A Statement from Dr. Andrew Wakefield
August 31, 2009
After watching NBC-TV’s Dateline special “A Dose of Controversy,” Dr. Andrew
Wakefield took issue with several critical points in the report. Although the program was the first of its kind to actively engage the mainstream on the question of vaccine safety, there were many failures in the information presented and important information was edited out. Below is a list of these items from Dr. Wakefield. Our goal is to make certain as many people as possible understand and receive the full story regarding MMR, vaccine safety, Dr. Wakefield, and Thoughtful House, and NBC failed to provide this to an audience of millions.
A. There has been extensive replication of the finding of bowel disease in children
with autism (ASD) from five different countries. These findings have been published in peer-reviewed journals or presented at scientific meetings. It is therefore incorrect and misleading of Matt Lauer to have stated that every aspect of my original hypothesis has been disproved. On the contrary, the main findings of the original Lancet paper, that is, bowel disease in autistic children, has been repeatedly confirmed. This obvious inaccuracy requires clarification by NBC.
B. The shortcomings and the flaws of the studies quoted by Dr. Offit, claiming to disprove an association between vaccines and autism, were not discussed in the program. In my interview with Mr. Lauer I took as an example a paper from Dr. DeStefano from the CDC claiming to exonerate MMR that actually showed that a younger age of vaccination with MMR is associated with a greater risk of autism. This study confirms the association and has been falsely portrayed as vindicating the vaccine. This should have been included in order to provide balance to the program.
C. Reference was made to an autistic child in the vaccine court whose claim for MMR damage was overturned by the judge. No reference was made to the successful vaccine court case on behalf of the child Bailey Banks, coming just one week after the unsuccessful claim described by Mr. Lauer, in which the judge ruled that MMR vaccine can cause autism. Therefore, in the view of vaccine court, it is not a question of whether or not MMR can cause autism, but rather how many children are affected.
D. There was a complete absence of comment on the lack of any adequate safety studies of childhood vaccines and the vaccine schedule in particular. There was no mention of the admission by vaccine regulators that there is no data on the long-term safety of vaccines, the chronic disease burden caused by vaccines, and the likely potentially harmful interactions between various vaccines in the routine schedule.
E. Undue credibility was given to Brian Deer, a discredited freelance journalist, whose false reporting has caused so much misunderstanding and damage to children through the misrepresentation of the doctors and parents who were seeking answers to the vaccine-autism question. Deer has repeatedly misled the public and the medical profession and has been unable to respond to clear evidence of his false reporting in the Sunday Times through the UK’s Press Complaints Commission.
F. It was not disclosed that I have repeatedly invited Dr. Offit to take part in public debate on the safety of MMR vaccine and the false and misleading claims that he has made in the media and his book. He has refused to accept this invitation and
has continued to hide from an open and honest debate.
G. NBC alluded briefly to the fact that Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, was informed of my participation as a medical expert in the MMR litigation almost one year before publication of the Lancet paper in 1998. NBC failed to clarify that when Horton was challenged to respond to the fact that when he so enthusiastically denounced me and the paper in 2004 the Lancet staff was already fully aware of the facts and at that time did not consider them to be relevant. Horton refused to be interviewed by NBC and the interview segment shown was from 2004. This refusal is in sharp contrast to his willingness to denounce me in the media in 2004. NBC also failed to mention that in the light of these facts Horton has been reported to UK’s General Medical Council on an allegation of perjury.
H. It was unfortunate that NBC, having stated their determination to resist external pressure to distort the balance of the program, yielded to such pressure from the American Academy of Pediatrics, allowing them the final word in the program while denying representation from the National Autism Association who put forward to NBC a rational and well reasoned call for further science to resolve this very real issue.
I. Dr. Offit cited a large population study of autism and MMR from Denmark in support of his claim to ‘certainty that there is no link.’ This study was so flawed that it was rejected from consideration by the gold standard scientific review by the highly influential Cochrane Collaboration. Dr. Offitt, who is not an epidemiologist, was clearly at a loss to understand the study’s fatal flaws
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Please help me oppose Senator McCain's bill attacking our access to nutritional supplements
Please click HERE and share your opinion if you oppose the attack of our supplements in this country. They have been instrumental in healing my son and helping our whole family stay healthy. If you don't believe in supplements, I respect that, but please help us that do retain them. No one forces anyone to buy them, the deal is they are not regulated by (and no profit goes to) the FDA. We all, as consumers, need to be aware of the bad ones but there are many reputable brands out there. I for one want access to alternative health options, and for us that means supplements in addition to other things.
Friday, February 12, 2010
So, I can't believe 2 whole weeks has gone by since I was at the Hope In Action conference in San Francisco.
But that weekend was amazing. I always love hearing Dr. Woeller and Julie, I had not heard Stan Kurtz speak so that was great. But more than anything I was so happy to hear from other parents. We can get so much out of our meetings. I had someone comment on my last post about a crazy day I had. I don't want to mislead people into thinking I have got it all figured out, because I struggle just like everyone else. But, this is 3+ years into this biomed journey and life has gotten easier in many respects. I sometimes wonder if the world can see my "Autism scars" though. I look back on the last few years and feel a bit battle worn. The years of no sleep, constant tantruming, I can still hear his screaming in my head when I think about it. We couldn't go anywhere without a meltdown or a freak out, so I avoided MANY things. We lived and breathed his schedule because disruption was so bad and he was so explosive. I did my presentation last week at one of my son's therapy clinics and used before and after biomed pictures. The before picture brings me to tears. Such a vacant look, I was standing in front of him calling his name, nothing. There were times when I thought, very early on, that I was just not cut out to be a mom. And I felt so isolated. I didn't have the awesome group of moms back then, heck I didn't even really understand Autism or know that my son would be diagnosed with it. And every other mom I knew made it look so easy. Why wouldn't my child sleep? Why did my child cry inconsolably all the time? Why was this so HARD for me?
I looked into these moms' eyes at the conference and saw that many were where I was back then. For me, I have cried thousands of tears, tears of regret, guilt, anger, frustration, exhaustion, you name it. And then you start to go into type A fixit mode. And I haven't looked back since. I still grieve, I still do the "why me" sometimes but much less now. I actually think now "why not me?". These amazing people were placed into our lives for a reason, and I think we are the perfect people to help them through their own journey with Autism. There have been really dark periods in my life as I have tried to understand and navigate my emotions as they relate to Autism and what my son has to go through each day. I like to think we made it through the other side better equipped for what comes next, whatever that is. But I wonder if other parents can see it. But to look into another mom's eyes and say "I know how you feel" and mean it. To be able to tell all the seemingly crazy things (to people without a child with Autism anyways) you've had to do to help and protect your child. We had to build a dutch door to keep our son safe at night since he was up at all hours and we have a 2 story house. Even WITH a gate at the top of the stairs I worried about him falling down them or getting into something without us hearing. I developed the ability to wake up just minutes before he would (I know, crazy, right?). I would wake with a pounding heart, adrenaline racing. It took years for that to go away. The level of stress was out of control. Some of the ways to calm him, from the outside, could look like forms of torture or abuse - smooshing with pillows and "whacking" against soft couch cushions for that input his little body craved. Of course these were all suggested by professional occupational therapists and if you saw the huge grin on his face you'd know he loved it but at first glance, CPS could have been on my doorstep, lol. I had no clue what was going on with my son, with my self, with my family as a whole for a period of time. I told you, I don't have it figured out either. But, I have learned to adapt better. We've done a lot to help my son feel better and his behavior has changed. I always tell people I would rather spend the time to fix him special meals from scratch than deal with non stop tantruming, that is my choice. Seems like a no brainer for me. His screaming was almost too much to bear at times. It was hard. The hardest thing I have gone through to date. No one is equipped for this journey. But you strap in and try and keep moving forward. And with my son's recovery comes a little bit more of my old self back. Some of the stress goes away. We can function better as a family. And yet talking to another Autism mom still heals my soul just a bit. Another person who has "been there, done that". We don't have to share all of our stories to know that we understand each other and even though every child is so unique, these struggles are not. We all have those emotions that tear at us.
