Some pictures to share from today...

Christmas and Sledding

What a nice Christmas we've had for the last few days. We saw friends Thursday, spent Christmas eve with my brother/sis in law and nephew and then today we got to visit with our good friend Miss Susan and her family.  Arianna has received many wonderful gifts of all kinds...the one we enjoy and appreciate the most is the love many shower upon us.

Besides lots of new books, toys, future shopping spree's and donations that help with her Hyperbaric sessions for the little angel - SLEDDING was probably TOPS on Arianna's list this year!!

Thank you to those who helped make our first Christmas without mom a little easier by including us in your lives. We hope that 2011 will have many more blessings to come for all. God Bless and many hugs!

Christmas is almost upon us...

Hard to believe that Christmas will be here in a few days...Arianna will be totally spoiled by many people if she already hasn't been early this year.  Tomorrow we're visiting with friends for a quick gift exchange, having an early dinner with another little gift moment, Friday is Christmas Eve at my brother Dave's house and Saturday we will be at our friend Miss Susan's parents. Busy busy the next few days but helps keep our spirits up during our first Christmas without mom here.

Today we made it over for a hyperbaric session...Arianna is a little stuffed up and her ears really hurt her this time while pressurizing. She cried a bit and tugged at her ears and face but we made it through. We will go back next Wednesday for one final session for this year.

I've been doing some research for a private school that specializes in teaching children on the Autism spectrum and found Eaton Academy in Birmingham. Early January I will be visiting the school to see how their curriculum is, have a full tour and speak with the admissions office and see if there is a way to work out Arianna attending maybe fall next year. Will say prayers that God will allow this to happen if it is meant to be for Arianna. If not, we will look into other options for getting her the help and instruction she needs.

We hope you all have a very Merry and blessed Christmas. Can't wait to post pictures from our holiday visits.

Time Flies....

Can't believe how fast this year seems to have gone by. Tomorrow is my 40th birthday....my first without my mom being here to celebrate with me. I'll always be thankful to her for giving me life and for the years that we had to spend with her. Everything I am is due to her giving me the opportunity to be here. Arianna gave me a birthday present early...last weekend our friend Miss Susan took her shopping and she picked out 2 snowman ornaments for our tree and even chose my card and signed her name....I love it all! :)  This weekend they will be shopping for my Christmas gift...so thankful for family and friends this year for the holidays.

Arianna has had a couple snow days off of school this week..today was the first day of school for the week and Friday is the last until the new year. Will hope she has a good day getting back on track with things.  During that two week break coming up, Arianna will have two more hyperbaric oxygen sessions at TLC which I'm looking forward to. We are meeting a new pediatrician today for just a check up to make sure her height, weight and overall health is doing good. Glad to have found an office that doesn't state they have a "full immunization policy" to be a patient which is not only discrimination but absurd to think they can require such a thing when it is our personal right and choice whether or not to vaccinate. A very sore subject with me but happy to find a medical professional with an open mind in this area.

What are YOUR wishes for this holiday season and goals for the coming New Year??  For me/us...my wish is for Arianna and I to enjoy time with our family and close friends #1. Also to not forget the reason for the season - being thankful to God for all He has given us despite any hardships and trials along the way. I pray the New Year will bring more healing and the ability for Arianna to learn and understand even more than she has gained in 2010. I have many plans in store for hyperbaric, speech and occupational therapies as well as continuing her supplements and adding back in the gluten/casein probiotic that seemed to help earlier this year.

Many blessings to you all and may you have a wonderful Christmas!

Time for being thankful....

Thanksgiving isn't easy this year...it's our first holiday without my mom with us but none the less, Arianna and I are enjoying our time together as well as giving thanks for the many blessings we've had this year. Of course I want my daughter to be able to think, understand, learn and make friends like yesterday, but when I look back to how things were in January this year - WOW she has come a VERY long way! Reading, writing, spelling, doing math and learning coins, making friends, dressing herself and big girl underwear....I'm still amazed at times and try not to take ANY of it for granted. I thank God every day for leading us on the right path of healing and putting some wonderful people in our lives to help us along the way.

Yesterday we went to the hyperbaric center for an oxygen session which was made possible by a very good friend of ours. It has been a while since we were able to go so our prayers are that this one session will give Arianna's body some extra healing power especially after she caught a bug from school last week. Allergies are still getting to her every now and then but we seem to keep those under control as well.

Christmas is just a month away and I'm sure Arianna will be spoiled and blessed with lots of toys and items from family and friends. MY gift to her will be a few more hyperbaric oxygen chamber sessions while she is off of school the week of Christmas and New Years with the hopes of more healing before the new year is here. We have our decorations almost completely up, just a few final touches here and there and the sight or thought of presents has my little gal totally excited! As I learned last year (the hard way), I cannot put any wrapped presents under the tree as I woke up to them all unwrapped and she had a huge grin on her face as she was SO proud of herself. LOL!

We hope that you are all enjoying time with family, friends and loved ones this Thanksgiving!

Santa Sunday...

Today was the Santa Clause Brunch and since Arianna was getting all dressed up to see Santa we had our friend take photos for this years Christmas Cards.  Going up to hug or see Santa was not on Arianna's favorites list but she did well to have a picture with him and got to choose a book and a little beanie baby.

Arianna has done awesome this past week and today I put away any pull-ups left in her bedroom since she hasn't needed them. Definitely a proud mom and Arianna is very proud of herself too.  I've continued to do research and yesterday found that a local doctor who follows the DAN protocol is one of few who prescribe Respen A...only available from a compounding pharmacy, that helps with attention, mood and comprehension. THIS is something I'd like to give a shot since we're doing good in all other areas right now.

We got the first quarter update from school...Arianna is doing well but still a long way to go. She is lacking in comprehension when reading, math is a chore and converting coins is quite the challenge. We will be working extra hard in these areas as well as hitting the spelling and new words more often. This may not be a plus in Arianna's thoughts but for me it's high on the "to do" list.

Have a great Sunday!

Great news today and an "ah ha!" moment....

Here's my little pumpkin princess....she will be bummed when it's time to throw out her 'baby' pumpkins she got at the cider mill.

First I'll share the great GREAT news....Arianna is 100% potty trained now! I'm SOO proud of her! She is also VERY proud of herself and earned her last chipmunk girl doll Jeanette for this last step of using the toilet for #2's as well as $5 for her piggy bank savings for Disney World. The BEST part about this....she did it ALL on her own! This latest accomplishment is a great addition to many good things that have happened for Arianna this year.  

Second is the "ah ha!" moment of this past weeks set backs....Arianna seems to have a slight chest cold (a productive cough started Saturday morning) so no wonder she's been "off" task.

When children on the autism spectrum come down with a 'bug', it often effects their brain and gut...the weak spots from toxin damage done in the past. This is another reason why it is SO important to heal and keep healing your child's intestines, digestion and strengthen their immune system while supporting brain and nerve function. Do you ever wonder ~WHY~ you see a child with moderate to severe autism smack their heads or ears with their hands??? It's because they are trying to make the pain stop! Yes...their brains are literally starving for oxygen and nutrition and trying so hard to do what it is MEANT to do - THINK. This thinking and over firing causes physical PAIN to them. When I see a child doing this it breaks my heart....I want to help, I want to see them heal and feel better.

In another couple weeks it'll be time to put up our Christmas tree and get snuggled and ready for winter and what I hope to be happy holidays. This will be our first Thanksgiving, Christmas and start a new year without my mom here and for Arianna, no grandparent to share these times with. Again, we are thankful for our support system of friends and family who keep in touch with us.  Hope you all had a great weekend!

It's back to the lab again.....

