Friday, December 20, 2013

Week 7, 8 and 9- DTaP 30c CEASE Therapy Update

So these last three weeks have been a bit of a blur. After Noah's first dose of 30c he became sick within 5 days- vomiting, high fever, nose/eyes running constantly. The next 2 weeks following he continued to struggle with sickness- specifically congestion, runny nose and eyes, cough with mucus and bright red splotches that appeared on his cheeks as well as behavioral aggravations and noise sensitivities. Our homeopath had us water dose Noah with the 30c and we saw improvements both times... but within days his symptoms/aggravations would reoccur. So, we have now been told to water dose with 100c which we plan to do next week. She explained that this sometimes helps the child push through that level. He has really been struggling but I know this is also a good sign- this is another vaccination that needs to be dealt with, his little body needs healing from it. So we go forward!

The main areas of improvement we have seen with this clearing have been mainly focused on socialization. He is starting to play and connect with other children at the therapy center he attends. He is also very interactive with us and usually has great eye contact. He is also babbling and saying more words which has been exciting to see. We still have a long way to go-- he doesn't quite know how to use his words to communicate his needs. He is mainly identifying and repeating what he hears.

So that is a summary of what has been going on! I will post again after we water dose 100c next week.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Week 6- Water dosing of 12 c DTaP- CEASE Therapy Update

This is going to be a very short update from last week. Sooooo I thought we were done with 12c but Noah had an aggravation over last weekend. Our homeopath decided before we move up to 30c we should make sure to address this aggravation. We dosed him with the reaction protocol and the symptoms we were seeing disappeared. In fact, he did amazingly well in his therapy as soon as he received the water dosing. It really is exciting to see how well it works for him. So this week we are dosing Noah with 30c of the DTaP. FINALLY! I am ready to move forward. I am also nervous because I do think this is another KEY clearing for Noah. For him to respond so strong to such small doses tells me that this is another piece to our puzzle.

I will give another update to let you guys know how he reacts to his first dose of 30c.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Week 4 and 5 DTaP Clearing- CEASE Therapy Update- Still on 12c!!!

Time has slipped by and I forgot to give an update. Last week, because of Noah's continued aggravations, we decided to go straight to the reaction protocol with the 12c. This week we have been able to dose Noah on Monday and Thursday with the 12c. We still have seen some aggravations... mainly irritability, noise sensitivity and ear/nose drainage.

Now onto the gains we have been seeing: 

1) More words, talking, babbling. This has definitely picked up since starting the clearing. He is constantly using words, and trying to talk and babbling regularly where we never heard babbling before.

2) Eye contact has been amazing. This has faltered over the months but it is back and very strong. No hesitation at all.

3) Gross motor coordination has improved. He seems to just be moving better since the clearing started. Going up stairs, climbing, we have definitely seen an improvement.

Our plan for next week is to dose Noah one time with the 30c... I will post next week on how that dose goes and any aggravations and gains we may see.

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Week 3 DTaP Clearing- CEASE Therapy Update

I wanted to give everyone a quick update on the DTaP clearing. Noah was dosed again with 12c on Monday and once again we saw many aggravations: irritability, crying at the drop of a dime, stimming (vocal and visual), an increase in rituals, itching/picking at scabs and a return of facial tics. All from 12c!

We ended up only dosing Noah 1x this week. Our homeopath had advised us to do the dilution protocol to help him push through the issues, however he began to improve so much she told us to hold off until we see how he does next week, when we will dose him again with 12c. If he struggles with next week's dose we will go ahead and try the dilution protocol.

I am not sure if I have seen gains during this level of clearing. He does appear to be more connected to us and willing to give eye contact which has been awesome. One new thing that happened this week was that Noah walked up our staircase correctly and with ease and without any assistance or prompting. We were shocked when we witnessed it-- it came out of nowhere! I am not sure that is related to the clearing but it was so nice to see.

I will continue to post regular updates as we move through this DTaP clearing and work towards recovery and health for little Noah.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Week 2 DTaP Clearing- CEASE Therapy Update

We dosed Noah this week with a prep dose of 12c DTaP on Monday afternoon. We did not see a reaction with last week's small dose, however this week within hours of giving this dose he had a mild fever and was pretty miserable and not feeling well. He continues to be more emotional than usual this week and last night his insomnia which we have been struggling since his birth returned. During our two month break from clearings Noah had started to sleep like a baby. This was one aggravation I was not excited about it. I just knew that we would suffer through more nights of insomnia once clearings resumed. He woke up last night and just cried and cried and cried. I tried everything I could think of--- rescue remedy, calms forte, teething tablets... nothing seemed to calm him. He also began to itch a scab constantly. It isn't a new scab, it is healing and does not look infected or inflamed. I feel that his anxiety was causing him to pick at it. Today he was scratching his skin constantly.

Our homeopath wants us to wait to dose Noah again with 12c. We are going to give his body a break and resume next week. In the meantime, we are going to give him one of his constitutional remedies, kali sulph and kali phos, and put him in an epsom salt bath to help calm this aggravation. 

I will give you guys another update as we continue on this journey of clearing DTaP and using CEASE therapy to recover our son.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Week 1 DTaP Clearing- CEASE Therapy Update

We are finally back and have started the dreaded DTaP clearing. Noah was dosed on Monday and Thursday with a prep dose of 30x. And I was expecting the worst as we had a reaction immediately to the 30x of Hep B. And I waited and waited and nothing eventful. I know that this is just the very beginning and there will probably be reactions to come down the way. The only difference I saw was that Noah was more emotional than usual. He would have little breakdowns randomly throughout the day for no apparent reason.

Noah continues to do great. After the first month of our break he started doing so much better and I see him develop more and more each week. A few nights ago as we were heading to bed Noah kept asking for a cookie--- "cookie". When we told him no and explained that it was time for bed he then said "cookie please". Still we did not give him a cookie so he tried even harder and said "I want a cookie please". And if that wasn't amazing enough, he then said "I want a cookie and then night night." This little boy was bargaining with us! I just could not believe a short while ago he wasn't even talking and now we are seeing so many wonderful gains. I am just so thankful.

As we start this next clearing I will make sure to post weekly updates giving everyone the details of aggravations and gains from the DTaP. I am excited and nervous for this next chapter in our journey.

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Quick CEASE Update and visiting DAN! Doctor

So our 3 week break from CEASE has turned into a 2 month break. Life happens and it has impacted our CEASE plans. From work changes to sicknesses, to a sprained neck last week I have not had the energy to commit to CEASE. Thankfully, I am feeling much better and I am gearing up to start the DTaP clearing with Noah next week. We have all of the remedies and we are starting back his vitamin C this week. I will keep everyone posted on how our first week back goes.

Today was an amazing day! We all took the day off today and went to Richmond VA to see a well known DAN! doctor. Before our doctor's appointment I decided I wanted to try and schedule a haircut for Noah at a children's salon in Richmond I had heard great things about. I was prepared for possible issues with the haircut because he has had such a problem with sensory issues around his head. He hates washing his hair, brushing his hair and has freaked out when I have tried to cut his hair. Well today he did AMAZING. No issues AT ALL! I was stunned! He sat in a little red jeep, watching a Barney video and eating cookies and could have cared less that his hair was getting cut! I am so thrilled about this!!!! And he looks like a clean cut little man.

Then we went to the DAN! doctor appt. The reason I wanted Noah to meet with this doctor was so that  testing could be done. Don't get me wrong, I am very pleased with CEASE and homeopathy but I would love to know what is going on internally in Noah's body--- does he have bad bacteria and yeast in his gut? Don't know... does he have high levels of metal in his body? no clue.... is he allergic to any foods? Or deficient in vitamins and minerals? So, that is my main reasoning. Once I learn what is going on I hope that homeopathy will continue to address some of these issues. One thing the DAN! doctor said during our 2 hour meeting floored me and was so encouraging- She said "I believe you guys are going to pull him out of this." She feels that recovery is a great possibility for Noah. She said he will only "get better and better" with the proper interventions. So that was so good to hear. I already felt it in my heart but having confirmation was so encouraging.

So that is a quick update on how things have been. I am nervous about the next clearing but very excited to see what is in store for Noah. He is just blossoming right now and I know with more time and healing we will see great things.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Mission: Self Care

I think the topic of self care is so important for anyone. Any mother out there knows that life changes when you have children. And if you happen to be a mother who has a child with a disability, like autism, well the idea of self care can at times feel non existent. It least, in my case that is how it has been.

I have been challenging myself these last few months to care about me. To really understand that I deserve to feel good, to be happy, to do things that aren't autism related. I can honestly say that I feel like I am a shell of my former self. I don't even recognize the face looking at me in the mirror. I have gone to battle and my body, my energy shows it. I don't want autism to destroy me... I don't want autism to win.

And it is this simple:

Happy and healthy mother= Happy Noah

Happy and healthy wife= Happy husband

I deserve to be happy and healthy. I am an important piece to the puzzle of my son's recovery.

So, what have I been doing to change this?

Well, it has been baby steps. About 4 months ago I was treated by our homeopath for depression, anxiety and hormonal problems. I can honestly say this alone helped me tremendously.

I also have been on a mission to reduce our toxin exposure (see previous post). I went on a detox and boy did I detox! We are utilizing respite and going out as a couple more. I am reaching out to friends and mother's in the autism and CEASE therapy community. I feel so much better knowing I have people who can relate to what we are going through. I am starting to exercise again on a regular basis. I am rejoining the world of the living in a way. Grief and depression took me over for a while but I am coming out of it now.

I hope this post encourages others to put themselves back on their "to do" list. We are important.

