Omg...i Might Be On To Something

[Rachel--24]

Does he have any favorite TV shows?

Holy Cow.....TV shows, movies, songs, characters, celebrities, etc. He's got an AMAZING ability to remember each and every detail of what he hears, reads and watches on TV.

Usually he'll be telling me all about who's in what movie and quoting lines from movies or singing songs from commercials or TV shows.

I've never been able to figure out what his "favorites" are because he names something different everytime I ask him. Whatever is on his mind at that moment or whatever song is playing in the store is his favorite.

He can obviously remember things. I'm sure he can remember that a break is 10 minutes...but he wont really know how long that actually is unless he sets the alarm on his watch or something like that.

He knows when its time to go home and he knows when its time for lunch.....but he doesnt always know when his lunch is OVER.

Is he just being lazy.....or does he need extra help with this??

Right now he has a job coach but in June he will graduate from that program....my boss is worried about him not having the job coach anymore.

He really does a good job with everything but obviously cant totally help customers with problems and such. They gave him a laminated card to carry in his pocket. He can show it to customers if they approach him. It says something like "Ask me to find another employee who can beter assist you.".....or something to that effect.

He just needs to remember to use the card and to not take excessive breaks and he will be fine.

I can talk to him about alot of different things...buy when it comes to "time"....he has never responded to a quuestion correctly. He just answers with random numbers.

He can read the numbers on a clock....he knows he's off at 1:00. He just doesnt understand that he's been at work for 8 hours or whatever. He'll accuse one of the other baggers of being late....even though the other kid is actually early.

I'll show him the time and I'll say "See....he's not late...he's not schelduled until 12:00 and right now its 11:45. This means that he is actually early." and then he'll tell me...."No....Charlie is late!"

He likes to tell on Charlie.

I think the only way for him to understand is if he's told when the number reaches "such and such" then you're break is over. Nobody has time to do this everyday though.

I think he might also just like to talk and eat...so he might just want to take long breaks just like anyone else would.

[AndreaB]

The kids dont have any amalgams right??

You are the one with the most exposure to mercury and still having alot of metals in your mouth. I would get this taken care of before anything else. The only ones being exposed to the mercury are you and then Seth through breastmilk.

For you...having the metals in your mouth will definately only make things worse over time. The kids arent in that same situation....thankfully.

Nope, the kids don't have amalgams and never will.

I've been working through things this morning. I can do part of my amalgams this fall, probably the 4 crowns. I'm going to call a dental office I found in Portland on Monday to see what I'd be looking at with all I need to get done and then figure out what I can get done with the money I'll have available.

Keep us posted on the folate. Hopefully it won't cause a problem like the minerals did. Don't they have something you could take with a few minerals in it?

[Rachel--24]

He also said that I am not gluten free because I eat brown rice and it has the same protein gladian in it. I beg to differ. Anyways hope all is well with you. And I still blame my 5 leaky mercury filling. darn things.

I think that GI sucks.....he obviously isnt very informed about Celiac.

You might not have Celiac but I'm sure that you do have a reaction to gluten regardless. It might be helpful to get gene tested at some point. I dont have Celiac but I'm not able to eat gluten so it makes no difference to me at this point...I just stay on the diet as if I were Celiac.

Theres a good chance it can change for me when I finish treatment for the heavy metals.

I too would blame the leaky fillings....I dont doubt thats where you're problems are stemming from. You're issues seem so similar to my own that it seems very likely the fillings are poisoning you.

For me it got worse and worse until I was able to get everything removed from my mouth...since then I have stayed the same. I'm not "better"....but not worse either.

The doctors never accused me of being anorexic. I had lost 25 lbs. and my Dr. did seem to believe that something was wrong....but he was just ignorant about everything and kept giving me bad advice.

He wanted me to eat more bread, pasta, etc.... even though I was telling him the more I ate that stuff the more weight I was losing.

He wanted me on antidrepressants and wanted me to see the phychiatrist...etc. He had no clue what was wrong with me....I think at that point they always try to suggest psychiatric help.

All of my labs were normal so his attitude was that whatever was going on....I'm not gonna die from it cuz the labs are normal. In his mind my body was working just fine....clearly its not but the problems were not anything which could be identified in traditional testing.

