady reading the bible at the check-in desk.  I stood their for a minute or so and then she looked up. She thought that I was her husband standing there and so she did not look up right away.  It was kinda funny.  I introduced my self and where I was from.  I told her that a member had recommended the place.  She asked me to have a seat and we would wait and make sure there was no more people before she began the tour.  After a few minutes, two older lady's walked in.

After these lady's had introduced themselves, one being from American Fork, UT, and the other from near by there, the Sister missionary that I had been talking with said, "I am from American Fork! What was your last name again?"  The lady from American Fork told her.  Turns out that the sister and the lady from American Fork knew each other from a long time ago.  It was kind of like a family reunion.  It was really neat to see. We went on our tour and went our separate ways.

Let me just say this.  The Mormon Battalion Museum is an amazing place to see.  What a history the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has.

So back to this small world we live in.

At the beginning of December 2011, my family and I went on a trip to Salt Lake City, UT, to pick up a puppy.

My good friend Isaac lived near by Salt lake, so I called him up to see if we could get together for the afternoon.  After calling him, I found out that he had moved to American Fork.  After meeting up we went to  Temple Square and went into the North Visitor Center.  We, meaning us adults, were sitting up top in front of the statue of Jesus Christ, while the kids were in awe.  I started to tell Isaac about my experience in San Diego at the Mormon Battalion Museum, because of where he lives reminded me of that lady from American Fork.  After telling him the story, he told me that there was a lady in their ward that gave a talk and during this talk, she talked about an experience she had at the Mormon Battalion Museum.  It was the same story. WOW!

WE LIVE IN A SMALL WORLD.

My Health - Brian

So for the past few years my blood pressure has fluctuated from high to normal.  In April 2010, I became very ill.  I had major gastrointestinal problems and a headache from hell.  This headache lasted for almost three weeks straight. The doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me.  They did blood work, endoscopy, CT scan of my brain, and yet everything came back normal.  Well, except for my sugar levels.  So then they did a insulin resistance test.  It showed that I was slightly insulin resistant.

So, in May, a friend of mine on Facebook said, "You are having the same symptoms I had a while back when I was sick.  I think that you have aspartame poisoning!"    So I looked it up and discovered that there are 92 different symptoms of aspartame poisoning.  I had several of them.
Here is a little bit about aspartame poisoning.

Phenylalanine - Aspartame Poisoning

Nutrition fact about Phenylalanine in aspartame:

The 1976 Groliers encyclopedia states cancer cannot live without phenylalanine. Aspartame contains 50% phenylalanine.

Phenylalanine is one of the essential amino acids found in proteins, but I am one of the believers that amino acids should be eaten in combination, not in isolated form. Nature provides amino acids in combination; only man isolates them for processing purposes.

Phenylalanine is found naturally in foods such as eggs, milk, bananas, and meat. If you are PKU (Phenylketonuric) or sensitive to phenylalanine, you will react to the phenylalanine in aspartame. You many want to get a blood test to check for this condition. Over the past 20 years, humans have become more aware of PKU reactions because human beings began using isolated phenylalanine to the degree it is harmful to some individuals, many as aspartame side effects. My suggestion would be to research PKU and phenylalanine extensively. Phenylalanine can be very harmful to diabetics.

Symtoms

The ones in red are the symptoms that I had.

Many reactions to aspartame were very serious including seizures and death. Those reactions included:

Abdominal Pain
Anxiety attacks
arthritis
asthma
Asthmatic Reactions
Bloating, Edema (Fluid Retention)
Blood Sugar Control Problems (Hypoglycemia or Hyperglycemia)
Brain Cancer (Pre-approval studies in animals)
Breathing difficulties
burning eyes or throat
Burning Urination
can't think straight
Chest Pains
chronic cough
Chronic Fatigue
Confusion
Death
Depression
Diarrhea
Dizziness
Excessive Thirst or Hunger
fatigue
feel unreal
flushing of face
Hair Loss (Baldness) or Thinning of Hair
Headaches/Migraines dizziness
Hearing Loss
Heart palpitations
Hives (Urticaria)
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Impotency and Sexual Problems
inability to concentrate
Infection Susceptibility
Insomnia
Irritability
Itching
Joint Pains
laryngitis
"like thinking in a fog"
Marked Personality Changes
Memory loss
Menstrual Problems or Changes
Migraines and Severe Headaches(Trigger or Cause From Chronic Intake)
Muscle spasms
Nausea or Vomiting
Numbness or Tingling of Extremities
Other Allergic-Like Reactions
Panic Attacks
Phobias
poor memory
Rapid Heart Beat
Rashes
Seizures and Convulsions
Slurring of Speech
Swallowing Pain
Tachycardia
Tremors
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Vision Loss
Weight gain


Aspartame Disease Mimics Symptoms or Worsens the Following Diseases

Fibromyalgia
Arthritis
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Parkinson's Disease
Lupus
Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS)
Diabetes and Diabetic Complications
Epilepsy
Alzheimer's Disease
Birth Defects
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Lymphoma
Lyme Disease
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
Panic Disorder  

Here is a little background as to why I would have aspartame poisoning.  So in September of 2008, I lost my job at the furniture manufacture, Woodland Furniture, then in October, my father offered me a job with him. So I went from standing and hard work to a desk job.  I was gaining weight and my wife told me to start drinking "Diet."  So I started drinking Diet Pepsi and Crystal Light.  I was drinking a lot of Crystal Light.  Crystal Light is very high in aspartame and potassium.