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Our "Wish List" for the DTaP Clearing and a Few Updates on Noah

I am so thankful that we are finally moving past the bad weeks we had with Noah. I still am not sure what caused the issues we saw (vomiting, loss of appetite, intense stimming, a weird rash on his back, increase in sensory issues etc). Was it due to the Hep B clear we just wrapped up? Was it a virus? Regression? A mix of all? What I find to be the most interesting is that Noah appeared much worse (behavior, sickness) during our break than any time during the Hep B clearing. It got to the point where I was considering asking the homeopath to let us continue on with Hep B. I really do believe we will need to revisit this clearing again in the future.

He has not vomited since this past Tuesday. I started to notice that he would vomit when drinking his almond milk, specifically when I would add his daily vitamin c supplement to it. He has never had a problem with his vitamin c... he has been taking 500 mg a day for the last few months... but I googled the symptoms of too much vitamin c and in addition to the diarrhea I had heard about, vomiting and nausea can also result from too much vitamin c. I stopped the vitamin c and have not seen any more vomiting. I hope to start it back in a few weeks gradually. But for now I am giving his stomach a break.

His "food jag" seems to have resolved for the most part as well. His occupational therapist told me that a food jag is when a child limits his foods to only 1 or 2 foods. Noah was always a picky eater, he eats about 10 foods... I noticed over the last 4 weeks that he started refusing his bananas, yogurt, apple sauce, cereal, even his favorite chocolate pudding! Yikes. It freaked me out. Especially when I heard his little tummy growling and yet he still refused almost all foods. At one point I was lucky if he ate oatmeal in the morning and a cookie for the day.  Our OT gave me some direction on how to deal with it. The KEY was to make sure we were always changing the foods he did eat--- for example, every day in his oatmeal, I changed the time I fed it to him, the bowl I used... I would add different fruits in it each day to change the flavor... I would add almond butter, peaches, apple sauce and slices of banana. It did seem to work because within two weeks he was reintroducing other foods back into his diet.

We also have finally found a multivitamin that Noah tolerates. It is from The Honest Company and it is a powder that can easily be mixed in drinks and foods. So now I can at least know he is getting a supplement to help offset the lack of fruits and vegetables in his diet. And the best part is that the supplement is safe without any harmful ingredients, which is not the case for many children's vitamins.

Another HUGE development for Noah is that he has stopped using a bottle!!!!! SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE!!!!!!!! We were able to discontinue the bottle use during his vomiting and he hasn't requested it. In other news, we just purchased a little boy doll for Noah hoping that he would connect to it better than the boy baby doll he has. It is cute, with crazy hair, and looks a lot like Noah. Noah loves his boy doll. He smiles lovingly at it, calls it "a boy", and just the other day he started moving his arm up and down and saying "Hi" and "bye". He also has given it hugs and kisses. So cute!

OUR WISH LIST FOR the DTaP Clear:

We still have a few more weeks before we start another clearing (we got an extension from our homeopath!). We will tackle the DTaP next. Here are the areas that I pray are healed with this clearing:

1) Eye contact- Noah goes through periods of amazing eye contact and then it stops. This is a hard one for me. Who knew eye contact was so important!? When he won't look at me I feel disconnected from him and I realize how much he is missing out on by not looking at people. I pray his eye contact improves during this next clearing.

2) Sensory issues-- this is a big one for Noah. Grooming and eating are big issues that we struggle with, all related to sensory overload. Brushing his hair, brushing his teeth, cutting his nails, bathing, washing his hair, eating are all impacted by this sensory processing disorder. I pray that this clearing helps these issues as well.

3) Developmental delay and speech- Noah still struggles to communicate... he is doing great with labeling and repeating what he hears but he struggles with using language to communicate. Echolalia is emerging. If I ask him a questions he will repeat back to me the last word. He still struggles to understand what people are saying to him. He also does not have much imaginative play.

4) Rituals/OCD behaviors--  this has emerged over the last 6 months and it is becoming a pretty big problem. Every song Noah hears he has elaborate rituals that he does to the music. A stranger may not notice him even doing it but I have realized that as soon as we get to a certain point in the song Noah will go to a certain area of the room, touch a chair and then move to another area and touch his toe to a spot on the area rug. He flips out when I disrupt this ritual. He also is turning in circles and doing side eyes throughout the house on a regular basis.

5) Insomnia- I pray that with this next clearing we will see some change with his sleep problems. During the Hep B it was a constant issue for us. I know this is a big area that needs healing-- he did not sleep for the first 15 months of his life. I pray that his insomnia resolves and he begins to sleep through the night.

I know this is a big list and may seem unrealistic to those reading. I just know that with God ANYTHING is possible. I am praying for miracles, for healing. I am trusting that the Lord will continue to direct our steps and lead us to the best interventions for Noah. I know in my heart that CEASE therapy is one of those interventions. I am certain if we continue on we will continue to see more healing and recovery.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Reducing our Toxic Load- Changes We Have Been Making

As I have mentioned in previous posts, as painful as our son's diagnosis of autism was for us and still is, among all of the struggles and tears, there have been some good things to come out of it. One of those being our "paradigm shift" when looking at what we are putting in our bodies, on our bodies and what we are exposing ourselves to on a daily basis. I have spent the last year learning about how to reduce our son's toxic load/exposure to toxins. This is crucial to his health and development. He is more susceptible to issues since he has a neurological impairment.

Here are the areas we have changed over the last 6 months. I will note that we are nowhere near where we should be but we are working towards changes. Little by little.

1) We have ditched our old cookware- no more non stick or stainless steel or aluminum. We are only using cast iron cookware, which has been found to be the safest option. Also, we are only using glassware to store food and drinks.

2) We installed a house water filter in our home to reduce the toxins we get from drinking tap water.

3) We switched our dog over to natural flea and tick prevention. No more topical ointments which are linked to neurological conditions and cancers.

4) We installed an air filter that clears more toxins from the air than a typical one does. It is more costly but the air quality is so important for a child with autism.

5) We are buying organic when we are able to. This has been a big change for us. We are also very careful about the meats we are using. It is more costly to do this but we know it is important.

6) We have switched over to safe toothpaste (fluoride free), shampoo/conditioner, deodorant, body wash, lotions and household cleaners (bathroom cleaner, laundry detergent, dish detergent). We are currently in the process of clearing our cabinets of chemical cleaners and sticking to all natural/safe products.

I still have not given up our microwave which is a big one that does need to go. I also need to look at my cosmetics and perfumes.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Update on Noah- Taking a "Break"

I don't know what I was envisioning for our 3 week break from CEASE... I guess I was thinking that Noah would feel good and we would have a break from the normal clearing symptoms we have become so used to these last 6 months. Well, unfortunately that is not the case!

We are in week 2 of our break and Noah has been struggling throughout the last week and a half since his last dosing of Hep B 10m. It started last Monday, with irritability, lack of appetite, insomnia-- Noah didn't seem like himself. His face was flushed and I saw him rubbing his ears. As the week went on his stimming hit new heights (now he is turning in circles constantly)... he was so irritable and zoned out as well. His appetite went down the tubes. He started refusing the foods he usually eats. He is now only eating oatmeal, chocolate pudding and gluten free cookies and juice  (not the most nutritious!). Then he started vomiting on Saturday when he drinks anything and he hasn't stopped. His stomach has been hurting him and he is very gaseous. He threw up twice today. I am trying not to over react and let this play itself out but it is hard to see him not feeling well.

I am still unsure if this is all from the last dose of Hep B 10m or if this was a result of a virus. Hopefully next time I post we will have seen positive gains from this yucky time.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Hep B Clearing Recap- CEASE Therapy

I am so happy to report that last Friday we dosed Noah with the last dose of Hep B 10m!!!! It took 6 LONG months but we finally completed it. I feel good about what has been accomplished so far but I know we still have much more to clear, much more healing needs to take place. We continue to work towards complete healing and full recovery for Noah.

I thought it may be helpful to the readers to see a summary of how the Hep B clearing went for our son over these last 6 months.

I will start with a list of the aggravations we saw throughout the 6 months. I will note that aggravations typically did not stay more than a week and then would disappear, some appeared/disappeared within a day. Also, not all children will respond this exact way to the clearing. These symptoms were unique to Noah. Aggravations can range from mild to strong. We saw both during the 6 months. I know this list will look scary but it wasn't as bad as it looks. The gains were most definitely worth all of the aggravations!

AGGRAVATIONS:

intestinal issues- gas, bloating, diarrhea and toxic smelling diapers
ear infections
colds, coughs, nose and ear duct draining
fever
vomiting
lethargy
rashes- eczema, sores, severe diaper rashes
insomnia
emotional reactions- anger, sadness, fear, tantrums, high pitch screaming
swelling of his lips
return of old symptoms we saw when he was 9 months to 15 months: facial tics, limping, and shaking head left to right
increase in stimming- side eyes, pacing, rituals
noise sensitivity- holding ears to block out noise
loss of appetite
OCD type behaviors
lack of eye contact
biting
excessive thirst
rubbing face into floor, licking floor (I know, this freaked me out!)

And now onto the GAINS we saw during the 6 months on the Hep B clearing. The gains were fairly regular, occurring almost weekly. We noticed that every time Noah responded strongly to a dose, he would have a pretty strong gain afterwards. This may not be the case for all children, but this was our experience.

GAINS:

The "fog" he was in disappeared! He became present, alert, aware of his surroundings, of people and objects that he never noticed before. Once the fog disappeared learning and therapy really seemed to sink in for him. His learning took off and his development, which had stalled, started progressing.

Social Anxiety disappeared- He used to have extreme anxiety around strangers and other children. So bad that we could not attend church or leave him at a babysitters house. He cried constantly when he went to Gymboree. Now, he loves being around other children and doing activities in the community. He still is shy around new people who enter his home but it is not how it used to be.

We saw significant improvements in receptive language. In February of this year, before CEASE began, he tested at a 6 month level for receptive language. Now he is scoring in the 18-24 month range!  That is a huge leap in development.

