World Autism Awareness Day

Before biomed and recovery. This was the best I could get all the while calling his name repeatedly to get him to look at me.

After biomed and recovery - This photo courtesy of Arne Kaiser, my son's wonderful teacher. This was taken at school.

Oh goody, World Autism Awareness Day. If you are an Autism parent I'm pretty sure you are very aware already. So who is supposed to be aware? Would I have listened before I had a child with Autism? Probably not. I would not have made any of the changes in my life that would make having a child with Autism less likely. That includes what can be done prenatally or how we feed our children once they are born, the toxic onslaught from day 1 of life starting with a vaccine to prevent STD's (which is so freaking ridiculous I still don't know how they get away with it), or what toxins they come into contact with in their lives. We need World Autism RECOVERY Awareness Day. I'm sorry to say with recent numbers coming out that 1 in 50 children have or will have Autism (and that puts rates for boys in the 1 in 38 range) more and more mothers will join our club. The club nobody really wants to be in, sorry but true. It is a hard road and often you are criticized for your parenting, your "extreme" dietary choices, your aversion to the toxic shit other people are ok with pumping into their childrens' growing bodies and even your views on avoiding the very things you know caused your child's Autism. Heaven forbid you expose "the herd" to something like a flu bug. Yes, cynicism often runs deep. We've been told we are stupid, don't know what we are talking about, just trust us we're the Drs. Except many of us have had to find a workaround and find "alternative" practitioners or do it ourselves to heal our children. There are good Drs. out there but they often get persecuted too. No one seems to give a rats ass about helping our kids, they just want you to keep with the status quo. Our world is more toxic than it EVER HAS BEEN. There HAVE been twin studies on the fact that there is a HUGE environmental piece to Autism. If there wasn't, my son could not have recovered to the point where he is today. PERIOD. It is not all genetic, in fact it is more epigenetic in nature. We are changing our DNA with our toxic world. There you have it. Listen up because with number the way they are, someone close to you is going to need info on Autism recovery in the near future.

So shall we all "Light it up Blue?". I won't say how I really feel but I will say "SCREW THE BLUE!". As a newly diagnosed parent I "walked" for Autism Speaks. I raised a lot of money. And then I found out the money primarily goes to the big wigs' salaries (6 figures!) and marketing/PR. Yes, do we need the word out? Yes, do we need activism? But I'm sorry, we need HELP! We need grants for supplements, Dr. visits to people who know how to successfully treat Autism, we need help paying for therapy, WE.NEED.RESPITE!!!!! If you are considering donating (and I thank you if you are) please look at organizations like TACA (local chapters in many states), NAA or local Autism support groups that give to the families, not spend money on genetic research and pay their top dogs hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. The info is out there, look into how they spend their money. You will be astounded. And maybe like me you make even feel a little bit taken. If you want to do real research, look at the effects of toxins in our world. Look at what supplements HAVE been helping our kids. Look at the recovered children, find out what they did and study that.

We are not alone thankfully. More and more parents are educating themselves on what they can do to help their child. We are not helpless victims to a purely genetic condition. Autism CAN be treated, recovery CAN happen. Don't be overwhelmed, be EMPOWERED!!! Parents have a huge responsibility here but with that is great control. You can help your child. It is not easy, it is not cheap, but it is possible. You will meet a lot of haters but you will also meet the strongest parents. Parents who will spend their night hours (even though many times we are exhausted ourselves) emailing you back about test results, supplement recommendations, therapy options, how to navigate your state services, IEP help, etc. We spend our very limited free time helping others because we are a family. My online group of Autism parents is one I am constantly humbled by. They are courageous, knowledgeable and we at our core, just want success for YOUR child as much as we want it for our own. I cannot tell you the tears I have shed over an accomplishment after a recommendation I gave worked for someone else's child. Or the tears I've shed when a dedicated parent HAS done everything and yet little to no response that time. We have to stick together because we've been hung out to dry by our government and society. They want to cover up the real causes of Autism because they line the pockets of those who are tasked with regulating them. So until that changes we have to stick together, share what works, encourage each other.

