Sophie is doing well. We have done 4 rounds now of chelating 3 times a day. So far it has been wonderful. I am still giving low doses, 25mg of ala and dmsa. The effect doesn’t seem to be as intense, but I am seeing changes again! More communication.

Of course a couple of months ago, we went through a new treatment of antibiotics. I think it was very detrimental. I will post on that separately though in the next couple of days. Also I have been working full time as a freelance web developer. It has been very difficult to try to manage my time. My husband was laid off recently, so this is a way to pay the bills. I am struggling to juggle caring for Sophie, homeschooling my Sophie and Alena and caring for my home.

So here is my confession, the house is a wreck, homeschooling is sporadic and best, but secretly I am enjoying the distraction. It has been 2 years now of complete focus on helping Sophie, and of course that is still on the top of my priorities, but the stress of constantly thinking about it is so hard. My mind gets to wander now, lost in php code and style sheets and javascripts.

Of course I feel guilty. I always feel guilty for one reason or another. I never feel like I am doing all that I should in some area of my life. If I can’t find a area that I am presently lacking in, I can alway turn to the past and all the things I should have done to feel bad about. Yeah, like that whole gut feeling about vaccinations that I ignored.

Time to push all of that silliness aside. I am doing my best. God’s grace always saves me from my huge faults.

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Life takes funny twists and turns. With my husband being laid off, I have started to freelance web development. I have gone from being a stay at home mom to being an extremely busy work at home mom. My house is messy, homeschool is challenging but we have food and a home.

For quite some time now I have been considering trying a different chelation schedule. I have used the Cutler protocol since I began chelation, which calls for dosing all night long(every 4 hours) and every 3 hours during the day. I wanted to be as cautious as possible and I do believe that is the safest protocol. That being said, many people that have healed children, have done a 3 times a day schedule. Most DAN doctors recommend a 3 times a day schedule, including mine. So finally, because of this busy time, I gave it a try.

The first time I gave Sophie what the doctor prescribed, DMSA at 100mg. I thought, “I trust this doctor, this is what she recommends, I will follow her instructions”. About 1/2 an hour after giving the dose I heard Sophie crying, screaming really. She was flush and then I noticed a rash all over her chest and arms. I put her in a bath thinking that would calm her down while I called her doctor’s office. The doctor was out and the nurse didn’t have much experience with DMSA she wanted to call poison control. Sophie was still screaming and I was more than terrified. I should have known better. That dose was more then 10 times the does I was giving her on Cutler’s protocol. The poison control center said the dose I gave was way less then the normal dose so they were not concerned about an overdose. The nurse pulled our doctor out of a conference and she said she thought Sophie had a huge mercury pull and that was why she had such a bad reaction. I gave her 2 capsules of activated charcoal and she was better within an hour.

After that episode I gave it a rest for a while. I did one more round of the cutler method, but I forgot doses on the second day and gave up. My life has been so busy it was just too hard. I realized that I was always putting off doing a round because something was going on. I was too busy and Sophie wasn’t improving anymore.

Finally I decided to try the 3 times a day method, but using my own experience and knowledge as a guide. I decided to start with just ALA 25mg. I just finished the round and here is how it went. I didn’t notice any problems with Sophie. She seemed to do very well. The 3rd day I notice the normal huge yeast flare up. The day after we ended the round she was cranky which is also normal for chelation for her. To me this signals that it is pulling mercury and this is an amount that is tolerable.

My plan I will keep at this rate for at least 2 more rounds before I increase or add DMSA. I also read the story of a woman who did DMSA/ALA every 3 hours during the day and every 8 hours at night. I may consider that down the road.

Right now I feel very good about this round. I will continue to watch for any signs that something is wrong, but I think this method will allow me to actually get the chelation done.

I remember hearing that folic acid helps with scripting. I also remembered hearing that TMG helped improve language and lessoned scripting. Many months ago I decided to add Folinic acid to Sophie’s regimen, it is folic acid with some with stuff to help the body process it easier.

She has been scripting much less. To be honest, I really didn’t notice how little she was scripting until I skipped supplements for a couple of days. Her scripting completely came back, constantly talking, repeating her favorite lines from TV shows.