His expressive language emerged!!!! It felt like I was pulling teeth to get Noah to even say a few words a day before he started CEASE. He struggled to spit a word out. Then, 6 weeks into the clearing he started talking and every week since his language has continued to improve. In February he tested at 12 months for expressive language. Now he is testing at 18-24 months range. He is easily identifying objects and repeating what he hears. We are still working on using words to communicate with others, making requests and such. Two and three word phrases are beginning to emerge at this time.

And lastly his overall development has jumped forward. We have seen improvements with gross and fine motor skills, play skills, self help skills, and we are starting to see the emergence of imaginative play. He is scoring within the normal range in all of these areas now. In February he was still very behind, at around 15 months.

THERE is MUCH LEFT TO DO

I am so thankful for the healing that has taken place and the steps forward. I am ready to keep going though because we still are not at recovery. Still more to clear, still more healing that needs to take place.

We are taking a 3 week break to give Noah a much needed time off. After our break we will tackle the DTaP vaccination. I will continue to post through the next few weeks and give you more updates on Noah. We plan on continuing his vitamin C and his constitutional remedy on Saturdays.







Saturday, August 10, 2013

Week 22 Hep B 10m- CEASE Update- Good Reports!!!!

We saw significant aggravations from the 1 dose of 10 m last week. By Monday, Noah had started to limp like he did when he was 15 months old. He also broke out in a red bumpy rash on his back and continued to have fowl smelling diarrhea. He was stimming pretty intensely as well with his side eyes and his posture and hand movements were also much more "floppy" and loose than usual. His eye contact had gone down the tube. Needless to say, he wasn't doing well with this dosing. So our homeopath had us do a dilution protocol with Noah from the 10m. He was dosed with this dilution 4 times in four hours. By Wednesday, his limping and diarrhea were gone. His eye contact has returned and he hasn't been as floppy in his walking and hand movements. The stimming does continue on but I have not noticed as many facial tics lately so that makes me hopeful that it isn't going to be a problem long term.

So, onto our good reports for the week: On Thursday, Noah's occupational therapist from Early Intervention came over to do the reassessment for Noah. She had to update where Noah is developmentally. I was so shocked to find out that in most areas Noah is scoring now in the 24 to 30 month range (he is 27 months!). His verbal, receptive and expressive are still delayed, probably closer to the 18-20 month range. We will know the numbers for sure in the next few weeks. When he was assessed at 15 months he was delayed in all areas except gross motor- Over 25% delay in all areas except gross motor. Wow! I am still in shock. I am absolutely sure this is the result of ALL of the interventions, and the day in day out, constant redirection and therapy we have given Noah. We have not stopped to get him well. And I am CERTAIN that if he did not receive CEASE therapy we would not have been nearly as far. I remember that in January (right before CEASE began) we had a review meeting with Early Intervention. At that time, we discussed his development and he appeared to be moving slowly forward after 5 months of EI. They told me that it took time and to not get discouraged. Then CEASE started and the fog was removed- He was able to learn! With the fog gone, he was aware of people, his surroundings, he understood more and he started to jump forward in development.

One area we continue to struggle with is Noah's receptive language. He understands many things but he is hit and miss with commands. He rarely comes to us when his name is called and if I asked him to give me the ball on the floor he would not understand to do that as well. However, if I say close the door, or let's go outside, or time to clean up or let's read a book, he does understand. If I ask him to say a certain word he tries. Our occupational therapist said that she think he understands more of what we are saying but he is either ignoring it or barely responding.

So, on Friday, as I was leaving for work, we were doing our normal "goodbye ritual" with Noah. Usually, I am very excited if he says "bye" and looks at me in the eyes. I am even more excited if he says "bye mommy".... so on this morning, Noah was not facing me, sitting on the floor playing with his toys. My mom told Noah "stand up, come give your momma a hug and say bye mommy." ( I thought to myself "yeah right, this will never happen!")..... and then Noah, without any additional prompting, got up from his toys, stood up and turned around, walked up to me, hugged me AND said "bye mommy" AND then walked me to the door!!!!!!!! I still am in disbelief!!!! This has never ever ever happened, except in my wildest dreams. I don't expect it to happen like this every day from here on out but I KNOW IT IS POSSIBLE and this alone gives me SO MUCH HOPE.

So that is it for this week! Pretty good stuff, huh? I will continue to post weekly updates as we treat our son with CEASE therapy and work towards recovery and healing. We will be taking a 3 week break when we wrap up Hep B. I spoke to our homeopath and the next clearing will be the DTaP.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

One Year Ago Today...

One year ago today, my world came crashing down around me. My life, our life, has never been the same since.

That day, August 7, 2012, started off like any other day. I was getting ready to leave for work. My mother had just arrived to my home to care for Noah. She casually mentioned Noah's upcoming pediatrician visit and said to me "you should mention to the pediatrician that Noah is avoiding eye contact." Hearing this confirmed something deep inside of me that I had been brushing off for many many months. I had been uneasy about Noah for a long time, but I was dismissed by the doctor and other medical professionals on many occasions.

So, I went upstairs to my computer and typed into the Google search bar "toddler avoiding eye contact" and I was not prepared for what glared back at me----

AUTISM

My heart dropped. I searched frantically through the search entries, looking at all of the signs and symptoms of autism in a toddler....I tried to find any entry that eased my worry. But there weren't any. The more I read, the more I realized we had a huge problem. I was certain that Noah met all of the diagnostic criteria for a diagnosis of autism. I knew that very day what my son had. I kept this to myself because my husband and family would not have been prepared for this knife to the heart.

The agony that followed from knowing what my son had was nothing I have EVER experienced in my life. I called out from work for an entire week following that day. I could barely get out of bed (my family thought I had the flu). The grief swept over me......My only son had autism.... Every emotion poured over me: regrets, failure, fear, grief, and huge amounts of anxiety. I had severe depression and anxiety for over 6 months following this. And I continue to have bouts to this day. I cried all of the time- driving, at work, at home, in the shower, in my sleep even. I stopped eating. My husband had a hard time coming to terms with the possibility of his son having autism. My mother was in denial and we were constantly at odds. Everyone handles their grief in different ways. I handled it head on, they did not. This just made this time even more difficult for me.

Looking back over this last year, so much of it I cannot remember. The pain was so great that I don't recall much, except for key events and services that I fought to get for Noah. One thing I do recall vividly, is this intense DRIVE that took over my body...  I felt that I MUST find a way to pull Noah out of this dark hole that was consuming him. This drive propelled me to immediately start implementing interventions, finding help and services for my son. I fought for as many services as I possibly could get for him. Early Intervention was implemented (at my insistence- the pediatrician didn't think to do this either!), a diagnosis was made shortly after EI began and I worked hard so that Noah could get ABA therapy and his Medicaid Waiver. I hit dead ends, red tape, no answers. I knew more than the case managers, the doctors, the so called specialists- how can this be? This scares me because these "professionals" are supposed to help parents when this happens. I just did not find this in my experience.

I have been a social worker for many years and I have fought many fights on behalf of my clients. I have to say, this fight-- navigating through this broken system of services for my son to get him what he needed was the absolute HARDEST fight of my life. This just shouldn't be....

In February, Noah began ABA therapy and CEASE Therapy. This was a turning point for our family and for Noah. CEASE therapy removed the fog Noah was consumed in and ABA therapy helped Noah catch up on many things he had not yet learned. After every dose of Hep B, we saw aggravations and gains. By May, Noah had begun to talk. This was such an answer to my prayers.

I can now say that I see a distant light at the end of this tunnel. We have much farther to travel but I have hope to one day leave this dark place and see the day when my son is healed and fully recovered from this horrible condition. CEASE therapy has been the main intervention we have seen the most gains from. It is helping his body heal from vaccination injury. It is removing toxins that are hindering healthy development.

I must also say that the Lord was with me throughout this year when most of my friends and family disappeared. He was there comforting me in the darkness as I cried my heart out. And He is here still giving us the wisdom and strength to face each day and to have faith for our future.  I am so thankful to Him for his comfort, guidance and provision. I am so thankful for His healing. He is healing my son and he is healing my family.




Friday, August 2, 2013

Week 21 Hep B Clearing---Trust the Process

We dosed Noah with 10m on Monday. He continued to have diarrhea all throughout this week and the smell of it was toxic! We noticed the return of facial tics, stimming and a reduction in eye contact. He really was feeling distant again which always causes me anxiety to see. He is also tantruming more than usual-- is this just 2 year old behavior or more? not sure.

As far as positives: Noah said "I love you" this week! Without any prompting! Not sure if he understands what it means fully but I will take it :-) He also seems to pointing now to communicate. This is in the very early stages but I believe he is starting to get it. He has pointed to pictures in books but never as a way to communicate to others so this is a new development. And this past Saturday, Noah was an "all star" at his Gymboree class. He loved it and he didn't act up, or stim... he was appropriate the whole time, doing the activities all of the other children did. I was so proud of my little man. He has come such a long way.

As we are nearing the end of Hep B, I have been reflecting on this journey so far... the progress, the healing, the change in our little boy has been beyond amazing. Our son still has autism but he is not in a constant drugged up, zoned out, zombie state that he was. This clearing has taken that fog away and has allowed Noah's beautiful voice to come forth and learning to take place! The gains have been SO WORTH the aggravations. When I get discouraged about the new stimming behaviors and facial tics that appear to have gotten worse during this clear, I remember all of the GOOD things we have seen and experienced. I must TRUST THE PROCESS. There are layers that need to be pulled away and healed and we have peeled many of those layers away in this clearing.

I am just so thankful!!!!

I will continue to post weekly updates as we treat our son with CEASE therapy.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Week 19 and 20 Hep B Clearing- CEASE Therapy Update

I have been meaning to update the blog but life happens and I forget! So here is a recap of the last two weeks with the Hep B clearing.