I stopped drinking anything with aspartame in it and with in a week, my problems were going away.  My, very painful, headache was finally gone.  My stomach was feeling better. I figured out what was wrong with me, with the help of a friend.  I had racked up $7,000 in medical and the doctors were at a loss.  So after I was feeling all better, I figured that my blood sugar problems were due to the aspartame.  My blood pressure had returned to normal.

This past September, I went to India for a business trip, upon returning, I became very ill, again, with gastrointestinal problems.  This time it was just nausea and diarrhea.   Again all test results came back normal.  The only thing that was not good was my blood pressure, it was around 142/90.  So after two weeks of being sick and almost 20lbs later, I was feeling better.  What ever it was just went away.

I went back in a couple times after feeling better to get my blood pressure checked.  It was still high. around the same as before.  In the beginning of November, I decided to return to BioLife to donate blood plasma.  When they were checking my vitals, my blood pressure was 163/103, they waited five minutes and checked it again.  It was 162/102!  So I went back to my doctor a few hours later and it was 143/87.  My doctor was concerned.  He has put me on blood pressure meds and they did blood work.  He also wants to check me for sleep apnia.  I did an overnight oxygen test and there were a few times where my oxygen dropped below 88% for a few minutes.  Not good.  On my blood work, when it cam back, it showed that I have high cholesterol and my fasting glucose levels were 121.  Diabetes levels are 126.  NOT GOOD!

So today I am going in to get more meds and get set up on a diet and cardio plan.

I am to young to be this old.

UPDATE!!!!

So I do not have Insulin Resistance.  I do have Sleep Apnea  At least one thing was eliminated.

The journey into my belief of the Savior Jesus Christ

Growing up I was raised in the methodist religion, and I felt like religion was forced on me. I was told what to believe, what to read, what to sing.  I soon became an atheist. I grew up with many friends, that were members of the Mormon church. They never tried to push religion on me, just would ask if I would like to join them for church service or attend church activities.  In Dec 1999, I attended my grandfather's funeral. When I went to the viewing and saw his body, I felt this strange feeling come over me. I left and went for a walk. It just happened to be a clear night out and I could see all the stars. I starred up into the night sky and started to wonder, what happens when you die. Is there an after life. In Jan 2000, three yrs after meeting Camille, I received a phone call, at Camille's house, from the mission president in her parents stake. He said that a missionary, by the name of Tyson, who was a friend of Camille's, thought that he should give me a call and see if I wanted to take the discussions. Tyson was in Arizona at the time on his mission. I did not even hesitate, I said sure I would. In Feb. I took the discussions.  The sister missionaries had no idea what they had gotten them selves into.  Oh the questions that I had.  They were able to answer most on the spot, but there were a few they had to go find the answers too.   All of my questions were answered and I knew that what the missionaries had told me, to be true in my heart. In April I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As I walked down the hallway of the church to the sanctuary, I felt this overwhelming peace come over me.  One of the most greatest feelings in my life.  


The church referes to a "Straight and Narrow Path" to God, well I feel like growing up that path forked when I was young and I was not on that right path anymore and that I was separated from that path by a river. Well after meeting Camille, I feel as though a bridge was laid across the river from the path that I was on to that "Straight and Narrow Path." She helped me get across that river and onto the path that rocks. :)

In 2009 my wife and I went to the Temple to be sealed together for time and all eternity.  We were also sealed to our children.  At the time it was Genika, Shay, and Kayla.  That I believe to be the greatest experience in my life.  

I bear my testimony to you, that I have never felt better in my life, about myself, and those around me, then after joining the church. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ is the our savior and redeemer. That GOD has made it possible for us to return to him, our father in heaven, by giving his only begotten son. I believe with every bone in my body that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of GOD and that Thomas S. Monsen is the true prophet today. 

Discovery of my birth mother

A little history....

So in April of 1977, I was adopted by Peggy and Chris Allison. Both of my adoptive parents were from Wy, and had moved to Idaho Falls, ID after completing collage. In 1980, they also adopted my sister Kirsten, but then by some miracle, my mom was able to get 
pregnant and I had another sister born five months after my adopted sister was born. Growing up people would always ask how they were five months apart. My parents told Kirsten and I, at an early age, that we were both adopted,. They did not want to hide it from us.

After getting home from collage, in 1996, I started to wonder about my birth mother. When I was adopted, my adoptive parent's lawyer had gotten quite a bit of information about my birth mother, including her name. I often wondered, through out my teens, who my mother was, where she was, what she had done with her life.