The problems caused by mercury are intracellular. The other (co-existing) problems such as autoimmune disease, candida, food intolerance, bacteria overgrowth, etc....those are a little easier to identify but even if treated or addressed....the underlying issue still remains.

I dont take any OTC medications. I used to have pretty bad constipation but with strict dietary changes I now have had normal bowels for about a year. I'm taking magnesium this past month w/out problems. I havent done well with most brands of anything and finally I was given this brand...it *only* has magnesium....no other ingredients...and I dont have any reactions.

I also never take any of the capsules. I take my supplements out of the capsules so that I'm not taking other ingredients such as gelatin, or vegetable sources or whatever.

I'm that sensitive and I do react to stuff very easily....so I'm extra careful with what I take.

My biggest and most noticeable improvement came last year when I stopped taking all supplements. I gained 10 lbs. and felt better....alot of my pains went away.

Now that I'm starting to take stuff again I'm keeping close tabs on how my body is reacting.

[NoGluGirl]

Dear tabasco32,

Your GI doc is an idiot. Leave him at once! Just because the bloodwork is negative does not mean anything. I found that out. Doctors do not know crap about Celiac. They just think they do. Most of them probably do not have a clue what it is! Go by what your body tells you. Getting constipated can be caused by it as well. Each person has their own individual set of symptoms.

As far as your constipation goes, I used to eat plums when I was a girl. I still do if I need to. I took alfalfa tablets as I got older, but I am not sure if they are gluten free. Another easily accessible and inexpensive option is Castor oil. A tablespoon of that will get you going! It is terribly gloppy and gross , but you could pour it in a drink and that will get it down easier.

Dear Rachel,

I think that my illness has been a blessing at times as well. I have become more spiritual since being sick. Also, there are things I learned earlier than most. As you know, my grandmother has Alzheimer's. I always was a lot like her.

I always worried about everything, took care of others' desires before my own needs, and let people step on me. After being sick, I realized people cannot hurt me if I do not let them. I think God had this happen to me so I would not end up like her! What happened to her was a warning to me about allowing others to hurt me.

I am more relaxed now. I do not stress over stupid things anymore. There are still things I get upset about (like gluten) that are hard to deal with. My parents are another thing that I feel is beyond my control frustrating me. However, I now realize I should have the courage to correct what I can.

You know that abdominal and back pain you were talking about? I get that too! It is in my lower back, and my lower stomach. That stupid pooch! It is so bloated all the time!

I am glad you are taking up for the Autistic guy. No one understands or even tries to understand mentally handicapped people. My older brother was taken advantage of because he is mildly handicapped. He was born with mild retardation when the oxygen was caught off from the cord wrapping around his neck three times during delivery.

People thought he is so stupid because he is handicapped, that they would do things trying to trick him into doing their work. He knew what they were doing. He is very smart, really. It is just, because of how he was treated in the past, he does not realize it. The horrible things teachers and others say impact people long after they were said.

My brother is intelligent. I admire him very much. He graduated from high school in all regular classes! With honors! He made straight A's! If only he would realize he is capable of more! I know he is limited in some ways, but there is so much he is good at! The problem is convincing him. Otherwise, he will be stuck working at dead end jobs forever.

Sincerely,

NoGluGirl

[dlp252]

Donna....ME TOO!!

I spray and run like heck!!

For me...its not just the bugs I'm running from (spiders are the worst ) but also the SPRAY itself!!

Yeah, half of it is not wanting to get stung, and the rest is not wanting to breathe the stuff.

AAAKKKK! Apparently, DisneyWorld is the happiest place on Earth for spiders and slugs, too! Those things freak me out! Roaches are another thing that I hate. They had them at my old high school before I was homeschooled the last year and a half. It was terrible! Plus, their dropping irritated my asthma. The school was by the river, too. That did not help either. At least my asthma is not near like it was when I was younger.

OH ROACHES, don't get me started, lol. I lived in Hawaii for 6 years. One day I came home and there was a GINORMOUS cochroach (literally not much smaller than a VW) crawling on the floor. I quickly grabbed my can of bug spray and sprayed the heck out of it then ran upstairs and hid in my room...about 15 minutes later I was going to the restroom and happened to look down the stairs and this stupid thing was crawling up the stairs! I ran back in my room, stuffed a towel under the door and waited about 30 minutes. Finally I had to know where it was or I just couldn't rest, so I went in search of it...thankfully it was in my roommate's room and fortunately was on its back. Me and bugs...just what the heck is up with that anyway.