And then we hear our child speak. Or maybe they make and hold eye contact, or what about potty training, no matter the age. You cheer louder than anyone out there. You just know how hard they work to accomplish what comes so easily to their peers and even their siblings. It was hard seeing our friends' kids pass him right by, even though they are the same age. But wow what a rush when they master something. You become the proudest mama in the world (or dad!). And their smiles, laughter, hugs and kisses are so worth it. Now I hear "aww thanks mom, you're the best!" and it is the best thing I could hear. And it keeps me going each day, even when I am exhausted, stressed and worrying about how to pay for it all.
Autism does not come with a guidebook and we all do the best we can, each day. So, when you see another mom who looks like she's got it "all figured out", she probably doesn't. And if you are talking about me, now you know I certainly don't. But what can I do? Fall apart and be paralyzed by fear, doubt, naysayers? Absolutely not. That will not help my son at all. So, I slap a smile on and keep moving baby. But I think we need to be honest about these feelings, otherwise we do feel isolated and alone. We need to know there are others out there with the same fears, doubts, frustrations, anger, etc. I hated when new moms only talked about how rosey and wonderful life was! Can't we be honest for just a second? And that does not mean I want to dwell on the negative because I don't. But, I think people need to feel like they are not alone. I am here to help as many people along the way as I can. Anytime you need to talk, I am here. Contact me offline for a lunch date or whatever. We are all in this together, never forget that!
But that weekend was amazing. I always love hearing Dr. Woeller and Julie, I had not heard Stan Kurtz speak so that was great. But more than anything I was so happy to hear from other parents. We can get so much out of our meetings. I had someone comment on my last post about a crazy day I had. I don't want to mislead people into thinking I have got it all figured out, because I struggle just like everyone else. But, this is 3+ years into this biomed journey and life has gotten easier in many respects. I sometimes wonder if the world can see my "Autism scars" though. I look back on the last few years and feel a bit battle worn. The years of no sleep, constant tantruming, I can still hear his screaming in my head when I think about it. We couldn't go anywhere without a meltdown or a freak out, so I avoided MANY things. We lived and breathed his schedule because disruption was so bad and he was so explosive. I did my presentation last week at one of my son's therapy clinics and used before and after biomed pictures. The before picture brings me to tears. Such a vacant look, I was standing in front of him calling his name, nothing. There were times when I thought, very early on, that I was just not cut out to be a mom. And I felt so isolated. I didn't have the awesome group of moms back then, heck I didn't even really understand Autism or know that my son would be diagnosed with it. And every other mom I knew made it look so easy. Why wouldn't my child sleep? Why did my child cry inconsolably all the time? Why was this so HARD for me?
I looked into these moms' eyes at the conference and saw that many were where I was back then. For me, I have cried thousands of tears, tears of regret, guilt, anger, frustration, exhaustion, you name it. And then you start to go into type A fixit mode. And I haven't looked back since. I still grieve, I still do the "why me" sometimes but much less now. I actually think now "why not me?". These amazing people were placed into our lives for a reason, and I think we are the perfect people to help them through their own journey with Autism. There have been really dark periods in my life as I have tried to understand and navigate my emotions as they relate to Autism and what my son has to go through each day. I like to think we made it through the other side better equipped for what comes next, whatever that is. But I wonder if other parents can see it. But to look into another mom's eyes and say "I know how you feel" and mean it. To be able to tell all the seemingly crazy things (to people without a child with Autism anyways) you've had to do to help and protect your child. We had to build a dutch door to keep our son safe at night since he was up at all hours and we have a 2 story house. Even WITH a gate at the top of the stairs I worried about him falling down them or getting into something without us hearing. I developed the ability to wake up just minutes before he would (I know, crazy, right?). I would wake with a pounding heart, adrenaline racing. It took years for that to go away. The level of stress was out of control. Some of the ways to calm him, from the outside, could look like forms of torture or abuse - smooshing with pillows and "whacking" against soft couch cushions for that input his little body craved. Of course these were all suggested by professional occupational therapists and if you saw the huge grin on his face you'd know he loved it but at first glance, CPS could have been on my doorstep, lol. I had no clue what was going on with my son, with my self, with my family as a whole for a period of time. I told you, I don't have it figured out either. But, I have learned to adapt better. We've done a lot to help my son feel better and his behavior has changed. I always tell people I would rather spend the time to fix him special meals from scratch than deal with non stop tantruming, that is my choice. Seems like a no brainer for me. His screaming was almost too much to bear at times. It was hard. The hardest thing I have gone through to date. No one is equipped for this journey. But you strap in and try and keep moving forward. And with my son's recovery comes a little bit more of my old self back. Some of the stress goes away. We can function better as a family. And yet talking to another Autism mom still heals my soul just a bit. Another person who has "been there, done that". We don't have to share all of our stories to know that we understand each other and even though every child is so unique, these struggles are not. We all have those emotions that tear at us.
And then we hear our child speak. Or maybe they make and hold eye contact, or what about potty training, no matter the age. You cheer louder than anyone out there. You just know how hard they work to accomplish what comes so easily to their peers and even their siblings. It was hard seeing our friends' kids pass him right by, even though they are the same age. But wow what a rush when they master something. You become the proudest mama in the world (or dad!). And their smiles, laughter, hugs and kisses are so worth it. Now I hear "aww thanks mom, you're the best!" and it is the best thing I could hear. And it keeps me going each day, even when I am exhausted, stressed and worrying about how to pay for it all.
Autism does not come with a guidebook and we all do the best we can, each day. So, when you see another mom who looks like she's got it "all figured out", she probably doesn't. And if you are talking about me, now you know I certainly don't. But what can I do? Fall apart and be paralyzed by fear, doubt, naysayers? Absolutely not. That will not help my son at all. So, I slap a smile on and keep moving baby. But I think we need to be honest about these feelings, otherwise we do feel isolated and alone. We need to know there are others out there with the same fears, doubts, frustrations, anger, etc. I hated when new moms only talked about how rosey and wonderful life was! Can't we be honest for just a second? And that does not mean I want to dwell on the negative because I don't. But, I think people need to feel like they are not alone. I am here to help as many people along the way as I can. Anytime you need to talk, I am here. Contact me offline for a lunch date or whatever. We are all in this together, never forget that!
