Trying to make a Mole Hill out of a Mountain

So every time I have to go see my DAN Dr. I have to take a deep breath, ask him to write everything down that he says to me so I can read it later, and then go into a wide-eyed trance so the Dr. can't see the shock of the next overwhelming task at hand.

After the appointments, I usually get a caffeinated drink and a chocolate bar with some gooey caramel center and then carefully read the prescribed treatments and try and digest what I heard earlier.

Today the chocolate and drink didn't help. I got home and collapse at what was strongly suggested for Jaden and Brinn. If only there were more hours in the day to do all these things...

Brinn may have to go on the antibiotic and anti fungal treatments that Jaden is on and Jaden will have to stay on his anti-fungal for the next 6 months to regulate his "gut". Remember anti-fungals 4 times a day along with pro-biotics 2 times a day all at different times ...along with the usual supplements.

At this appointment Jaden's gut was pretty good-not much bloating. Brinn has diarrhea so that indicated bacteria, yeast, or a viral infection so we have to wait a week and see what happens. But if it is the first two we'll have to do the antibiotics and anti-fungals as mentioned before.

We also went over Brinn's metal lab that was sent to Paris the previous month. Apparently, all we have to do is look into Brinn's eyes to tell what temperature it is with all the mercury that is in her little system. Okay, maybe it isn't that bad but it is high-along with some other toxins that the results showed. So for the next four to five weeks Brinn will be on Enhansa (Enhanced Absorption Curcumin Supplement) that gets increasingly stronger each week to help her detox from all the toxins. She will have to take the stuff two times a day. Just add it to the list.

But on top of all that the Dr. strongly suggested we started HBOT treatments. My first question was ...What?! I had no idea what it was. So the Dr. showed me the chamber they had there and explained what it does. So it logically seems like the next step.

But to explain the cheapest way we can do this is to rent one for two and a half months and each month costs the same as our old mortgage payment. The kids are supposed to get 80-100 hours in the chamber for it have the greatest affect.

Besides using up all our money I'm suppose to put both the kids maybe along with myself in this chamber one hour at a time, two times a day, five days a week...for the next two and a half months. But remember on top of that, supplements and medications 6 times a day, listening therapy 1/2 hour a day for each kid, 6-9 hours of ABA a day for Jaden, 2 hours RDI for Brinn, and I need to find time to make ketchup, bread, spaghetti squash, and prepare gluten and casein free and SCD diet meals.

Oh, and to top off my heaping plate...I will have to start giving Jaden B 12 shots in four weeks. I don't have problems getting shots, but I have never given anyone an injection and I get to start it on my little boy... I'm terrified. I'm sure once I've done it a couple times it will be no big deal but the thought of it is a little intimidating right now.

...and so is everything else.

Hum...If only we didn't have to sleep. Is there enough caffeine in the world?

College students, Drugs & Paris....what an adventure!

Where to begin...So much has happened but non of it truly interesting or noteworthy...it is only blog worthy.

So I finished retraining my instructors the first week of December and installed a one-way mirror (which has been a blessing).

Luckily, my instructor with sleeping problems had to leave to do a study abroad and I was again hiring. Within five days I received 31 resumes from a nearby University. I easily found my top 3 and hired a girl who has done 2 years of ABA, worked at Spectrum (A charter school for autistic kids in North Salt Lake), and is currently running a private program for another client (consisting of floor play and RDI), as she has two consultant friends she keeps in contact with who help her. I was thrilled that I didn't have to train her and she is amazing!!! I asked her if she has had previous experience with big (okay I mean violent) tantrums. As soon as she told me that she had her wrist sprained by a boy she worked with, I hired her. That was experience enough for Jaden.

In weeding out the resumes I had a couple of chuckles. One freshman professed to have an intense interest in helping autistic children because they were angels here on earth. And someone else in their cover page noted that they thought autistic kids were sweet spirited. I laughed because they obviously don't have any experience with (most) autistic children (or an autistic child like Jaden). I'm not saying that Jaden isn't sweet or that he isn't one of God's angels here on earth. Deep down I believe those things. But when you are making an autistic boy do something that he blatantly doesn't want to do for 6-9 hours a day that angel can turn into a demon (but I still love him). These applicants would be caught off guard.

I interviewed 7 of the top resumes I got. I wanted to make sure this person wouldn't be burned out in two months. I was surprised of the lack of knowledge that these applicants professed to have. One said she first got an interest in special education because she had come across a few mentally handicapped people while living away from home for two years. She then told me there was one young girl who must not of had autism because she was always throwing tantrums.....Hum.

One told me that she thought autistic kids were the easiest to watch because they would just sit for hours playing with their obsessed toy. So I asked her, "What do you think those kids would do if you pulled them away from their toys and made them do something they didn't want to do for 6-9 hours a day?" I think I made her realize a bit of what she might have faced...she was speechless.

Doing this interview process there is one thing that I loved while interviewing. I loved when someone had questions. I usually only got questions from people who had experience and when they did ask their questions it always professed their true interest in the job. Money=yes, $ is important today but they may get burned out. Questions about the ABA Program=they seem to want to know more about what we are doing with this program and have some background knowledge or did some research.

So in the hiring process we lucked out this time.

Just before Christmas we went back to our DAN Dr. and we learned that we had to do another round of antibiotics and anti fungals. Jaden's belly was still bloated. Where is the yeast and dairy coming from? Some how he got some "No No" foods (sugar, grains, dairy, yeast) in his system- It might have been from breathing. So now we are back with taking the antibiotics three times a day for a week and this time we are doing anti fungals four times a day along with probiotics two times a day and they can't be taken the same time as the anti fungal, and we have to do this for 30 days. So six times a day for 30 days poor Jaden is taking supplements and meds. Poor boy.

Brinn had to have another urine sample taken for a metal lab. But this sample was shipped off to Paris to by analysed. Boy, I wished I could have accompanied the pee. Who would have known that the French were experts in wee wee?

So, I finally received Brinn's lab results back by email (which was nice) but they forgot to translate-from Doogie Howser M.D. to Jenny Rogers G.E.D. It was very frustrating. So I guess I'll have to pay my Dr. translator a visit to see what is going on and what potions to further give my little Brinn.

ABA has been moving pretty smoothly along except for one problem...Mr. Hyde (or Mr. Jayde). Jaden has been very good with hitting...he has a very good aim. We still haven't gotten Jaden's outbursts under control (hitting, kicking, pulling hair, throwing toys and furniture) they have gotten a little worst as his upper body strength has increased. He went from throwing chairs to tables. Jaden is actually a very sweet little boy who tells you he loves you "miss much" and freely gives hugs and kisses...after his apology (he does it other times too :) ) But when he gets frustrated or disappointed he turns from cute, sweet, Dr. Jaden to Mr. Jayde. So our consultant will be doing a couple sessions with him after he watches a video I'll put together of several sessions where he has been awful.

We'll figure it out....I hope.

I love my babies but I can look no further than today...that is how I survive.

...Oh, and chocolate