My little mermaid...

This past weekend I had the privilege of watching Aleks pretend to be a mermaid swimming in the lake...

Right before Memorial Day, Bill and I made the decision to buy a travel trailer.  We're not campers, but we do love to get away with just our little family.  Before Aleks 'got sick' we use to travel more often.  Since moving to MN and Aleks being diagnosed with autism we haven't gotten away like we would like to.   For our Disney trip in March I had to ship a box of her food and pack several pounds of her organic/nitrate free frozen meat in my suitcase.  Then we had to get a hotel suite with a kitchen so that we could cook.  Needless to say it is a lot of extra work and a lot of extra money.  Hence, the travel trailer with 2 bedrooms, a bathroom and a great kitchen.  This combined with her love of the outdoors has made camping a great decision for our family.  

Now onto my little mermaid.  Friday evening was absolutely beautiful here in MN.  We were camping for just one night at a campground on a lake with a swim beach and a huge playground. Soon after we got there, we got Aleks in her bathing suit and headed on over to the beach.  As soon as she saw the water and beach she was happy and running towards it.  The beach was packed with other kids and families.  The great thing is that now Aleks will run right up to any child and say 'hi' and introduce herself.   One of the best memories is a very simple one.  Aleks made a new friend at the beach.  They played in the sand together and swam in the shallow water together.  Bill and I sat holding hands in awe watching her sit in the lake, side by side with this little girl named Brianna.  The two of them were in just a few inches of water, the sun was on their backs and they were just talking and laughing together.  Then they took off in a crab like crawl in the water.  I yelled for Aleks to be careful and not go too deep.  To which she turned around and yelled, "It's okay Mommy, we're just pretending to be mermaids."  I tear up as I write this for so many reasons, but the big ones are for new friends and pretend play.  A concept so many autistic children struggle with and one she had no skills with just a year ago. Not the case today, today she is my little mermaid who makes new little mermaid friends.  

xo

Melissa

MN DAN! Doctor & Seminar in June

I am asked constantly about Aleks, her health and what we think of her DAN! (Defeat Autism Now) doctor. I have said it before and I'll continue to say that Dr. Spore is an amazing part of the healing puzzle for Aleks. We found her before Jenny McCarthy listed her in her last couple of books and I am just so thankful to her for all that she has done.

If you are interested in hearing more about the biomedical therapies she offers and hearing her talk about the diet, HBOT and all that she offers you should plan on attending an upcoming seminar. The seminar is Saturday, June 13th from 9am-noon, it's only $25 dollars and it's in Woodbury, MN. Plus, it's open to anyone. Dr. Spore is doing it in partnership with Great Plains Labs , which is where all of Aleks' bloodwork & mine, have been done. You should also know that she is donating her time for this. That's just another reason I really like her!

Click here to learn more and sign up.

xo

Melissa

Amazing Race & Amazing Healing!

On May 2nd  our family had the opportunity to be a part of the local TACA (Talk About Curing Autism) first ever Twin Cities 5K Run/Walk.  I was asked to come out and emcee the opening ceremonies and do a couple of quick interviews.  Bill was running the 5K and Aleks was just being a four year old little girl.  The really cool thing is that she really was just being a four year old little girl.   This picture is what happened when I set the mic down and Aleks came up behind me and just picked it up and started singing.

What you don't see or hear in this picture is the progress Aleks has made in the last year.  A year ago we still didn't have our autism diagnosis.  A year ago Aleks couldn't be in front of a large crowd.  She couldn't have people singing 'Happy Birthday' to her, let alone a large crowd watching her sing and applauding her.  A year ago there were no songs, no long sentences and no way she could have memorized two songs and sang both in their entirety.  Her singing these songs was a miracle for us to watch.  I'm sharing it because I also want to share hope.  The diagnosis of autism is not the end.  Healing and recovery look different in every child, but this is just a glimpse of what it has looked like in our family.

Blessings!

xo

Melissa

Kindergarten Shots

Having seen all the talk about the flu vaccine, the swine flu scare and such I feel the need to share a true story with you. I heard this story firsthand from the little boy's mother while at the grocery story last Fall.  I think it is an important story to share if for no other reason than to make you think.  For me, her story has made me think about every vaccine that every person considers getting.

Last Fall I was shopping at our local natural/organic grocery story when I met this amazing mom.  I was in the baking aisle doing the usual of picking up boxes and reading labels to see what I could take home for Aleks.  I noticed a mother with a little boy around 8 doing the same thing yet seeming really frustrated and lost.  I asked her if I could help.  She told me that she was just started the GFCF diet for her son and was overwhelmed.  We started talking about the diet and I shared with her our success with it.  She then asked about Aleks, her autism and doctor.  I told her all about Dr. Spore and how much we loved her and believed in the biomedical therapies. I gave her one of our doctor's business cards and told her to think about calling.   She then got teary eyed and told me what a rough few years it had been.  What she told me next shocked me and I will never forget what she shared.  