Thursday, February 11, 2010
A day in the life.....
So, I know I really try and focus on the positive of life and treating Autism in our family. But there are some days where I think I could easily OD on stress. Today was one of those days. Let's see, it is nearing Valentine's Day and so both kids needed Valentine's to send in. Both of my children signed ALL of their Valentine's this year. 1st off, I thought it was amazing for my daughter to be able to do that now. 2nd, my son has grown so much in his fine motor skills that he could this year too, HURRAY! So, after getting him to sign all 21 for classmates, teacher and speech therapist, I wrote each child's name on them for him, not remembering that the teacher said to leave them BLANK! I wanted to cry, I had ruined his Valentine's by not following directions and he worked so hard "doing his best work" and writing his name on each and every one of them. For many parents this would not be a big deal, just redo them. But my son's fine motor has always been so poor that this was NEVER an option, writing was a chore at best. And even though he has come so far with fine motor, we worked on these for days to get them all done. I wanted to cry, really. So, as we were walking out the door to run errands before school was when I realized this snafu. I tried to focus on getting out of the house and calming down, I would figure a way out of this.
We had to run errands and during those errands - in the aisles of Fresh and Easy, I got a call I was REALLY waiting for. You see, I am taking our secondary insurance to court to cover the co-pay on a very necessary medication. One that, I might add, a friend gets for HER son, same plan, same prescribing doctor, same pharmacy. What the hell?!?! It made me mad enough to appeal the denial, which they denied and now we have a hearing scheduled Tuesday. I rec'd a call yesterday from a rep at the agency that governs that service and we had played phone tag yesterday so I NEEDED to take this call, yes in the middle of Fresh and Easy, in my rushed shopping trip on our way to schools. What I was told was the ins. company was not prepared for the hearing and "just want this to go away" and could I send them a lab test showing a deficiency? So then I needed to get on the phone to my son's doctor to see if any such test exists. Then I called my friend, the other mom who gets this medication covered to see if SHE had been asked for any sort of test to gain coverage (all in between drop offs at schools). That shot my planned trip to the gym to hell. So, I get both kids off to school, then it is spending the next hour or so pulling out old tests, getting documentation faxed to me from my son's doctor, etc. I would really like to NOT have to go to this hearing. I already didn't plan on being Dr. Mom, literally, but to be lawyer too? My plate is full. So, I did find a test that shows deficiency so hopefully I will get the call saying Tuesday is not necessary, who knows. Otherwise I need to fax about 50 pages to the respondents and file a motion online with the Office of Administrative Hearings tomorrow. And I am in the kindergarten class all day tomorrow. Then, it was time to focus back on the Valentine's that I ruined again. I printed off a sheet of blue paper with "My friend" typed and cut them all out with decorative scissors and glued them over the names I had written. OK, crisis diverted. Finished those up, tied them on the hearts/pencils I had done the previous days. Guess what? My child-free time was up, Princess needed to be picked up from school. Then I wanted to experiment with the chocolates some more. I didn't like the strong taste of the coconut oil I used previously. So, I tried a different brand and WOW, they taste JUST like dark chocolate. I even made peanut butter (almond butter really) cups, almond joys and mounds for my family for Valentine's day (hey we ALL deserve a treat, even on a restricted diet!!). I made some for M's teacher who is also suffering from some allergy issues. I still need to wrap her Valentine's day gift.
Now on to bake the cupcakes I signed up for. Yes, I signed up for the cupcakes for tomorrow's Kindergarten party. Why? Isn't life crazy enough? Well, I get so tired of my son always being the odd man out. Yes, I can make a sub for everything but they many time look different. The kids in his class are so great with him and are not mean in any way. But sometimes I am so tired of my child being so "different" (and yes I do realize this is MY issue). So, since Betty Crocker has some rockin' gluten free mixes out now, I figured that would be an easy way for him to have the exact same thing everyone else does, so yes, add that to the priority list. He gets to have a cupcake that looks like everyone else's! I also had to wrap the present for the classmate's birthday party we are going to tomorrow after school. Hubby gets a reminder note to bring M's his special pizza for the party tomorrow (see, his special food again).
Today was crazy. But that is my life. I don't always handle the day so gracefully. Thankfully they are not always quite to dramatic or stressful. That's why this blog is called Life on the Roller Coaster. I often feel like I am on a roller coaster ride. Sometimes its not so fast or scary but then other days all I can do are hold on and make sure that seat belt is tightened. But you know what, My family is my world. And tomorrow when my son gets to eat the same cupcake as his friends, and gets to exchange his Valentine's (that HE signed) and gets to feel like every other kid there, it will be all worth it. So we continue to juggle, as I know many Autism moms and dads can relate to. Sometimes we go over and above to make sure our children don't feel left out or different. We have to do things many don't (like fight insurance companies), and we have to play Dr. mom or Dr. dad to a whole different level than most. But we do, and we keep going, exhausted and stressed yes, but you know what? My kids are happy, they know they are loved, and they see mom putting out the effort for their school, for them and it goes a long way for them.
And you know what made me laugh today? Hearing my son tell his sister "Can you go in and tell my mom that you hitted me?" Needless to say my daughter did NOT come in to tell her mother that she hit her brother. But, M's innocence and naivete is so wonderful at this age and part of me wants him to keep that forever. But not too long ago he would not have reacted to being hit, he would not have been able to communicate that he had been hit, nor would he have asked someone else to come and tell me about it. Now, the hitting part, that wasn't so funny, but that is a whole other story.
So there you have it. My day. I wish I could say the days are getting less crazy but they are not, they are just turning into a different kind of crazy. I wouldn't have it any other way but boy am I glad tomorrow is Friday!!
We had to run errands and during those errands - in the aisles of Fresh and Easy, I got a call I was REALLY waiting for. You see, I am taking our secondary insurance to court to cover the co-pay on a very necessary medication. One that, I might add, a friend gets for HER son, same plan, same prescribing doctor, same pharmacy. What the hell?!?! It made me mad enough to appeal the denial, which they denied and now we have a hearing scheduled Tuesday. I rec'd a call yesterday from a rep at the agency that governs that service and we had played phone tag yesterday so I NEEDED to take this call, yes in the middle of Fresh and Easy, in my rushed shopping trip on our way to schools. What I was told was the ins. company was not prepared for the hearing and "just want this to go away" and could I send them a lab test showing a deficiency? So then I needed to get on the phone to my son's doctor to see if any such test exists. Then I called my friend, the other mom who gets this medication covered to see if SHE had been asked for any sort of test to gain coverage (all in between drop offs at schools). That shot my planned trip to the gym to hell. So, I get both kids off to school, then it is spending the next hour or so pulling out old tests, getting documentation faxed to me from my son's doctor, etc. I would really like to NOT have to go to this hearing. I already didn't plan on being Dr. Mom, literally, but to be lawyer too? My plate is full. So, I did find a test that shows deficiency so hopefully I will get the call saying Tuesday is not necessary, who knows. Otherwise I need to fax about 50 pages to the respondents and file a motion online with the Office of Administrative Hearings tomorrow. And I am in the kindergarten class all day tomorrow. Then, it was time to focus back on the Valentine's that I ruined again. I printed off a sheet of blue paper with "My friend" typed and cut them all out with decorative scissors and glued them over the names I had written. OK, crisis diverted. Finished those up, tied them on the hearts/pencils I had done the previous days. Guess what? My child-free time was up, Princess needed to be picked up from school. Then I wanted to experiment with the chocolates some more. I didn't like the strong taste of the coconut oil I used previously. So, I tried a different brand and WOW, they taste JUST like dark chocolate. I even made peanut butter (almond butter really) cups, almond joys and mounds for my family for Valentine's day (hey we ALL deserve a treat, even on a restricted diet!!). I made some for M's teacher who is also suffering from some allergy issues. I still need to wrap her Valentine's day gift.