Seems this past week has Arianna and I back a few steps and appears it's time to figure out a new formula. Since last weekend, Arianna has started having emotional breakdowns crying easily, she has trouble paying attention in class at school and being disruptive (which keeps her from being mainstreamed with fellow first graders), hand stemming, repeating scripts and covering her ears with her hands as well as not being able to concentrate while reading or doing homework assignments...all the symptoms I fought for months are coming back and this mom is not gonna give up that easy!  What seemed to be working miracles a few months ago is now fading and fading fast...not an easy thing to watch and causes us both allot of anxiety and worry. I've been a bit relaxed with her routine of supplements in the morning...sometimes waiting til after school or dinner for those, her diet is not exactly being followed especially while at school and our one on one evening time hasn't been kept to the strict regime it was....guess it's time to get more hardcore again on all of that.

It was September when we finished up a major healing session doing hyperbaric sessions (24 to be exact of 1 hour in a pressurized oxygen chamber) as well as new stem cell enhancers and supplements plus speech and occupational therapy. I was aware that the healing effects from hyperbaric tend to wear off a little 30 to 60 days later but I wasn't prepared for all the progress to seem like it comes to a halt.  I'm now on a mission to find a way to get another stint of hyperbaric chamber visits in like we did through the summer (another $1,000 worth) and back to square one with her vitamins and supplements combination. HOW I will be able to do this, I'm not sure....but I have to find a way.

On a fun note, I went along as a chaperon for a field trip with Arianna's first grade class to a local museum. It was fun but a certain song the kids sing got her all worked up, crying and carrying on so we had to excuse ourselves for a little bit. Fellow classmates paid attention as much as their age typically allows, the questions and answers they had were creative and well thought out......I dream of the time that Arianna can do the same as her peers. I pray for this every night....for my little girl to be able to THINK and comprehend the world around her. Children are very accepting at this young age of 6 and 7 years old but how will things be when they are 8, 10, 12 or older??? This is not a nice world and most adults I run into are not accepting of differences in life so these worries for the future are always in the back of my mind.

We hope to have a few days of some rest, relaxation and fun times before another week starts up. Have a blessed day and pray for miracles. Thank you again our friends and family for being with us on this journey and for all your support.

Another way our friends and family can help continue our healing autism journey...

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Yeast is the enemy and I'm not talking about baking bread

Healing the gut of a child with autism is one difficult task let me tell ya! I've doubled Arianna's digestive enzymes and probiotics since I've noticed she has developed the dark reddish circles under her eyes again the last few days...a sign I've seen before of her body trying to fight off toxins and allergens.  Since this change with her supplements you can SEE and SMELL the yeast in her urine...those parents who have been through this already know the cloudy appearance and strong odor I'm talking about and yes, we have to look at everything going IN and OUT of our kids every day. For parents of newly diagnosed children this tip is good for you to know when starting the healing process so you're aware and prepared for the ups and downs associated that will follow. I hope that some hyperbaric sessions later this month will help speed up this latest cleanse of yeast that most likely built up during these fall months of allergen exposure.

On a happy note...Arianna rode the school bus home for the first time today. I was happy to see a smiling face when I met her out front. She will come home this way the two days I'm not working since the school has so little parking and it's litterally a mad house trying to pick her up from there in the afternoons.  We have a field trip coming up with her first grade general ed class to visit a local museum and learn about "old times" in life....can't wait! I've volunteered to come along to assist with some activities the kids will be able to participate in while there. Will be sure to share pictures later.

With school these last few weeks, addition and subtraction are proving difficult for Arianna. What better motivation (or so I thought anyhow) than to get some flash cards with Princesses on them. :O)  We will be tackling this area of comprehension head on in the coming weeks through the end of the year in the hopes that the steps of doing these two elements will stick with her. I must say her wall words (the 5 new words they learn each week in class and add to their spelling list) is a strong area for her. Being able to memorize is her specialty. She loves to read books and be read to...we are starting her Beginners Bible book from the beginning again and reading a few chapters/verses in it every night at bedtime. Being geared towards children with simple wording and colorful pictures it's perfect! Arianna can read like a champ but after we tackle math, comprehending what she is reading about is next on our list.

On a personal note, I want to say a big thank you to those who are sharing our blog with everyone to not only spread HOPE but also to help Arianna and I continue to do the treatments we've been doing. As you see on our site, we have google advertisements and search engines - each click generates revenue for us that we can use towards things such as hyperbaric and supplements which are not covered by insurance. You'll also see ads for companies with special offers...we also make a percentage/commission on each purchase made through clicking and ordering via our ads on our blog. Again...thank you for all of your help! Arianna and I appreciate each and every person who cares for us.

Winter is on it's way!

Boy was it chilly for Halloween yesterday! Needless to say we stayed in and skipped the trick or treating part but I think we made up for it last weekend downtown and the two parties at school. Arianna and I also spent some time at Dave and Busters Saturday afternoon, had some lunch, played a few games and got some mommy and me time in which was nice.

Old man winter is heading in fast with these brisk mornings----BRRrr!!  Never can tell how to dress the little ones on days like this when they need winter coats on the way to school and some layers. Sooner than I'd like it'll be snowing....wish we could skip that part and head right for spring but this is Michigan.

With the holidays approaching, these are the times I know it'll really hit hard that mom is not with us anymore. Arianna hasn't asked for or about Grandma the past couple weeks but I sure think and miss mom allot. It's hard to not be able to call her and tell her about our day or what's coming up...I miss my best friend. Good news is that I just found out I have two more half brothers from my father. I've been in touch with one of them and hope to meet him and his family in a few weeks when he's up to visit. I now have FOUR brothers, another sister in law, another nephew and a niece - exiting news!

Thank you to all who visit our site and read about our adventures with Autism. We also thank you for your help with raising funds for continuing Arianna's hyperbaric sessions by visiting our ad's on our blog - what a HUGE help that is! Feel free to share our blog with others that may benefit from any of the treatments that have helped my little angel...we have learned allot through the years and continue to learn more as often as possible.

God Bless!

Some early Halloween Fun this weekend!

We had SUCH a fun time yesterday! Our city had an early trick or treating event for the kids and they could go around to the stores for treats - LOVE where we live! Always something fun to do for families and usually free or at low cost to attend.  This is the first year that Arianna ENJOYED herself...she loved her costume, said "Trick or Treat" about three times each stop (haha) and was good at saying thank you's too. We didn't get much candy per say (my choice) but was glad to see that little toys and trinkets were also given out which Arianna could enjoy. The ONE treat she was really wanting was a mini pack of skittles which she called "jelly beans". Those were a new treat to her that she seemed to like....of course we brushed our teeth right after. :)

The princesses goodie bag to use was a hit since we just saw them last weekend. :) 

We're heading over to see my brother and sister-in-law today for a visit...they're pretty much our only family left since mom passed away so we're glad to make the hour drive to spend some time with them.

This coming week will be busy with me working my three days, Arianna at school learning and catching up on homework and new spelling words for the week and a fun Halloween party in class on Friday. I will be scheduling a few more HBOT maintenance sessions for November soon as well as more NAET treatments too. Praying to find a way to keep these extra treatments in my budget with more healing to come before the end of this year! 

Hope this update finds everyone doing well! God Bless!  

It's been a while but here's the latest in our lives....

See that smile??? YES...that is the smile of one happy little girl with our friend Miss Susan getting ready to go in and see Disney Princesses on Ice at the Palace last weekend. Arianna was amazed at all the lights, skating, music and costumes...I was too! Arianna has been doing so well wearing her big girl underwear and saving her dollars in her piggy bank that I was MORE then happy to give her this show as a reward for all her hard work. Our BIG dream is a trip to Disney World in Florida so we continue to save our dollars in the piggy bank with the hopes of saving enough money for that dream trip maybe for Arianna's 8th birthday. My mom wanted to be able to go and see her granddaughter's smiling face at Disney SO badly, but we know she will be with us in spirit whenever we DO make it there. Mom/Grandma is very missed and will always be remembered.