So, plenty of us are Autism "aware". We need Autism empowerment. You only become aware when you are thrown into our club. But I must say that now that I'm here, I'm in very good company. You want stuff changed, you want research done, you want out side of the box thinkers, then go find yourself an Autism mom, especially a hard core biomed mom!! She can probably spout the methylation cycles, talk to you about the MTHFR gene mutation all while making some kick ass GFCFSF paleo pancakes and a green smoothie chaser. She can probably look at your skin and tell you that you need some liver support and ask you about your poop. Forget Cher, after the apocalypse I can guarantee you us Autism moms will be around! Hey, we know how to detox just about anything! ;)

So while the hype is out there to "Light it up Blue" just realize that Autism is very real. And until we make some serious changes, it is coming soon to a child near you.

Bye bye clostridia!

Over the past almost 5 years (I can't believe it!) that we've been delving into Autism recovery yeast and clostridia have been our unwanted companions. We've tried many, many things. Some helped, some didn't. Some made things worse. That's what you get in Autism recovery (or ANY biomedical protocol) trial and error. There is no clear cut road map which can be frustrating but it can also take you places you never thought you would go. One such road led to our recent success.

Camel's milk has been very helpful for my son in terms of his immune system healing. And through that connection I learned about a probiotic called Body Biotics. I read the personal experiences in the Facebook group, read documents online, heard from the owner of the company. I was still skeptical (as I usually am). But, I read blog account from other moms about clostridia and yeast levels. So, we took the plunge. It is a heavy boogie regime. You give the probiotics several times per day, 20 minutes prior to meals. You start slowly of course.

Our numbers were bad.....I cringe whenever I sit in on a talk by Dr. Shaw or other leaders in this biomed world talk about clostridia and what those high levels do to the brain on a constant basis. Reference range is 220, over the summer my son's levels were 1800. Yes, 1800. We saw explosive behaviors, aggression, fly off the handle type stuff. It is not pleasant. He is grouchy and everything bothers him. I feel it from both ends, who wants to feel like that and who wants to deal with a child who acts like that? So, after 2 (yes 2) rounds of heavy antibiotics (which I HATE) we had levels in the 700's.....still. UGH!!!! Researcher mom kicked in again.

Which brings me to Body Biotics. We ordered them and anxiously awaited their arrival. We started the product on a Friday. Wow! Immediate response, not in a good way. We had major meltdowns, sensory overload, etc. I knew this was a good sign but still, it is always hard to handle for everyone involved. As we progressed on, we upped the dose.

Here we are about 3 months in. I just received his most recent organic acid test from Great Plains Labs and his clostrdia levels???? Drum roll please............................74!

74? I don't think I have EVER seen his levels so low. I am amazed. Really. So there you have it, our own experiences on this stuff. It does have Lactobacillus Casei (and as with everything else) so do your own research on whether you want to use it for your child. It worked for us!

Never a dull moment.

So last night we got word that today would be a snow day (HURRAY!!). No alarms to be set, no morning rush to get up and out the door. But of course, in the world of Autism and Autism recovery, there really is no such thing as a day off. So, although the alarm didn't wake me, the subtle sounds of footsteps did. You see we had planned to do an updated Organic Acid Test (OAT) from Great Plains Laboratory to see what is going on and if what we are doing is helping the clostridia. And when you do an OAT you have to avoid certain foods for at least 24 hours. One of those foods is anything pear. Well, the one juice we like is an organic pear juice to use to mix his morning and evening supplements. Pear juice is said to not feed yeast and it is a great mask for the plethora of supplements he has to take twice a day. He is a trooper for his supplements in general but to have to take them with just water for 24 hours prior to a test, yeah he deserves some sort of a medal or honor of some sort. So, whenever possible we like to get the testing over and done with quickly and efficiently. It has to be a morning urine sample. I thought about locking the kids' bathroom door so they he'd HAVE to come to our room to go. But I didn't. So, I heard the telltale pitter patters down the hall. I jumped out of bed half asleep running towards their rooms asking "Did you pee yet?!?!?". I know, the makings of lots of therapy in the future for them. So luckily we got the sample and off it goes to Kansas. Hopefully soon we will see the effects of tackling clostridia yet again. Just another day in the life.....