Sorry to hear about your nasty allergy shot reaction. I get terrible sinus headaches/migraines. The only thing that gets rid of mine are those generic sinus pills. It sucks having to call every time we buy them to see if they are gluten free. I wish they would label this stuff. Is it really that much effort to put a few words on there?

And the crazy thing is that I'm not congested anymore at all (like in the last year or so) so I don't even need allergy medicine! That's what's making me think I don't need the shots anymore.

Donna...

I finally found that video that I watched almost 3 years ago in Dr. Adams office.

The one where you can see mercury vapors coming off of the fillings and how the fillings affected the organs of sheep after only 30 days.

Check out this video...

Arggg...I tried to watch but my stupid slow connection is too painful to watch, lol. I'll have to watch these on Monday at work.

Went to GI doctor again today and told him about my ongoing problems. I said that I am intolerant to everything, everything. I can't even eat cucumber, celery or squash anything because I get bubble guts real bad and it doesn't go away. Girls my situation it getting worse. I wonder if it is the milk of magnesia causing intestinal damage. I take 2 tablespoons a night for constipation. Does anyone know of a safer laxative? He said I don't have celiac because of bloodwork negative. HUh I don't think so. He says celiac is from europe and that they have diarhea not constipation. THe problem is I have so many blood test while on gluten and off and I have never been malnourished. So huh. DOn't know. He says he did think about candida and I might take a breath test to check for bacteria but first he put me on antideppressents which I refuse to take. He said they will make me hungry and I don't want to be more hungry than I am. He then looked at me and said that I have anorexia nervosa. I'm sure some of you have been told this. Then I wondered am I anorexic? I have always been a hypochondriac anything I read I think I have it but I don't think I can give myself constipation and bubble guts and bladder ulcers which are painful can I? Oh I changed my chicken to foster farms because it is cheaper do you think this could be a problem? he also said that I am not gluten free because I eat brown rice and it has the same protein gladian in it. I beg to differ. Anyways hope all is well with you. And I still blame my 5 leaky mercury filling. darn things.

I'd say he is very uninformed!!!

it is the smoked applewood cheddar and the goat chevres and the ...must stop....falling into cheese lust.

Oh cheese!!! I LOVE cheese! Oh my, one of my favorite snacks was goat cheese with a bit of craisins...YUM. And, yogurt...I want me some yogurt!

