Sorry been so long...

Hello! Sorry it's been so long since my last post, we've just had so much going on.. :) I've got family coming in town this week, and the last day of summer school is this week, so it's gonna be hectic around here for awhile, I figured I'd better post something before I don't have the time.. Jackson is ...... we hit a major snag a few weeks ago, with medication (AGAIN!) and had to change it all around.. He's not tolerating meds he was once on very well, and that landed us in the hospital, with some pretty strange side effects.. I'll spare you the details, lets just say as a mother and a father, it was super scary to see our son going through that, and to think that we did it to him, by putting these medications into his 7 yr old body. After working with his Dr, we came to the conclusion, that he needed most of his meds scratched, and to start over. We had a REALLY bad week 2 weeks ago, and it almost landed him in the hospital.. (not the Cox or St Johns type either). We were given advice from his dr, that if we can't manage him at home, maybe we should admit him..... NO! NOT HAPPENING! We can't do that, were not giving up on him, and that would basically be giving up.. So we opted for no on that of course, and started a new medicine. I'm pleased to report that we are going on 2 weeks of wonderful behavior! HALLELUJAH!! I saw Jesus Beams as I call them. lol those streaks that come out of the sun??? Ya know?? right?! Anyways, he's been amazing, fun to be around, smiles, laughs, has fun, sleeps a little during the day, but nothing crazy... Yes we still have our "bad days" but now we have a way to control them, and they don't last as long as before. That's aces in my book! So were on less medicine, and trucking along nicely.. I hope this lasts.. That's been the super frustrating thing with this journey.. The ups and downs, the highs and lows... I guess that's life in general I suppose, we just seem to have them all the time.. Were currently in the process of getting him into the Thompson Center, in Columbia, MO, and I can't be more excited! They are the EXPERTS on Autism... well around here anyways. The only problem is it's another long waiting list... But we will wait... it's not like the Autism is going anywhere.... UNFORTUNATLEY!

Switching gears, I've been having some crappy issues since my surgery.... horrible muscle cramps, weight gain, and just feeling like poo... I'm to the point where I'm searching bad thyroids on the black market to purchase and have put back in. LOL (not really) but close. This sucks! At least before I still felt like crap but I was skinny(er)... he he. I guess I have to be patient and wait, it can take awhile before my levels are back to normal, I just hope they don't bring more weight.

Well anyways I suppose I should go for now, I just wanted to update you all. see ya later!

Brooks

A little of this A little of that...

So it's come to my attention, that I failed to say the reason behind our decision for going GFCF. DUH! I'm so dumb! lol, So here's where I will try to sound smart, and give credit to articles taken from the Internet. hee hee. Ok.. SO.. A lot of parents, some Dr's, and researchers are saying that children have shown mild to dramatic improvements in speech, behavior, sleep problems, after these substances are removed from there diet. Some reports also say there have been less bouts of constipation and diarrhea since GFCF. Some people say they re children show no traces of Autism at all, once removing Gluten and Casein from their child's diet. In one article I read, it says Gluten & Casein form peptides, or substances that act like opiates to their bodies. The peptides then alter the persons behavior, perceptions, to his/her environment. To me it makes total sense, like a light bulb, hello! ding ding ding, we have a winner! I can see it! So yes Jackson is still on a lot of his medications, since starting the diet that we've been on for 1 month, I'm happy to report he has came off of a medication, a medication that we all hated, it was awful causing horrid side effects, so even if that's all we get out of it, it's enough for us! But if we could get off all medication, I'd be one happy momma....and daddy would be too I know. And I'm not naive in the fact that it will happen over night...it's going to take time, at least 8 months for Gluten to leave the body, 2 weeks I believe for Casein to leave the body, and maybe it wont work... but why not try? Doesn't he deserve it? Doesn't he deserve everything in this world we could possible do to try and defeat Autism?! I think so!!! :)

So changing gears, this weather is nutso! Yesterday was crazy! We had to take a small road trip to Arkansas to see my husbands dear Grandma who's been hospitalized. So glad we got to see her, she looked better than what we expected after receiving the news we had on her (I'll save that for another date, when the family is ready) and will hopefully be going home this weekend, or the beginning of the week. My husband got to show his boys his beloved HOG stadium, so he was grinning ear to ear the whole way home, which totally did him some good. And me too, cause I love to see him smile... Even if he said he was taking us to "find food" when really all he was doing was looking for the stadium. lol, but oh well. We made it, and found food. No harm, no foul. Due to a Weather Watching Auntie, and an Angel MIL watching over us, we made it home safe and sound before any bad weather got us. So now were just all hanging out at home together, ready for Easter dinner with my family tomorrow, and I THINK me and the husband are going to get to go for a movie date. ;) Super excited about that one!!!! Well one of the kids is chasing the other, so before they hurt one another, or make a huge mess, I better go for now.. see ya later!