Last week we were advised by our homeopath to dose Noah twice with the Hep B 1m. I have found that anytime we dose twice in a week we see pretty significant aggravations. And that is what happened. We did see an increase in stimming (side eyes, pacing), facial tics continued pretty strongly as well as shaking of his head, and a new behavior emerged, another stimming behavior I believe- He began to lay on the floor, and rubbed his face hard into the carpet and and he also licked the floor. Boy, that behavior really disturbed me! This was completely new and very scary! We also saw some pretty strange skin conditions pop up. He had a bad diaper rash, but when it healed it turned into eczema like dry patches. He also had little sores on his face and I noticed that he had hives that popped up one day and disappeared a few hours later. His eye contact was also poor last week. Once I informed our homeopath of these new developments she advised us to increase our dose of hep b to 10M the following week to help him "push through" what he was dealing with.

I dosed Noah with 10m on Monday and I was nervous. He was not acting like himself on Monday and was very distant, not wanting much to do with me. He looked sickly and appeared to be regressing. However, I am glad I listened to our homeopath! Boy, what a difference we have seen in Noah these past few days. We have seen a pretty significant decrease in the behaviors we were concerned about and his language continues to progress.  Now, we have a long ways to go with language but I am not going to complain at all! He is doing great with labeling and imitating words he hears. He is still working on the concept of language as a tool to communicate. He tries to sing songs when he is listening to music. He understands the concept of "more ______ please".... to request toys, food, etc. He doesn't yet call our names when he needs something- he strictly can label us-- when he sees a pictures of my husband or me he can say "dada" or "mama" but he has never used it to ask for us. I think this may be changing too. He actually came up to me today and said "mama"! He has also started saying "night night" and "good morning" as well these last few days. We are getting wonderful reports from all of his therapists on how well he is progressing. His ABA therapist says he is doing amazingly in his therapy when she takes him for circle time with other children at the center. This is such a huge change from the little boy who cried constantly when at the church nursery or Gymboree!!!! He used to have extreme anxiety but now he is present and loves being around other children.

So that is pretty much how these last few weeks have gone. I am very excited to continue on with this dose of Hep B and I am also excited about wrapping up this clearing. It has been a journey! And I am anxious to start the next clearing. I will continue to post updates regularly as we use CEASE therapy to help our son recover from autism.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Back In the Saddle and a Few Updates

I have had a few days to process my feelings, reflect on what occurred on Sunday and I have allowed myself time to cry... I am now ready to hop back on the saddle. I must do this. I have to press forward towards recovery and towards health and healing for Noah and for my family. I refuse to let autism rule my life or win. I refuse to allow it to take me and my family under.

In other news, I have evaluated where we are at with therapy and with interventions we are trying. We are starting to get comfortable, complacent.... Noah has been doing well, and even though we don't mean to, we start relaxing a bit when we see so much progress. I know that we have missed amping up our therapy routine and adding new, helpful interventions. The last few days I have looked through books and materials and plan to add new interventions and techniques to our daily routine with Noah. I am going to really put more of a focus on eating, bathing, self help skills and language. I will also be pulling interventions from the "verbal behavior" ABA approach.  Noah's diet is minimal and he doesn't eat many things due to his sensory problems. This is one area that we put on the "back burner" because we had so many other issues to tackle and we need to revisit it. Bathing has always been a problem... but it seems to get worse every bath we do. He used to sit in the bath for at least a few minutes and then cry until he got pulled out... now he won't even sit down. So, we must work on this and figure out a way to make him tolerate it.

Other updates: Today Noah had his first meeting with the school system to be evaluated for special education preschool. He won't have his official evaluation until September....

And thankfully, the Medicaid Waiver, has finally started covering personal care for Noah, which allows my mother to be paid by Medicaid for his care. This is huge and such a blessing. This frees up money so that we can afford ABA therapy costs. We pay almost $1000 a month for ABA, which is only 6 hours a week! We are so thankful for all of our blessings. I know the Lord is providing for us during this time.


Sunday, July 14, 2013

Days Like Today........


Days like today.... Remind me how far we still have to go and how much autism has impacted our life. I have felt so strong these last couple months and then one family get together turns me into a mess. I had to deal with family members today that don't care about what we are going through with Noah. They talked to each other about their nice normal lives never once asking us how we have been doing, or how Noah has been coming along with therapy- Not one question! Noah, even though he is more aware, cowered in a corner as they looked at him like he was a zoo animal and tried to get him to engage. His cousin who is 2 months older was talking up and storm and playing with all of his toys and communicating easily with relatives. My heart ached as I compared him to Noah (I know that I shouldn't, but I did)....In that moment, I felt as if all of our hard work and all of Noah's progress didn't seem so big after all. 

After everyone left, I cried. I wonder if our lives will ever be the same after the diagnosis of autism. I wonder if I will ever feel truly happy again. I look at pictures of myself and I don't know the person I have become. I don't even look like myself anymore... I look exhausted and depressed, where did I go? 

I feel like this family event, my birthday party (of course!), ripped away the scab where I was healing.....and I am raw.....once more. 

Friday, July 12, 2013

Week 17 and 18- Hep B 1m Clearing CEASE Therapy Update- 3 Word Phrases, Drawing, Imitation!

For week 17 and 18 we dosed Noah once per week with Hep B 1m. He continues to respond to every single dose he is given. The aggravations these past two weeks were irritability, tantrums, horrible smelling diapers and more insomnia. I also believe that he is having yeast "die offs" which may be causing some of the insomnia we have been seeing. I have observed Noah scratching frantically at his stomach and the following morning he has had very "yeasty" looking diapers. Stimming behaviors have also continued- his new favorite behavior is doing his "side eyes"... this is driving us nuts and we pray it passes quickly.

My favorite part of the post is to tell everyone reading what resulted after the aggravations.... so, the large gains we have seen these past few weeks have been the beginning of some 3 word phrases and many more two word phrases. He also started drawing this week!!!! We have worked on this daily since he was 15 months--- he had absolutely no desire to do this... and then all of a sudden he started this past week and he loves it! This last month has been huge as far as development. His language is taking off, he is imitating with ease (verbal/actions), we are doing so much better with grooming, dressing, brushing teeth, walking up and down stairs.... the list goes on and on! Of course there is still much to tackle but we are moving closer! These gains have given my family much needed encouragement and hope for Noah's future. I am so thankful for the people that are on our "team" and that the Lord has guided us to CEASE therapy. I truly believe this therapy will help us recover/heal our son.

I will continue to post regular updates as we work to recover our son from autism using CEASE therapy.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

We are Seeing Some Great Gains! Hep B 1M CEASE Therapy

Noah was dosed with Hep B 1M on Monday. Thankfully we have seen minimal aggravations this week. Now onto what we have seen as far as gains:

1) Imaginative Play- He is starting to understand this concept now... still in the beginning stages but we are getting there

2) Imitation of Actions- Noah has been doing great with verbal imitation but has never really paid attention enough to others to imitate what he sees people do. Not any more. He is started to mimic us. An example of this: He picked up a broom and started sweeping this week! Big deal!!!! This has never ever ever happened. We have worked on this for months without any movement... but all of a sudden he is paying attention and trying to imitate.

3) Singing to songs- He is really trying to sing along with his favorite songs--- no just one word, but many words!

4) Tricycle- This is another area we had worked on tirelessly for months with no change. We would put him on a small tricycle or train and attempt to get him to move his legs. He had no desire to do this and now all of a sudden he is doing this.

5) Improvement with grooming etc- He is trying to help dress/undress himself, he is also trying to brush his own hair and he is more willing to wash his hands (this still freaks him out a bit because of his sensory issues but we are getting through it better, he is trying hard to do it)

6) Socialization-We are still working on social settings and he is doing great in this area as well. He continues to attend Gymboree and ABA therapy has added this as a goal as well. His therapist Lily is bringing him to the office for circle time and she is reporting positive things.

I know there are many more improvements but these are the big ones! We are just so thankful to see these gains and it makes the difficult times worth it!

I will continue to post updates as we continue on with CEASE therapy and the Hep B clearing.

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Week 14 and 15- Hep B Clearing with CEASE Therapy

Since Noah had such a strong reaction to the 2 doses of Hep B 200C we had to put everything on hold this past week while his little body got better. I have to say this last week has been the most difficult yet of this clearing. We are still not sure what exactly was a detox reaction and what was sickness... all I know is that is was ROUGH. Vomiting, fever, ear infection, diarrhea, insomnia, congestion and cough, along with behavioral issues (biting), irritability and regression in language and lack of eye contact. I had a bit of a meltdown myself, especially when I saw the regressions. It was a hard week. And, I am so glad it is over and we are moving on.

This week we moved on to the 1m dose of Hep B. We are only dosing once this week. I am hoping for minimal aggravations and huge gains. Noah has rebounded and he is now doing great. Tons of language-- he is trying to communicate constantly which is so nice to see. He is understanding more and more language. He is doing awesome with eye contact once again and he is present and not in a fog.

I will try to do another post later this week to give you an update on how the 1M is coming along!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Week 13 Hep B 200C CEASE Therapy Update- This Week was Rough!

I am not going to sugar coat this past week. It was definitely challenging to say the least. We dosed Noah with Hep B 200C on Monday and Thursday last week. There were the recurrence of old symptoms (head shaking, side eyes, unsteady on his feet) and new stims I had never seen before (turning in circles, weird rituals with songs that he just started doing). He had more insomnia and irritability. More ear holding as well.

