The lemonade is prepared by mixing the ingredients in this recipe:

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice. Burroughs recommends organic lemons, fresh, not bottled juice. Limes may be substituted. Lemon zest and pulp may be added, making sure that the lemons are organic and not artificially colored or treated with pesticides.
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. This must be pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. Burroughs recommends the darker Grade B, which has more color and nutrients than Grade A, which is also acceptable. He goes into aspects of maple syrup production that would be difficult for the average person to investigate, such as whether formaldehyde or plastic tubing is used (not recommended by Burroughs).
• 1/10 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Burroughs insists that cayenne chili pepper be used, but permits ramping up from a lesser amount if the taste needs getting used to.
• Water. Burroughs recommends a 10-ounce glass of medium hot water, but also allows cold water to be used. Some have interpreted “10-ounce glass” to mean 8 ounces of actual water. Since Burroughs also allows plain water to be drunk during the fast in addition to the lemonade, this doesn’t seem important.

We are all back to normal now, PTL. I had tons of catch up and honestly completely forgot about WW, sorry for those of you that came to look for Mr Linky. I will have my WW post ready to go for next week. I have so many pics to share I think I am set for the next couple months! LOL

I am finally getting the chance to get on here and share about my biopsy.  I must warn everyone this is not normally something I would share with the world but I thought it was extremely important to get this info out there as It is not something that is very well known. If you are reading this and you are a man, well this post is not for you but it could be for your wife! :-)

My biopsy was not a breast biopsy as I am sure many of you had assumed. It was for the lower region and it was not fun in the least. I was given numbing meds and the doc gave me an oh so painful shot to numb the area "down there" and still when he took the "chuck" of skin, I felt it. The worst burn I have ever experienced and it was in the same area that one would get cut for an episiotomy. (No fun)

I was actually very fortunate that my Doctor was able to quickly diagnose me, do the biopsy and put me on meds. He diagnosed me with a rare skin disorder called Lichen Sclerosis, my Doctor best described as being like a sever form of eczema but in the lower region. I was blessed to have found this very early on when I had next to no symptoms, no itching, no discomfort.  I had one very tiny spot that would burn when I wiped and this went on for about a month, I finally decided to have a look, yes ladies I had to take a look, its just our bodies! I saw a very tiny white spot and ignored it but after another month of it still being there I decided to go see my OBGYN. 

Again, like I said, I was very fortunate that my Doctor diagnosed me quickly (he is an amazing doctor) I have read that many women are misdiagnosed for months and even years due to the severity and similarities of the  symptoms to other things such as a yeast infection or other skin disorder. A biopsy must be done to have a positive diagnoses and my biopsy came back positive for LS.

Now the scary part is that when this is misdiagnosed or goes untreated things can get pretty ugly, the skin will start to scar, the scaring will shrink the skin and begin to close up the opening down low and the scaring if left untreated can  cause Cancer!

LS must be treated asap even when there are no symptoms! 1 in 20 with LS will get Cancer!

That wont be me because I caught it very early  and I have no scaring.

So for now I am treating the effected area for the next two months until the spot goes away then we will watch it and I must be checked every few months to make sure it has not come back as there in no cure other then my Lord Jesus to whom we are praying for a healing from this. It is possible that after this episode it will not come back or not flare up again and that is what we are praying for. :-)

I have added all the facts about LS below just in case the book I wrote above was not enough for you. I have also added some alternative treatments to coincide with the Medications given to treat LS.

Lichen Sclerosis:

Lichen sclerosis is a skin condition that usually affects the vulva area (the outside parts of the female genitalia) and the anal area in young girls, adolescents, and adults. Similar to other skin conditions, there are treatments available to help the symptoms.

What is lichen sclerosis and what does it look like?

Lichen sclerosis (LS) is a skin condition that makes the vulva look white, slightly shiny, and smooth. The skin's surface becomes thin and delicate so that it tears easily. This can cause bleeding under the skin. In severe cases of lichen sclerosis of the genital area, scarring can occur. This causes the inner lips of the vulva to get smaller. The clitoris can become covered in scar tissue.

What causes lichen sclerosis?