Now on to bake the cupcakes I signed up for. Yes, I signed up for the cupcakes for tomorrow's Kindergarten party. Why? Isn't life crazy enough? Well, I get so tired of my son always being the odd man out. Yes, I can make a sub for everything but they many time look different. The kids in his class are so great with him and are not mean in any way. But sometimes I am so tired of my child being so "different" (and yes I do realize this is MY issue). So, since Betty Crocker has some rockin' gluten free mixes out now, I figured that would be an easy way for him to have the exact same thing everyone else does, so yes, add that to the priority list. He gets to have a cupcake that looks like everyone else's! I also had to wrap the present for the classmate's birthday party we are going to tomorrow after school. Hubby gets a reminder note to bring M's his special pizza for the party tomorrow (see, his special food again).
Today was crazy. But that is my life. I don't always handle the day so gracefully. Thankfully they are not always quite to dramatic or stressful. That's why this blog is called Life on the Roller Coaster. I often feel like I am on a roller coaster ride. Sometimes its not so fast or scary but then other days all I can do are hold on and make sure that seat belt is tightened. But you know what, My family is my world. And tomorrow when my son gets to eat the same cupcake as his friends, and gets to exchange his Valentine's (that HE signed) and gets to feel like every other kid there, it will be all worth it. So we continue to juggle, as I know many Autism moms and dads can relate to. Sometimes we go over and above to make sure our children don't feel left out or different. We have to do things many don't (like fight insurance companies), and we have to play Dr. mom or Dr. dad to a whole different level than most. But we do, and we keep going, exhausted and stressed yes, but you know what? My kids are happy, they know they are loved, and they see mom putting out the effort for their school, for them and it goes a long way for them.
And you know what made me laugh today? Hearing my son tell his sister "Can you go in and tell my mom that you hitted me?" Needless to say my daughter did NOT come in to tell her mother that she hit her brother. But, M's innocence and naivete is so wonderful at this age and part of me wants him to keep that forever. But not too long ago he would not have reacted to being hit, he would not have been able to communicate that he had been hit, nor would he have asked someone else to come and tell me about it. Now, the hitting part, that wasn't so funny, but that is a whole other story.
So there you have it. My day. I wish I could say the days are getting less crazy but they are not, they are just turning into a different kind of crazy. I wouldn't have it any other way but boy am I glad tomorrow is Friday!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Sweets for your sweetie
Hello all! I have perfected my handcrafted chocolate recipe! This is a gluten, casein, soy AND sugar free chocolate. The sizes pictured are larger pieces of chocolate (think Reese's peanut butter tree sized) so about 2 - 3 inches across or so depending on the shape. They are made with coconut oil so refrigeration is suggested. I can do them with nuts (Almonds, pecans or walnuts). See pricing below:
1/2 dozen, 2 of each shape without nuts - $5.00
1/2 dozen, 2 of each shape with nuts - $6.00
I am working on smaller, bite sized versions today, I hope to get pricing figured out by then as well. I will have miniature Reese's peanut butter cup sized chocolates along with miniature, bite sized heart shaped ones.
Locals only this year until I can figure out shipping options. Perfect for people on restricted diets and even diabetics. Made with stevia!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Temple Grandin on HBO
I have to say that I think HBO did a phenomenal job with the show on Temple Grandin. I was in tears not only from the perspective of a mother because they lightly touched on that relationship which I know is hugely important to her but also from Temple's point of view. My son also had very big sound sensitivities and the way they protray her focus being on all those sounds in her environment so accurately, it brought me to tears being able to see what my son went through for years. His sensory issues have, for the most part, gone away although he is very distracted by sounds at times. And what can I say about her squeeze machine? She is so amazing and so tenacious in finding the things that help her. It is what we also hope for our kiddos, that they can recognize what they need (deep pressure, quiet, etc) and request it or go to it. My son has been doing a great job with that lately. At his sister's birthday party he went to his room and got into his tent for a little alone time, telling my husband it was too crazy and he needed to chill for a while. Before that would have ended with hours of meltdown. And watching her in her squeeze machine really brought back the memories of "shmooshing" my son on the couch to provide that much needed proprioceptive input. When his sensory system was dysregulated we would lay him on the couch or a bed and shmoosh him with pillows, literally laying our body weight on him, which was disbursed by the pillow. He loved it, you could watch his sensory system calm down, it was amazing. We almost never have to smoosh anymore. We also did the Wilbarger Brushing protocol which was also helpful for sensory issues. But Temple was paving the way years ago, when this disorder was not so well known. She is just amazing, and to get a look at how she sees the world was awesome and humbling. I hope that my son will also be able to tell me how his brain works as he gets older. He is already beginning to. And I look to the future and wonder what occupation he will be tempted by that can utilize his special gifts. Will he be a musician or composer with his gift of musical inclination? Will he be a swimmer given his amazing lung capacity and ability to swim like a fish since he was 3? Or will he be a sound effects master, creating all the sounds of life around us that most of us shrug off and disregard and that he can reproduce because that is how he experiences our world best, through sound? The possibilities are endless. I loved the part where she was reciting a line from a movie over and over and over again. That is something very familiar. It was also so interesting to "see" what her brain was processing when she appeared distracted. It showed me more of how her brain was working and maybe that is how my son's works in a way as well. And no longer should we be saying "find an institution" just because a child has a diagnosis of Autism, like Temple's mother was told. Our world would be a lesser place without her and her gifts. And her presentation at the end of the movie where she is at an Autism conference with her mom and she speaks blew me away. Overall, as a mom of a child with Autism, I really appreciated the way they portrayed her, her journey and loved the emphasis on her relationship with the very special science teacher. I have always known that the right teacher makes ALL the difference for my son (and for any child really). I just hope that in the future there are more of those types of teachers, who can appreciate and validate their gifts and their talents, not ignore them because they don't learn like "everyone else". I really hope they distribute this movie beyond HBO, it was definitely a "must see"!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
So I just had another great verbal exchange with my son. It went a little like this:
Me as my son went to use the computer "OK, so I just fixed that computer this morning so I want you guys to use that the right way, I don't want you to break it again"
M: who at this point is looking at me a little quizzically "you really fixed it?"
Me: "yes"
M: "Aw thanks mom, you're the best!"
That gets the day started in the right direction!
Me as my son went to use the computer "OK, so I just fixed that computer this morning so I want you guys to use that the right way, I don't want you to break it again"
M: who at this point is looking at me a little quizzically "you really fixed it?"
