I am back at it, after taking a several month hiatus from blogging. Holidays can get so busy! ...and then there's the recovery afterward. ;)
Zane is doing well. I kept him on his homeopathic therapies and the chiropractor and horse lessons up until December. After christmas, we took a break for about three months. No homeopathics, except for the formula 303 that helps him sleep at night and an adjustment every few weeks.
Wow - I never thought I'd believe that those homeopathics work, but they sure do! Very quickly after we stopped taking them, Zane started to bite his hands whenever he got frustrated - which was frequently. He threw horrible tantrums throwing himself on the floor and banging his head - and his hands were always covered with bruises from him biting. He would get so frustrated he would just shake. Scary!
He was sleeping well at night, but he was waking up upset a lot of the time and generally ornery most of the day. At school, he was fussy and unhappy some of the time and his teachers started to squirt him with water from a squirt bottle trying to break the chain of frustration that kept him biting and hurting himself. That seemed to help a little bit, but it was very hard to catch him every time.
Four weeks ago we started back with the homeopathic remedies and later added the chiropractic and laser sessions back. Almost instantly Zane stopped biting himself... not altogether, of course, but over every little thing. Biting became a couple times a week thing rather than the several times a day it was before. We haven't started horse therapy again yet, although that is something I want to add to his "supplemental diet."
Two weeks ago a friend of mine introduced me to A*** (the product company asked me to take down their name from this post). It's a salt-water drink with "reactive molecules". The technology behind it is based on redox-signalling, which is how our cells communicate with each other. In the Autism studies I've researched, everything I've read explains that people with autism suffer from oxidative stress in their cells, which basically means the cells are not receiving the nutrients they need to not only survive, but to thrive. These cells struggle with the day to day work needed to keep the body healthy and active, which is why many of us feel sluggish and tired without understanding why. They are in overload trying to accommodate the body's needs. With autism, we already know that cells aren't communicating - that their neurons are misfiring, which is why it takes them 100 times to learn something solidly whereas a normal person only takes 3-5 times.
There are several very cool things about this reactive molecule formula. One is that it is a natural supplement - reactive molecules are already present in our bodies; we are born with them, but over stress, aging, free radicals, and our environment our body's natural supply is diminished. The evidence of this is in our aging skin and bodies as we get older. Reactive molecules go in and repair stressed-out cells, making them nice and plump and healthy again. Doing this opens the communication channel between other healthy cells and we find our aches and pains begin to go away, our skin is flushed and supple, our cells are able to absorb nutrition and antioxidants we feed them and we have energy. Reactive molecules also balance the PH in our blood and our hormones. It is very common to experience a "stablizing" effect.
My experience with this Product: a little background..... I'm a single, working, autism mom, which basically means my life is really busy, hectic and stressful. I am - like every other autism mom out there - totally full of worry over Zane and his progress, and whether or not he is getting the help he needs. I am also in graduate school full time.
I have this unconscious habit of pulling my hair out at my hairline - where i once had a widow's peak - when I am overloaded and stressed out. I have had to see a chiropractor regularly for my back and neck, which is burdened with the stress. I too often reach for the sugar filled goodies, I don't like fish and eating healthy is usually seen as too time consuming for me to follow. So pretty much I feel yucky and tired all the time while trying to keep this schedule. I'm good at exercising, which has probably been my saving grace energy-wise, but I am not very consistent about it because I have to prioritize my time with the heavy load I carry.
I started taking it the same time as Zane - mostly because I wanted to know for myself whether there was anything to this. With Zane's homeopathics, I just have to trust blindly that they do something for him because they are formulated specifically for him and i can't afford my own homeopathics just to try it out on myself.
I noticed within the first few days my energy was better and i wasn't reaching for as much sugary foods. The second week I felt so good. I feel in control - my emotions are in check. I still have all the same concerns and burdens, yet somehow I am not overwhelmed by them at all. In fact, I was able to finish my thesis paper without pulling my hair out! Actually - my widow's peak is growing back in. That nervous habit I had no longer exists.
I take a ballet class every day and I have noticed my performance in the class is better. I have more endurance, and more strength - and I am actually starting to lose weight. I don't feel as hungry, nor do I have uncontrollable cravings as I used to.
My concentration with school is so much better. I get more done is less time because I don't feel so much anxiety over making my deadlines and getting things done. In short, my life is totally manageable and I have even been able to give more attention to Zane. My patience is greater, and I feel at ease with life. My skin is also gorgeous. It has never looked so good. I could go without makeup and my complexion is perfectly even-toned. I feel happy and good. What is interesting is that my body now seems to know when it needs more. I kind of crave it.
I know with all the stress I've lived with over the last few years how awful that felt and how bad my energy was and my attitude. Now, my attitude is positive all the time. I don't berate myself over little things as I used to and I'm not afraid of failing.
Zane's experience: With all the remedies I've tried with Zane, all of them have had some effect, though very subtle. You'd miss it if you weren't looking. After giving Zane A*** some new developments have occurred. Hard to say if it's the supplement or just a good day though as we have had similar experiences without supplements.
At church, he approached and sat next to one of my friends, eventually laying his head on her lap - who he previously wouldn't look at or respond to. Then, he lead my mother out to our car after church and when she asked him where mama was, he lead her right back to me - he remembered where our car was parked and he understood and comprehended the question my mother asked him. Before Zane would act crazy running through the halls 'eeeee-ing' and would act like he didn't hear the question at all.
Last week, Zane was in the backyard playing and I called to him from the kitchen and asked him to come in and get dressed for school. Zane got right up and came into the house. No argument, no complaining, no ignoring me, no fussing, no tantrum. He totally understood me and acted appropriately.
His teachers at school tell me his participation is better, he is not getting frustrated as often - down to once a day on only some days. He is watching the other kids more and trying to copy them. He is doing much better with academics and handwriting. He is the best at matching - on the first trial - and this morning he wrote his name all by himself!
His demeanor is so pleasant and he is content and at peace. In fact, we are both so relaxed in comparison to the anxiety and stress felt before. He is happy almost all the time. If he gets upset over something it is a rare occurance and very brief. Yesterday he was having fun running around the house saying actual words: Go! I want... Thank you, come please, and other words he repeated from his iPod movies. He's said these words before, but the difference is he wasn't prompted to this time. Usually I have to prompt him several times before he offers part of a word. Now, he offers it freely and his pronunciation is clear.
A few days ago, Zane - not toilet trained yet - came over to hug me and he had a stinky diaper. I teased him by exclaiming, "OOooo! You stink!" He laughed and then went over to the drawer where I keep the wipes and opened it and took the wipes and brought them over to me, then proceeded to lay down on the ground so I could change him..... now, if he can do that he can definitely figure out the potty!
Here is a list of all the "stuff" he is taking:
Formula 303 - 2 pills am (in am mixture), 2 pills pm ( mixed with homeos)
Cataplex G - 2 pills am (am mixture)
Juice plus - 1 fruit, 1 veg (am mix)
1 scoop digestive enzymes (am mix)
1 probiotic pill (am mix)
1 vial each homeopathics: balance, organ-neuro, emotion (am mix & pm mix)
1 oz. liquid health childrens vitamins (am mix)
1 oz. liquid health calcium/magnesium (am mix)
1 T flax or fish oil (am mix)
1.5 oz. A*** (am - all by itself on empty stomach)
1.5 oz. A*** (pm - all by itself on empty stomach- usually about 4pm)
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