Healing updates: Arianna continues on her current supplements of ASD plex, omega 3 oil, digestive enzymes, probiotics, stem cell enhancers, colostrum and we're waiting on the newest addition of Vitamin D3 drops. My latest research shows that most autistic children are deficient in D3 which can effect mood, brain function and more so we will be starting these drops as soon as they arrive. Since our last post we have also had a maintenance HBOT session and a treatment with Terry for NAET which was for the LAST vaccine Tetanus and Thimerisol. We go back next Wednesday to check if those cleared and hopefully move on to treat 4 areas of the brain for weaknesses.

School: Arianna has been doing well in school taking into consideration her symptoms of being overly emotional and easy to cry during this latest detox phase. She DOES manage to work through these days and is doing exceptionally well! She can write and do her spelling on the same level of her typical peers, Math...that is a tough area since it involves comprehension which is delayed due to her toxic exposures as a baby, she can read like a champ...again hard for her to grasp what she reads unless it is a simple topic with short sentences. She loves being able to eat lunch, have recess and all the "specials" with her first grade peers such as gym, art, library and music. I volunteered at Arianna's class yesterday and I was SO happy to see that the children all loved her, said hello to her, some hugged her and they like to tell her "good job Arianna"! It's hard to let go of fears and worries that she won't be accepted and be able to have friendships. I pray every day for more healing and for things to get better for Arianna faster...always have to remind myself not to be frustrated because she's come SUCH a long way through the years. It was only 3 years ago that Arianna barely spoke, didn't know how to interact with others and was in her own world. She also wouldn't even touch a crayon to a piece of paper without screaming and to watch her WRITE and spell words from memory...still chokes me up sometimes.

Next weekend is Halloween and we have our costume all ready for the parties at school as well as some local trick or treating. Goody bags are ready for Arianna's classmates and can't wait to get some pictures with her 50's poodle skirt outfit on. :O)

Great weather, adjusting to loss and good news with school

Arianna got to enjoy this beautiful weather at the cider mill with our good friend Miss Susan. The animals were a big hit and she even had part of a donut too! :O)



What a great thing to get from school especially being a few weeks after mom passing away...arianna's first grade pictures!! I'm SO proud of how well she did.
It's been quite an adjustment over the last 3 weeks for my entire family. My mom is greatly missed and Arianna still asks to see her. We have talked and read allot about Heaven and how God takes care of everyone who goes to be with Him. Myself, I still don't think it's set in 100% that I can't call or go see her. The times I'm most sad is when I drop Arianna off to school and after I put her to bed at night. In time, I hope the emotions get a little easier to handle for us all.



Arianna has her own computer to use now...learning games only of course, she is SO smart! We've had lots of good news coming home from school. Arianna spends about 3 1/2 hours of her 7 hour school day with the general education first graders. she's involved with math, reading, some science/social studies and of course gym, library, art, music, lunch and recess. Teachers have suggested no more pull ups for school since Arianna has used the bathroom every day since school started! Also, Arianna's reading, spelling, writing, math and more are almost the exact level of her first grade peers....PLUS she's making FRIENDS!
Our IEP meeting went VERY well and new steps are developing to buddy up Arianna with a peer in the gen. ed class to help her get more independent. The hope is for her to step up to needing only a few hours of resource help by the end of this school year.

We are still doing HBOT every couple weeks or twice a month and will begin seeing Terri again for NAET sessions on the 20th of this month. Supplements still continue and more stem cell enhancers will be on order this week. Verbal communication and understanding/comprehension are coming along at a good pace too at home, school and daycare.

Hope this update finds everyone healthy and well! God Bless!

Still hanging in there....

Can't wait to get Arianna's school pictures - - very proud of all of her accomplishments since beginning of summer! The start of this new school year was not the easiest... a full day of school versus half days and a whole new routine with new expectations and things to learn. I must say that after a few weeks of Arianna refusing to eat and not being happy going potty at school, we're slowly seeing changes for the better.

The passing of my mother, and Arianna's grandma, did cause another week or so of the same emotional troubles but lunch time and using the bathroom are slowly getting back to normal. There are times when her and I BOTH are emotional, easy to cry and get off track so this could be expected for a long time to come. We just take each day as best as we can.

Our IEP meeting yesterday went well...was great to see myself and all those involved with Arianna at school are on the same page. Arianna spends double the 'recommended' time in her general education class with the first graders as they typically say an hour to 1 1/2 hrs max....arianna spends 3 to 3 1/2 hrs and is fully involved during reading, writing, library, gym, art, lunch and recess. She will slowly be integrated with science and social studies but those are the hardest due to her lack of comprehension but I have a positive outlook that she will do well as time goes on. The teachers also hope to have a buddy system set up so that when Arianna IS in the first grade class and not the ASD supports room, that a friend who would fit well with her can be her role model and guide - THAT makes me happy and look forward to this new phase in the coming weeks. Arianna is doing very well with reading, writing (except a few harder letters like lower case d and k) and with her super memory...spelling words from memory is something she is doing very well with! Math...she is on the same level too with 'typical' kids her age/grade. Hope to have more and more great things to update as the year goes along.

Tomorrow we go back to TLC for a maintenance HBOT session....this is much needed and hope to get over there a couple times per month to do more. May also consider some extra one on one speech and OT too since she does not get that at school as much as I would like. The guidelines/regulations/requirements by the board of education are no where near what our children NEED or DESERVE in the public school system. It's bothersome that I am one of few parents I know who will request meetings, updates and changes at any given time for the benefit of my child. I would like to see more parents be proactive in their childs future in areas of school, overall health & wellness and biomedical treatments. It's hard work but worth every second of it!
I will never give up on her future and making sure she has the best that I can provide....ever! God Bless

An angel to watch over MY angel...

No matter how much to try to prepare for a loved one to leave us, you never truly imagine the sense of loss when God does take them to be one of His angels. My mom Sandy, Arianna's grandma, passed away this past Saturday September 18th in the evening. She was loved by all and will be missed very much. She did promise that Arianna would be ok because she was going to watch over her...I try to keep my faith and belief that she will do just that. Love you mom

Hello First Grade!

Hello friends! Sorry we've been away for a while but it's been a busy week of planning for school and getting everything ready. Arianna is almost finished with her first week of FIRST GRADE and she seems to be liking it...although homework isn't being sent home until next week, then she may change her mind a bit. :O) The early morning wake up and take off for school is still an adjustment for us both but we hope in time we can get it a little smoother soon.

I've spoke with her new ASD teacher and we have already scheduled a meeting to update her IEP from end of last school year as allot of it needs to be changed around. We'll meet on the 29th of this month as I have requested that Arianna be mainstreamed with her General Education first grade class with a full time para professional. My hopes is that everyone will agree to gradually increase her time from 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours per day to 90% or more in the next month or two. Since Arianna can use the toilet at school as well as follow along with her 'typical' peers, there should be no problem in my mind. However, public school system isn't always staffed appropriately so we will certainly keep our blog posted. Other changes I'm looking for is WAY more one on one speech and occupational therapy for handwriting skills - she's come a VERY long way over the summer and we will take every opportunity to build on her strengths this year and into the next.

Starting tomorrow, Arianna will be able to stand in line in the lunch room and purchase her milk with her own quarters for her lunch which she should enjoy as well as learn from it too. I hope for her to make lots of new friends at school this year...something I've always dreamt of...well, companionship is something I think we ALL long for isn't it?