After adding back her folinic acid and TMG, it is very minimal again. She can once again concentrate on other things instead of the unending chatter. I don’t know what is helping her more, TMG or Folinic acid. I might do some experiments soon to see which it is, I suspect the folinic acid. I will keep you updated.

I hear crazy laughter ringing through the darkness. It is in the bed next to me. It is the middle of the night and I haven’t been able to sleep, it is so loud and the bed keeps shaking. Something is bouncing on the bed right next to me. I shiver thinking about the blows to my face, the times when I have felt a hard skull smash against my nose or mouth in the darkness, and I am left with a fat lip or blood around the edges of my nose. And then something unexpected happens, I feel sharp teeth clenched down on the skin on my arm, ripping at my flesh.

No I am not having a nightmare or writing a horror novel. Sophie is having yeast issues and getting a molar in. Sometimes I can’t believe that this is my life.

I received this email yesterday and wanted address it.

I’m sure my son has yeast issues. How much of the different components do you give? And how will I know when to move on to the next step? Thanks for your time.

I am not a doctor and urge you to seek medical advice for any of your health problems. With my rear now cover, here is what I do step by step

I would first start my child with 1/2 capsule, twice a day, of No-Fenol enzymes by Houston Enzymes . You could also use other anti-candida enzymes, but I am not sure on the dosing, just check the label. If you are already using TriEnza it already contains No-Fenol so skip this step.

After 3 days, to make sure they are tolerating the enzyme, 1/2 capsule of probiotic- twice a day. Watch closely for die off symptoms, (flu like symptoms), if they occur give 1 or 2 capsules of activated charcoal.

After 3 days, to make sure they are tolerating the probiotic, I would add 2 drops of Grapefruit seed extract twice a day. Watch closely for die off, (flu like symptoms), if they occur give 1 or 2 capsules of activated charcoal an hour or 2 after the GSE.

If there is no problem tolerating the probiotic, then I would wait a couple of weeks to add the biotin. If probiotics are not tolerated, add the biotin in it’s place.

Here is what my schedule would look like

Day 1-3

• 1/2 capsule No-Fenol 2X per day (this amount will not change)

Day 4-6

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1/2 cap. of probiotic 2x per day

On day 6 increase to 1 cap of probiotic 2x per day

Day 7-9

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day
• Give 2 drops of GSE 2x a day with the No-fenol. Give the probiotic 2-3 hours later.

If a lot of die off occurs, give activated charcoal and stay at this dosage a little longer.

Day 10-12

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day
• Give 2 drops of GSE 3x per day

Day 13 and on

• 1/2 cap. No-Fenol 2x per day
• 1 cap. of probiotic 2x per day 9 (you can increase this to 3x a day)
• GSE 3x per day.

Increase the amount of GSE by 1 to 2 drops every few days until you feel like the yeast is under control. At that point, you can back down to a maintenance dose of 2 drops, a couple of times a day, or stop it completely. I would keep the probiotics on board. The no-fenol is optional, but it does have benefits beyond yeast. If my child seems to do better with the no-fenol, I would keep it, if not drop it.

I have put together a amazon store with all of the products I have mentioned here.

I have not heard of a child with autism that doesn’t have a yeast problem. That being said, one could exist and if you treat yeast and there is not an overgrowth issue or your child already had a bacteria issue, you can end up with major bacteria overgrowth. Adding probiotics will help to contain the bacteria and if you are sure there is already a bacteria issue, treat for both.

How do I know if my child has a problem with yeasts?

There are lab test to check for yeast. Great Plains Labs has a test that gives an in depth look at yeast and bacteria, it is call an Organic Acids Test or OAT. There is also the spit test , though I cannot testify to it’s accuracy.

I believe the most accurate way to know if your child has yeast is to look for the symptoms. Here is the list:

• spinning
• flapping
• gas & bloating
• constipation
• hyperactivity
• spacey, inattentive, and fuzzy thinking
• yeast infections (vaginal, nail fungus, athlete’s foot, or thrush)
• irritability
• acting drunk
• inappropriate laughter
• food sensitivities
• digestive problems
• itchy areas (genitals, anus, ears)
• red ring around anus
• scaly patches on skin (ears and scalp)

I am sure there are more symptoms, but these are the ones I could think of.

