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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.