Due to a death in the family, we had to miss our appointment for NAET with Terry on Wednesday, but hope to reschedule next week if possible. We will also be doing maintenance HBOT sessions every 2 or 3 weeks as funds allow. Of course I will do my best to give her what she needs. She continues on her usual supplements, digestive enzymes, probiotics, omega oil, stem cell enhancers and colostrum but some minor changes need to be made since she is not eliminating (the fun #2's) like she needs to be. SO...back to her old diet again and an increase in enzymes and probiotics to get things 'going' properly again. Will hope things are better by the end of the week.

Next week is school pictures so we'll hope for a cute smile to post when we get the prints in a few weeks. Summer seems to have escaped us quickly as soon as September hit...so much for beach time which we missed out on from being so busy with HBOT, speech and OT all summer.

We DO plan on a fun night going to see Disney on Ice with the Princesses in October! Arianna has more than enough money saved up in her piggy bank to cover the ticket to go from not using many pullups so this is a treat I am MORE than HAPPY to give her as a reward. Hope everyone is well and will try and keep in touch when we can.

Confusing times in the world of Autism

Hope everyone has been enjoying some of the warm sunny days we've had lately. Our busy schedule hasn't allowed for much play time but we do our best.

This past couple weeks has been a confusing time for Arianna. She's used to being able to see Grandma once or twice and stay with her for a visit, but mom hasn't been feeling well enough to do that lately. How do you explain to your child with autism, ANY child really, when someone is sick or not feeling well? Or how do you try and prepare a child who cannot understand the way you or I can that a family member or a pet will be with God in Heaven someday or already is? We were only able to stop in for a short visit with my mom today and I knew that Arianna would want to stay. The only thing that made us leaving go better was a promise to stop for a sugar free slurpee on our way home. Of course she still asked to see her Grandma for a while after we were home but some games and playing kept her occupied. It's been hard to see Arianna get sad very easily and not know what she is thinking about or questions she has because she cannot communicate that to me. We hope to go visit again tomorrow before we start another busy week ahead.

It's a bitter sweet feeling that we only have two more sessions of HBOT before we're done at TLC for a while. When you are trying to heal your child, the places and people who help you with all the different therapies and treatments and information become like family to you. Arianna is always so happy to see Miss Tori as well as the other gals who she spends time with for speech and OT. I can't stress enough how HEALING hyperbaric has been for Arianna on this journey with autism. I must say that healing the gut first is key, removing other toxins is next but oxygen therapy in conjunction or as a follow up has been nothing but amazing. While all children with autism are not alike and heal differently and in various time lines...ALL of them have similar problems/damages done to them. I will always wish that hyperbaric came much sooner for my child and have thoughts that she may have healed quicker or better, but I'll forever be grateful that hyperbaric DID HAPPEN at all.

For those family members, friends old and new, and all the therapists and biomedical specialists who have been with us either a long time or short...THANK YOU! Thank you for caring, helping, healing, sharing and more.

It's almost back to school time

Seems like forever since updating the blog...it's been a blur for the last week. We have taken a break from NAET until school is started up and we finish with HBOT. Only 3 more sessions and one more each of Speech and Occupational Therapy and we'll be taking a break from TLC for a little bit to get into the swing of full day school and new routines. We hope to continue some maintenance HBOT, SP and OT when funds allow.

Arianna continues to improve week after week from the combination of hyperbaric, her supplements and stem cell enhancers. She has mastered the potty except for the #2 part but her willingness to TRY gives hope that we'll be totally potty trained in the coming month. Her social skills are really blossoming and she loves to be with the older school age kids and pretty much demands that she be with them and not the little kids. She also communicates on a better level as to how she's feeling, things she wants and we continue to work on improving her handwriting, the "WH's" (who, what, where, what doing etc...

In 2 more weeks we'll be back to see Terri at Authentic Living for NAET...hope to see small pox and the flu vaccine cleared and continue on treating any other vaccines bother Arianna. The hope is to complete all our sessions for NAET by the end of 2010.

For any new parents visiting our blog...welcome to our life! The best advice I can give to someone who is trying to figure out how to help their child is #1 have HOPE, #2 explore your options in the biomedical world, #3 surround yourself with positive and supportive people who can be there for you #4 know that you're not alone in this crazy journey and #5 NEVER GIVE UP! It's not easy by any means to help your child heal from autism but I can truly say that after 5+ years now that all the hard work is paying off for not only my daughter but for my own life as well. Read our blog from the beginning and research.

A breakdown of our journey:
2005 - Arianna became autistic and went from a normally developing child and went into her own little world after her MMR/Chicken pox vaccines WHILE SICK at her 1 year "well visit". In a matter of weeks...no speech, no eye contact, no physical contact, no social skills and believed to be deaf and moderately mentally impaired (per MISD)

2006 - started negative tru-north magnetic therapy, supplements and healing the gut as well as chelation, Methyl B12 shots and gained back eye contact, speech started, physical contact came back and social skills developing slowly

2007 - continued everything from 2006 and also began treating using NAET to treat foods, vitamins, minerals, environmental toxins

2008 - started in the AI (autism program) preschool adding in occupational therapy and speech therapy. discontinued NAET and most other therapies due to finances...progress seemed to stall but still some improvements thru the year. enrolled in daycare for social development.

2009 - started kindergarten in the AI program and continued with minimal diet changes, re-added supplements, probiotics, enzymes and saw increase in social skills. no major gains but no losses.

2010 - went back to square one with NAET, supplements adding in NEW items such as colostrum, Mind Linx probiotics, ASD Plex from millenium, stem cell enhancers, HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy) and one on one speech and OT at TLC in Chesterfield. Arianna now can use the toilet, dress herself 80% of the way, is a social butterfly, communicates more then I could ever imagine and will start 1st grade in a few weeks. This has been the most healing year of her life (and mine!) and the future looks brighter than ever! We will continue all we have been doing in 2010 and our goal is for her to be mainstreamed in class, make friends and enjoy life in a whole new light.

Hello weekend!

A quick note to catch up on our week. We've had HBOT 3 times so far this week with one more tomorrow. Arianna also had speech and OT Wednesday which she's doing well in.

We headed over to the Armada fair for a while...Arianna enjoyed the animals, especially the pig she was singing to. I must say we're doing well with everything...only 2 weeks and a couple days before school starts. This summer has been a great time of healing and can't wait to request a new IEP for this school year. Arianna reads, speaks, thinks and plays in ways I never thought possible and it makes me SO happy for her!

Ahhh....Sunday :O)

Nice to sleep in a little today but still having my coffee I.V. for the day.

We got in another 2 sessions of HBOT to end this week with 4 more coming up on Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday. Arianna LOVES speech and the "gym" as she calls it and always looks forward to that. Tori and all the other's at The Center for TLC in Chesterfield are the best! If you or someone you know is looking for hyperbaric, speech and occupational therapy visit www.thecenterfortlc.com You can have it all in one place! They are also starting Play and Social classes soon!

We will also go see Terri for NAET sometime next week as well. Will see if the latest vaccines are cleared and hopefully move on to treating more.

Arianna has been using the toilet for 2 weeks now. Yesterday was the first day wearing her big girl underwear and she did really well with that! She picked out her favorite pair and spent 3/4 of the day in them....DRY! yayyy!

Hope you've all had a good weekend and we'll update more soon.