The mother told me that the little boy I saw with autism wasn't always autistic.  In fact he was a typical child until one trip to the doctor right before kindergarten.  She said she took him in for his Kindergarten shots and by the next morning he was gone.  He had gotten all his shots for Kindergarten and in the process she lost her little boy.  The happy go lucky, 'typical' little boy disappeared within 24 hours of receiving his vaccines.  The mother desperately called their pediatrician to tell them something was wrong.  They kept telling her that nothing was wrong and he was fine and just tired from the vaccines.  She kept calling, for weeks.  Same answer or lack of answers.  No doctor would every tell her that her son had a vaccine injury.  It was unheard of, a little boy becoming autistic at five.  The mother told me that their doctor tried to convince them that he had been autistic before the shots and she just didn't realize it.  As she told me, she was the mother of four and she would have KNOWN if he would have been autistic.  I believe her.

The woman had no idea that I hosted a radio show for a living.  She didn't know anything except for the fact that I was the mom of a little girl with autism who believes that there is hope.  I don't know what has happened since last Fall.  I do know that my doctor's assistant told me they got a phone call that afternoon from a mom who met a 'Melissa' in the grocery store and wanted to make an appointment.  The woman was sitting in the grocery store parking lot when she called them.  I love how God puts people in our paths for a reason.  

Blessings-

Melissa

The Birthday Party

                         It feels like this past month has been a whirlwind of activity.  We got back from 'Spring Break' and dove into the usual school, therapy and Aleks 4th birthday!  I kept going back and forth between a party with a lot of her school friends and something smaller.  For an autistic child, birthdays can be very upsetting.  For example; for Aleks' first two birthdays we had big pool (lived in Florida )parties with lots of friends.  She loved the parties and loved the attention.  Then a year ago it was all different.  She wasn't making eye contact and ran screaming when we started to sing 'Happy Birthday'.  A year ago she was hiding in a corner, screaming and holding her ears.  I was in shock and totally confused.  At this point we had no idea that it was autism and this can be typical behavior.  Now fast forward a year and you can understand my birthday party dilemma.

I knew that she was doing exceptionally well in school and with her therapies.  She had gone from one or two word answers to sentences and having conversations.  She loved her friends at school and really wanted a party.  Yet, could she handle it or would it be too much?  It is amazing how God works everything out.  Planning our Disney vacation was extensive and I just never got her school friends party done.  Her birthday was only a week after we got back from Disney.  A few days after we got back I started thinking about what she really wanted and I knew what to do.  We have some neighbors/friends that we are close to.  Aleks calls their 3 kids her 'brothers and sister.'  When I thought of a party it just seemed perfect to have her 'MN family' for a family party.  That is what we did and it was PERFECT.  The amazing miracle is that she sat at the table, took in all the attention and loved having everyone sing Happy Birthday to her.  I made a GFCFSFRFEFYF chocolate cake with fudge icing and it was also a huge hit.  What an amazing day of miracles for us and for her.  

Thank you Jesus.

xo

Melissa

Visiting Disney World With Autism

Going to Disney World with Aleks was amazing!  It was her first real trip to Disney and Disney made it a pleasure.  I had heard that Disney really takes extra care to help children and families with autism and they really do!  This was our first family vacation since Aleks was diagnosed with autism and started her biomedical therapies and special diet.  I have to say that I was nervous about how she would do with all the stimulation and just changes to her schedule.  I was also  nervous about what she would be able to eat and if the 'special pass' from Disney would really work.  

We stayed in a one bedroom suite at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We originally had a studio suite (Queen bed with a small refrigerator and microwave and a pull-out couch) booked, but after getting there we soon realized that without having a separate bedroom she would freak out and it wouldn't work.  She also was none to willing to sleep on a pull out couch.  For those of you without an autism link, this is due to it being different which equals scary to a child with ASD. This is not about her being a diva!  Despite the extra money, we knew that if we didn't fix the room issue it would add to her stress and ours.  It turned out to be the best decision we could have made.  The room looked out at the animals and was very quiet.  That was a real blessing.  The other blessing was that having the animals around calmed her.  Also the room had a full kitchen which allowed us to make her breakfast every morning.  If you didn't hear it on my show, I took 2 pounds of frozen bacon, 1 pound of frozen sausage, a bag of frozen pancakes and a bag of frozen muffins in my suitcase.  This plus we shipped crackers, almond butter and strawberry jam to FL before we arrived!  