By Saturday Noah had become inconsolable and just miserable. I didn't know at the time but he was getting sick. He spiked a high fever (Im pretty sure it was over 103). By the time I started treating it and got a thermometer reading it was 103. Then he started vomiting EVERYWHERE. I had difficulty getting his temp down and keeping fluids in him. I was determined to treat this fever naturally... which I had never done before. I did this by keeping his body wrapped in luke warm towels and I also put wet cotton socks on and wool socks over his feet. This really seemed to bring the heat down his legs and it helped break his fever. It was amazing and very exciting to be able to treat his fever without the regular medicines that I have always gone to. He began to feel better mid day Sunday. I also gave him Hyland's earache tablets and put Mullein Garlic drops in his ears. I do believe he had an ear infection as this is exactly how he responds to them when he gets sick. I also think his ear infection is linked to the Hep B clearing. It just is shocking how strongly he responds to each and every level of this clearing. Confirming that the Hep B vaccination played a role in his current condition.

The gains we have seen this week: his receptive language (what he understands) continues to improve and he is responding to comments we are making and requests. He continues to improve in language and interaction with others. His little personality is coming out and he is making us laugh constantly. His eye contact has been awesome. My mother is reporting that she has seen a change with him as far as comprehending imaginative play (MAJOR!). She actually saw him playing with his toy cars and garage appropriately! So we continue to see consistent gains every week we do the clearing.

 The plan is to give Noah a diluted dose of 1M this week after he has a few more days of recovery. I will continue to post regular updates as we treat our son with CEASE therapy and homeopathy.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Am I in Denial or Am I Trusting God?

I had a thought the other day.... Am I in denial of the reality we have in front of us or am I just trusting God? I have just felt really calm lately regarding Noah's condition. I mean, I shouldn't be calm. I should be stressed out, emotional, upset, afraid of the future... but for some reason I am not. Most days I feel a deep peace.

I have read the statistics on autism and it isn't pretty at all. Recovery is a small percentage, marriages most of the time fail, people go bankrupt, children never leave home and cannot care for themselves. The list goes on and on. I know that this may be our reality one day but I guess I am just NOT accepting this future for us. I REFUSE to become yet another statistic. I will continue to fight for Noah's recovery with every breath left in my body. I will continue to fight for my marriage and my health and our finances. I am not going to let this condition called AUTISM destroy our lives. I am choosing to live with JOY when I shouldn't be doing it. I am choosing this mindset every day. I am trusting that God will direct our steps when it comes to treatments and interventions for Noah. I am believing that God has a wonderful plan for Noah, and for my family and that He will use this horribly painful time in our lives for a deeper purpose.

I guess I am just trying to say that I am making a choice to have HOPE-- I am clinging to it.  I have to believe that healing and recovery are possible for our little boy.

Saturday, June 8, 2013

Week 12 Hep B 200C- CEASE Therapy Update

This week has been good for the most part. Monday, we delayed Noah's dosing of Hep B 200c because he cried the ENTIRE day. He was just really on edge and everything set him off. I gave him Bach's Rescue Remedy for Kids and then... instant calm! It was amazing. I will definitely be using this going forward when we have irritability during clearings. (The adult version of Rescue Remedy is also awesome! I have some sitting at my desk when I have a particularly stressful day! LOVE IT)

So, Tuesday, since he was doing much better, we gave the 200c dose of Hep B.  He hasn't had many severe reactions to it--- still had a bit of insomnia, and I noticed some old stimming return (shaking his head left to right- a stim that started around 9 months), he has also been a little unsteady on his feet (which we saw at 15 months). A few detox looking diapers and a rash on his lower calf.

The gains we have seen this week are specifically related to his receptive language- what Noah understands. In previous posts I mentioned that when he was assessed at the beginning of the year they determined his receptive language was around 6 months old! I don't know what it is now, but it has definitely gotten much better. He is starting to understand things I am saying to him which is awesome. This has been an area of struggle for us. He is now starting to come to us when his name is called. I also noticed when I mentioned to him "lets go upstairs" he ran straight to the stairs and when I mentioned "lets put your shoes and socks on" he ran to where they were. So it is getting better!

I will continue to post regular updates as we continue on our journey of recovering our son with CEASE therapy!


What I have Learned So Far with CEASE Therapy- Helpful Info/Tips

I am no expert on CEASE therapy, but over the last 3-4 months I have learned some things that I thought may benefit those who are either considering CEASE or just starting:

1) The earlier the better (this is true for any therapy/intervention)... so start ASAP. In my study of CEASE therapy I have learned that the earlier a child begins the greater the chances of recovery.

2) Take time to really research the child's medical record. I ordered Noah's entire medical record and created a timeline of events. Putting vaccination and illnesses and medications given on the timeline. What I realized from doing this is that even though Noah didn't have a severe reaction to any vaccination there were definite symptoms/illnesses shortly after the administration of certain shots. This info will not only give you more insight into what occurred, it also gives your homeopath important info as to where you should begin with clearings. For Noah, we learned there were reactions every single time we gave him a Hep B vaccination. They came over the course of 2 weeks and were so subtle that we never connected them to anything.

3) Find a homeopath that is certified in CEASE and who has proper training. If you are going to do this therapy make sure the person you choose is qualified! Our homeopath is a Certified Classical Homeopath with her certification in CEASE therapy. She is awesome and she is always available via email in case anything pops up during the week. This is very important as well.

4) The more info you have on possible toxin exposure the better. Ultimately, for CEASE to work you need to know as much about what your child has been exposed to- this can be vaccinations, medications,  over the counter products, chemicals in your drinking water, etc.  This could also be exposure to the child during pregnancy (ultrasounds, medications the mother was on during pregnancy). For more info, get the book "Autism Beyond Despair" by Tinus Smits. I have read this book 4 times and is invaluable as you start your journey with CEASE therapy.

5) Communicate, communicate, communicate- You need to make sure you keep the lines of communication open with your homeopath. She needs to know what is going on with your child (good and bad) so she can take the best course of action. You are the homeopath's "eyes and ears."

6) Keep a close eye on your child during detox- symptoms and gains can be subtle. You might not always see huge reactions to a detox. It could be some irritability, a rash or insomnia.... or it could be a cold, fever or vomiting. It is very important just to be very alert to any changes. Same goes for the gains--- these can be subtle as well. For instance, this week, with this recent dosage, I have noticed that Noah is understanding more of what we are communicating... this could easily be missed but I am keeping a very close eye on him.

7) Be prepared for the return of old symptoms and be prepared for your reaction to them! This was probably the most difficult thing I have had to deal with so far. I have had a lot of anxiety linked to Noah's diagnosis and to the symptoms we have seen with him. It was very difficult for me to see old symptoms return (hand flapping, facial tics, difficult walking, shaking of his head). If you are prepared ahead of time it will make it easier to deal with!

8) Give it enough time-  It can take time for the homeopath to prescribe the right remedy, or it may take 5 different clearings before you get to the one that matters! Have patience with the process. You may not see immediate results. Commit 6 months to a year before you move on. For Noah, we have been extremely blessed to have already had success with our first clearing.

9) Allow the child's body (immune system) to deal with the clearing- don't run to the doctor or pain reliever/medication right away. Medications can suppress the immune system from doing what it needs to do. Many conditions can be treated successfully with homeopathy. Your homeopath can direct you as to what you can do to help your child deal with the reaction to the clearing. I have actually found that the remedies and cell salts have had better results than the typical medications I would have given anyways. Some helpful things we have kept on hand for Noah have been the 12 Cell salts, Calendula cream, epsom salt (for baths), Bach Rescue Remedy for Children, and Hyland's earache tablets.


Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Interventions we have Tried with Noah and the Results Thus Far

Here are the list of interventions we have tried with Noah since last fall and the results we have seen from these interventions if any.

1) Occupational Therapy (1hour a week through Early Intervention Program): Our occupational therapist has been an invaluable part of the team. She has taught us so many things- about sensory processing disorder and how to treat Noah's SPD issues. She has given us creative strategies for eating, bathing and grooming issues and she helped Noah get on track with his play time skills and with other developmental milestones. I am positive we wouldn't be as far along without her help and guidance.

2) GFCFSF diet. We started the gluten, casein and soy free diet in December and have stuck faithfully to it since then. It has been difficult for various reasons--- limited food options for Noah (who didn't like much food to begin with) and the cost is much greater when you buy GFCFSF. I have heard that it can take up to 6 months for Gluten to leave a person's digestive track-- that being said, I do not know if we have seen the full benefit of this diet or not. I do know that when we removed dairy from his diet he had a detox reaction through his skin (a bad rash a week following the removal of dairy...) so that tells me it probably needed to go. We will probably continue with it until we can have some testing done to see what his allergies are and if he has gluten or casein sensitivities.

3) Cod Liver Oil, multivitamin, probiotics, vitamin C: so we introduced these at different points over the last 9 months. Since starting we have continued with them all except for the probiotic. I kept Noah on a probiotic (Culturelle) for about 3 months straight. I am sure it was good for his body to receive some active cultures since his body was depleted of good bacteria due to countless rounds of antibiotic. I do not know if we saw any significant changes from it though. I do think he may have been experiencing some yeast die off when we gave him the Culturelle but I am not 100% sure of that. He would have periods at night where he would scratch his stomach constantly... As far as the multivitamin and CLO- they are just a necessity due to his limited diet and the CLO is important for the brain and language, so we will keep them going. Vitamin C  was added in when we began CEASE therapy. This helps support his body during detox.

4) Speech Therapy (1 hour a week): this was added at the beginning of the year when Noah was assessed at 12 months development for expressive language and 6 months receptive language. This is the therapy I have seen the least from (this isn't necessarily the fault of the therapist) I just don't know if 1 hour of ST in home is as beneficial as taking him to an outpatient ST.

5) ABA Therapy (6 hours a week): I think this has been one of the best interventions for Noah this far. Even though we can't afford the recommended 20 hours a week, we have seen positive results just from 6 hours a week. He is coming right along with this therapy and has mastered some of the programs and is moving on to new programs. My family (me, husband and my mother) all do extra therapy with Noah to help supplement the hours he needs.