Natural treatments for ear infections

Well as a happy 7th birthday to my daughter, she began to develop her very first ear infection post last week's cold. Wednesday night she ended up being up almost all night with a "headache". I assumed it was nasal congestion and mucous from the recent cold. The next morning we started to bump up her normal supplements and even added some additional to kick what I thought was the tail end of her cold. I gave her some A & I chewables, D3 of course, garlic, and chewable C. Her complaints of her "headache" persisted through Thursday. After being up all night I decided to take her to school late and let her sleep in. That didn't last and not long after she showed up on the kindergarten playground where I was working.  Home she went. She was in tears that night. Hmmmm. Something wasn't right, nor was she sleeping through the night which was incredibly rare for her.

So come Friday morning and I am once again asking her about her headache. I finally ask her to show me where it hurts. She points to the side of her head above her ear. And she says it is hard to hear out of that ear (the one she normally sleeps on). The lightbulb went on, EAR INFECTION. My children rarely have ear infections. It is not something I'm all that familiar with in anything other than theory. My son only has had one ear infection, when he was 4. I know they can be quite common in children with Autism but that was not one of our issues. My daughter has never had one. So, garlic drops in the ear, later in the day I did some other ear drops with both garlic and mullein. We did all of our normal supplements plus a few more. I also picked up some Ibuactin (all natural pain reliever) and a homeopathic ear/sinus remedy. So when I got home from work I had a plan! She was once again in tears. The Ibuactin went right to work. Then some ear oil with a warm heating pad. I also gave her a few drops of Oil of Oregano. Within an hour she went from laying on the couch to being up and active. After dinner we did the ear oil again. I also did a topical rub of eucalyptus essential oil down the path of the ear tubes behind and under her ear and down her neck. I followed that up with tea tree. I also did the other ear for balance. Then we started the "cold sock" process by soaking her feet in warm water first. By bedtime her headache was finally gone! It had been a constant (unwanted) companion since Wed night. Hallelujah! She also got her probiotic before bed. So, we shall see how the cold sock treatment goes. While I have known about this, I've never really been at a point to use this. This is about the longest illness she's had. But likely it will be her only time really sick for the next year.

We've found that our kids don't get really sick for very long or often. I'd like to think it is a reflection of their diet and the attention we pay to nurturing their immune system on a daily basis. But it is also good to remember that an immune system is a lot like a muscle, it cannot get stronger without giving it a workout. We have to fight bugs because that is what we are meant to do. But we are meant to fight them and move on, stronger than before. We may have a sniffle or a few days of a cold and then not much more. This has been our worst illness and really her cold last week was mainly fever and lethargy and the only reason she was out of school as long as she was is because I abide by the school  rule of being fever free for 24 hours before returning. And since I've been working with kindergarteners, I appreciate the wisdom behind that so much more, the amount of illness that tears through a school is quite astounding! ;) Otherwise she would have been back sooner.

So we shall see how effective all of this is on her ear infection, I will update my blog with the results! I hope you all are staying healthy during cold and flu season this year!

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Saturday morning update: She got her first FULL night of sleep since Tuesday night. She woke with a slight headache, only slight ear pain but no issue with hearing out of that ear. She is now writing her bday thank you notes and making Valentine's Day crafts. We will do the wet sock treatment for 2 more nights as per the recommendations. And, this morning we kept up with the D3, Oil of Oregano, A & I, C, Ibuactin and will do the ear drops/heat and essential oils on the outside of the ear for good measure. But, it sure looks like she is well on her way to recovery!

Fever - to be feared or revered?

The topic of fever can be a touchy one. You know those parents who automatically grab for the Tylenol or Motrin at the slightest hint of fever? Yeah, I kinda was that parent. But then quite honestly Autism changed that. Just as Autism changed my outlook on health and wellness in general. I no longer grab for a fever reducer, it has been years since either of my children have had them. Fevers should be respected and treated only when necessary in my opinion. And my children have no history of seizures so let's get that on the table. There are circumstances where treating a fever is appropriate but for most of us, the best course is to let it do its job. That's right, fever is a defense mechanism to make the host (your child) less hospitable to a bug. It is one of the earliest defenses until the immune system is fully developed. And really the number on the thermometer is less of a worry (or should be) when in reality it is how fast the fever gets from zero to 60 that is the issue. Fast rising fevers are typically the ones that cause concern. I just recently posted this article on the New Beginnings Facebook page.