We do not know the exact cause of lichen sclerosis. Scientists have different theories to try to explain the cause. Some scientists think that an overactive immune system may play a role in causing the disease. Some people may also develop lichen sclerosis due to their genes or to changes in hormones. Since lichen sclerosis is not caused by an infection, it cannot be spread and is not contagious.

What are the symptoms of lichen sclerosis?

Symptoms of lichen sclerosis may be different from one person to another and can be mild to severe. Girls and young women who have this disease may experience some or all of the following symptoms in the vulvar area:

• mild to severe itching in the vulvar area
• skin that appears fragile, pale, and/or white
• bruised skin with broken blood vessels or "blood blisters"
• small tears or fissures in the skin
• scar tissue covering the labia or clitoris
• bleeding or tearing of skin when having bowel movements

How is lichen sclerosis diagnosed?

Lichen sclerosis can be a difficult diagnosis to make. It is not unusual for someone to see more than one doctor before the disease is finally diagnosed. This can be very frustrating for you if the treatment you are receiving isn't working. Most of the time, doctors who see a lot of patients with lichen sclerosis can often make the diagnosis just by looking at the skin, but still may need to do a biopsy. If you are in the early stages of lichen sclerosis, the doctor may have to do a biopsy (removal and examination of a small sample of affected skin) to identify the cause of your symptoms.

Will I need treatment?

Even if you do not have symptoms such as itching or pain, it is important for you to receive medical treatment for lichen sclerosis. Treatment to genital skin is necessary to try to prevent scarring of the vulva. Without treatment, there can be scarring that causes parts of the vulva to narrow and cause problems with passing urine or pain with sexual activity. Severe scarring can cause the opening to the ****** to narrow. Intercourse may be painful if the ****** narrows too much.

Are there medicines to treat lichen sclerosis?

Yes. Medications are available to help with the symptoms of lichen sclerosis. They are only available by a prescription from your doctor. If you have lichen sclerosis, your doctor will most likely prescribe a strong topical corticosteriod, which is a type of ointment that reduces swelling and itching on your skin. This medicine also decreases the body's immune response. Your doctor will probably tell you to apply this drug every day so that your skin can return to its normal surface and strength. The amount of time it takes for this to happen is different from patient to patient. It is important to realize that the treatment may not undo the scarring that may have already occurred.

Will I need surgery?

Most of the time, the prescription medicine works to control symptoms and return your skin to normal. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary if the lichen sclerosis did not respond to the medications and/or scarring has already formed.

Can people with lichen sclerosis have sex?

Lichen sclerosis is not contagious since it is a skin disorder and not a STD (sexually transmitted disease). Therefore, sexual intercourse can take place without having to worry about spreading lichen sclerosis. Adolescents and women suffering from severe cases of lichen sclerosis may not be able to have sex because of scarring that has caused the opening to the ****** to narrow. If you have this condition, trying to have sex may cause a lot of pain. However, with proper early treatment the skin will return to its natural condition before severe scarring occurs and sexual intercourse can take place. However, if severe scarring has already occurred and the opening to the ****** has already narrowed, ******l dilators may be needed to correct the problem.

Does lichen sclerosis cause cancer?

Lichen sclerosis is not skin cancer. However, scientists have found that skin that has been scarred from lichen sclerosis is more likely to develop skin cancer. This is why it is so important for people who have this skin disorder to receive proper treatment right away. By doing this, your doctor can watch skin changes, treat your symptoms, and be alert to early signs of skin cancer.

 I found these natural and what sounds to be very helpful treatments online as well...

1) Add acidophilus in a capsule form every day to your daily vitamins. You need the lactobacillus (good bacteria) to keep these other (bad) bacteria and yeast in check and to bring up your good bacteria population so you aren't so prone to yeast infections.
 

2) Take chromium picolinate daily as directed on the label. This aids in reducing infections in the skin.
 

3) Take evening primrose or flaxseed oil as directed on the label. This supplies GLA which is needed to keep the skin smooth, soft, and repair damaged skin cells.  I favor the evening primrose oil personally. 

4) Add a Vitamin B complex daily (100 mg 3 times a day) to improve your skin tone and get oxygen up the to surface more.