Carla - I thought of you today at BioSET...they had a bottle of NT Factor on the shelf...only 1, so it must be popular, lol.

~~~~

Speaking of BioSET....

I got Anna again today. We did adrenals. I was happy to hear that I am not the worst adrenals she's seen. But, I DID get another supplement (adaptocrine (K-2)) to take. I have to take two pills every day between 2:00 and 4:00 since that's when my testing showed I was the lowest. I'll only have to take them for one month and then she'll retest the adrenals (actual lab test--saliva). These pills are just supposed to give me a boost. Actually now that I'm looking at the bottle, I'm a bit concerned cuz they have maltodextrin in them...not so worried about gluten, but more corn. She didn't test me for them either, so I guess she thought that I really needed them regardless.

I noticed that some of the supplements I take were short on supply so I stocked up while I could.

Rachel - I kind of like the idea of taking my supplements out of the capsule...how do you take it then? Do you just swallow the powdery stuff or do you sprinkle it on something or in water? I'm taking a whole lot of stuff and it just seems like that many capsules can't be good, lol. Fortunately I don't have noticable reactions, but who knows if all this stuff contributes to D.

Holy Brassieres batman...I've shopped 3 weekends in a row for bras and sheesh, the one's I bought last weekend don't fit anymore, lol. I have been losing weight and apparently I'm losing it there the quickest. If I lose any more, I'll have to buy training bras. :lol:

[Rachel--24]

If I lose any more, I'll have to buy training bras. :lol:

Yeah...I was pretty much in the same boat (with nothing to keep me afloat ).....that was over a year ago. Thank God I've gained those 10 lbs. back!!

Believe it or not I never even wore bras till I was in my 30's!

I hated them...I wasnt too concerned that I wasnt really "needing" to wear bras. I was happy to not deal with them.

Anyways...things changed...I gained some weight....I became more "girly"....fell in love with shopping (even for bras).

Then of course I got sick...and it was all taken away.

This time around I was not too happy about not needing a bra. It was very disheartening.

Ok...I'm behind maybe 2 pages....gotta go back to the "outdated" stuff.

[Rachel--24]

Open Original Shared Link

What do you guys think about this? It sounds good and is safe for those that still have amalgams.

Andrea...it looks good to me.

Something like this should work for you guys. I'd research whats available and see which one seems to be the best as far as tolerance and results. Another one is called HMD. I've never looked into this one but Scott had tested me for it and recommended it after my first ART session with him.

Anna chose NDF for me instead.

I actually found out there's a bioset clinic right by me and they do free consultations... I figure I might as well check it out and see what they're about.. though I probably won't consider doing it at least until I get my lyme testing done first..

Cool!! When are you expecting to get the Lyme testing done?? Keep us posted.

I am kind of the type that has to know one way or another. I guess it is because of all the forensics shows I watch.

Me too...I *need* to know whats going on. I watch all the forensics shows too.

I've seen alot of shows about poisonings on Court TV...me and my ex used to watch these shows every night.

When I got sick I sort of knew I was getting poisoned somehow. I remember thinking that maybe my ex was poisoning me.

I thought maybe we should stop watching those shows...they were a little "too" informative on how to go about getting away with this stuff.

Anyways....I was scared to drink anything that I didnt pour for myself!!

Well...it turned out I *was* getting poisoned.....just not from my ex.

[Rachel--24]

What I am doing now, seems to be a lot better than what I was doing before.

Because I feel good when I wake up in the morning, not in pain!

take care

C

Good news! I'm glad you are getting some relief....hope you continue to improve!

I'll post more, and upload pictures later...

but I shook hands and talked to Charlie Gibson, Shephard Smith, Chris Wallace, and Andrea Mitchell. Andrea even told me she loved my dress and Charlie and Shephard both said I was very sweet to come talk to them

We had lots of other sightings....Tim Russert, Brit Hume, Howard Dean, John Kerry, Olympia Snow, Geraldo Rivera, all kinds of fun!!!!!

Laura...I'm glad you had such a good time and didnt get sick!!!

Hmmm.....lets see....out of all those people you listed.... I think I'm only familiar with Geraldo!!

I think I've probably seen John Kerry's name on bumper stickers maybe??

Is Chris Wallace a news guy?? If so...I think I've heard of him too. If not...then I have no clue.

Yeah...you can tell how much I know about politics.

Scientificness...YES....politics....definately NOT.

[Rachel--24]

Your co-worker sounds like he's having fun with you. He's going to be in trouble when nothing bothers you anymore.

YEAH....there will be no STOPPING me!!!

He's crazy....he messes with me every day. Tells me stuff to try and get me all upset and bent out of shape. I used to fall for it cuz he always does it with such a straight face. I'd be all freaking out...yelling and getting mad....then he would just burst out laughing.

Now I dont fall for it anymore...One day he'll be telling me the truth about something and I wont believe it!

We get "mystery shoppers" who come in and evaluate our customer service "abilities". I can tell you that mine pretty much suck...although I've been doing better recently.