Me: "yes"
M: "Aw thanks mom, you're the best!"
That gets the day started in the right direction!
Intro to a biomedical treatment approach to Autism - 2/4
Just a reminder that I will be doing a presentation on an introduction to a biomedical treatment approach to Autism (and related disorders) from a mom's perspective. This will be a very basic overview of what a biomedical approach entails and some beginning steps to implementing one for your child. This will cover basic dietary interventions and why they are important, basic supplementation, and will include resources to help you begin on the journey to healing your child. This is a FREE presentation at:
Coester Cares Therapy Services
4001 E. Baseline Rd. Suite B1
Gilbert, AZ 85234
480) 539-5629
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Call to reserve your spot.
Coester Cares Therapy Services
4001 E. Baseline Rd. Suite B1
Gilbert, AZ 85234
480) 539-5629
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Call to reserve your spot.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Autism Hope In Action - SATURDAY 1/30
Here is where I will be on Saturday. If you have a child with Autism and are looking for more ways to help him or her function better, feel better and be healthier, then you need to get to this conference! Diet and supplements made a world of difference to my son. My son's DAN! doctor and the nutritionist we consulted with are going to be speaking. And hear from a father of a recovered child explain their family's journey. Kids with Autism DO have underlying diseases most of the time, whether that is yeast, bacteria, viruses, nutritional deficiencies, poor immune systems, auto-immunity and widespread inflammation. Addressing these issues IS a cure in a way, for as we addressed these things, my son began to lose his "Autistic" behaviors and eventually, his diagnosis. Taking charge of your child's health is empowering and watching them improve is amazing and POSSIBLE. There is hope for children with Autism, there is a cure, unique to each child but it is out there. You need the right people helping you and THESE ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE!
I will be on hand at the New Beginnings Nutritionals booth, come on by and learn about the great products that New beginnings offers that are all geared towards kids on the spectrum. They are the products we use for my son - and now our whole family!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
My speaking dates
I will once again be speaking to help other families trying to implement a biomedical approach in the treatment of their child's Autism. Below are the dates and locations.
February 4th, 2010
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Place: Coester Cares Therapy Services (Val Vista and Baseline)
Cost: FREE
Hear the basics of what a biomedical approach to Autism treatment is. Hear my son's story of hope and recovery and learn some ideas to implement immediately. Understand the basics of why diets work and how basic nutritional supplementation can make a big impact in your child's health and well being. This is a basic over view class.
Please call Coester Cares Therapy Services to reserve YOUR seat today! 480-539-5629
February 20th, 2010
Time: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Gateway Fellowship Church (Recker and Elliot)
Cost: $20 for one parent, $25 for both parents
Please call 480.621.8361 to register
Hear Dr. Matthew Baral speak about a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) protocol, learn about some of the underlying medical conditions many children with Autism face, learn some of the basic building blocks of biomedical treatment and then hear from me about how we incorporated our DAN! doctor's recommendations into real life. Learn some of the common hurdles, how to effectively manage diet and supplements and help your child recover to feel better and be healthier. You will leave with tools that you can begin using that day!
February 4th, 2010
Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Place: Coester Cares Therapy Services (Val Vista and Baseline)
Cost: FREE
Hear the basics of what a biomedical approach to Autism treatment is. Hear my son's story of hope and recovery and learn some ideas to implement immediately. Understand the basics of why diets work and how basic nutritional supplementation can make a big impact in your child's health and well being. This is a basic over view class.
Please call Coester Cares Therapy Services to reserve YOUR seat today! 480-539-5629
February 20th, 2010
Time: 8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Gateway Fellowship Church (Recker and Elliot)
Cost: $20 for one parent, $25 for both parents
Please call 480.621.8361 to register
Hear Dr. Matthew Baral speak about a DAN! (Defeat Autism Now!) protocol, learn about some of the underlying medical conditions many children with Autism face, learn some of the basic building blocks of biomedical treatment and then hear from me about how we incorporated our DAN! doctor's recommendations into real life. Learn some of the common hurdles, how to effectively manage diet and supplements and help your child recover to feel better and be healthier. You will leave with tools that you can begin using that day!
5 weeks of Respen-A therapy for Autism
I am so behind in blogging. Here is the "chart" that M has daily to keep him on task and focusing (and basically going with the flow) at school. If he earns all of his stickers at the end of the day he gets to pick a treasure out of the treasure box at school. And a week's worth of all of his stickers gets him a prize at home to keep him motivated. So anyways, on January 11th he went back to school after being off for 3 weeks. The chart you see above is from his 1st day back!! Note the teacher's comments at the bottom. I couldn't ask for a better way to start back at school. There was no regression, no issues, and good listening which is always a good thing.
And last Friday I was able to speak with Elaine DeLack, the nurse who helped develop the product Respen-A. Wow, my head was spinning after talking to her. But she did say to think about reducing some of M's supplements while on Respen-A. I posted this information on Autism Action Plan and checked with Dr. Woeller to make sure he was in agreement. What we have removed is:
Turmeric
Epsom salt baths
Antioxidants (especially vitamin A, but are keeping 500 mg of vitamin C going)
Essential Fatty Acids (cod liver oil)
We may want to think about removing Gaba as well (tried this early on and had more meltdowns so we added it back in)
We are also doing calcium and magnesium at a 5:1 ratio, 2000 mg calcium to 400 mg magnesium.
So far things continue to go well. Here are some gains we've seen:
* Last week while mixing my son's supplements, I told him to come here and take them, he tells me "Coming mom" and came right over to me, totally new.
* That same day as he got out of the car for school I said the same thing I say everyday "I love you son, have a great day" and he turned and said "You too mom". Not only was it reciprocal speech but a new awareness that, hey, mom goes off and has her own day too. Big cognitive gain I thought in addition to speech.
* Just yesterday my son asked my husband "Daddy, do you know why I love you? Because you are the best dad in the whole wide world!". Spontaneous "I love you's" are very common, as is a kiss for his sister when he gets out of the car for school (which actually shocked me the first time that happened!).
* He has also been a lot more outgoing with people we meet at stores, etc. He talks to them, answers them and is very appropriate is speech and behavior.
Elaine DeLack was explaining how this product can provide mito support by the conversion of serotonin to its active form. I cannot explain it in any way shape or form like she did so I will not try.
Oh another tip, ditch the medical tape they send in favor of 2 round bandaids. It seems to work best when fully covered and in my experience, 1 round bandaid just doesn't cover it enough to stay "stuck". So, I overlap 2 rounds and it works great. She did also say that Dr. Fred Starr, the other developer, is currently workign with a child who has been on it for 15 months and has still not plateued so....this would appear to be more of a long term therapy thank I originally thought. But hey, it is easy to administer, I have yet to see any side effects (we are off melatonin as a matter of fact) and the progress keeps coming. So there it is, 5 weeks in. Still seeing progress and I am glad we did this therapy. I plan to continue for as long as we continue to see gains. I will keep posting more as we go!