6) Homeopathy and CEASE Therapy (started in February 2013): Okay, this is the number one intervention hands down. We have been doing this therapy with Noah for 3 months, detoxing the Hep B vaccination. The results has been nothing short of AMAZING. The first thing we noticed was that the "fog" he was in was lifting and he was alert and aware of his surroundings. Then, the language appeared. He went from saying 2-5 words a day to repeating almost any word he hears.  It hasn't been a walk in the park, the detox reactions and return of old symptoms has been difficult to deal with.... but the positives have outweighed the struggles by far. If I could have only one intervention this would be it for Noah. Homeopathy in general has been awesome as well. To know that you can treat your child's ear infection, cold or other sickness with natural remedies at home and see better results than if given medication from the doctor, well.... it is just empowering and exciting.

7) Gymboree  (2x a week for socialization): This started off bumpy but has been very good for Noah. He attends a music class that he loves and a regular play group each week. He used to cry and refuse to go in, he now can't get in there soon enough and throws a tantrum! Big change.

8) Puppy Luna (for socialization): our puppy arrived at the end of April and she is keeping Noah on his toes! Noah has to interact with her in some way each day- we have heard him say "No dog!" and recently "No Luna"... so that is a good start. They will be friends one day and Luna is fiercely protective of Noah which is awesome.

So, the top 3 interventions are definitely Homeopathy/CEASE therapy, ABA therapy and Occupational therapy for Noah! This may change as we go along.



Saturday, June 1, 2013

Paradigm Shift and Autism

I am definitely going through a paradigm shift. What is that? A paradigm shift is a change in a person's way of thinking... driven by some type of change agent. That for me, that change agent, is autism. My son getting diagnosed with autism this past winter has caused me to change how I see things. And it actually has been a very good thing. I don't just trust anything anymore. I don't automatically take Noah to his pediatrician when he isn't feeling well or give pain reliever casually when he has ear aches or he has teething pains. I look at ingredients in food, cosmetics, cleaning supplies--- before autism I never did this. I am now choosing safer alternative, natural remedies instead of chemical laden products/foods and medicines.  I am working towards reducing/eliminating our family's toxic exposure and living in a way we have NEVER done. I grew up where these products and foods were commonplace. I am definitely going out of my comfort zone by making these changes.... but it is a good thing. We will all live healthier lives because of it. I am also doing this because I know that Noah's autism may have been caused by multiple factors including chemical/toxin exposure in his environment. With CEASE therapy we are working on correcting/healing those areas. I want to make sure going forward he doesn't have these same type of exposures.

Some examples of changes we are making:

Flea and Tick treatment for our puppy. Did you know that leading brands such as Frontline or Advantage are linked to cancer and neurological conditions including autism???? Ummm, this is so disturbing. I think of all of the children out there that pet their dogs and get exposed all of the time to these unsafe chemicals. I didn't know this during our first month of having our puppy Luna but you better believe that I won't be giving this treatment again! I am researching natural alternatives such as essential oils, garlic pills and apple cider vinegar for the water bowl. Hopefully this will keep the fleas and ticks away!

Toothpaste and Drinking water--- Fluoride are in both. Flouride is not as safe as we were all led to believe. It is very scary to hear about all the conditions that are caused by exposure to fluoride. We are installing a water filter at our house and switching to natural toothpastes that limit our exposure to fluoride.

There are many, many more things we must tackle but those are just a few examples. I need to look at our cookware and our microwave oven (hate to give that up!) and our food.... it is overwhelming sometimes to think about all of the changes we must make to limit the toxic exposure but we will get there eventually. The goal is to make changes that we can stick with over time.

Friday, May 31, 2013

Week 11- Hep B 200c Continued and Feeling Thankful

So this week, due to Noah's aggravations from the last full dose of Hep B 200c, our homeopath advised us to dilute the Hep B 200c and give 4 doses over 4 hours. This diluted dosing has appeared to help Noah get over many of his issues from the last dose. He hasn't had as much irritability this week and he is tolerating the puppy much more.

 He continues to hold his hands over his ears but I think we may have figured out what that is about. I believe that his sensory issues are being dealt with in this clearing. I have mentioned in the past that one of Noah's main symptoms was "zoning out" and acting like a zombie- this was also true of his response to noises. A smoke alarm could go off and he wouldn't flinch. Definitely under responsive to noise. Now, since starting CEASE, he is more aware (of people, his surroundings etc), he is also more aware of sounds that he previously did not notice. He is aware of all of these noises and he is responding to them. I am hoping that after a while it won't bother him as much. We will see.

I know I post this every week but I am still so grateful that we have found this therapy and homeopathy for our son. It feels so empowering to take my son's health into my own hands and not rely on the "medical professionals" to prescribe a medication or give a vaccine. I am just feeling really thankful today.... and I truly have HOPE for recovery... and I feel it is very possible with this type of treatment. This therapy isn't just a bandaid... it is healing. The temporary aggravations are SO worth the gains we are seeing.

If anyone reading this post is hesitant in trying this for their child I would tell you to just try... what do you have to lose? You possibly have everything to gain, if not full recovery, it could help improve your child's situation so much. I know just in this short amount of time I went from having a child that struggled to get a word out to a child who is now repeating any word he hears--- it isn't full recovery BUT it is huge to us. It brings us so much joy and hope for better days ahead.

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Week 10 Hep B Clearing- CEASE Update

This past week went well. Noah received a full dose of Hep B 200c on Monday. Main symptoms and aggravations have been irritability, weird looking/stinky diapers, insomnia, ear pain and intolerance to our new puppy Luna. This has been the strangest of the reactions. Up until this point Noah really could have cared less about the puppy. He acknowledges her to an extent but doesn't play with her. Noah laughs when we throw the ball to the dog and that is about it. Not this week-- every single thing the dog does, Noah has a meltdown.... this can occur when she barks or when she gets close to us, when I call Luna's name.... meltdown every single time. It is pretty exhausting trying to keep Luna away from Noah and basically keep the peace in our home. I hope this resolves itself soon.

 One of the other issues that keeps popping up and causing a lot of frustration is Noah's insomnia. Our homeopath advised us to put two 30c calc carb (one of his constitutional remedies) in 3.5 oz of distilled water and give a 1 tsp dose every night, an hour before bedtime. We started doing this at the beginning of the week and for the most part it has made a difference thankfully.

The gains we have seen with Noah are more words (he can now repeat most basic words he hears, or at least makes a very good effort), more communication of what he wants from us, more awareness of his surroundings and people. He is doing amazing in his therapy and we are seeing some progress with using a cup, fork, and with bathing and grooming skills (which has been a BIG issue for him).

I will continue posting regular updates as we treat Noah with homeopathy and CEASE therapy.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Week 8/9 CEASE Update- Hep B 200c

Just wanted to give a quick update. We decided to take a break from the Hep B clearing the week of Noah's birthday. The following week his dose increased to 200c, but we were advised by our homeopath to dilute it in water and give him half. He is so sensitive, she wanted to ensure he would handle it okay.  Symptoms and aggravations that were noted during week 8 was more insomnia, irritability and detox diapers of various colors (green, blue and almost black). We also noticed some stimming (flapping his hands) that we haven't seen in months. Week 9 we also diluted the 200c in water and gave Noah 1/2 dose. By Thursday we noticed the return of irritability and I could tell he wasn't feeling well. He started rubbing his ears again as well. His body tends to really clear toxins/viruses through his ears, just like in his first year of life. He continues to have a lot of weird colored, odorous diapers as well.

The positives we have seen are a continued increase in words-- my mother reported that Noah said over 70 words one day that she watched him. He understands that he has to use words to communicate and to get what he is wanting.  His confidence has increased and he is trying to say any word we ask of him. THIS IS SO EXCITING FOR US! I can't get over the fact that just a little over a month ago I was wondering when I would get to hear his voice.  We also have been receiving wonderful reports from his ABA therapist. She is very happy with the progress he is making and he is mastering many of the programs she is working with him on. Yesterday, my mother took Noah to Walmart. She typically doesn't take him out much because his days are very busy and filled with various therapies. She has not had him out in the community for at least 2-3 months. When she got back she called me and cried--- she was overwhelmed with what she saw. She said that Noah was present and not in a fog- he looked at everything in the store with wonder and she felt that this was such a miracle for Noah... and it really is! It wasn't long ago I had many nights of crying because he would just stare into space and I felt that I couldn't reach him. He really is coming out of the "fog" and we are seeing the real Noah. I am so thankful... for healing and for the team of people God has given us. They are amazing individuals that use their gifts and abilities to help heal people and I am so glad we have them on our team. I am also so thankful that the Lord has lead us to CEASE therapy and homeopathy. I know in my bones that this is the right way to go and well, "the proof is in the pudding" as they say.

As always, I will continue to post updates as we treat our son with CEASE therapy.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Happy 2nd Birthday Noah!

Little Noah turned 2 yesterday. And while I dreaded this day for months, I only had JOY. Our family came together and celebrated this precious little boy and all of his progress and hard work. We made gluten free cupcakes and decorated in "Thomas the Train" theme. He really enjoyed his party. He helped open his gifts, he enjoyed licking the icing off his cupcakes, he played with many of his birthday gifts.... and was PRESENT. He giggled and enjoyed himself. He was aware of his surroundings and didn't get overwhelmed by the birthday guests. He was able to interact with everyone and babbled off many words.            

 I am so thankful to the Lord for this happy day. 







Saturday, May 4, 2013

Week 7 CEASE Update- Words, Words and more Words!!!

Sorry for the delay in reporting on how last week went! We had a wonderful week with Noah. He was still on 30c of Hep B. The main aggravations we noticed was the occasional ear pain, irritability from time to time insomnia. The gains were HUGE!!!