Is it bedtime yet?? :)

Today was busy...worked first then HBOT, Speech and OT for Arianna and home to clean and cook. It's fair to say that I'm ready for my pillow now. :)

Tori at TLC was SO excited to hear of Arianna's new ATEC score since starting HBOT. They have never had anyone score as low as Arianna did and especially the huge drop from 68 to a 19...they're amazed! We have 2 more sessions this week on Friday and Saturday to complete week 3 for us. Not sure if it's the weather or seasonal allergies but the hand stemming and occasional quirks of the sideways looking/throwing objects etc...has me a little concerned. Will hope these reappearances will be gone soon. I DO remember that HBOT can bring back symptoms but they will usually disappear again as we continue on with treatments. I must say that when I did see Arianna start up these things it REALLY brought back memories from years back and scared the daylights out of me!! All I could do was worry that she would fall back into that unreachable world again but I'm keeping my faith and continuing on and a big thanks to my friend who reminded me to do that! :O)

Not sure what the coming weekend is going to bring yet especially with the high heat and humidity being outside is NOT fun unless we're in a pool/water.

I'm hoping to get caught up on some sleep for a busy busy work day tomorrow. God Bless and will update again the end of this week. OH - I think we are taking a one week break from NAET as these symptoms mentioned above could be from Arianna's body fighting off the vaccines we treated with Terri (flu shot and small pox). Doesn't hurt to give the body extra time to do it's job!

Why do long weekends seem so short??

Well, I had today off work and you'd THINK that I'd have all this time to get caught up with projects, this and that but - NOPE! Seems the more time you have the LESS we get accomplished...weird how that works. :) It WAS nice to relax a little bit for a change and get ready for more work to come before school starts.

Arianna has continued to do well with peeing on the potty...a few accidents here or there but overall this mom is still very happy with her progress. I can say that hyperbaric plus the stem cell enhancer supplement have given me the most hope I've EVER had that Arianna's future can be filled with all that I wish her to experience. Of course she continues on her usual supplements, probiotics and digestive enzymes...in fact today she seemed out of sorts and was only happy-go-lucky at lunch time w/ mom and friends earlier. She wasn't up for playing even though we had company for a while this afternoon...she just seems a bit sad. I think that the extra probiotics the last day or two is doing a flush of some yeast build up which I can tell by her bowels (yes, the poop check as always - gotta LOVE autism and poop right??) It has been a while since I've given her an extra boost to flush her system so that can be part of why she's overly emotional and a little down. It's also allergy season still and our children are effected differently than you'd expect. Instead of a runny nose or sneezing, an autistic child can become more hyper, lethargic, sad, have puffy eyes and gut problems. Another part of course is she always wants to stay with Grandma Sandy and doesn't like to leave when we visit. Good news is that I suggested we go for a ride to get ourselves a small slurpee (the sugar free kind as always) which perked her spirits up and she finished tonight on a happy note before bed.

It's also exciting to hear of great news and progress with my friend Chae's son Cody. He's completed his 40 sessions of HBOT, has started recommended supplements, enzymes and probiotics as well as NAET and chiropractic care and WOW - little by little he's coming back to 'life' so to speak! For those parents who have a newly diagnosed child or even an older child - do NOT believe there is no hope! Do NOT listen when they tell you that there is nothing you can do or that your child cannot improve or get better....follow your gut and heart, pour your soul into the world of knowledge, natural medicine and biomedical treatments and FIGHT! FIGHT like you've never wanted something so much in your life! Surround yourself with people who understand, who "get it" and want to HELP in whatever way they can be it an ear to listen, a shoulder for tears and a reminder that you are doing everything you can to help your child heal. For anyone NOT with you, for you and for helping accomplish your mission...that is not what you need. We don't need negative against us while finding the positives. I've always asked God "why my child...why us?" It took a long time but I now KNOW why...it's to be there for someone who's going through what I've experienced and offer all that I know to them and if I don't know I will help find someone who does. I wish I had a "ME" 5 + years ago when this journey of autism started so you can bet your bottom that I'm not going anywhere...you won't get rid of me and I'll never stop fighting for my daughters right to a life and future she deserves to have NOR any other child who deserves the same. If you really want it, put it first in God's hands and He will guide you where you need to go. Keep your faith, keep researching (I do DAILY) and besides loving your child, keep fighting for them! When the time comes and your child is healed or doing much better...help another parent who's starting where you did. God's Blessings to you all!

When you think you're all alone or just happen to need one - - here is a BIG HUG from ME to YOU!! :O)

Happy Saturday and INSANE new scores on ATEC!!

Arianna seems to have the 'pee' part of the potty pretty much down and racking up the coins in her piggy bank 98% of the time. She is so proud of herself each and every time and so am I. :O) Working on the second part of the potty will take a while but won't rush her just yet although I'm planting the seed of even MORE money for Disney when she's willing to give that a try.

HBOT went well again today...our Chipmunk Squeakqual DVD is getting worn out so maybe we can find another show to watch for the remainder of our sessions. Today was session #10 and because Arianna is doing so well it was recommended to take the ATEC (autism evaluation) test again. The lower the number the better. Arianna's starting score at the beginning was a 68...speech was an 8, Sociability was a 10, Sensory was an 18 and Health was a 32.
Today's score was an astounding 19!!! YES a 19! Speech this time is a 6, Sociability is a 1, Sensory is a 9 and Health is a 3. I'm FLOORED and I knew her score would improve with the potty training part but THIS much improvement is far beyond what I would've imagined. Once Arianna can do the #2 part on the potty her health score should be down to a 1 if not a Zero. I am SOOO proud of how well she's done these couple of weeks!

Time to get some things caught up around our place and maybe go visit with some friends for a while later on. New Internet stick just arrived this afternoon so we should be able to update regularly again. Have a great weekend!

Sorry we've been MIA but....

making an update from my mom's house. it's been a busy week for us as well as losing our Internet service until my new laptop stick arrives SO here's the latest...

Arianna is continuing to do very good with potty training - she averages 5 to 8 times a day on the potty and is loading up that piggy bank with her rewards! She is willing to go at home, grandma's, daycare, HBOT - - anywhere which is great! We will continue working on this through the rest of summer and into the fall most likely but she's doing a SUPER job!

FINALLY we got the stubborn MMR vaccine and the mysterious Diotheria vaccines CLEARED with NAET. Today Arianna tested positive for Flu shot (she got ONE at 18 mos old from the WIC office) as well as Small Pox which I had in the military...another nice contribution from them that my child inherited. We will continue on with the vaccine treatments and then move on with other areas such as brain and misc. other environmental/toxic exposures.

HBOT is going well...went Wednesday, today and again tomorrow. Arianna had her first speech and occupational therapies at TLC. Once she got past a little separation anxiety (some tears and not wanting to leave me...which was not typical until starting HBOT) she did good. I walked her to the therapy room and snuck out after her attention was occupied. Handwriting and the Wh's and positions are being worked on. I am quite disappointed that there is NO Occupational Therapy on her IEP so that will be discussed when school starts and a new IEP is requested.

hard to believe that there is only 3 weeks left of summer before Arianna starts first grade. I'm having a hard time with the thoughts of her being in school a full day and wanting to make sure she is engaged and learning as well as having FUN and making FRIENDS. I bet she will not mind it at all but mom will. :O)

Hope to be back up and running with regular updates again soon. Enjoy the weekend everyone!

A DRY day :O)

By "dry" I'm not just talking sunshine and great weather...it means Arianna was dry and used the potty today even while at daycare and when we got home!It's still a learning time but WOW what an effort she is making! Now she is super excited to put her quarter (her reward) into her piggy bank to save up for that Disney trip. We called Miss Tori at TLC where we do HBOT to share the great news because we're so excited and couldn't wait til Wednesday. :O) There are a few other children who are also starting potty training successfully since doing HBOT session which is PROOF that biomedical treatments DO WORK for our children!! I say to insurance companies - wake up and get on board to HEALING the damage done to our kids instead of always saying no and being closed minded to anything outside of your so called 'medical' world. Autism should be on the "list of approved medical illnesses" covered by insurance by now and I do NOT understand what the hold up is other than the mighty dollar they don't want to pay out. If they can pay to poison my child with vaccines filled with tons of toxins to the point of disabling her, they should be paying to help HEAL her!!