Monday, January 11, 2010
The new book "AntiCancer" and its parallel to Autism and related disorders
I am usually pretty disappointed when watching the news in regards to health, nutrition, etc. I was shocked to see the story of Dr. David Servan-Schreiber on Good Morning America last week. He has a book out called "AntiCancer". He talks about his own battle with cancer using both convention and more holistic treatments. He focuses a lot on diet which was what got me so excited. He also discussed the use of Turmeric, a supplement my son has been on for a while now and one that I refer to people all the time. Here is the link to the full story and an excerpt of his book.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/excerpt-anticancer-david-servan-schreiber/story?id=9502717&page=1
So why is this so exciting? Well, as he discusses in his book, many traditional doctors simply cannot feasibly keep up with ALL of the newest trends in medicine and therapy. There is just not that kind of time in the day. And many wait until there have been sufficient human clinical trials out before they will endorse a therapy, which I totally understand. But, lets say it is YOU with the cancer, and like in the case of Dr. Servan-Schreiber, you understand that our environment is even more influential on our health than our genes, wouldn't you be open to trying some simple changes?
It reminds me of our process of recovering our son from Autism. What we got from the pediatrician was "find a good occupational, speech and behavioral therapist". Period, end of discussion, that was it. Basically, hope for the best, good luck, oh and by the way it is genetics so don't even think there is much you can do. I think the same message is spread against cancer (and many of today's prevalent diseases) and I have blogged many times about this. Diet is HUGE, we are what we eat, let thy medicine be thy food and thy food be thy medicine, etc. You don't have to be Hippocrates to understand how important diet is on our health, or lack thereof. Food should be unadulterated, as raw as possible and without the use of pesticides, toxins or genetically modified. That doesn't ALWAYS mean it has to have an organic sticker on it. But that forces us to shop outside the box, literally, maybe NOT at the Wal-Mart and maybe means an extra trip to a local farmer's market, CSA, co-op, etc. to get organically grown produce, with or without the certification or starting your own garden! When we started making dietary changes with my son it made a huge impact, and our whole family has benefitted. Many foods produce an immune reaction which sets our bodies up for auto-immune disorders in the future (arthritis, diabetes, lupus, MS, etc). But eliminating those foods that cause that reaction can stop that process, and therefore halt the commencement of disease.
Our genes are our genes yet our environment tells those genes to turn on or off (like in the case of certain cancers). But what we are seeing today is that our children have heritable changes (changes in their DNA which can be passed on) without their parents having those changes. So, our environment is SO messed up that we are actually changing our children's DNA. That is powerful. But knowledge is even more powerful. The body is resilient and we've seen my son's gut, immune system and neurological system heal as we've made dietary changes and added in supplements. The supplements range from antioxidants which help destroy those free radicals which contribute to cancer and changes in cells. We've added in antinflammatories like Turmeric which have been shown to be helpful in my son with gut and brain inflammation along with inflammation caused by Arthritis in my mother in law and friend and hopefully soon my Uncle will be seeing greater relief with that as well! Many, many, many of the things we are doing for our son can be extended out for those with other disorders. Because at their root, many are all a product of inflammation and auto-immunity. They all manifest differently in each person, in one person that will be lupus, in another that will be diabetes, and for many children born today, that will be Autism.
That does not mean there is a "one size fits all" cure. Each person presents their own puzzle of symptoms and causes for their issues. The key is finding a physician who understands, doing the right testing and my motto is "If it won't hurt, TRY IT". I didn't wait until they did clinical trials on Turmeric to see if it worked. I didn't wait until there was a study on whether a gluten and casein free diet was effective, we tried it. I researched, understood the potential risks and tried things. It has worked for us. Even our Autism community is divided on treatment choices and the issue of vaccinations. My stance is, reducing toxic burden, helping detox pathways, supporting normal brain function, methylation, and sulfation, and adding in good nutrition and supplements has worked. We've seen tremendous changes and most people have no clue that my son was diagnosed with Autism. But that is what worked for us. And I have seen the logic in eating healthier. Removing things like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and other preservatives and excitotoxins like MSG (in all 200 forms) and artificial sweeteners have made us all healthier.
I laugh at all the new ads about making fruit "easier" to eat. Really?!?! How hard is it to eat an apple? Do we really need to process it, pasteurize it (so that very little of the natural enzymes and nutrients are even left) and put it in a convenient bottle to get people to eat it? Fruit is one of the easiest things to eat on the go, along with some nuts for protein, you have a perfect snack or even lunch. No wonder cancers and disease run rampant through our society. We've taken the nutrition out of our food! If its not purple or glowing and comes in a neat wrapper or can be gotten through a drivethru we don't seem to want it. That's why I loved seeing this man's story and book on the news. Maybe we can focus more on the quality of our food, not scrimp on something most important to our health. Our food should not be what we cut corners on. I know in this economy we ALL have to cut back but I would suggest we find other ways and we skip the dollar menu. You can either pay more now for food or more later for doctors. So check out his book, I intend to.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Books/excerpt-anticancer-david-servan-schreiber/story?id=9502717&page=1
So why is this so exciting? Well, as he discusses in his book, many traditional doctors simply cannot feasibly keep up with ALL of the newest trends in medicine and therapy. There is just not that kind of time in the day. And many wait until there have been sufficient human clinical trials out before they will endorse a therapy, which I totally understand. But, lets say it is YOU with the cancer, and like in the case of Dr. Servan-Schreiber, you understand that our environment is even more influential on our health than our genes, wouldn't you be open to trying some simple changes?
It reminds me of our process of recovering our son from Autism. What we got from the pediatrician was "find a good occupational, speech and behavioral therapist". Period, end of discussion, that was it. Basically, hope for the best, good luck, oh and by the way it is genetics so don't even think there is much you can do. I think the same message is spread against cancer (and many of today's prevalent diseases) and I have blogged many times about this. Diet is HUGE, we are what we eat, let thy medicine be thy food and thy food be thy medicine, etc. You don't have to be Hippocrates to understand how important diet is on our health, or lack thereof. Food should be unadulterated, as raw as possible and without the use of pesticides, toxins or genetically modified. That doesn't ALWAYS mean it has to have an organic sticker on it. But that forces us to shop outside the box, literally, maybe NOT at the Wal-Mart and maybe means an extra trip to a local farmer's market, CSA, co-op, etc. to get organically grown produce, with or without the certification or starting your own garden! When we started making dietary changes with my son it made a huge impact, and our whole family has benefitted. Many foods produce an immune reaction which sets our bodies up for auto-immune disorders in the future (arthritis, diabetes, lupus, MS, etc). But eliminating those foods that cause that reaction can stop that process, and therefore halt the commencement of disease.
Our genes are our genes yet our environment tells those genes to turn on or off (like in the case of certain cancers). But what we are seeing today is that our children have heritable changes (changes in their DNA which can be passed on) without their parents having those changes. So, our environment is SO messed up that we are actually changing our children's DNA. That is powerful. But knowledge is even more powerful. The body is resilient and we've seen my son's gut, immune system and neurological system heal as we've made dietary changes and added in supplements. The supplements range from antioxidants which help destroy those free radicals which contribute to cancer and changes in cells. We've added in antinflammatories like Turmeric which have been shown to be helpful in my son with gut and brain inflammation along with inflammation caused by Arthritis in my mother in law and friend and hopefully soon my Uncle will be seeing greater relief with that as well! Many, many, many of the things we are doing for our son can be extended out for those with other disorders. Because at their root, many are all a product of inflammation and auto-immunity. They all manifest differently in each person, in one person that will be lupus, in another that will be diabetes, and for many children born today, that will be Autism.