Our school is seeing kiddos dropping like flies (like most around the country I am sure). In our school we are seeing headache, sore throat and fever. So when my daughter was less than her normal energetic self yesterday I knew something was up. She just wanted to lay on the couch. All day. She even napped a couple of times. When I took her temp out of curiosity, sure enough it was elevated. Good. Her body is doing what it needs to. A few doses of elderberry, extra D3, a few drops of garlic, a few chewable vitamin C's, a couple of homemade cough drops that I blogged about last year (click here for that blog) and some rest was on tap. She had just a slight cough but every time I asked her she said she felt fine. I vary my treatment options based on what's going on and frankly my intuition. If you watch your child and understand how the body responds to illness you can figure out the best treatment. So what I did above is what I needed for THIS round.

When she woke up this morning she had just a slight sore throat. A day home from school and more rest is on tap. My son also woke with a slight fever but nothing more (he was a tad grouchy and out of it this weekend which could have been my cue something was brewing). Both fevers have dropped already so as long as they don't spike again today they will be 24 hour fever free and will go back to school tomorrow. More immune boosting treatment like elderberry tea with some cherry bark for throat support, supplements and homemade soup will carry us through today. I will probably pull out the essential oils like black cumin (add to their tea) and put some thyme oil topically on their throat as a rub and do some internal cajeput for any sore throat issues and then we'll go from there. I believe that the body does have the capability to heal, give it some support, don't shut it down with synthetic drugs that actually block healing and just suppress symptoms, nourish it with good, healthy foods and make sure rest and water is in abundance. We CAN get through cold and flu season calmly, without the fear and hype and with minimal pain and suffering! ;) Be well!

The road of recovery

This afternoon my son was in his room "kicking his ball around". This is one of those solitary things he likes to do to decompress. Well, I heard him doing some verbal stims. He loves all things truck. He likes to make diesel truck sounds sometimes, typically when we are dealing with yeast. I called to him and said he needed to stop. He came to me and was upset about that. He said that one day he wants a diesel truck, he likes to pretend that he has one now and if he made these sounds at school people may make fun of him. I pulled him onto my lap and we talked. Yes indeed, people may make fun of him because sometimes people make fun of behaviors they don't understand. I asked him if he did that at school. He quickly said he does not do that at school. Home needs to be his soft place to land. I told him that he was safe at home, no one would make fun of him here and he can do what he needs to do.

So does Autism recovery mean no stims? Nope, not always. Does recovery mean no more supplements or diet? Nope, not here. But our recovery includes a child who understands his brain works differently and he needs an outlet that may mean some teasing. So he realizes that and only does it at home. Wow. How far he's come. His ability to understand that whole concept and to be able to tell me about it is huge and a testament to his recovery.

Recovery takes time and is as individual as each child. There is no finish line. I see it as a continual work in progress. And each step should be celebrated!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Vegan Chickpea Pot Pie

 I love pot pies, I really do. And it has been a while since I have had one. I got the idea for a vegan version using chickpeas since they do really sub well (see my older post on chickpea nuggets here) for chicken in various forms. So let's start with the crust. I did use grains for this version and look for a paleo version coming soon.

Crust:
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup of nut milk or water - added by the tablespoon, mixing well after each tablespoon

Start by greasing a 9 inch pie plate. Mix your dry ingredients together. Cut in the coconut oil (you will have chunks, that is OK). Once it is crumbly then begin mixing in the milk/water. I used coconut milk but you can use whatever nut milk you want or even water. Add one tablespoon at a time until the dough sticks together and can be rolled out. Divide the dough in half, roll out. Put the first crust in the bottom of the pie plate. Save the other for the top.

Filling:
3 tbsp coconut oil
6 tbsp rice flour
4 cups water
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cups veggies (use what your family likes, I chose organic corn and organic green beans)
2 cups chickpeas soaked

Start a roux by melting the coconut oil in a pan (I used my cast iron). Sprinkle in the rice flour and mix until absorbed and crumbly. I planned poorly and did not pull my stock from the freezer so I just used water. If you use your stock then you may want to adjust your seasonings to compensate. You don't want it overly salty. Add in the water and whisk. Remove from heat when thick and bubbly.

 

Now, I was using frozen veggies so I threw them into the hot, bubbly gravy to thaw. Then I added the chickpeas. Once again, I did not pre-plan this meal so instead of using dried chickpeas that I soaked I used canned. If you use canned, make sure you drain and rinse them. And one can was perfect for this recipe.