Last Sunday we counted over 30 words that Noah said. He is readily imitating words now. This just gets better and better as the weeks go on. This is a boy that would maybe only say 4-6 words a day (if any at all!), and this was with us coaxing him, trying to pry the words out of him. Not any longer, he enjoys trying to imitate and communicate with us. I am so thankful to the Lord for this new development. I know we have a long ways to go, but I feel we have jumped one of many hurdles, and this was a big one. I pray that as we go along with CEASE we will continue to see great gains and healing for our little boy!!!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Week 6 CEASE Therapy- Verbal Imitation, Two Word Phrases and Vocal Stimming

Noah received another dose of Hep B 30 C on Thursday and his remedy Pulsatilla on Saturday.

We have not seen any major negative symptoms (so far) other than occasional ear pain and we have noticed vocal stimming this week (making a noise over and over and over "da, da, da, da, da"). He used to do this around 16-19 months old, so it has returned... hopefully not for long. He has also had dark under eye circles this week too.

The improvements we have seen have been WONDERFUL! All of his therapists are reporting good things- they are noticing that he is changing. He is handling ABA much better and is eager to complete activities given to him. This weekend we have seen that Noah is verbally imitating with ease! This is NOT normal. It would take a ton of creativity to get Noah to imitate or say a word. He is trying to communicate with us more which is awesome. More signs, more requests AND we have also seen the beginning of two word phrases. He said "go dog" and "go bye." I am so thankful to the Lord that we are seeing healing and development. And I am so excited to see how the next clearing will go, and what great things Noah will do!

I will continue to post regular updates as we continue to treat Noah with CEASE therapy.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Week 5- CEASE Therapy, Puppy Luna and Return of Old Symptoms

It has been a very busy week and a half. Noah received another dose of Hep B last Wednesday and has responded with a double ear infection and just today we are noticing limping. We are definitely seeing a return of old sicknesses and symptoms these last 5 weeks of CEASE therapy. He had limping a week after his last set of vaccines at 15 months. I hate seeing the return of old symptoms. I have so much anxiety linked to the diagnosis of autism and all of the symptoms/behaviors that have manifested during this last 6 months. This has been rough. That is why I am so glad that I am also receiving treatment from Noah's homeopath. She is working with me on anxiety, grief and hormonal imbalance issues. I have already taken my first remedy. I look forward to see how the treatment goes and how it will help me. I need all the help I can get!

This past weekend we had family from Indiana come down and bring our sweet little puppy Luna. It was such a nice time, spending the weekend with family and getting acquainted with the puppy. We decided to get Luna on a recommendation from Noah's therapists. Specifically for socialization right now. Noah responded the way I thought he would respond- with not much of a reaction. That is okay though. They will learn to be great friends one day!

We may end up delaying Noah's next dose of Hep B 30c until he begins to feel better. I will continue to post updates as we treat Noah with CEASE therapy.

Friday, April 5, 2013

Taking a Break

Our homeopath decided that it is best that we give Noah a break this week and delay the next dosing of Hep B until next Wednesday. He is almost back to normal but he is still having a small bit of uncommon stimming behaviors and he is staying awake throughout the entire night, just like he did when he was a small baby. He wakes up every single hour crying and will not go back to sleep until he gets a bottle. He hasn't done this since he was 11-12 months old. I hope this passes quickly because it is wearing this mother down!

Our weekend is going to be busy. Gymboree class in the morning (the owner has decided to move Noah up to the next class!), a 2pm meeting with a service coordinator for the EDCD waiver (we will learn how many hours of help we qualify for) and I also plan to do a deep cleaning/organizing of the house in preparation for the newest member of the family- puppy Luna who arrives next weekend (so exciting!).

As always, I will continue to post updates on Noah as we continue CEASE therapy.

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Week 4 CEASE Therapy- Not for the Faint of Heart

Wow! This past week was a doozy. We gave Noah his first dose of Hep B 30c on Thursday. By Saturday we were seeing a lot of emotional reactions-- crying, high pitch screaming.... just overly sensitive to everything. Noah is normally very easy going and laid back so this was not normal for him. A few times I also noticed that he would hold his breath and shake like he was very angry. We also saw an increase in stimming behaviors. We saw facial tics and weakness in his legs also this week. These are things we have not seen in many months.

I knew that this was a possibility, but man, did my anxiety shoot through the roof! No one wants to see their child go through this, much less show signs of days past and regressive behaviors. Our homeopath reassured me that this was a good sign. A sign that the toxins are coming to the surface. She reminded me that it gets worse before it gets better. I gave Noah a few epsom salt baths and we prayed ALOT. By Tuesday he was almost back to normal and in a fantastic mood. He was very verbal on Tuesday which was nice to see. We have delayed this weeks dose of Hep B so he can fully recover. We will give him another dose of 30c this week.

I will continue to give updates each week as we continue on our journey of healing our son!

Saturday, March 30, 2013

CEASE Clearing and Various Updates

Here are some updates on things I have posted about in previous blogs:

CEASE: We delayed Noah's new dosage of Hep B 30 c until Thursday due to his sickness earlier in the week. He continues to have a runny nose on/off, and I have noticed this week that he has been very emotional and cranky- more than usual. Yesterday,  I found that he kept bursting into tears for no apparent reason. Today, he kept screaming at everything. The only thing that calmed him down was going outside--- which we did ALL DAY LONG. He has also started to stim more--- shaking his head back and forth (which is not common), and I have noticed some facial tics that I haven't seen since he was 15 months old.  His face is constantly staying flushed and he has had a few green colored diapers. Are these side effects of the clearing?  I will need to ask the homeopath about these things and get her feedback.

EDCD Waiver: We received Noah's Medicaid card in the mail recently and we have started the process of hiring a respite provider. I am also looking into the EPSDT screening with a physician to see if Noah may qualify for ABA services through Medicaid. I am praying that he does. This would be a HUGE load off of our shoulders.

ABA/Speech/OT: Therapy continues to go well. He stays very busy through the week. We have recently seen a positive change in ABA. He is starting to catch on to things and he isn't resistant to his therapist Lily. I am not sure whether Noah is benefitting at all from speech. The speech therapist just sits there and plays with him and doesn't offer many suggestions on how we can work with him on speech (isn't that the point?!). She is very nice and Noah doesn't mind her but we need intensive speech therapy SO I am considering adding outpatient speech since his Medicaid went through. More than likely it will cover it now. Occupational Therapy has been more helpful to me than it is to Noah. His OT gives me ideas on eating, bathing, dressing, playing- a lot of problem solving and creative ideas. She helps keep me on track with developmental milestones that we need to work on.

Gluten free/Casein free diet: Noah has been adhering to these diet changes since December. Has it helped??? I don't really know. We have worked our butts off with Noah so I don't really know what exactly has caused the improvements we are seeing. I know the diet doesn't harm him but it is a pain in the butt to keep up. And.... what do you do when he goes to birthdays or out to dinner? I wish he could enjoy birthday cake, and easter candy and ice cream from time to time. But it isn't possible right now. I pray that homeopathy heals his body so that he will one day be able to enjoy various foods he cannot currently eat.

Things we are working on with Noah: 
-signing/using words or approximations for what he wants
-yes/no
-pointing to communicate
-taking turns with toys
-giving him choices to choose from- having him pick
-drawing/ arts and crafts (he hates this!)
-hygiene (brushing teeth, bathing, clipping nails, brushing hair--- This issue is exhausting. He has a very big issue with all of these things!)
-imitation (of body movements, noises, household tasks).
-imaginative play (still not comprehending this, but we have started to see some changes recently)

Puppy Therapy!: We have decided to get Noah a 7 month old puppy and hope he will benefit from the interaction. Little Luna (mini labradoodle) will be arriving the weekend of April 13th. Just two weeks before Noah's second birthday (BEST early birthday present ever!). I will post pics when she arrives. Hopefully he will like her!

Homeopathy for Me!: So, since I have seen such positive things with Noah in regards to homeopathy, I have decided to seek treatment as well. I will be having my first consultation with our homeopath April 10th. I have a lot of things I want to work on and I am looking forward to getting better.

That is all for now, I think!

As always, I am trusting that God will take care of Noah, me and my family and that He will give us His wisdom and guidance and we move forward and towards recovery. Happy Easter!!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

I Spoke Too Soon! CEASE Update

In my last post, I reported that Noah had minimal reactions to the 12c dose of Hep B. That was true until Sunday. In the afternoon his eyes and nose began running constantly and then he started throwing up. He also had a mild fever. I am almost certain he had an ear infection. I emailed our homeopath but didn't hear back in time so I went ahead and gave Noah Hyland's homeopathic ear tablets (2 of the ingredients just happen to be his constitutional remedies- pulsatilla and calcera carbonica!) . Within 10 minutes, his flushed face and runny nose were gone and he was running around the house happy again. Wow! Homeopathy is amazing. Since that initial dose, we have also given him Silica and Kali Mur cell salts to help with his congestion/cold.

The homeopath did say in the beginning that we may see detox/clearing reactions that are like the sicknesses Noah had in his first year of life. The only time Noah got sick was when he had recurrent ear infections... so she was correct.

It is day 2 of his sickness and even though he is not fully over it he is doing so much better than he would have been if we were giving him pain medicine and antibiotic-hands down! The homeopath said she may delay his next dose of Hep B until he is feeling better.

I will continue to post updates as we continue CEASE therapy with our son.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Week 3 CEASE Therapy

Noah has just completed his 3rd week clearing Hep B. He went on to the 12c dose this week and he did not have many reactions to this dosage. A few stinky/sour diapers, a flushed face from time to time and a little runny nose.

We have had a phenomenal week with Noah! We have been getting wonderful reports back from his ABA therapist. She is so happy with how quickly he is responding to the work she is giving him and he has been saying so many things lately! Most of his sessions thus far with ABA have been constant/nonstop crying. This week everything changed.

