The Autism Journey to Recovery Begins

Ok, I’ve been sooo incredibly busy with doctor appts, therapy, family, etc that I just haven’t been very regular with my blog.  However, I want to start keeping track of all the therapies, biomedical treatments, etc that we are using for Kyler and then note the changes (if any).  I need somewhere to keep track of it so this is it!

Started Gluten and Casein free diet 9/14/08

DAN! appt for lab testing 10/09/08

Started new supplements until test results return 10/10/08:

• Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil 1 tsp daily
• L-Glutamine (amino acid) 2 capsules daily
• S Boulardii (anti-fungal/probiotic) 2 caps daily 
• ABA Therapy one hour/day
• Epsom salt baths- 3-4x’s /wk

Behavior changes:

• Said “DaDa” 10/12/08
• started pointing 10/13/08
• Had major stimming episodes possibly a yeast die-off 10/14/08
• Learned to sit down in ABA 10/18/08
• While upset saying “mama” 10/19/08
• Much better eye contact 11/02/08
• Waving Hi and Bye appropriately 11/10/08
• Tolerating more transitions and much calmer (contributing this to Epsom Salt baths)

DAN! appt for lab test results 11/12/08

• allergy to sagebrush
• intolerance to soy and gluten
• heavy metals high: tin, aluminum, arsenic, nickel
• Klebsiella bacteria in yeast
• liver overworked
• anemic
• viral infection (vaccine injury)

DAN! doctor recommended new supplements, B12 shots, chelation and anti-viral medication (in that order not all at once)

Supplements as of 11/13/08

• Cod liver oil- 1tsp/day
• L-Glutamine (amino acid)- 2x/day
• Vital-zyme (digestive enzyme) – 3x/day (each meal)
• Caprylic Acid (anti-fungal)- 1ml/day
• Zinc- 1/day
• P5P (B6 and Magnesium)- 1/day
• multi-vitamin- 2x/day
• Ther-Biotic (probiotic) – 1/day
• Also ABA Therapy 1-2 hrs/day

Behavioral Changes:

• Immediately stopped babbling 11/14/08
• started stimming heavily (spinning, head dragging, toe walking) 11/14/08
• acts lethargic, (flu-like) 11/14/08

Hoping that those are die off symptoms!

Baby Blues or Postpartum depression? (Part 1)

I’d like to write about my experience with postpartum depession.  It may take a few posts to get everything out but I’m at least going to start it.

Let me go back a little over a year ago…Kyler at 3 days old….

In hindsight, maybe I should have known that something was not exactly “OK” when I just DID NOT want to be released from the hospital.  Seriously, I wanted to stay forever.  This alien, as he was known as, slept about 22 hours a day; so what was my problem?  It wasn’t that hard.  Well, the breastfeeding was kind of hard but I was determined.  I promised friends and family that I’d give it a try.   I enjoyed the sessions of help from the nurses- even if I was nude and at the mercy of a stranger.  At least they were telling me what to do.  I was really enjoying the free food which was actually managed like a hotel with room service.  The nurses didn’t exactly “take him” as much as I’d hoped but I was ok with that…I was hip and knew that the baby stays in the room these days.  Changing diapers was a bit of a problem at this point because it was so hard for me to get off the bed and waddle over to the changing table (that I couldn’t reach unless standing on my tippy toes).  So, my husband did most of the changing…bless his heart.  The nurses had that swaddling thing down pat; so Kyler would fall right to sleep after they finished with him.  Come to think about it, of course, I didn’t want to go home!!!  I was being waited on hand and foot and for the most part, so was Kyler. 

I have to say, it did all start when we were packing up to go home.  First of all, let me admit something about myself: I do struggle with a few OCD/perfectionism issues.  And, I didn’t want to get pregnant with fear of getting fat (lame but true).  So, when I tried on my “going home” outfit and my body was completely disproportioned, (and I mean DISPROPORTIONED!), I had the quick realization that I wasn’t going home to the “home” that I once knew.

The Emergency Room with a One Year Old

Why is it that anytime you wait in the Emergency Room, you wait longer than you would for a “non” emergency??? 

Friday afternoon, I was mowing the yard.  Why?  Well, in my home, that is the only time that I get a bit of peace.  The deal is that if I mow the grass, Kyler’s daddy will feed him and put him to bed for me.  Trust me, this is a great deal!  I was on my last row when Kyler’s daddy came outside holding a bleeding Kyler.  I saw blood but Kyler wasn’t crying.  When I got closer, I saw a huge gash in my baby’s head.  I almost fainted!  So, to the ER we went a racing!

When I was pregnant, I had to go to the ER several times due to spotting.  As far as I was concerned, bleeding during pregnancy was a big deal.  We waited six hours on our first vist and four on the second visit.  Obviously, we were not the priority.  Now, I understand that they were probably more critical patients out there.  Also, they always took children in before me. 