 

Pour everything into the crust. Lay the top crust on top, cut slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Pinch the top and bottom crusts together. Don't judge mine, I was in a hurry, lol. Bake for 10 mins at 400 degrees then reduce the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 40 mins. There was nothing left, no left overs to saver, I felt like the dad on Christmas Story with the turkey. I had hoped for something the next day. This was so good it was gobbled right up. Next time I will make two. 

Like I said, a grain free version is next on my list but if you want a hearty, flexible meal without meat (or with, you could just add in the 2 cups chicken instead), this one is for you. And if you do make it, please leave me a comment with how it turned out and whether it was a hit at your house too!

Zinc Deficiency and Autism?

Could zinc play a role in Autism? THIS article from Psychology Today suggests that this be another area studied. I know from experience how prevalent zinc deficiency can be. While working a conference for New Beginnings we would often do our zinc challenge. You have a solution with zinc and a little water. The person takes it into their mouths and usually you can tell instantly if they are adequate on their zinc. The taste is pretty bad, very metallic/sour and it can be hard to get that taste out of your mouth. Those we are zinc deficient however have no such reaction and remark that it tastes just like water. I can tell you from a quick counting standpoint, there were more who thought it tasted like water than those who tasted the zinc. And this was adults, not children. When I give my son his liquid ionic zinc from New Beginnings he also reports no taste.

As the article states, zinc is incredibly important to many functions, including immune function. So why couldn't it be involved in some way with Autism. The story has yet to fully unravel and yet for every individual impacted by Autism there will be unique circumstances to look at. But, looking at a zinc supplement (or making sure your child's multi-vitamin/multi-mineral has adequate zinc levels) can be a wise move in many cases.


Credits:

Psychology Today
Evolutionary Psychiatry

The hunt for evolutionary solutions to contemporary mental health problems.

by Emily Deans, M.D. 

Gluten free, dairy free, soy free chocolate crinkle cookies

Well, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Season's Greetings and all that fine stuff. We are rolling into the new year and I am way behind on blogging. So, although the holidays are over, these cookies are great for just about any time you want a cookie. They taste like little mini chocolate cakes, who doesn't love that?!? They should be eaten within a few days of baking (they get hard over time) and they are best right from the oven.

I adapted this recipe from the Betty Crocker's Cookie Book a few years ago. I can't believe I haven't blogged this before.

1/2 cup coconut oil
4 oz unsweetened chocolate (each ounce consists of 1 tbsp melted coconut oil mixed with 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder)
2 cups crystallized coconut sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups gluten free flour blend
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Powdered sugar for rolling cookies in

Mix oil, chocolate and sugar together in a mixer. Add one egg at a time until each is thoroughly mixed. Add vanilla. Add in flour, baking powder and salt into mixture. Chill overnight. Heat oven to 350 degrees, roll by the teaspoonful into balls. Drop into a small bowl with powdered sugar, roll to coat, place on baking sheet with parchment. Place about 2" apart and bake 10 - 12 minutes. Do not over bake. Makes about 6 dozen.

Congressional Hearing on Autism

In case you missed it today, here is the video of the Congressional Hearing about Autism from today. It is totally worth the watch. For my Autism friends, it will leave you cheering, yelling, mad, elated that some in our government DO get it (a few because their grandchildren, nephews were diagnosed with Autism), sad at hearing the reality (especially the "aging out" part) and many other emotions.



And maybe if you don't (yet) have a child/grandchild/niece/nephew/friend's child with Autism, you will soon. And I don't say that to be mean, I say that in sadness and all honesty. With the numbers 1 in 88 and for boys that means 1 in 54, your odds are pretty good (or bad depending on how you look at it). And I know people like that. People who have NO CLUE what it is like to raise a child with Autism. Who cannot perceive the sacrifices we make because, what choice do we have? This is our CHILD. We would sacrifice anything to help them.

I don't normally post pictures of my family on this blog but I decided to break those rules to stand with my fellow Autism Moms/Dads in our "Not born with it" campaign to raise more awareness. My son was NOT born with it. Here are 3 photos, before Autism, during Autism and AFTER Autism. Autism is NOT purely genetic, it is treatable, kids can get better and my son is proof. He will probably ALWAYS be affected by this disorder called Autism. But it is my job to make sure I get those roadblocks out of his way the best way I can.