That does not mean there is a "one size fits all" cure. Each person presents their own puzzle of symptoms and causes for their issues. The key is finding a physician who understands, doing the right testing and my motto is "If it won't hurt, TRY IT". I didn't wait until they did clinical trials on Turmeric to see if it worked. I didn't wait until there was a study on whether a gluten and casein free diet was effective, we tried it. I researched, understood the potential risks and tried things. It has worked for us. Even our Autism community is divided on treatment choices and the issue of vaccinations. My stance is, reducing toxic burden, helping detox pathways, supporting normal brain function, methylation, and sulfation, and adding in good nutrition and supplements has worked. We've seen tremendous changes and most people have no clue that my son was diagnosed with Autism. But that is what worked for us. And I have seen the logic in eating healthier. Removing things like high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils (trans fats) and other preservatives and excitotoxins like MSG (in all 200 forms) and artificial sweeteners have made us all healthier.
I laugh at all the new ads about making fruit "easier" to eat. Really?!?! How hard is it to eat an apple? Do we really need to process it, pasteurize it (so that very little of the natural enzymes and nutrients are even left) and put it in a convenient bottle to get people to eat it? Fruit is one of the easiest things to eat on the go, along with some nuts for protein, you have a perfect snack or even lunch. No wonder cancers and disease run rampant through our society. We've taken the nutrition out of our food! If its not purple or glowing and comes in a neat wrapper or can be gotten through a drivethru we don't seem to want it. That's why I loved seeing this man's story and book on the news. Maybe we can focus more on the quality of our food, not scrimp on something most important to our health. Our food should not be what we cut corners on. I know in this economy we ALL have to cut back but I would suggest we find other ways and we skip the dollar menu. You can either pay more now for food or more later for doctors. So check out his book, I intend to.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Eczema treatments we are trying
Well after a call with Dr. Woeller, here is what Eric is doing:
Biotin, a sulphur containing B vitamin, helps metabolize fats & amino acids. Biotin deficiency can manifest as hair loss, dry scaley skin (even cradle cap in infants), dermatitis, even nausea. He is taking 5 - 10 mg per day
Zinc - 100 mg
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) daily in the form of Cod Liver Oil from Carlson's.
Probiotics nightly
And we are looking into a niacinimide cream as well. And our friend Tom suggested sulphur soap, we need to look into that as well. Given that Biotin is a sulphur containing B vitamin, it may not be a bad idea to hit it from the inside and outside. Eric is logging his supplements and taking pictures of his hands to document what is working. So right now it is just the supplements, no cream or soap and a STRICT adherence to a gluten free diet. 2 nights ago he ate a small piece of garlic bread, the next day his hands were once again cracking and bleeding.
These recommendations are for my husband, please do not use these as a standard and always consult your own doctor/practitioner before starting any new supplements (there's my disclaimer).
Biotin, a sulphur containing B vitamin, helps metabolize fats & amino acids. Biotin deficiency can manifest as hair loss, dry scaley skin (even cradle cap in infants), dermatitis, even nausea. He is taking 5 - 10 mg per day
Zinc - 100 mg
Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) daily in the form of Cod Liver Oil from Carlson's.
Probiotics nightly
And we are looking into a niacinimide cream as well. And our friend Tom suggested sulphur soap, we need to look into that as well. Given that Biotin is a sulphur containing B vitamin, it may not be a bad idea to hit it from the inside and outside. Eric is logging his supplements and taking pictures of his hands to document what is working. So right now it is just the supplements, no cream or soap and a STRICT adherence to a gluten free diet. 2 nights ago he ate a small piece of garlic bread, the next day his hands were once again cracking and bleeding.
These recommendations are for my husband, please do not use these as a standard and always consult your own doctor/practitioner before starting any new supplements (there's my disclaimer).
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Eczema, not just skin deep
I am sure I have blogged about eczema and our family before. My husband, mother in law and daughter all struggle with this issue. At the last DAN! conference it became more clear to me that eczema is a sign of leaky gut and needs to be addressed just as my son's issues with leaky gut did. For my daughter that meant tackling food issues like wheat. As I found out at the DAN! conference, many, many, many people have problems with wheat and may not even know it (I dare say, including us). So we got with the program and our house is now completely GF. Viola, my daughter's eczema on her feet was gone. It started as a small patch on the bottom of her foot would eventually wrap around her whole foot and on to her toes and would itch to the point where she would scratch them until they bled. Yeah, I know, I NEEDED to get this under control. It killed me to see her little tiny feet looking like those of a 90 year old man, seriously! This meant sending in her snacks at school since school became her only exposure. Once we did that, poof, they were completely healed.
I was hoping for the same response with my husband's hands. His hands are horrible, seriously. They are cracked, bleeding, it hurts to do just about anything with them and even water burns them. The removal of wheat just wasn't cutting it. He has seen dermatologists, he has seen his naturopath (who eventually said "see a dermatologist") and all the dermatologist wants to do is write a prescription for a steroid cream. There has to be a CAUSE, lets not just bandaid this! I finally broke down and emailed Dr. Woeller for help with this. We have a consult today. But, in the week since I made that appointment I told my husband to start taking a probiotic (duh, one of the cornerstone supplements we ALL should be taking) and wouldn't you know it, they are getting better. We have run an IgG food panel on my husband and wouldn't you know, very similar intolerances as my son but nothing really standing out in the way of unaddressed food issues (especially with the removal of wheat). My husband remarked the other night "It looks like they are healing from the inside out". Yes honey, that is what is supposed to happen.
What we take into (or onto) our bodies either helps us or hurts us. We cannot simply look at a chronic skin condition as just being skin deep. We have to understand that it is a manifestation of something deeper, probably in the gut. And did you know that the gut is referred to as the 2nd brain? Our gut, and what we feed it, is extremely important. It has a big impact on our brain functioning and all of the other processes in the body. When I told my 11 year old step-daughter that the purpose of food is to fuel the body she looked at me like I was crazy. And yet even she gets it that when you eat junk you are still hungry. Your body is looking for nourishment and when you feed it empty calories it is still hungry because it still needs the right kid of fuel.
So I think we are on the right track to healing my husband's hands and I will pass on what we learn from our call with Dr. Woeller today. But, I wanted to take a moment to highlight a very essential supplement EVERYONE should be on, a probiotic. A probiotic helps replenish you gut with the GOOD bacteria and GOOD yeast (in the case of Saccharomyces Boulardii) that your body needs to fight off the bad bugs. It helps support your immune system, which is primarily located in the gut, by that mechanism. You need good soldiers to fight off the invaders, think of it that way. New Beginnings has some great probiotics. And each variety can help with different things. Culturelle is great for clostridia, VSL #3 is good for high oxalates, like I said before certain yeast strains can help fight the pathogenic yeasts like candida, both of the kids are on Ther-biotic which does need a doctor's referral. You want to look for a good quality, multi-strain variety unless you are targeting something specific. So if you are looking to be healthier in 2010 and start adding in some vitamins and supplements to support health, look to a quality probiotic as something to add right away!
