Hi Buttons, Pabb and Rose,
thank you so much for your in put. It helps alot to think this out with real people and not just stare at articles on line.

As a teenager I could only drink milk if it was "cut" with something, like chocolate syrup...but it got to the point that I would get seriously nauseasous (sorrry sp). The last day I had a glass of milk was Oct 1990.
And then yes diarrhea.

Now I only eat soy yogurt as any kind of milk, rice, soy just gives me the hee-bee jee-bees, I've purchased it but could never bring myself to try it.

What is bad about soy?

My internist tested my b12 at my suggestion as someone else in the horticulture industry had a weird neuro sx, (arm went numb -hospital 3 days- b12 shots) so I figured what could I loose. That was a year ago. I tested at 220 which was "in range", and therefore "normal".......apparently NOT.

I switched neuros in Jan 2006 and brought all my tests and he picked up on the b12.

Internist freaked out when he learned that new neuro was looking at mitochondrial diseases, literally took three steps back from me like I spit up on him............my lactic acid blood work came back elevated once.....

I've had a boat load of tests........but what's a SED rate? What does it look for? Is it called anything else?

what is the connection to weight gain and combined degeneration?
I could stand to loose fifty pounds......sad but true.

I'm going to your site now rose, have you reversed all the damage?
thanks,
laura