Okay, it's been a long time since I last updated, and there's so much to catch up on!
First off, Nicholas did heal from the mysterious sickness that pretty much sent his immune system down a long spiral. Until about 2 weeks ago, he was still suffering from daily bouts of diarrhea that would burn his bottom (obvious food allergy) and make his tummy hurt. I eliminated the loads of sugar he was getting through juices from his diet and it eventually subsided. He has since regained about 3 lbs. and is eating regularly and doing great.
However, after his sickness subsided, his diet changed from GF/CF to eating anything within healthy perimeters. Since then, we have noticed some of the OCD traits return and some hyperactivity. But, the wonderful news is that we have found a DAN! doctor in Savannah! Yay!! If you don't know what a DAN! doctor is, you can find out more at www.talkaboutcuringaustism.org. They are doctors, mostly pediatricians (as in our case), that have undergone extensive training in biomedical approaches to healing autism and have implemented these changes into their practice. Our first appt. was this past Thursday and I got to sit and talk with one of the mother's that volunteers to inform parents of the procedures and processes that will be taken in an effort to reverse the effects of Autism in our child's body. We will be doing tests to find out what foods Nicholas is allergic to, what parasites he has, how much yeast is in his body, what bacterias are present, and any viral issues that may be going on. They also test for heavy metal toxicity and amino acids. This is done through urine, hair, and blood samples. We are SO ready for this!!! No more eliminating foods and hoping to find the one that makes him snap. We'll know for sure what his body is, and is not, processing correctly. I could NOT be more excited about this!! They gave me a little kit to have Nicholas urinate in, and we have to send it off for our first round of tests. I will be posting those results soon!
Other happening news:
Nicholas has started swimming lessons and is loving it! The first day was interesting. He was deathly afraid of the water and kept giving me sad faces the whole time. However, as you can see in the pictures, by the next lesson, he was ready to go! His instructor is AMAZING and I explained Nicholas' difficulties to her ahead of time and she really understood. I can tell he trusts her now to put him in the water, which is a bid deal. For Nicholas, being in water is like being in space with no concept of where your body is. It feels to him like his arms and legs have suddenly disappeared and he can't figure out where they went. However, this is a great exercise for him to learn how to strengthen those concepts and gain better motor skills over all. He's having a blast! We have one lesson to go and he's doing great!
We have also set up a therapeutic play-room for Nicholas. This room is entirely designed to strengthen different areas that Nicholas is lacking in; such as motor skills, imaginary play, and sensory specific areas. It is such a peaceful time to be in there with him and it's amazing to see his progress when we come out. Yesterday, as he was swinging, he started to point out all the alphabet on the wall where I had put them up. He's never identified letters before and I started asking him where "A" was, and where "D" was, and he knew! His therapist told me that when he's doing something that gives him the sensory input his body is craving, his brain will start making more connections. It's remarkable to watch!
Thanks to everyone for prayers and I will update more often; especially with tests results and procedures we'll be undergoing to kick Autism out of our lives!! :0)