How do I treat it?

This is how I treat yeast using naturals.

First start with an enzyme that will break down the hard shell of the yeast. I use No Fenol by Houston Nutraceuticals. Some other brands would be Candidase, Candex and Candizyme.

Then use something to kill it. Grapefruit Seed Extract(GSE) is very effective. Oil of Oregano will also kill yeast along with bacteria and garlic kills yeast. I use GSE, although it is absolutely HORRIBLE tasting. You can hide it in orange juice, yogurt, chocolate ice cream, any citrus drink. Start with 1 or 2 drops- 2 or 3 times a day and slowly work up, watching for die off*.

Then Add biotin. Biotin is produced by good bacteria in the intestines. From what I can gather it helps to keep yeast from clinging to the walls of the intestines, becoming the more invasive from of candida. I would start somewhere around 200-300mcg 2 ot 3 times a day and work up. It can also cause constipation, so you may want to give it with magnesium. My daughter has taken up to 10mg (10,000mcg) a day.

Finally Give probiotics. Probiotics are the good bacteria in our digestive system. They keep the bad bacteria and yeast in check. We are trying to restore the balance of good and bad bacteria. I use pro-bio gold by Kirkman labs and Therabiotics by Klaire Labs, but the second one requires physician approval. I give 1 capsule 2 times a day, sometimes more.

Keep a low sugar diet. Sugar feeds yeast. There is a yeast diet that cuts out all food that feeds yeast. The SCD diet is also said to kill yeast because on it you only eat simple sugars so everything is easily digested, not leaving fermenting food in your system.

*While killing yeast, die off symptoms may occur. The symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, gastro-intestinal distress such as nausea, gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation, low grade fever, headache, sore throat, body itch, muscle and / or joint soreness or pain, feeling as if coming down with a flu. These are a sign that large numbers of yeast are being killed and when they die they release toxins. Activated charcoal will help by absorbing these toxins, but the best way to deal with this is by going very slow.

I have also used prescription drugs to yeast. I will discuss these in another article. Certain things will also cause yeast to flare up, like chelation and viral treatment.

Here is a page where you can buy all of these things

Sometimes I freeze, just momentarily. I get trapped by hopelessness and I am paralyzed. My breathe falls from my chest and I can’t seem to suck in any air. What if she never gets better? What if what I have been doing with her isn’t helping at all and we are trapped in this pit.

I have no choice but to stop to encourage myself. Light always overcomes the darkness. Even the tiny flame from a single match will chase away the darkness leaving only shadows remaining.

My daughter is still here. Her mind is full and wonderful. I will build a bridge from her mind to the world and she will walk over it someday.

Finally yesterday we got some relief from the watery diarrhea. I dropped all the medicine she was taking, started probiotics 4 times a day and started adding biotin. I suspect the biotin made the big difference. When I started thinking about biotin, I remembered that it not only fights yeast overgrowth but it can also cause constipation.

Sophie seemed very aware last night. She is actually tearing the house apart exploring. Seeing some progress would make all of this weeks carpet scrubbing worth it.

“It’s indisputable that (autism) is on the rise among children, the question is what’s causing it. And we go back and forth and there’s strong evidence that indicates it’s got to do with a preservative in vaccines.” –John McCain, Texas town hall meeting, February 29, 2008.

McCain was responding to a question from the mother of a boy with autism, who asked about a recent story that the U.S. Court of Federal Claims and the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program had issued a judgment in favor of an unnamed child whose family claimed regressive encephalopathy and symptoms of autism were caused by thimerosal.

“We’ve been waiting for years for kind of a responsible answer to this question, and are hoping that you can help us out there,” the woman said.

I am trying to find video of this. I will post it when and if it is found.

Sarah Palin spoke directly to families with special needs saying:

Our family has the same ups and downs as any other — the same challenges and the same joys.

Sometimes even the greatest joys bring challenge.

And children with special needs inspire a special love.

To the families of special-needs children all across this country, I have a message: For years, you sought to make America a more welcoming place for your sons and daughters.

I pledge to you that if we are elected, you will have a friend and advocate in the White House.

From one mom to another, I cried.

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