And he is signing so many more things than just a few weeks ago. Before CEASE, Noah was signing "more", "milk" and "eat" (and he stuck to those for like 4 months!) and now he has mastered about 8-10 signs total ("yes", "book", "ball", "me", "music", "please" "dog" "cookie".....) in just a few weeks. It is like a lightbulb went on and things are making more sense for him. He is definitely understanding more of what is being told to him and is aware of his surroundings in a way he hasn't been in a very, very long time. We still have a very long way to go but I am soooo excited that he is responding to CEASE!

Our homeopath has advised us to move Noah to 30c starting next week. Instead of Monday and Thursday dosing, she would like us to give him the dose on Wednesday and then his constitutional remedies on Saturday. I will continue to post weekly updates as we continue our CEASE therapy with Noah.

Friday, March 22, 2013

EDCD Waiver update

I received word today from the Department of Social Services that Noah's Medicaid application has gone through. Woooohoooooo!

He is now receiving Medicaid through the EDCD waiver. The worker has advised me that I have 30 days to start utilizing the benefits of the waiver. If we do not begin using the benefits, he will lose it at the 30 day mark. I will be calling a service coordinator to begin the process of locating a respite provider. I am also praying that this waiver, and having Medicaid, will allow Noah additional hours of ABA that we currently cannot afford on our own. We are paying out of pocket for 6 hours of ABA/week (which is very costly---at a discounted rate we are paying almost $1,000/month). The doctor recommends that Noah should receive at least 20 hours a week of ABA, so we are having to facilitate the remaining hours of therapy ourselves. It is hard to do. We are usually exhausted at the end of our work day and we don't give 100%. We are trying to do our best but it would be such a blessing if this waiver allowed Noah some more professional ABA services. Either way, I am just thankful to the Lord for His provisions. At the very minimum, this waiver will allow us some much needed respite and support. We are grateful!

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Week 2 CEASE Therapy

Noah just finished his 2nd week of CEASE therapy, clearing Hep B. He stayed at the 30x dose and we only saw minimal reactions this week. He had a few toxic smelling diapers and a little swelling on his upper lip. He was also more irritable than usual. He threw tantrums regularly which is not normal for Noah. He also had a few nights of insomnia (no fun!). I am not sure if this is related to the clearing or not.

We are excited to go to the next dose 12c and see the reactions and positive results.

Things we are noticing with Noah this last few weeks:

1) More alert/present with us and aware of his surroundings

2) He has been trying to make more noises/sounds/verbalizations than usual

3) He did great at his Gymboree Music class--- on the first try!!!! This is HUGE. It was a new room, new people, new teacher, new activities and he handled it beautifully. He even engaged some of the children and parents.

4) On our shopping trip to BJs recently he was looking at all of the displays and at our faces. Normally Noah fixates on the lighting in the store and appears to be in a fog, overwhelmed by everything in the store. This was pretty huge as well.

5) I have noticed also that he seems to understand more of what we are saying to him. This is also a big deal as he was recently evaluated to have a 6 month level of receptive language. I think that is changing now!

I will continue to post updates each week as we do CEASE therapy with Noah.


Saturday, March 9, 2013

Preparing Myself

I took Noah to Gymboree today. He is still in the Level 3 class which has 12-16 month olds. He is 22 months old so he stands out. He is already a big boy but when he is with these children he towers over them. I wonder whether it is better for him to stay in a class with these younger children and work on communication development or whether he should be challenged by children his own age and observe their behaviors.... I plan to ask our therapists about this. I asked his Gymboree teacher about when he will be ready for the next class. She hesitated.... she told me that the last few classes he is "acting" like all of the other children. So, we are seeing some progress. I just don't know if it is realistic to think that he is going to act just like children his age. It may not happen. If that is the criteria for moving to the next class we may be waiting a long while.

This got me thinking about something that really bothers me.... Right now we can hide what is going on with Noah to an extent. But not for much longer. His age hides the disability he is struggling with. Very soon however it will be obvious to everyone that he isn't like his peers. I am dreading his second birthday. I know that sounds horrible. It will just be a reminder to me that he is struggling. That he isn't able to say words like other two year olds. That he may not even comprehend that he is getting gifts or pay attention to his birthday guests. I am preparing myself for this time to come. I know it will be so hard for me and my husband. It is hard enough that we are grieving but we haven't had to deal with the public's opinion. This will come soon.

God, my heart aches for my little boy. I want him to be healed. I want him to be whole. I want him to be happy and healthy. Lord please hear my desperate plea.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Week 1 CEASE Therapy

Noah has had the first rounds of hep B 30x clearing this week.  Our homeopath is going very slow to help him ease into the detox. She reported to me that she has never seen anyone respond to this dosage. On both Monday and Thursday Noah had detox reactions. The first day he was irritable, wanted to be held constantly, and his face was flushed... he was just very uncomfortable. His lips were also a tad irritated and swollen. On Thursday, he had diarrhea all day and the smell was horrible. He also had some more irritation on his lips. Today, the diarrhea continues.

Some things we have seen this week that are new:

-he is trying to make more noises/verbalize/try new signs more than usual

-he is more aware of people around him, more present

-he just seems to be understanding more of what we say to him

Is this because of CEASE therapy and homeopathy? I am not sure but we will take it!

His detox reactions this week confirmed to me that his vaccinations impacted him and his development. I will be interested to see how he does next week when we continue with the hep b clearing. I am also excited to see how he responds to his constitutional remedy Pulsatilla. We will be giving him a dose of this tomorrow.

In other news, I learned today from the DSS worker that Noah was approved for the EDCD waiver!!! This is a huge answer to prayer. The Medicaid application still has to process but it shouldn't be a problem. He doesn't have any money so he will qualify. By having this waiver, we will be able to receive respite services, and he will receive Medicaid which will cover copays and services that our private insurance is not covering. I also pray that it covers some ABA for Noah because we cannot afford much for him. Thank you Lord for Your provisions.


Monday, March 4, 2013

Detox Reactions

Wow, It hasn't even been an entire day and I can already tell Noah isn't feeling well. We started the Hep B detox today. He had a "sour" smelling diaper this afternoon and just hasn't been his normal self. He rubs his eyes constantly and seems lethargic. He doesn't want to play or do normal activities- he wants to be held. He has excessive thirst this evening.

I hate to see Noah suffer in any way- the crazy thing is that I am the one doing this to him! I know that CEASE therapy is a detox and this is part of the process. I have to be prepared for rough days/weeks. He has to detox so he can feel better... so he can heal. I must focus on that. I plan to give him Epsom salt baths regularly this week to help his body remove the toxins. I plan to ask the homeopath about which cell salts to use to make him the most comfortable during this time.

Lord, please be with our little boy. Help his body remove the toxins so he can get better.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

About to Begin CEASE Therapy and We are Excited!!!

Our homeopath sent us a chart for treatment over the next few weeks. Last Sunday we gave Noah Aconite. Today we gave him Cal. Carbonica and fat soluble Vitamin C. Monday will be the first day of  the Hep B clearing! The homeopath says she is going slow to help with the detox reaction. We are staying at 30x for two weeks instead of one.

We are excited to start CEASE therapy and to see what positive results come with the clearings/detox. I am sure that the vaccines did not help Noah's development and probably contributed greatly to the situation we are dealing with now. I don't know if it is the sole reason for his autism but it may very well be. I also think at some point we will need to clear antibiotics since he was given 5 rounds of different antibiotics between 9 and 12 months... at the same time we noticed him going into a "fog" and not paying much attention to us. My gut tells me they also contributed to the autism.

I have read and been told by those going through homeopathy that you need to give it at least 6 months to see improvements. Some remedies may not be the right "fit" and it may take some time for the treatment to work on Noah. We are going to give it a good try.... probably a year. I hope that in a year from now we will see a significant difference in Noah. I pray that he blesses us with his sweet voice. I pray that he understands language better and engages with children and strangers without anxiety. I pray that his development catches up with his peers.

I will continue to post updates on how he does with this new treatment.

Thursday, February 28, 2013

The School of Autism- The Degree I Never Wanted!

It has been about 6 months since we realized that Noah had a problem.  These months have been a mixture of fear, grief, exhaustion, sleepless nights and tons and tons of research and fighting to get services for our son.... We have been in survival mode these last 6 months. Our priority has been helping our little boy.  And we have neglected ourselves in the process. I stopped caring about myself- haven't worked out in ages.... stopped taking my vitamins..... haven't paid attention to my diet.... I haven't practiced the self care that I preach to other people in the work I do. The School of Autism has exhausted me to the core. I am so drained when I get home I barely have the energy to do one-on-one work with Noah.

I know that I must take care of myself so I can care for Noah... I know this.... but I am not doing anything about it. So I am going to start small. I am going to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day and start taking multi vitamins again. I also will read a devotional each day as part of my self care. I hope eventually I will have the energy to work out, but this will do for now. Who knows, I might go really crazy and get my hair cut or get a massage this weekend!

~~~~~

In other news, Noah is doing well. He is very present and engaged with us. He prefers to be with us rather than on his own. He is pointing independently now (not to communicate though). He is doing gestures to songs (head, shoulders, knees and toes). He loves to stack blocks and complete puzzles. We catch him humming to songs he listens to each day. He is doing better with eye contact. He still struggles a bit with it but it is much better than a few months ago. 

We are working on pretend play (he doesn't quite get this), imitation of words, sounds, gestures... we are also expecting him to communicate in some way with us when he wants something. We want to hear him try to say a word, use a gesture like pointing or use sign language to tell us what he wants. We are working on using a spoon and cup (almost has the spoon down) and having him help with undressing himself (not there yet). We are also getting him used to drawing but he isn't enjoying it yet.

We are moving in a positive direction. It may not be at the rate we would like to see but we are getting there. Slowly but surely.