Dear Soul Sister,
If you are reading this, then it was meant to be. Like me, you not only love and care for a child(ren) with autism but you did your research and you know that “autism” is preventable, treatable, dare I say it? RECOVERABLE! How do we know these things? Instinct? Intuition? Kind of.
Let me tell you a little bit about me. My first child was three weeks early, but big nonetheless: fully vaccinated, neurotypical, giving me no reason for me not to trust whatever the OB says. I got pregnant five months after she was born. Flu season. The nurse said, “We recommend all expectant mothers get the flu shot to protect their babies.” Why wouldn’t I? I had two babies to protect! I was so sick from that shot.
Fast foward. My son was born and received a Hepatitis B shot at birth. He was jaundiced and lethargic. I was told this was “normal.” “Normal” is a red flag word for me now. Things I raised as concerns after every jab my son received, that I was told were “normal,” weren’t. They were COMMON. So common in fact that, instead of repeating myself over and over and being treated like a crazy by my child’s pediatrician, I found . . . soul sisters, a group of women connected by the belief that our children were HARMED and more importantly gave me something I never had before . . . HOPE.
I had a little boy that could barely speak (15-20 word vocabulary at six years), was not potty trained, had sensory processing disorder, and little eye contact (let alone affection). This group of soul sisters opened their lives to me without even meeting me! They HAD children like mine. That’s right! HAD! They were doing things like diet changes, and probiotics, HBOT (hyperbaric oxygen therapy), chelation, MMS, and cleanses. This protocol. That protocol. Everywhere a protocol!
Don’t get me wrong, some still do have a ways to go because, as the saying goes, when you meet one child with autism . . . But that hope is there! You know why? Progress!
More about me and my son. You see, soul sister, I’m probably a lot like you tough and strong on the outside. I have to be. I’m a single mom, trying to raise two men and a respectful young lady. Those are my three reasons not to crack.
So, I’m a shower cryer. Yes, when it would all get to be too much, I would let the water and steam carry it away. What would get to me you ask? I would cry about all the treatments and tests that I could not afford for my son. Autism is expensive. I would feel so happy for my soul sisters embarking on these new treatments and tests and wait with anxiety over news, but the guilt that you can’t do more for your own child is always there. Then, one day, a soul sister posted on her Facebook page something about coconut oil. So I think “What the hell? I’ll put that shit in everything!” Now, the gluten-free diet was the beginning of our recovery, but the coconut oil? That kicked him into overdrive! The potty training came at six. He is nine now, and my little boy can talk! Like conversations, baby! He reads at a fifth-grade level and was just moved this year from special ed to mainstream with limited aid. He also joined the school’s competitive acedemics program for the spelling event! Can I get a Woot! He’s very affectionate too!
Again, that’s just us. And again there’s the guilt because I’m poor. I can’t afford the best doctors. I can’t do a lot of these things that my beautiful soul sisters sacrificed for. How is it that we got so far on a $17 jar of coconut oil, and my friends spend and spend with little to no change? They are the reason we’re here! Please God, help them!
I did what I could afford. I changed his diet. I give him coconut oil everyday. I do what I believe. I pray. Every night I put my very hot hand on his head and pray.
So, soul sister, if you’re reading this you’re not alone. You’re far from crazy town, and there’s always hope.
Do what you can. Do what you believe.
Best Wishes,
~ Soul Sista
Soul Sista hates to say she’s a stay-at-home mom, because with doctors, therapy, school practices, etc. . . . Well, you get the picture. She lives in South Hell, Texas with her three awesome kids, where she still dreams of winning the big lottery and building an earthship Shangri La!
Oh. Sorry…. Forgot…
And no more vaccines!
Great post! We did a TON of things to recover our son and some we never were able to afford. But I think the point is, which you clearly made: try something!! Anything!! Because this journey is a bit like throwing spaghetti at the wall…
Cheap things that really helped us:
•Prayer. We are a Christ-following fam!
•Of course, GF/CF diet, he can eat those again, though we monitor, but now we notice a huge difference when he eats sugar. Nasty. Nasty. Nasty behavior! But you have to try different foods…. Many are different triggers for different kiddos.
•We used essential oils on the bottoms of his feet to help with focus or sleep. (Usually between $17–$20)
•Supplements made a HUGE difference in the beginning… Even if you can only afford omegas, vitamin D, vitamin E…
•Therapies–specifically those that are FREE with a diagnosis.
I think, however, that the best thing to do is to do as MUCH as you can, as FAST as you can, as EARLY as you can. Be aggressive. Be disciplined. Read as many posts here on Thinking Moms to get fresh out-of-the box ideas… And go with your gut. We birthed these precious ones!!! We alone are given that intuition for their little bodies. Trust yourself and then (without too much pride 😉 ), pass on your wisdom. We can and ARE recovering our children!!!
You said it. Share without pride, without ego, without any expectation. Share because you care and because you were once there. ♥
That’s all we can do Erin. Keep trying and sharing!♥
Thank you for this! I wish coconut oil had helped but unfortunately my child is allergic….or has such bad die off that it looks like his face is a rash. I always hope something low end is our magic bullet, and I will keep trying!
Erin,
You might want to look at palm kernel oil, if you haven’t already done so. I read that palm kernel oil contains about 53% MCTs (while coconut oil contains about 63% MCTs). The source for that is “Stop Autism Now” by Bruce Fife, p. 150 and p. 191. Palm kernel oil can be purchased on Amazon.com.
I haven’t tried palm kernel oil for my daughter (she is not allergic/intolerant to coconut oil), so I can’t give an opinion on it. It is in the same family as coconut oil, so be very careful if – after you have investigated it – you decide to try it. I am using coconut oil, and have greatly reduced my daughter’s carbohydrate consumption. While she still has severe autism, I have seen improvements in fine motor and cognition.
I hope you find something that produces huge improvements.