In June of 1996, I met a girl, named Camille, who in August of 2000, became my wife. Well, before we got married, I started to wonder more about my birth mother and thought that I would try and find her. I wasn't quite sure where to start. I decided to take her name, Elizabeth Ann Clark, and started to search the internet for that name. I looked for addresses, phone numbers, marriage licenses, death certificate. I really wasn't getting anywhere. I was finding women by that name, but the birth date was not matching up. I looked for about two or three months and then gave up.

After getting married, Camille and I had a daughter in 2002, named Genika, then another daughter in 2004, named Shay, then we had another daughter in 2008, name Kayla. Kayla had to stay in the NICU for 7 days due to lung problems. One of the possible problems with her lungs, could have been inherited. So, with that in mind, I tried looking for Liz again, but no success.

In 2010, a TV show called "Find My Family" came out and after watching it, I said to my wife, "I have to find my birth mother." I started looking, again, in May. I went through everything I had on Liz. I used what I had watched and learned from "Find My Family" to search for her. I was going to be heading to Boise in the first part of June and thought that if I could figure out what high school she went to I could find her in a year book at the Boise library. I also, called the hospital that i was born at. They told me that if came to the records office I could sign a piece of paper and they could give me a copy of my original birth information. After that I had discovered the she most likely went to Boise High in '77. Going off of the information that I had, I search Facebook for an Elizabeth Clark that graduated from Boise high in '77. A name came up. Elizabeth Blankenship (Elizabeth Clark Blankenship). I printed off the photo and asked my wife if she thought that this person could be my birth mother. She thought that she could see some resemblance in the eyes. I decided to send her a message. Instead of clicking on "Send message", I clicked on friend request and sent her a message.

I said, "I am doing some family research and was wondering if you knew of anybody that gave up a baby for adoption in 1977." I got no response.The next day, June 2, 2010, I went through the paper work with a fine tooth comb. I discovered that I had the graduation year wrong. She had graduated in 1978. So, I went back on Facebook and searched again, using '78 as the graduation year. The same name came up again. So, this time I clicked on "Send message." And the message I sent was, "I am searching for a person that went by the name of Elizabeth Clark and attended Boise High. Also, I am wondering if this person gave up a child for adoption in '77." I sent that message in the afternoon on June 2, 2010, by 8:00 that evening, while at my wife's sisters house, Genny, I decided to check my messages and I had a response. The response said. "Could you tell me what your birthday is please?" I was like no way. I told Camille, Genny and Matt (Genny's husband), that she had responded. I was starting to freak out. I said,. "This has to be here, right? Why else would she responde?" I responded back to the message with, "I was born on Feb. 12, 1977 at St. Luke's." With in about 15mins she had responded back.
She has two kids from another father, their names are Shasta (24) and Aaron (28).  She has a brother and a half sister.

On Jun 4, 2010, Liz and her husband Dwane, drove to Idaho Falls, so that we could be reunited. She got here about 11:00 pm and I walked out onto the sidewalk to greet her with a single, red rose in hand. Her husband dwane noticed the red rose and said, "Oh, great she has been crying for the last three days straight." We all chuckled and Liz and I embraced in a long awaited hug.

It was the most amazing feeling to be reunited with my birth mother. Her and dwane stayed till the 6th and then headed back home. It was such an amazing weekend. Quite a lot to take in, but it is something that I will never forget. Liz and I got to learn so much about each other. She went from having two children in her life to three. Also she is now a proud grandmother. Liz is such an amazing person. She is sweet, kind, caring, funny, and to boot, she is just like me. hehe

In July on the 21st, she came back for the birth of my son.

She stayed until the 25th. While she was here she got to meet a lot of my wife's family and my adoptive parents, Chris and Peggy. She was so amazing while she was here. She took my three daughters and stayed with them at our house for two nights while Camille and I were at the hospital, due to our son being born. We told her that she was very brave taking on three grandkids, without really knowing them yet. Saturday the 24th, Liz, the kids and I went to go watch the Blue Angels.

It was really hot out. We decided to leave and go get some lunch and head back to the hospital. That day was great because Liz and I got to spend a lot of time together. She also enjoyed spending time with the kids.

On September 9, 2010, Liz and Shasta came to be here for Tristans baby blessing. It was so great to get to meet Shasta. She is such a sweet heart. My kids love her. I think they quite enjoy having new grandma and aunt. On saturday the 11th, we all went to the Eastern Idaho State fair. That was an adventure. I have never taken all three kids to the fair. We thought that us four adults could handle three kids.

Think again, even later when we ran into Camille's sister Becky, and her husband Kevin, we were still having hard time trying to keep track. Let's see 6 adults, 4 kids and we were out numbered. On Sunday, the 12th, I blessed Tristan. Afterwards we had a family get together and Liz got to meet a few more family members. Shasta, was lucky and got to meet them all at once.

At the end of September we packed up and drove to Great Falls, MT to see Liz. We surprised here and showed up 1 1/2 days early. That was a fun weekend. We went to a corn maze and the kids sure enjoyed that.

2010 was sure an exciting year for me and my family. Finding my birth mother has filled a void and I feel that my life has now been completed. Liz's family and her relatives, have welcomed me into their family with open arms. I cannot wait to meet more of her family.