Before Autism

During Autism

After Autism!

The Importance of Probiotics

Not convinced that probiotics are critical to maintain your health? Then read THIS informative website and get a glimpse at just why these little critters are so powerful in helping us stay healthy.

Clostridia, a holistic treatment approach

A lot has been going on and when I say "a lot" I mean "like a million zillion times more things than normally go on in this uber busy household". Hence the lack of blog posts. Although, you can always read new and exciting stuff on the New Beginnings Facebook page, hint, hint.

A few months back we ran an Organic Acid Test (OAT). Holy Clostridia batman! Reference range is 220 for the "high" category. His test showed almost 1800!!! Yowza. Now, anyone in the biomedical Autism world knows this is bad stuff and it really impacts neurological functioning. We had to treat with Vancomycin, 10 days on, 7 days off, 10 more days on. Drumroll please......each 10 day course cost $1700! That is another rant for another day. We ran yet another OAT after treating. Clostridia still high, in 750's. It came down 1000 points but GEEZ!

Clostridia - 1
Us - 0

So, I'm sick of the thought of yet ANOTHER course of antibiotics. I also had a chance to attend the recent ARI conference to work the New Beginnings booth. So of course I took that opportunity to brainstorm where I could. I came home and began to formulate a plan.

1 tsp Manuka honey + 1 tsp of raw apple cider vinegar daily
Rotation of herbs (Oregano, Thyme, Turmeric, Cumin), 3 days on, 3 days off
Rotation of natural antifungals 3 days on, 3 days off, opposite days as other herbs

Rather than dried herbs in some cases, I chose to work with very potent essences. These aren't your foofy "put in a diffuser to make your house smell good" types of oils. These are oils of the highest quality designed even for internal use. Potent stuff, another post for another time since their Cajeput is the bomb diggety for any sort of throat issues with colds/flus. I get them at a place called Wisdom of the Earth. Great place, great people and I HIGHLY recommend them. PS - I don't work for them or get paid in any way, shape or form, this is just my own opinion after years of using essential oils.

So, I am using during our 3 days on:

New Beginnings Turmeric - 1 capsule in the morning in his normal supps
Oreganol with the P73 - 2 drops in the morning in his normal supps
5 drops Black Cumin essential oil on the bottom of his feet in the morning
5 drops Thyme essential oil on the bottom of his feet in the morning

3 days off I am using the Yeast Control Package from New Beginnings

Day 1 - Saturday. Applied the oils and within 1 hour I began to see our "Clostridia behaviors", falling apart emotionally, crying, screaming, angry, sad, just a volatile mess. Scrapped plans to attend bday party with his sister to stay home with Dad. No way we were going into public.

Day 2 - Sunday. Same thing but not quite as intense.

Day 3 - Monday. - Moody, irritable and emotional.

Day 4 - Tuesday - No oils or supps besides the normal ones and yeast control package. More back to normal. Started Manuka honey/ACV. No noticeable change with that. Went down well despite the AVC. He's a trooper.

Day 5 - Wednesday - Crazy busy day with back to back parent teacher conferences and then I had an additional PTA meeting. But it was not an oils day anyways but no honey/ACV was given since Dad was flying solo tonight.

I believe we were really seeing a healing crisis/flare with the oils. I take that as a fabulous sign things are working. I plan to work this for a month or two and retest. It is my hope that I can pinpoint a plan that can help others in this battle as well. We all know how hard the gut is to heal in these kiddos and these bugs are tenacious. But I know there is a solution out there that does not involved constant antibiotics. So I will keep the blog updated as much as possible as to our progress. I am really looking forward to the next OAT. But I will say that other than this gut bug issue, his OAT was pretty much PERFECT! So, yes although this issue is a biggie, I am so proud of how far he has come biomedically and that has translated so beautifully behaviorally as well. Our gut is our second brain and as we've nailed these things down his whole body and brain has healed. So there you have it. I look forward to sharing this exciting new plan with you as we go!!

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Day 6 - Thursday - Status cue, normal supps with yeast protocol on board as well as the honey/ACV combo. But, I did decide to give him a dose of his constitutional homeopathic remedy. On one of our consults with Pierre Fontaine he mentioned that giving a dose of the remedy while sick could help the body heal faster. Since we are undertaking a distinct "stirring" of things, I figure it could not hurt.

