Electrodermal Screening and Homeopathic Solutions

Zane has been off all medication for two weeks now.... and he is sleeping through the night - a miracle in itself. I give him only 1 3mg melatonin tablet and about 5 drops of Bachflower remedy (I find the liquid version works better than the spray, although some attest to the efficacy of the spray).

We had our second appointment with Dr. Frazier this past week and Zane was tested using their electrodermal screening method. Zane had to hold (or rather, I helped him hold) a metal cylinder while specific points on his fingers were tested on the other hand. He made it through most of the lengthy testing, but towards the end I ended up filling in as proxy for him and cut a significant lock of his hair to place on the machine - which then, using my body as a sort of grounding point, analyzed the hair sample.... very interesting.

I wish I could remember everything they told me, but with so much information being thrown at me and Zane eeeeing in my ear, I couldn't concentrate on much. I do remember them saying he had evidence of vaccine injury - DTaP specifically, as well as metals such as lead in his system. Also that his neurotransmitters were not communicating - they were misfiring, which means that they are being blocked by other "bad" elements. His body was also screaming for essential fatty acids and vitamins and minerals - most of what he'd been getting was not being absorbed by his intestines... which we already know are a mess.

They prescribed a few homeopathic remedies for him to take three times a day along with digestive enzymes, probiotics and vitamins and EFA's. The remedies they created deal with detoxing the brain/organs as well as supporting the neurological and organ functions. They also created a remedy to support his emotional well being - with elements meant to calm and give confidence and reduce anxieties, give center and balance.

I have to admit there has been a part of me that scoffs at homeopathic stuff - I mean, seriously - how can a few drops of this or that make a real difference?? But, then I decided to try Zane's emotional remedy on myself. I'm recently divorced, feeling a whole lot of stress, trying to balance work and school and manage a household on top of raising as autistic son and having to resort to creative ways to pay for his expensive therapies and then find the time to run him here and there.... I decided to call it the wonderwoman remedy. It works. Somehow it really works. 11 little drops three times a day and I feel centered and balanced and confident that I can handle the heavy load that I carry alone. This is amazing to me and I am so hopeful and excited to see how it will help Zane. It is already beginning to show.

He has had three very good days in a row at school - happy all day and participating in his work. He hasn't had a meltdown since we started. He's screamed at me a couple times... like today in church - he couldn't figure out how to get me to understand what he wanted... either it was a back tickle or he wanted me to pound on his bones.... that is something he really likes. When he lays down I let a heavy hand land on his bones starting with his shoulders I make my way down his vertebrae and onto his hip bones and femurs and knees and ankles... not too hard but firm - enough for him to "feel" his body. I wonder if the reverberation in his bones gives him an awareness of his body. It feels good - try it on yourself... it kind of makes your body wake up.

We are still struggling with the bowel movements. Since that difficult one last Saturday, I haven't seen another one since.... another week gone by. Last night Zane was doing his potty dance - he lifts his legs up awkwardly while he walks.... and then there's the distressed look on his face that gives it away. I ran him to the bathroom where we sat with little result. Poor little boy. We are still waiting. I do have much hope though. I haven't given him metamucil or anything like that since last week. Only Dr. Frazier's prescriptions and we also had him adjusted while we were at the appointment. He said we should see his movements get more and more frequent as we take the remedies. It seems that he is right. I am totally thrilled that only one week has gone by.

Last week Zane and I were visiting with my niece when Zane - out of nowhere - climbed up on my lap and looked me straight in the eye and said as clearly as anything, "love you." Then he gave me a hug and kiss and went on his way. I was stunned. He is always so affectionate and loving and always kissing and hugging me, but he has never been able to communicate anything like this before.... and rarely has any word from him mouth not been prompted. The fact that he thought about it and acted on his own is a miracle. For one little moment I had Zane, just Zane, and not autistic Zane.

Matisow is still following Zane everywhere... both love to snuggle in my bed - at anytime of the day. They are both so cozy it makes it hard for me to get anything done, I want to snuggle too! I've noticed Zane's humming is not as prevalent, however he is grinding his teeth, although that isn't so prevalent either. In fact, he was quite quiet today, not resorting to humming, teeth grinding, or even rubbing too much. Tonight I only gave him the melatonin to go to sleep with and not the Bachflower remedy. Since Dr. Frazier didn't tell me whether to use it or not, I thought I'd try not using it for a couple nights and see if Zane still sleeps through the night.

This next week is a full week for Zane. He has equestrian therapy Mon, Wed, and Fri, and on Thursday he sees Dr. Frazier for an adjustment and laser therapy. This will be our first time with the laser, but because Zane is so still when he is worked on, Dr. Frazier felt we could start. He expects to see Zane's toe-walking and eye crossing diminish and go away altogether, but would take some time. I am feeling very good about this. This is the first time I have felt like what I am doing for Zane is actually helping him and I am so happy not to have him on medications... I look around his classroom at the other kids in his class and although Zane is a little hyperactive and much more vocal and more difficult in some ways than the other kids, at least he is not a walking zombie. Those kids all looked like they're drugged - the same expressions I've seen in Zane on his medications. Now, when Zane looks at me, though it might be glancing, I can see him. There is no cloud over his eyes as before, but has a clarity and brightness there.