So, this time, I just thought for sure that we would be “those people” who got rushed right in…I mean, we did have a one year old with a bleeding head!!!  Guess again.  Now, I’ve mentioned before that we do have a “difficult” toddler.  He’s not malicious (at least not yet); just ancy, fussy, and mad most of the time.  Just the drive to the hosipital was a challenge in itself in rush hour Dallas traffic.  We made it and Kyler was actually being a trooper.

Once inside, there were only a few other people in the waiting area.  “Great!”, I thought.  “We really are going to get right in to see the physician.”  Nope.  First, we had to wait fifteen minutes to be called into the “Triage area” of which I still don’t understand it’s purpose.  The hospital employee asked if Kyler was up to date on his shots and attempted to put a bandaid on his head…of course, it was ripped right off.  Then we had wait another forty-five minutes to be called again.  This time, we were called to fill out insurance paperwork and assured that we were about to be called back to the “rooms”. 

Meanwhile, Kyler and his daddy had to go outside because he didn’t want puffs, juice, or Mommy…he wanted to run around and scream.  He was in a good mood despite his gash.  The problem is that we were trying to prevent another gash, keep him off the dirty floor, and if possible, not completely annoy everyone around us.  (Later, I realized that we should have just kept him inside to annoy everyone.)

Finally, after another thirty minutes of waiting, a bleeding Kyler was called back to the “rooms”.  We were actually taken back to an area of single beds all in a row with other sick and injured people.  Apparently, we weren’t injured enough to go into a “room”.  What do you do with a one year old while in an emergency room?  We didn’t have time to be too prepared.  Fortunately, we did bring a few snacks, drinks and two toys.  Unfortunately, we have a toddler who doesn’t want to play with toys; he only wants to run around and scream (as mentioned earlier).  Kyler’s daddy and I were really about to pass out from trying to keep this twenty-five pound monkey on the bed and not on the floor or in the way of others.  It was approaching his bedtime and all we could do was wait and wait and wait.  REALLY?  This is the emergency room?  Another hour and a half went by when finally one of the nurse’s tried to speed up the process by applying a topical ointment to help numb Kyler’s head before the real numbing needle was placed.  Again, the band aid covering the ointment was ripped off.  Blood was all over everything and quite frankly, I didn’t mind.  I thought that maybe he would appear more “emergency-like” if he was bleeding all over the place. 

After I lost track of the time, the physician on duty came over and stitched Kyler up in front of all the other sick and injured patients.  The screams of my child were truly unbearable.  Even my husband was unable to stand it and had to go sit down.  It was incredibly sad to witness but the physician did do a good job (at least that is what I was told).

What did I learn from this trip?  I will try an Urgent Care office if possible; but if we ever have to go to the ER again, we’re taking the ambulance….those people do get to go immediately into the “rooms”!!

And so it begins

Hmmmm.  Where do I even begin?  I’m realizing that I should’ve started blogging ages ago.  Quite frankly, the dating life alone was probably much more interesting to an outsider; however, this new world is so complicated.  Ironically, both “worlds” have strong similarities such as insecurities, the unknown, love, chaos, and unfortunately the lost identity.

I do have so much to write about and share.  Mainly, I’d like to blog my daily chaos just to keep track of the year.  Also, I hope to comfort, relate to, or even better make someone laugh over the life many of us live.  A bit of background, I am married, to what I like to call my “college sweetheart” although our dating life was filled with the characteristics listed above.  We’ve been married for five years and I stay at home with our beautiful son who is about to be 14 months old.  I should comment that he wasn’t always beautiful.  No, as a matter of fact, he was quite the little alien at first…love is blind- right?  At any rate, he is perfect on the outside but…let’s just say, not so perfect on the inside. 

Having a baby has been the absolute hardest thing to do.  The day of birth was probably the best day of my life and not because I was blessed with such a beautiful gift.  It was a wonderful day because it is the last day that I can remember being waited on and doted upon from another.  Oh, and I don’t mean from my husband or for our purposes, ”Baby Daddy”.  It probably helps that I had a very easy delivery but don’t you worry, my pregnancy was absolutely terrible.

Everyone tells you that you never know how hard it is to have children until you do it.  SO VERY TRUE.  I would probably not ever do it again.  (FYI- I’ll post more positive thoughts later…just giving background info.)  From the beginning, the unknown happens:  What do I do with this alien?  How do I hold this alien?  Do I like this alien?  Does this alien like me?  Will I get to sleep tonight?  Will this alien sleep tonight? 

I wouldn’t categorize myself as a “baby person”; however, with all of my reading and organizing, I did think that I was prepared…. HA