Day 7 - Friday - Started back with the two oils on his feet at breakfast time. Added back in Turmeric and Oreganol with normal supps as well. No yeast package today. Behaviors not as bad as the first day with the oils. So far.

Baby monkeys given vaccines develop Autism-like symptoms

Have you read this yet? If not you need to. Baby monkeys given the suggested schedule of vaccines developed Autism-like symptoms and unvaccinated monkeys did not. I think we need more safety research on vaccines!!!! Read the article below. Think they have been properly safety tested before they are injected into your child?? WRONG!!! Think research has been done on how vaccines react in combination? WRONG!!!

To read the full article, click here.

Stress

This blog on the Thinking Mom's Revolution really got me today. It is very true. As an Autism mom there has been a lot of stress that just comes with the territory. Whether you are talking chronic lack of sleep because your child does not sleep, stress over how you will pay for what truly helps your child (and is never covered by insurance if you even have insurance), stress of handling multiple behaviors (whether it is aggression, OCD, anxiety, meltdowns, etc) and we haven't even touched anything beyond Autism yet. Then there are the everyday stressors, family illness, job loss, or just pain in the ass people who seem to have nothing better to do than to be jerks. It adds up. But this blog is right, it encourages us to focus on the good rather than all of the bad. Now, putting this into practice is a little bit easier said than done, I'm a far cry from some Zen master to be sure. But, we are Autism moms, we are strong. We have done what our mainstream pediatricians could not in many, many cases. We have taken our kids to a place where some thought they would never be. I don't know about you but I will be damned if I am going to be dragged down by the BS. So this is your reminder Autism Moms, take YOUR vitamins, maybe throw in some extra B-12 for good measure. Sneak a little of your child's Glutathione, take your antioxidants and try and get some sleep. Our kids are counting on us to be there for a long time! And above all, don't buy into the drama and BS that even runs rampant in our own community, let alone the stuff people on the outside throw at us. If they don't know, they better ask somebody, we're Autism tough, and it doesn't get much tougher!

One decade later.....

Wow, 10 years of marriage. This time exactly 10 years ago I was sitting in a hotel room, anxious for the day to start, sharing the morning with 3 of my best friends. Giggling like school girls, nervous anticipation, wondering what the next chapter of my life would be like.

10 years has brought all that one might expect, joy, fun, excitement, sorrow, heart break, loss. And through it all my husband has been strong and true by my side. Our life has been like a roller coaster. Lots of ups and downs, especially facing Autism and healing our son. But he and I have a bond that is unbreakable. We take whatever is thrown at us and turn it into something good and something that makes us stronger. We work as a team, we always have. And yes, we have had some pretty big adversity. But the people who want to tear you down usually do so because they are lacking that relationship in their lives. So we use whatever is thrown at us to give us more motivation and purpose to the life and family we have created. Period. End of story.

The vows we took 10 years ago still hold true. But, there is so much more to them than what we said 10 years ago. Our marriage is so much deeper now. There is much more meaning to our lives and what we created with the words "I do". Today I vow to not only to love, honor and cherish my husband but to be the one to build him up when this world tries to tear him down. I vow to always look at his side of things even when I don't really want to. I vow to remember that the past is the past and that's where it should stay even when parts of it rear its ugly head. I vow to never let the past in any way impact our marriage. I vow to protect him and my family with every ounce of strength I have and Lord knows I have a lot. I vow to always remember exactly why I fell in love with him, his caring nature, his intelligence, his sense of humor, his ability as a father and his depth of love for me to name just a few. He shows me every day how much he loves me. Not in flowery words or flowers delivered but in the little things that keep our love alive. It is in the way he knows what I am thinking just by a look, the way we can say just 1 word and communicate much more, the way we have our own special language that many times others don't get, or just knowing when I need to have a break and he lets me, no questions asked or resentment. He is my partner in all areas of life.

10 years ago we said "I do" but it really was "I will". I will grow and change with each day but that growth is with you, not away from you. "I will" let our marriage and love be the example for our children to strive for when their time comes to find their soul mate. "I will" enjoy all the ways you are special and add so much to my life. "I will" respect you and your opinions (even though we know I am always right! :)). And "I will" love you forever!

10 years, not a bad way to start a lifetime together. Happy Anniversary Eric!!