We will spend this week continuing to build on what's been started as well as scheduling for speech and OT evaluations hopefully soon plus our 3 sessions of HBOT. Arianna is excited to go visit Grandma tomorrow after we're done for the day. Hope everyone has a great start to their week! :O)

BIG things are happening!!

Today was a WONDERFUL day! Was up early and got our food all prepared for the next couple days. Then we were off to visit with family for the annual car show/birthday party not far from home. Arianna was happy to see everyone and got to pick the winning ticket for the 50/50 raffle. The woman who won was SO nice...she came over and gave Arianna a $5 bill for which Arianna quickly replied "mommy, it's lots of money to go to Disney world!" I had the BIGGEST grin on my face and just LOVE how much she has improved in just over a week - - it's truly miraculous! God as well as all the biomedical therapies, supplements etc... are starting to truly work miracles in our life for which I am forever grateful.

After the party we went to my moms to visit for a bit and guess what?? Arianna used the potty AGAIN! WOW! She just makes me SO proud and we cannot wait to share the news with the ladies at HBOT as I think they will be floored at how fast hyberbaric is helping my little angel. To hear her talk now is music to my ears...I get to talk WITH her and she repeats EVERYTHING. She is reading more and more words every day in her books, using phrases and giving responses I've longed to hear for years and she demands eye contact and attention when she is speaking. Her wants and wishes are very well known and she keeps telling me about going to school with the 'big kids' soon. It already appears that we will need a whole new IEP for the upcoming school year as I believe she will be able to mainstream with a para pro and have much less time in the autism supports room. This is turning out to be an amazing summer for us!

Arianna is very adamant about going to see Mickey Mouse at Disney world.
It seems like she understands that when we no longer use pull-ups and go on the potty we will be able to save up for that trip even faster. Even though she didn't need to go, she still made a real attempt before bedtime for which she was highly rewarded and praised. THIS is just the beginning to a future that I now see as not only filled with hope but full of endless possibilities.

YYAAAYYYY Arianna!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THIS mom is on CLOUD 9 right now!! It's like I won the lotto. :O)

We had our HBOT today which was great and came home for lunch before going to visit some friends and guess what?????

Arianna went potty on the TOILET! YES!! I was in tears I'm so happy! When they told me HBOT can improve this area for autistic children I wasn't going to hold my breath but the timing was right and it was a HUGE celebration afterwards with a big reward....a Brittany Chipmunk doll that she loves and have been saving just for this event.

This is a huge accomplishment for Arianna and I am SOOO proud of her!

Today wasn't surprising....

we had our HBOT this morning and went well as it has been. Arianna does seem more emotional and easy to cry if she's frustrated or upset - will hope that passes sooner than later. One more visit to the 'tent' tomorrow and we're done until Wednesday and I'm ready for the break.

Saw Terry for NAET and was not surprised that the MMR and the mysterious Diotheria vaccines had not cleared. This is the 4th time treating the MMR and I have a feeling this will be the toughest since I KNOW deep in my heart that this was the vaccine that set Arianna into her full blown autism. I will pray that it is gone soon so we can continue on to treat others she's been exposed to.

I get to have a break this evening and visit with a friend which I'm looking forward to. Enjoy the weekend!

TGI - THURSDAY!

Well, Thursday is just the ending of my work week but the busy schedule won't stop here. Tomorrow morning is another HBOT at 9 am followed by another visit to Terry for NAET. I'm really hoping that the MMR will have cleared but again, my gut is telling me it hasn't. Just haven't had that high 'brain fever' response but my hopes are that the HBOT has helped her body get rid of that a little easier. Guess we'll find out soon enough! Saturday is another HBOT then visiting friends and Sunday we have a party to stop in at and then visiting another friend that afternoon. Whew! Guess we're packing in lots of activities through to the end of our summer break but when Arianna and I get to have some fun and see friends it's all worth it.

I must say that Arianna is falling asleep much faster at night the last few days which is something HBOT is known to improve for children. She can be awake for an hour or more talking to her monkey and animals in her bed but lately it's taking less than 10 to 15 minutes and she's out cold. Great signs for her body to rest and heal.

Today after daycare I asked my usual question what she did and got the response 'went outside' again. I asked WHAT she did outside and she said "played games". Next I asked what KIND of games? and she told me "jumping frog game." It took a few minutes for my jaw to go back into place as this was the most she's been able to describe something to me that I can ever remember. I look forward to the day that I may want to tell her to stop talking so much (which I don't think I'll ever want her to do) and then remember back to the time when I wished she could talk to me MORE. :O)

Another new experience was when she was having her dinner. Bribes or reasoning doesn't typically work with Autistic children so this was interesting. She wanted an ice cream (non dairy) and I asked if she was done with her grilled 'cheese' yet. She said "no", I asked how many pieces she has left with the response of "4 bites left". I told her that she needed to finish her dinner before she could have an ice cream for which she gladly finished it and told me 'all gone'. Lots of smiles here for us tonight with all the new words and phrases being used. :O)

This mom is also ready for bed earlier and sleeping better lately so we're signing off for now. Hope to have more good news to share throughout the weekend. God Bless and Good Night!

Busy but good day!

Glad that I'm starting to sleep better and feel more rested the last couple days. We are able to attend HBOT sessions 6 days this week which makes it VERY busy but worth it for the jump start in healing. Next week we will be back to a more "normal" schedule, if you can call it that, but less trips across town which will be a nice break compared to these 10 days or so.


Arianna seemed much more laid back today in the capsule - she needed no prompts to climb in, didn't get too hyper about the upcoming noise while pressurizing, laid her head with me on the pillow to watch her movie and was in quite a chatty mood as well. Her eye contact is much more direct now and when I asked her what she did at Grandma's this morning she told me "swimming in water park" which means she was in the little pool outside. It's nice to have a true response...just goes to show that her brain is able to process better already. Tiny improvements are great! Each small step brings us closer and closer to Arianna being able to learn and communicate better. I've also noticed less hand stemming the past few days but I did catch her spinning something when alone in her room listening to music tonight. :O(

Another blessing is coming our way! Probably in the next week or so Arianna will be getting an evaluation from an Occupational Therapist, at no cost to us, to see where she's at and get an idea of areas she needs more help. A speech therapist has also offered to do an evaluation as well as do some one on one speech therapy sessions with Arianna before she starts school in the fall - again at no cost to us. They would like to see her benefit from a combination of therapies after her HBOT is completed to give her a jump start for the coming school year. Again it amazes me how many people REALLY CARE about helping others and giving their time to do so.

Well it's bath time now which USED to be a stressful task especially with hair washing. NOW it's a FUN time enjoyed by us both which makes this mom very happy. :O)

Boy am I tired out today!

YEP...THAT is what I feel like about now! Besides not sleeping well, my mind never seems to shut off, the sessions in the HBOT capsule give you a headache and make you REALLY tired in the first week or so. I feel like I would've fallen asleep standing up today! Even though Arianna was dead tired as well when I was headed to work, she fought off a nap that I KNOW she would've benefited from. I bet I'll get some good zzzz's tonight. Took some Melatonin just to be sure. :O)

I have tomorrow off until 2 pm so we're getting in another HBOT session at 11 before I go into work. Then we have #4 on weds, #5 Friday and #6 on Saturday. I'm considering doubling up a few sessions in a day when we have some 9 am appointments as we only have to allow 3 hours between them and can do TWO in one day. I'd really like to get as many visit in before school starts September 7th! We're taking Saturday of Labor Day weekend off to enjoy one last long weekend before the new longer school day starts.