We were at WDW for 3 nights, and went to the parks for two days.  We spent the first day that we flew in at the AK Lodge pool and just hanging out at Animal Kingdom Lodge.  We then took her to the Magic Kingdom for part of day 1, then the afternoon at the pool then went over to the Animal Kingdom and did one of their last safari rides.  It was a perfect first day and not to overwhelming.  For the second day we went to the MGM Studios.  It was wonderful!  We saw The Little Mermaid Show (heads up it's dark and Ursula is a little scary) and saw the live Playhouse Disney show.  If your child watches Disney in the morning they will LOVE this!!  The shows were great and she was just a regular kid seeing all her favorite characters.  We also let her get some energy out at the 'Honey I Shrunk the Kids' play area.  Great place to let them unwind.  We ended the day at the hotel pool and just had a fabulous time.  

Couple of things you may not know about Disney and how they really help families with autism.  First, tell them that you need a quiet room and why.  They will be more than willing to help.  Second, make sure you get a 'Guest Assistance Card'.  At the Magic Kingdom you go into City Hall (don't go to Guest Services outside the entrance of the park, instead go inside and go directly to City Hall) and tell them you have an autistic child and need to get a GAC.  Make sure you have a letter from you doctor stating that your child has autism and could benefit from the card.  The GAC allows you to bypass the long lines and really helped our daughter enjoy the trip. When you get to a ride, find the Disney cast member at the beginning of the lines and they'll tell you where to go.    Next, if you're on a special diet Disney will help.  All the restaurants (quick service and sit down) will accommodate you, just talk to the manager.  At the Magic Kingdom we were able to get Aleks 'allergy fries' which  were GFCF baked and not mixed with other food.  At the AK we were able to get her a 100% ground beef hamburger and GFCF fries that were fried in a separate oil.  The food service managers were wonderful!!  

A big thank you to everyone at Disney for making an autistic little girl's Disney dreams come true.  Thank you to Robert at the Animal Kingdom for helping us with our room.  Thank you to Carol at the AK Mara Restaurant for being so kind, caring and accommodating.  Thank you to all the Magic Kingdom cast members for their help and caring.  Thank you too to Ron, our bus driver at the hotel who made sure Aleks was safe and having a good time.  Also, our friends Rob and Jim who made the trip extra special.  It may not seem like a lot to you all, but to us you made Disney possible for a little girl with a very big dream.

Blessings & Pixie Dust-

Melissa

P.S.  Earplugs were a life saver and provided a little quieter and calmer experience for Aleks.  Get the waterproof ones, put them in the morning and then you can leave them in all day even during swimming!

Potty Training at Last!! Hurray!!

For any parent potty training is a challenge.  For us, parents of ASD children, potty training can be downright difficult, hair pulling and just plain awful at times.  Before we knew that Aleks was on the spectrum, we thought she would be potty trained sometime after her second birthday.  Then came her third birthday and we thought for sure that this is it!  Then came the autism diagnosis and we just prayed that potty training would eventually happen.  We thought last August that we might be close.  She went on the toilet, told us she had to go, had a great day wearing panties then kaput she was done with it.  Seriously, done!  She wanted nothing to do with going the bathroom and would actually freak out if we suggested it.  

This past fall had its ups and downs with potty training.  Some days she would go for her teachers at school.  Other days she would have a wet Pull Up.  We were sending her to school with panties and a Pull Up over them.  It was suggested that this would help her to recognize when she was wet and would help avoid accidents by having the Pull-Up as a backup.  The good news is that she would be so excited when she went at school and got a sticker for going.  We were also doing the stickers, reading the 'potty' book and rewarding her with a sticker on her potty progress chart here at home.  We also tried pictures to explain the process and were setting the timer as a reminder.  It was a sloooow process.  

Finally, last Sunday I had an epiphany.  All of her teachers and therapists were telling us how smart she is.  They were telling me that she understands and is capable of so much more than even we all know.  So I decided that if this is true and I believe it is, then wearing a Pull Up was just giving her the excuse to go in her panties/Pull Up combo.  So on Sunday, I told her no more Pull Ups and that she was going to wear panties today and go on the toilet.  She still wasn't telling me when she had to go so I would set a small timer, put it on the coffee table and when it went off we would head to the bathroom.  What I found out is that she can hold it a long time and is capable of being potty trained.  In fact it's been a week now and we've had just a couple of accidents.  She still isn't telling us when she has to go, but she also is willing to go on the toilet when she has to and understands the premise.  She's going to school dry, coming home dry and using the toilet at school as well.  Even today she went after her gym class at the gym!  

Potty training is not something I ever thought I would openly talk about like this.  It's also not something that I would have thought would be such a celebration and prayer laden activity.  For some children it's just a right of passage, but for our daughter with autism it is another miracle and huge developmental accomplishment.  It is huge in our world and in hers.  I didn't know if we would be here by her 4th birthday (March 27th) but I thank God that we are.  It just shows me that she is capable of so much and has come so far.

Blessings-

Melissa