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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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.

We all have heard by now that Sarah Palin has a child with down syndrome. The question is, if McCain is elected how will this effect families of children with autism? Obviously we would have a more sympathetic voice in Washington. As her child would grow during her Vice Presidency, she would be learning about the huge expense that comes with raising a special needs child. That I am sure will benefit us.

My real question though, where would she stand on vaccinations? I know that she has supported the Flu shot

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Sarah Palin Governor of the State of Alaska, do hereby proclaim November 2007 – March 2008 as:

Influenza Vaccination Awareness Season
in Alaska, and encourage all Alaskans to get a flu vaccination to protect themselves, their families, and their communities.

Does that really mean anything though? That was before she had a special needs child, and if you are reading my blog I am sure you know how that changes everything. Also, has the issue of vaccinations causing autism actually been presented to her?

In the autism community we basically have 2 sides, those who believe autism is linked to mercury poisoning and those who don’t. Which side do you think Sarah Palin will fall into?

A Week of Diarrhea, great title for a blog post huh?

Sophie started Gentamycin with vancomycin a week and a half ago. Within a few days she began having horrible diarrhea. We tried decreasing the frequency to no avail and we finally dropped the medicine a few days ago. I actually dropped all of her medicine and I am only giving her vitamins and lots of probiotics.

Wednesday she had blood in her stool. It was probably 1/2 teaspoon. My husband was gone with our only car so I could not run to the ER. I called him instead to come home and called the doctor on call at the clinic where our DAN practices. The doctor called me back within a few minutes, right as my husband was pulling up with our car. This doctor had called the DAN to confir with her. My DAN advised that she had seen this quite often and if it wasn’t a huge quantity, or continuing, that I probably didn’t need to panic. Of course I already had panicked, but these words were soothing. I did not take her to the ER and she only had a little blood in the next diaper and none after that.

After studying on the internet, I found that gentamycin is known to cause bloody stool. The thing that a doctor would worry about would be the development of clostridia, but with the vancomycin on board that isn’t an issue.

This week has been really rough. She developed big raw and bleeding sores on her bottom, I have changed runny diapers every half and hour at some times and I have scrubbed carpets for hours this week. I will have to call in the pros for my carpets. Today if Sophie is still having problems I will be calling in the pros for her too.

My husband was part of a mass lay off of his company, so our insurance ends tomorrow. He will be competing with at least 100 other people laid off from his work with similar skills for jobs. I am so glad I have God who provides.

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