When I got Arianna from daycare tonight I asked my usual question of "what did you do today at daycare?" Usually I have to keep asking the typical questions with the usual "yes" response but tonight she TOLD me "went outside." It wasn't a long winded story but it was a RESPONSE to what I ask so that made me happy as can be.

We were playing with some toys tonight as she listened to her music CD...she was making her stuffed dog dance to the song, which is cute as can be, and I asked what her dog's name was. Typically it would be "Dog" or whatever type of stuffed toy it is but tonight she called her dog "Princess" which brought a happy tear to my eyes.

Good night everyone and God Bless!

HBOT #2

Arianna wasn't fond of being up with the roosters this morning, neither was I, but we had our second session and all went well! Arianna did super and cooperated for the most part with holding the mask to her face on and off for the hour we were in there watching the chipmunks movie. We read a couple books while waiting to decompress at the end since it gets too loud to heard the DVD.

One astounding thing that happened this morning...as Arianna was waiting for her breakfast at the table, I set her new coconut yogurt down in front of her and she looked up at me right in the eyes and said "Big green eyes!" That is the FIRST time she has ever noticed my eye color and it was like the first time she really truly LOOKED at me. Was a great thing to experience today and gives me hope that things are starting to kick in a little.

Have a great day!

A beautiful day and some diet changes

It's nice to have a cooler and less humid day today. We had a nice visit at my moms and looked through old family photos. Sometimes you don't realize how fast life goes by until you look back and see a photo of yourself as a newborn being held by your mother or times you got to spend with grandparents. It was also really nice to look through the photos of my grandparents as a young family with their children (my mom, aunts and uncles) as kids the age of my daughter now.

Good news is that the HBOT capsule was checked and fixed last night so we'll be off to the center again very early tomorrow morning.

Today is the first day removing most dairy from her diet in the hopes her gut and brain can heal even more. There are still some traces of dairy in 1 or 2 items Arianna eats but eventually those will be cut out as well if need be. I must say that Arianna asked for milk or yogurt at least 15 times on a short car ride and about 20 times while at my moms!! Mind you, it wasn't until 12 noon today that she hasn't had cow's milk or cow milk yogurt but it's quite obvious her body is going through the opiate withdrawals it's used to getting. The GOOD news is that she doesn't mind the unsweetened coconut milk at all, she already loves her veggie grilled 'cheese' and coconut milk yogurts will hopefully go over well too in the morning. If all goes well, we will see even more improvements in just 48 hours or so being dairy free and I will pray heavily for this. The only item we're not doing as usual is the B12 shots...all else is the same except adding in HBOT therapy.

While we REALLY miss being able to go ride the horses at Lifehorse, we have had to postpone those times until we get through this first 20 sessions of driving to Chesterfield. Stacey is WONDERFUL and said we can come back anytime when our schedule permits or if we have a free day and the weather is nice to call her and she will let us come out even if to visit or feed and brush the horses a bit. Music and dance are also done for us for the remainder of summer with the hopes that we might be able to take one therapy class in the fall if our schedule allows.

We have a busy week ahead with working, 4 HBOT sessions etc...but look forward to going to visit our friends Chae and Cody on Saturday afternoon for some plain old FUN! If you'd like to read our friends journey as well as some FABULOUS results that biomedical treatments can have for a child with autism or autistic tendencies you can read their story at http://www.thoughts.chaelynne/blog

Today didn't go quite as planned...

Well, this morning we arrived to do session #2 of HBOT but unfortunately that did not happen. The capsule was pressurizing too high so we tried twice without any luck. I'm hoping that they can correct the valve problem for our appointment on Monday morning as this glitch has me a bit discouraged since it's just the beginning. I'll pray for a call that all is fixed and we can get our next session and stay on schedule.

Arianna actually LIKES her cool new neon green applesauce with the stem cell enhancer in it so it's been easy to add this to our morning supplement routine. It's almost like she KNOWS that I'm giving her these things and doing what I do so she can feel better and have a better future.

With not working as much as usual the past month, a dilemma is in front of me...make sure our rent and electricity bill is paid the beginning of the month or cut our money close to order Arianna's Methyl B12 at $200 plus shipping? This is just one example of the strains and stresses a parent goes through when trying to heal their child. Obviously we need a place to live and electricity so that will come first. In the meantime I will be getting some Methyl B12 liquid with the hopes that will hold us over and keep her on the right path until next month...or so I hope.

While doing our pre-screening test online for the HBOT, I continued on the site to do some extra research like I always do. I sat and watched videos of parents speaking of their child's experience with Autism and how they have been healed with the help of DAN doctors (Defeat Autism Now). I sat and cried....tears of sadness for the time lost to autism for the children and families and tears of happiness for the recover of the children as well. Things like those testimonies are bitter sweet - you're happy for those families to have their child back but also you're sad that you are not able to do the same for your own child. Years ago I had wished to be able to see a DAN doctor but the expense was not something I could ever afford to do which is why I took their recommendations to a doctor closer who was willing to follow the protocol for us as close as we could afford to. I DO know that the combination of treatments has helped Arianna come this far but there is STILL much much more that can be done! I keep praying for ways to come up with the funds and if God is willing, there WILL be a way.

Hope to have good news to post on Monday!

What a brave little girl I have!!

While fear of the unknown caused a brief upset, Arianna voluntarily climbed into our "tent" complete with PINK sheets and pillows for our first HBOT dive today. Other than the ear pressure in the beginning she did WONDERFUL and even wore her mask on and off as well which made me happy. We go back tomorrow morning for session #2 and have 20 scheduled through the 3rd week of August. The COOL thing is that I can use my phone, we can watch movies, play games and have something to sip on in our capsule which is different than a hard shell type. When you're inside there for one hour and 10 minutes it seems much longer.
It was fairly comfortable and myself I would've easily taken a nap but Arianna kept telling me to "wake up mommy!". :) I did have quite a headache for about an hour or two afterwards but that's typical.
There are some positive/negative effects with HBOT where the kids get a bit hyper, have sleep disturbances and have some other symptoms that get worse before the better part kicks in but at least I'm prepared for that.

Another positive note is that we received our Stem Cell Enhancer today and when I saw that the powder inside the capsule was neon emerald green I was a bit nervous. To my surprise and happiness, Arianna didn't mind her glowing green applesauce one bit and took her very first dose this afternoon. Soon her body will be making MILLIONS of new stem cells to help repair and heal her wherever the cells are needed. Time to evaluate and do some more diet changes as well. While some of Arianna's foods are gluten and casein free not ALL are. We will be removing some items to get even closer to totally GFCF as we can to help heal her gut. Another order of Methyl B12 is about due which is another $150 expense for just 1 vial but it's worth every penny to help my daughter.

We did the ATEC (autism treatment evaluation checklist) today and got Arianna's beginning scores. The lower the number the better...here are her results:
Total score was a 68 which is about smack dab in the middle area as I've seen some kids with starting scores of 94 and above.
*Speech/Language score is at 10 (a year ago that would be doubled)
*Sociability score is at 8 (just a year ago that would be 4 times higher!!)
*Sensory and Cognitive Awareness score is 18 (3 years ago that was doubled as well)
*Health and Physical Behavior score is 32 (1 to 2 yrs ago would've been doubled)SOOO...after 20 sessions we will do this evaluation again and see where we are. Obviously my main areas of improvement I'd like to see are in the two sections with highest numbers which is primarily where her Autism is stuck so to speak.