Yesterday as soon as I got to work he says "Way to go Rachel...you blew it on the shop again....missed everything...brought the score down for the whole store."

My heart sort of fell in my stomach for a second....I almost fell for it!!!

Also he tried to get me to eat DORITOS yesterday!!

I dont think I ever posted about how I ate a few cheesecake snacks during Employee Appreciation Week??

Everyone lectured me....I felt fine at first but then had a pretty bad reaction.

I never give in...but I have serious cheesecake lust...and I caved that day.

It wont happen again...especially not for stupid doritos.

[Rachel--24]

So it would be quite funny if you had something that looked like a gas mask and went in to steal the gun.

OMG...that would be hilarious!!

I totally gotta find a mask like that and bring it to work!!

Theres a handful of customers that send me running from their perfumes.

One lady in particular...she knows her gallons of super toxic perfume bothers me but she doesnt care....she'll come stand right next to me...then laugh and apologize as I'm covering my nose.

Next time I could just grab for the heavy duty GAS MASK as soon as she approaches me.

It may take you a little while to get back into the swing of things.....maybe a week?

Yeah...I'll probably make the adjustment faster than I think.

Theres alot of stuff I wanna do....alot of places I wanna go.....alot of food I wanna eat!

It is good to be back even if I am not here 24/7 as I once seemed to be. I have felt encouraged to try and find help again and yesterday saw a network chiropractor who I think will be able to help with my back.

Rinne.....I'm excited for you.

This is a good sign. I know when I'm not feeling well I lose my desire to fight, I dont feel encouraged or inspired.

Just the fact that you're posting and feeling encouraged to move forward means you're feeling alot better. I missed you while you were away and I'm glad to "see" more of you.

[Rachel--24]

I'm giving this just one more try and if I still react I'm telling them I don't want the shots anymore. Harumpf, lol.

Donna,

You definately have more patience then I do.

I would seriously wanna punch that allergy lady by now!

Rachel, although I don't take as much stuff as Carla, I take about 12-15 things a day. Some can't go with others, etc. Some go with food, etc. I had to draw up a schedule, too. Now, I have a routine, but I write down everyday in a spreadsheet what I did, took, etc. so I have a record.

Laura,

This sounds like a good idea. I need to not only record what I'm taking but also how much. I need to keep track of the doses since I have to keep increasing them. Even though I'm taking only about 8 things...its easy to lose track.

Dear Rachel,

It is great you could go back to a normal life again. I think you will adjust fine. As for digestive enzymes, they did nothing for me at all! I tried them several years ago for a month, but still food did not set well.

NGG...I dont take digestive enzymes either. I'm too sensitive to molds. Most enzymes are plant based and grown on aspergillus or some type of fungus.

I am glad you are taking up for the Autistic guy. No one understands or even tries to understand mentally handicapped people.

I'm thinking about asking my boss if I could somehow take over as his job coach when he graduates from his program in June. Obviously I cant watch over him his entire shift but I can definately pay more attention and keep an eye on him.

He feels comfortable with me and other people in the store dont have alot of patience....once his job coaches stop coming in....noone will be guiding him at all. I think I could be good at this....I'm always there during his shifts (he's off on weekends) and I communicate pretty well with him.

It cant hurt to ask.

Thats great that your brother did so well in school!! Obviously he doesnt let his disability get in the way of anything....I could see why you would admire him.

Me and bugs...just what the heck is up with that anyway.

Dunno.....but apparantly you and bugs have some "issues".

It even shows up in BioSET..."bugbite".

Me thinks bugs must like you alot.

Rachel - I kind of like the idea of taking my supplements out of the capsule...how do you take it then? Do you just swallow the powdery stuff or do you sprinkle it on something or in water?

Yup....I just pour the powder into water and drink it. Sometimes I have to keep putting more water in the glass because the stuff sticks to the glass or whatever.

I try to swish the water around to keep the powder from getting stuck to the glass.

It works well for me....it only gets kinda messy with the charcoal I'm taking. Sometimes I'm walking around with black lips.

This morning I happened to look in the mirror and I had charcoal all over one side of my face.

I'm not too sure how that happened.

[evie]

OMG...that would be hilarious!!

I totally gotta find a mask like that and bring it to work!!

Theres a handful of customers that send me running from their perfumes.

One lady in particular...she knows her gallons of super toxic perfume bothers me but she doesnt care....she'll come stand right next to me...then laugh and apologize as I'm covering my nose.

Next time I could just grab for the heavy duty GAS MASK as soon as she approaches me.

Yeah...I'll probably make the adjustment faster than I think.

Theres alot of stuff I wanna do....alot of places I wanna go.....alot of food I wanna eat!

Rinne.....I'm excited for you.

This is a good sign. I know when I'm not feeling well I lose my desire to fight, I dont feel encouraged or inspired.

