About the Author
Margie Boyd

 I am a "Mom with a Message." For eleven years, I sought help for my hyper son with no good results. Ritalin only caused him to lose weight. Described below are my first experiences.

Help appeared when Ed Snapp, Physical Therapist, whose advanced methods far exceeded what was being taught  in other physical training classes, answered my call and came to my home to examine my son.

While I watched him testing my son, I understood how Ed Snapp's methods would allow my son to progress in all areas of his body, which filled my heart with elation.

Equally important was Dr. Mary B. Allen. PhD (now deceased), Biochemist, whose expertise in glandular research earned the respect of her peers.

While working with a school for children with learning disabilities, she also took my son as an individual patient. 

She tested the glandular response from four ares. A sliver of muscle removed from the thigh, skin and blood samples plus two tablespoons of his hair, two inches long,taken near the nape of his neck provided comparisons between "day" results and a "history" of the immediate past four months.

In answer to her requst for one problem, I said: "My son said me he 'forgot' when I told him to pick up his toys and take a bath. If he picked up his toys, he never made it to the bathroom. He said 'Oh, Mother, I forgot' with a voice of regret and a face begging to be believed."

"That is an easy one" said Dr. Allen with a smile. "So many mothers have told me the same thing. Your son cannot carry two thoughts in his mind at the same time.

"Even though his long term memory is excellent, his brain cannot process two different directions at the same time. This is why he constantly asks his school teacher to repeat directions. We can address that with mega-vitamin therapy and a constant supply of nutrients during the day."

Oh, how guilty I felt when I heard her answer and remembered all of the times I punished my child, "knowing" he was being untruthful when he "knew" he had forgotten. We can only make good judgments when we have ALL the necessary knowledge to do so.

Dr. Allen explained: "My research indicates most children with any type of learning disability are deficient in magnesium gluconate. Take this written recommendation to your physician because he is not trained to prescribed this substance.

"Other forms of magnesium in this high quantity can be harmful, even fatal to your child; accept only gluconate."

By follwing her recommendations for additioanl mega-vitamin therapy and providing my son either a high protein snack, alternately with a dextrose or fructose pill, every hour on the hour, except at at mealtime, his general health improved, he slept better, and in time began to calm down. His attention span improved.

What a joy when the long-term effects eased my concerns for my son's future.

During the years when I resided in Port Arthur, Beaumont and Kirbyville, I was president of several civic/patriotic organizations and served on a restoration committee to preserve the historic Tyrrell Library. The Dale Carnegie Leadership Course prepared me as I spoke onhistory, nutrition or genealogy to groups such as Rotary, AAUW, PTA, various clubs, church and retirees groups.

In Kirbyvlle, I wrote a 100-year historical booklet of that city pusblished by their Chamber of Commerce, raising funds for playground equipment. I also published for Kirbyville Area Historical Society an historical centennial calendar as a fund-raiser. While serving as Docent for their museum, I designed all acquisition forms and set up their record system.

Along the way, I kept the books for our family corporation and earned a real estate salesman's license from TREC. My many articles were accepted by the Port Arthur News, Beaumont Enterprise, and Kirbyville Banner. I enjoyed my stint as editor for four years of SE Texas Genealogical & Historical Society's quarterly.

My late husband of 51 years and I reared a son and a daughter in Port Arthur, Texas. Presently, Georgetown, Texas (near Austin) is home to me, my son, daughter, her husband and my grandaughter.

Read more details in my book.

See "Ask Margie" for answers.