Brooks


*info taken from autismweb.com/diet.htm

Food & Body Parts :)

Soooooooooo It's been awhile since I've posted, ALOT has happened. :) I'll try to fill you in as best I can. We started Jackson on the GFCF diet. (Gluten Free Casein Free) For those of you who do not know what that is, here's the short version, NO wheat, barley, rye, oats, NO dairy, butter, soy, cheese etc.I know your looking at me going what? Is she crazy? Whats this poor kid going to eat? lol, and actually before I read and read and read I thought the same thing. There's sooooooo much out there, things we were already eating that are Gluten Free, and Dairy Free. Like Lays potato chips! How great is that! Look next time your in the store on the back of the bag, the regular kind, not sour cream and onion, just the wavy kind or the plain ones, its says right there Gluten Free! So yeah, there's so much that was already in our daily routine he could still have. I of course didn't realize this until AFTER I went to Mamma Jeans and spent 46.00 on Nitrate Free Bacon, Hot Dogs, and 2 things of Bread, and Gluten Free cereal bars... Got them home, we cooked him a hot dog, and OMG... the dogs wouldn't even touch them. They are awful, I couldn't do it. I couldn't force this horrible food down my child... What was I gonna do?! I panicked and turned to Facebook, which I've been hesitant to do, because up until recently FB had been alot of Drama, that I wont go into. But anyways. I've "met" a lot of nice people on FB that are going through the same thing I am, and are either brand new, or way further in the game than we are, so they have wonderful tips, and ideas. Sidetrack, lol I tend to do that, Ok, I panicked, not knowing what the heck I'm gonna feed my kid, horrible hot dogs, gluten free bread (that didn't look to appealing either, ;) and fruits and veggies.. I go to my friend who's daughter has been on GFCF for 3 yrs I beleive... she leads me to the "Bible" of GFCF eating.Hallelujah!!!!!! I'm so thankful for her, because wow! He can have so much more! Ball Park Franks! Regular hot dogs are Gluten and Casein Free!! The Beef kind anyways, And lots of other stuff, that he loves already that I didn't have to take away, the only thing was the bread, mainly is his biggest gripe. And to tell you the truth, the bread after being toasted, is pretty darn tasty. Or with Peanut Butter! Peter Pan by the way ;) So yeah, it's been challenging in my house the past few weeks with having one child going GFCF, while keeping the others on normal food, and honestly I'd love to do them all on it, and they eat pretty much everything Jackson does, except the stuff that has to come from Mamma Jeans or the Price Cutter Organic section, because it's just so expensive right now. Hopefully one day we'll all be Gluten & Casein Free. Ahhh I can dream. :) Oh yeah, and I had sugery. lol, I had a TT, Total Thyroidectomy. They removed my thyroid. That's a whole other post because let me tell ya, the hospital stay, was less than desirable, especially when they tried to take out another body part, mistakenly! Anyways, like I said a whoooooooole other post, I'll try to post that soon. :)

Brooks

Hey everyone! I'm new! errrr, sorta. I tried to blog a while back and just couldn't get the words out right, I've been told by a dear friend to write from my experiences, and if people don't like it, they won't read it. lol, so that's where I'm at. This blog will mostly be about Autism, and my life. My life is consumed by Autsim. not only Autism, it's just a major part of it. I have a dear husband of almost 9 years we've been happily married. I love that man with every fiber of my being, and couldn't imagine myself without anyone else in this world. He's the perfect person, and I believe God made him especially for me. We have 4 children, Ashlyn is almost 12, she's Jeremy's from a previous relationship, but I love her like she's mine. She spends half her living at our house, so you'll hear alot about her as well. Jackson is next in line in age, he's 7. Jackson has Aspergers. Aspergers is a High Functioning Autism. I'll get more into that later, I just wanted to introduce you to everyone. Next is Taylor, he's almost 4. and last but certainly not least is little miss Gracie lou. she's 2. We also have 2 dogs to speak of, one has been around awhile, he's a beagle basset, his name is Petrino, another we just aquired somehow, her name is Maggie, and she's a Lab/Pointer. There's a ton of us, lol, but we stick together, and were always here for each other, I couldn't imagine my life any different than it is right now. :) Thanks for reading! Be back soon!