Just the fact that you're posting and feeling encouraged to move forward means you're feeling alot better. I missed you while you were away and I'm glad to "see" more of you.

I am back!! Have not been able to get in here for several weeks and finally made it...hope you are doing better and sounds like Rachel is doing her scientific thing that she is so good at..hope you are at least as well as you were when I got knocked off...I have been busily getting 2nd opinions at U of I..have seen several Dr's and had lots of tests..think should soon be ready to get evaluation of all with a decision of what will be best for me...was there Wed, Dr. said he wanted me to drop one med + double amount of 2 others plus weigh and record each day then report next week..may have a decision after that..may not need a pacemaker after all. ..have a good night all...evie

[Rachel--24]

Glad your dad got ahold of you. What a surprise. So do they program your new phone with your number so you don't have to change numbers?

Andrea....my number is the same.

All the info. just gets transferred to my new phone. I never change numbers.....just phones.

I love this new phone. The best part is it opens up and has a full alphabet on the inside....for texting.

I hate texting because of having to push the numbers so many times to get the correct letter....its a pain....takes forever and its bad for my eyes and brainfog.

With this new phone...I have actual alphabet keys for texting. Plus a big LCD screen on the inside of the phone. The phone has two LCD screens. One on the face and one on the inside. This means I get to choose two different pics for my wallpaper.

Also....the camera has 2.0 mega pixels. The camera on my old phone sucked...this is a big improvement.

[Fiddle-Faddle]

Hey, I don't know if any of you are awake, but right now, Larry King is doing a one-hour special on autism on CNN...

[Rachel--24]

I am back!! Have not been able to get in here for several weeks and finally made it...hope you are doing better and sounds like Rachel is doing her scientific thing that she is so good at..hope you are at least as well as you were when I got knocked off...I have been busily getting 2nd opinions at U of I..have seen several Dr's and had lots of tests..think should soon be ready to get evaluation of all with a decision of what will be best for me...was there Wed, Dr. said he wanted me to drop one med + double amount of 2 others plus weigh and record each day then report next week..may have a decision after that..may not need a pacemaker after all. ..have a good night all...evie

EVIE!!!

I was wondering where you'd been. I was hoping all is well with you. It sounds like you're doing good and not needing a pacemaker would be great!!

I hope you get good news next week! Will be thinking about you.

Yes....I am still doing my "scientific" thing.

Guess what though....I got diagnosed and I'm getting treated. My doctors are good.....I'm happy with them.

They said when I finish treatment I should be able to eat normally again and not react to chemicals the way I have been during these past few years.

I did get poisoned from the mercury and the other metals that were interacting in my mouth 4 years ago. They are finally working on detoxing these metals and getting me better. WOO-HOO!!

[Rachel--24]

Hey, I don't know if any of you are awake, but right now, Larry King is doing a one-hour special on autism on CNN...

OMG...thanks for posting this Alison!

I ran into the other room and it was on as soon as I turned on the TV. I watch CNN alot.

Its commercial right now...I'll be watching. If it started at 9...I guess I must have missed about 20 minutes??

Thanks again.

[AndreaB]

OH ROACHES, don't get me started, lol. I lived in Hawaii for 6 years. One day I came home and there was a GINORMOUS cochroach (literally not much smaller than a VW) crawling on the floor. I quickly grabbed my can of bug spray and sprayed the heck out of it then ran upstairs and hid in my room...about 15 minutes later I was going to the restroom and happened to look down the stairs and this stupid thing was crawling up the stairs! I ran back in my room, stuffed a towel under the door and waited about 30 minutes. Finally I had to know where it was or I just couldn't rest, so I went in search of it...thankfully it was in my roommate's room and fortunately was on its back. Me and bugs...just what the heck is up with that anyway.

I'm still laughing about this one.

Stupid emoticon edit won't let me post as many laughs as I want. Harumph!

Speaking of BioSET....

I got Anna again today. We did adrenals. She didn't test me for them either, so I guess she thought that I really needed them regardless.

Hope the maltodextrin in those doesn't cause problems. Yay for the adrenal testing. Foods are coming up right?

If I lose any more, I'll have to buy training bras. :lol:

You're on a roll tonight.

I dont think I ever posted about how I ate a few cheesecake snacks during Employee Appreciation Week??

No you didn't. You need to wait until you're all better....ok most of the way better. You'll get to eat those again.

Your co-worker.

It cant hurt to ask.

I think that's a good idea, and it can't hurt to ask.

Dunno.....but apparantly you and bugs have some "issues".

It even shows up in BioSET..."bugbite".

Me thinks bugs must like you alot.

....still editing emoticons.....

It works well for me....it only gets kinda messy with the charcoal I'm taking. Sometimes I'm walking around with black lips.

This morning I happened to look in the mirror and I had charcoal all over one side of my face.

I'm not too sure how that happened.

Thanks for the laughs tonight Donna and Rachel.