A visit to the Doctor

Zane finished out this week well. His teachers at school have figured out to put him in the swing for a few minutes before bringing him to join the other kids in the semi-circle for calendar time/group times during the day. He seems to struggle with transitions throughout the day and the swing really helps to calm and center him in between work periods.

I've been watching him closely all week.... waiting and waiting for a bowel movement. I've been waiting for over two weeks. I never know what to do - this has been his pattern since day one and usually we just wait it out. But I know this isn't normal and this is the longest he has gone without a movement before.... I panicked and brought him to the doctor, who told me to give him metamucil and enemas for a couple days.

Well, it worked.... and within hours. I gave Zane a little enema using a baby bulb syringe right before putting him in the tub for his bath. He didn't like that very much, but a few minutes later I saw a few tiny floaties in the water so I pulled him out and put him on the toilet. And not a moment too soon. The rest of it came pouring out in squirts and then he struggled with the big part. Thank goodness it had been worked down as much as it had by the enemas and metamucil, castor oil and prune juice, etc. I've been giving him. I can't imagine how much worse it would have been without having done that. As it was, I had to reach in and help pull it out by breaking it up.... needless to say, we were both miserable. I kept thinking to myself - only a mother with her unconditional and infinite love would dive in no matter the conditions to save her child. The thought of how gross that actually was didn't even occur to me until after the moment passed!

I noticed the next day, the rubbing had gone down tremendously. He is still doing it, which tells me there is probably more in there that needs help coming out. I think Metamucil will be a regular part of our diet from now on. It's silly - it seems to commonsensical to me now, but you'd be surprised how many times we've been to the doctor over this same problem and every time I get the same answer: put him on a yeast protocol diet, give him castor oil (which only induces peristalsis - the involuntary muscle movement of the intestines that moves things through the tube... which is great if it's moveable. But in Zane's case he had some kind of blockage that wasn't moving despite all the castor oil, prune juice and magnesium I was giving him. Using a suppository came to mind as well, but something in me told me not to use it because that too induces peristalsis. What we needed was some kind of stool softener.... Metamucil. The fiber in it somehow helps soften the stool. I was worried about giving him fiber when he was blocked - I thought that by giving him more fiber it would make the cramping worse - even more painful and just make the blockage bigger... which apparently isn't the case).

I won't be going back to our regular DAN doctor - the one who prescribes Zane a yeast-protocol diet every time we go see him. We can't seem to progress past that. For someone who has been trained in autism medical treatments (such as the DAN association teaches) - I am very disappointed that he has done so little for Zane. Wouldn't it be nice to see a doctor and have him say - okay, this is where we need to start and this is what we're going to do after that and if that doesn't help, this is what we're going to try. Ugh.. doctors! What good is medical school anyway?? Is it just an expensive method to qualify to write prescriptions?? And for what? No prescription Zane's been given has done much for him - in fact they've made him worse in some ways. I don't believe that's the answer - that's just masking the symptoms.... I want to get at the very core of the problem. Besides - these days it seems you have to self-diagnose before you can get anywhere - and then you have to convince your doctor that you're right! It's ridiculous.

There seems to be some question that Zane's toe-walking may be a neurological problem. Tami Tanner mentioned this possibility. (Why can a horse therapy specialist think of this and not a doctor?? Does anyone have any idea why no doctor has ever posed this possibility to me before? They are all too busy trying to convince me that his heel cords need to be cut and put him in casts for 6-8 weeks in order for him to walk normally. I'm sorry, but I don't buy that. Then the other "specialists" tell me his toe walking is a sensory seeking problem and that he'll probably grow out of it - that was 2 years ago and it still persists only stronger now).

Tami is interesting... she has a real gift and can see things from those horses and the way they respond to the kids that ride them. Our last session she observed Zane's right leg straightening with his toes pointed - the whole leg locked straight out. I see this in him on a daily basis and think nothing of it. She watched him round the circle in the arena to see if the left leg was doing the same thing. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Then she says the most profound thing to me:

"That's his way of stimming."

Duh.... I could have told you that if my head wasn't filled with so many "expert" opinions. Of course! That's the most logical, sensical thing I've heard since Zane was diagnosed! And he does this all day long - he is in a constant state of agitation or tenseness. And.... I believe everything is related - the toe-walking stimming, the boy parts rubbing, the chronic constipation, and even the cross-eyed eye (just one of them) that turns a little too far inward when he looks in that direction - I think they are all related, whether it's neurological or a gut problem - or perhaps the gut problem causes the neurological ones. Actually - I believe this is the case. If I can heal Zane's gut, I think I can heal his neurological problems and maybe cure him of his autism.

So... how do I do this with a boy who is the pickiest eater ever??? Hopefully Dr. Frazier and the remedies he will prescribe for Zane can help us on our way!