I was hoping for the same response with my husband's hands. His hands are horrible, seriously. They are cracked, bleeding, it hurts to do just about anything with them and even water burns them. The removal of wheat just wasn't cutting it. He has seen dermatologists, he has seen his naturopath (who eventually said "see a dermatologist") and all the dermatologist wants to do is write a prescription for a steroid cream. There has to be a CAUSE, lets not just bandaid this! I finally broke down and emailed Dr. Woeller for help with this. We have a consult today. But, in the week since I made that appointment I told my husband to start taking a probiotic (duh, one of the cornerstone supplements we ALL should be taking) and wouldn't you know it, they are getting better. We have run an IgG food panel on my husband and wouldn't you know, very similar intolerances as my son but nothing really standing out in the way of unaddressed food issues (especially with the removal of wheat). My husband remarked the other night "It looks like they are healing from the inside out". Yes honey, that is what is supposed to happen.
What we take into (or onto) our bodies either helps us or hurts us. We cannot simply look at a chronic skin condition as just being skin deep. We have to understand that it is a manifestation of something deeper, probably in the gut. And did you know that the gut is referred to as the 2nd brain? Our gut, and what we feed it, is extremely important. It has a big impact on our brain functioning and all of the other processes in the body. When I told my 11 year old step-daughter that the purpose of food is to fuel the body she looked at me like I was crazy. And yet even she gets it that when you eat junk you are still hungry. Your body is looking for nourishment and when you feed it empty calories it is still hungry because it still needs the right kid of fuel.
So I think we are on the right track to healing my husband's hands and I will pass on what we learn from our call with Dr. Woeller today. But, I wanted to take a moment to highlight a very essential supplement EVERYONE should be on, a probiotic. A probiotic helps replenish you gut with the GOOD bacteria and GOOD yeast (in the case of Saccharomyces Boulardii) that your body needs to fight off the bad bugs. It helps support your immune system, which is primarily located in the gut, by that mechanism. You need good soldiers to fight off the invaders, think of it that way. New Beginnings has some great probiotics. And each variety can help with different things. Culturelle is great for clostridia, VSL #3 is good for high oxalates, like I said before certain yeast strains can help fight the pathogenic yeasts like candida, both of the kids are on Ther-biotic which does need a doctor's referral. You want to look for a good quality, multi-strain variety unless you are targeting something specific. So if you are looking to be healthier in 2010 and start adding in some vitamins and supplements to support health, look to a quality probiotic as something to add right away!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Respen-A therapy in Autism
I mentioned on my blog before that we were interested in starting the new therapy called Respen A. Since we were actively fighting clostridia through the use of flagyl and also using diflucan to avoid a yeast flare as a result, I decided to wait for about a week until we were all done with flagyl and diflucan was going well and behavior was stabilized. We started on the first day of winter break, 2 weeks ago yesterday. I also wanted to try this over the break so that I could monitor any possible negative reactions instead of having him go through these at school/therapy/etc.
By day 2 we noticed increased affection and attention to members of our family.
By two weeks in, each day is filled with new concepts, new awareness and new emotions it seems. My son seems to be seeing things that literally have been right in front of his face for months (if not years) for the first time. He is reminding us about his supplements and even reminding us to mark things off on his daily chart of foods/supps/etc. Now mind you, we've done supplements and charting for years and never once has he reminded us about charting or dosing. My daughter was doing something funny and my husband and I were laughing about it yesterday, he came running from another part of the house to ask "what's so funny??". This was a first. A park outing last week with 6 kids (ages 3 - 12) was a good example as well. All 6 kids were playing "pirate" and running between a grassy area and the playground. There was my son right in the middle of things, playing along the whole time (about 2 hours). He wasn't wandering off, playing by himself or off talking to himself. I am anxious to hear what his teacher thinks when he goes back to school in a week. He was a child who really did compensate well socially given his challenges but these changes are huge. We have also seen less self talk. He will regularly ride bikes on our street with neighbors but even after they have walked/ridden away he would talk to them or himself. This has really diminished since starting Respen A.
What is Respen A? It is a little brown disc. It looks a lot like a pop dot if you are a crafter or a scrapbooker. It is round and raised, not flat like a smoker's patch and soft and mushy. It comes with pieces of paper stuck to both sides that you just peel off. Then you use medical tape to keep it in place in the middle of the back (or somewhere that they cannot get to to take it off). You put it on in the morning and give 2000 mg of calcium as it can deplete calcium. Then you take it off at bath/bedtime. Very simple, very easy. It is a homeopathic remedy but still requires a prescription. The pharmacy also cannot ship to AZ so you have to have someone else in another state (like CA) where they can ship to and then that person would have to ship it to you. But, in my estimation, well worth the effort!
So there is the update after 2 weeks. I hope to have even more to update in the future. Dr. Woeller says to try this therapy for at least 6 months. So far I am very happy with it and have not seen many side effects if any. The only possible side effect is trouble falling to sleep at night. We've reintroduced melatonin with very positive results. Other than that, we've not seen any negative behaviors.
By day 2 we noticed increased affection and attention to members of our family.
By two weeks in, each day is filled with new concepts, new awareness and new emotions it seems. My son seems to be seeing things that literally have been right in front of his face for months (if not years) for the first time. He is reminding us about his supplements and even reminding us to mark things off on his daily chart of foods/supps/etc. Now mind you, we've done supplements and charting for years and never once has he reminded us about charting or dosing. My daughter was doing something funny and my husband and I were laughing about it yesterday, he came running from another part of the house to ask "what's so funny??". This was a first. A park outing last week with 6 kids (ages 3 - 12) was a good example as well. All 6 kids were playing "pirate" and running between a grassy area and the playground. There was my son right in the middle of things, playing along the whole time (about 2 hours). He wasn't wandering off, playing by himself or off talking to himself. I am anxious to hear what his teacher thinks when he goes back to school in a week. He was a child who really did compensate well socially given his challenges but these changes are huge. We have also seen less self talk. He will regularly ride bikes on our street with neighbors but even after they have walked/ridden away he would talk to them or himself. This has really diminished since starting Respen A.
What is Respen A? It is a little brown disc. It looks a lot like a pop dot if you are a crafter or a scrapbooker. It is round and raised, not flat like a smoker's patch and soft and mushy. It comes with pieces of paper stuck to both sides that you just peel off. Then you use medical tape to keep it in place in the middle of the back (or somewhere that they cannot get to to take it off). You put it on in the morning and give 2000 mg of calcium as it can deplete calcium. Then you take it off at bath/bedtime. Very simple, very easy. It is a homeopathic remedy but still requires a prescription. The pharmacy also cannot ship to AZ so you have to have someone else in another state (like CA) where they can ship to and then that person would have to ship it to you. But, in my estimation, well worth the effort!
So there is the update after 2 weeks. I hope to have even more to update in the future. Dr. Woeller says to try this therapy for at least 6 months. So far I am very happy with it and have not seen many side effects if any. The only possible side effect is trouble falling to sleep at night. We've reintroduced melatonin with very positive results. Other than that, we've not seen any negative behaviors.
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