Will update again tomorrow after our next session of HBOT. I can say 1 thing, maybe I'm crazy but doubt it, but i already notice Arianna looking me directly in the eyes more tonight when she's telling me something. God knows what I'm fighting for and I pray he will reward us for our hard work and determination.

NAET update from today

Well it was no surprise that the MMR vaccine STILL is not clearing for Arianna. The polio vaccine did but MMR was treated again for a third time now. Arianna also tested positive for a vaccine that has NEVER EVER shown up in anyone before...it's similar to Diptheria but is Diotheria which is most likely one that I was given at 17years old when I was in bootcamp for the Army. Anthrax was another that was probably given to me being a human guinea pig for the CDC and FDA back in 1988 which really ticks me off. Just goes to show how whatever us parents have in our system is passed along to our children no matter how much time has gone by. I received all those unknown vaccines in 1988 and Arianna was born in 2004 so there's an interesting discovery. I'm sure we will find more rare vaccines in the coming weeks.

We're headed out for our first HBOT session now. Will update as to how that goes later. Enjoy this very muggy day - whew!

New adventure starts tomorrow

This is Arianna with her Uncle Dave, my brother last weekend while visiting at my moms house. She is quick to say "wake up!" if she thinks you're falling asleep. It's nice that she can relate or understand various things in this past year where as before she didn't. Just this morning and to my amazement, she came to me and said "mommy, a yellow paint its missing!" She was using her color wonder paints last night and this morning playing in her room noticed that not all the colors were there SOOOO, she came and told me which was SUPER! I also love when she tries to sing along to music I listen to when we're driving but she makes up her OWN words and sometimes it's counting numbers to the rhythm or days of the week and so on which makes me smile. She is also interested in playing with barbie dolls and pretends they are talking to each other - something I NEVER thought she would do a few years ago which is pretend play.

I'm disappointed to say that UPS didn't leave our package containing the stem cell enhancers as they require a signature and hand delivery of package. SOOO, hopefully I will get my hands on those tomorrow if they show up when we're home.

Tomorrow after a visit with Terry at Authentic Living in Troy to check if the MMR and Polio vaccines cleared (which I'm thinking that one or both did NOT), it's off to TLC in Chesterfield for our first HBOT session. While I'm not fond of tight spaces or knowing we're locked into an air tight coffin size chamber, I will keep myself together so that Arianna hopefully enjoys this close time together for the hour and a half each time we go. Since I'm not letting her watch television or movies lately, being able to watch her Chipmunks DVD should be a treat for her. Please add us in your prayers for healing from these upcoming sessions as i want nothing more then my little angel to be able to live life a little easier and not have to struggle so hard.

God Bless and we'll keep you posted on this new adventure in the life of Autism.

Wanted to share this again

As I sit here tonight winding down from a fun filled weekend, my mind still goes back to the task at hand - helping my daughter have a future she deserves. If anyone wonders why us parents of children who have various forms of autism are angry at what has happened to our children, please visit this link (copy and paste into your browser) and read it. Once you do, you will most likely understand why. I'm angry that I was lied to - vaccines are NOT safe, they are NOT mandatory for school or daycare and my child has NOT been ill or DIED from any disease since NOT continuing to vaccinate her since she was 18 months old. In fact, other then autism, my child is the healthiest kid I know!!

http://www.health-reports.com/RobertKennedyJrarticle.html

We got to have a couple hour visit with my mom and brothers & sister in law which was nice. Tonight was all about getting ready for the busy and exciting week ahead. I can hardly wait for Friday to get here when we will do Arianna's first HBOT session as well as the anticipated arrival of the stem cell enhancer. I also wrote an error on my posting about this latest addition to come when I said it will help Arianna produce thousands of stem cells when in fact the first dose alone will help her body make 3 to 4 MILLION new stem cells! If I sleep this week, it will be a miracle in itself because I'm SO excited for my child and the healing to come.

Hope you've all had a wonderful weekend!

An action packed weekend - WOW!!

What a blessed weekend we've had! Yesterday was our lunch and afternoon at the mall and today we got to see our friends Anna and Malana AGAIN! We took a road trip over to Davisburg for the Oakland Country Country Fair and what a FUN time it was!

It was a beautiful fairground with lots of farm animals and their babies for the kids to see and learn about and of course rides too. They also had a mini circus area. While I'm NOT a fan of animals being used for entertainment, (yes I AM a PETA member always supporting animals being treated and cared for in humane fashion), I managed as best I could with the short show involving lions and tigers and said a prayer for the elephants safe keeping who were there. Arianna LOVED the baby goats, sheep and the favorite was a 1 day old baby cow that she did NOT want to leave. She must get her love of animals from me. =O)

The storms missed us and the sun and heat was managed well by us all. When Arianna heard that there were mini ponies there she was SOOO excited to go see them! She saw one that looked like Seger who is the horse she rides for therapy at Lifehorse Farm.

It fills my heart with happiness to see how much fun and smiles were had by Arianna being able to play with a friend. Malana has known Arianna for most of her life so she is a WONDERFUL friend and playmate that we were very happy to be able to spend time with.


Tomorrow is a busy day getting ready for the coming week. All the work is worth it because of the wonderful opportunities yet to come and of course, my prayers for more healing as well. If I'm being quiet and when my daughter asks me "are you happy mommy?"...no matter what the day has been like, if I'm frustrated or not or how tired I may be, my answer is always YES!! Why is that?? Because my daughter asked me a question. As simple as that seems it's music to my ears and previous prayers answered when I hear that sweet voice. Have a great rest of your weekend everyone and God Bless!

Fun day with friends and updates...

It was nice to have an afternoon of fun, laugh and friends for a change! Arianna and I went to Jeepers at Great Lakes Mall...had some lunch and then road the roller coaster, a crazy fast spinning ride and the girls rode on flying banana's, the choo choo train and bumper cars. Here is a few pictures from our great time. =O)

We had our appointment with Terry for NAET and of course the MMR vaccine did not clear...figured that would be a tough one. Arianna tested positive for Polio sensitivity so the MMR was retreated along with the Polio vaccine. We'll see how we're doing again next friday.

A new supplement is on it's way - - the stem cell enhancer. Our hope is that if it does the job it's meant to do, Arianna will begin to produce new stem cells by the thousands that can help repair damaged cells as well as become NEW cells in any area of her body that needs them. It's my hope and dream that this new natural supplement helping her body make more of her own cells from her bone marrow PLUS the upcoming HBOT will give her a good boost in the healing department.

Through the selfless and generous donations towards Arianna's healing, some VERY special people have made it possible for me to start HBOT - - - NEXT FRIDAY!!! YES! Next friday we will be heading off to The TLC Learning Center in Chesterfield to begin Hyper Baric Oxygen Therapy. I am SOOO excited I can hardly stand it! While our first choice would've been a facility in South Lyon... the distance, regimine and higher cost just did not fit with our schedule or budget at this time. The GOOD news is that the chamber Arianna will be getting her sessions in...just the air inside is 60% oxygen which is LOTS more then the air we breathe now. Plus when we add in wearing a mask with additional oxygen flow we can get anywhere from 75% to 95% oxygen which is a HUGE benefit for my little angel!! We should be able to finish the first 20 sessions by early September. We will be going for 3 sessions per week and I will be making notes of any and all changes as we go along.

The B12 shots have tappered off as my little sneaky girl seems to sleep on her BACK most nights now...makes it quite difficult to give her a shot in her butt cheek that way plus i can't move her or she'll wake up. SOOO...we'll see how often I can give her those in the following months.

Hope you all have a great weekend and if you would, please add my mom Sandy to your prayers as the latest test results didn't come back with favorable news. My mom is and has always been my best friend and my daughter's next favorite person to mommy. We love her dearly!