I am back!!

Evie,

I was wondering why we hadn't seen you over here.

At least, since you're over at D/S checking in I don't worry if I don't see you here, but glad you're back.

[Rachel--24]

I watched the show. I feel alot like that one lady...I think its DEPLORABLE and infuriating that this is not getting the national attention that it deserves.

I cant even comprehend why our government isnt taking more aggressive steps to research and determine the triggers of Autism. CLEARLY....this is an epidemic....this is very serious stuff and I dont feel like people know anything about it!!

There is obviously something going on and I dont think this mystery is "unsolvable". The money isnt there as it should be. This is not a priority and I cant understand why......these are our children. 1 in 94 boys! 1 in 150 kids...the rates are alarming and the lack of attention is unacceptable in my opinion.

I do still think about Lyme and Mercury as being very high on the list of triggers. I was thinking about it today. On the video about mercury it said that other metals such as lead have a "synergistic" effect with mercury.

The level of toxicty increases 1000 x when other metals come into a body which is mercury toxic. In the video they were specifically pointing out how damaging this is to children.

As far as Lyme goes...I remember my Dr. telling me the same thing about Lyme. He was saying that the toxins produced by the bacteria have a synergistic effect with mercury. When both are present in one body the toxicity is far worse.

If its true that over 90% of Autistic children are testing positive for Lyme...something is up with that.

I think it would not be the problem by itself but if the mothers mercury load is high and the babies get exposed to this type of toxicity before they are developed....its just disastrous. The mercury and other toxic substances that are in vaccines could instantly create a toxicity level so high that the child regresses and no longer functions to his/her capacity. I can see how this can very easily happen.

An adult such as myself can deal with these toxins much better than a toddler who is in the most critical stages of development.

Also...I can recover alot of what was lost through my illness. These children usually cannot fully recover because of the damage occurring in the developmental stages.

I feel somewhat connected to these kids when I watch shows like this....or interact with kids who are Autistic. I feel so certain that if I were "hit" with this same illness at that stage in life I would be permantly damaged and more than likely would be Autistic....and probably not "high functioning".

I was trying to get pregnant at the same time I got my dental work done and started getting sick. If I had succeeded I think it would have been disastrous for my child. I have no doubts since I now know that I'm carrying the Lyme bacteria along with this heavy metal overload.

Even though I dont feel that Lyme is contributing too much to my symptoms....I cant help but wonder if it had a synergistic effect when I got exposed to the mercury. If the two toxins together created a toxic environment that was 1000 times greater than it would have been had I NOT had Lyme??

These are all things that need to be researched to figure out whats happening to trigger the Autism in these kids. Its more than just genetics at play here....I would bet money on that.

During the first two years (and while I still had the metals in place) I really was not the same person. I was disconnected with everything and everyone. I couldnt communicate well and I couldnt make eye contact with people. I lost my social skills and I stayed by myself...I was not comfortable around people and would sort of freak out inside if I got around a crowd.

This is one reason I was unable to work. My job requires alot of interaction with people and I could no longer handle it. I also lost my ability to retain information and to perform tasks or do any math.

I was having outbursts at work. VERY BAD outbursts. It was happening almost daily because stress was triggerring me to lose all control. I was swearing, yelling, crying, throwing things, etc...AT WORK!

This is not normal behavior for me and I dont lose my cool that easily...something was very wrong.

One guy was "pushing my buttons" during that time. We were friends who had a falling out and at the time he didnt understand how sick I was...nobody could understand this...not even me.

It got to the point where I was having these outbursts constantly and then would have to immediately go home sick because my body would suffer with migraines or lightheadedness, shaking, etc.

Management got involved and the guy was not allowed to speak to me and any communication was to go through the manager. I clearly couldnt cope with any stress and eventually I went back out on disability.

At home I still had "tantrums". Screaming, crying, throwing things, sitting in a ball holding my head in my hands, etc.

There has been alot of improvement the past year but my brain still doesnt work right. This is more of a concern to me then all of the other problems put together. I still cant deal with stress and its still ALOT of work for me to keep focused on things and to retain information.

I havent had any outbursts at work since I got all the metals out and changed my diet.....and that same guy has been super supportive, caring and sweet since I returned to work almost 2 years ago.

I still get stressed out easily when I'm with my mom. I still have outbursts but less severe...I dont throw stuff or get out of control anymore. I still hold my head in my hands everytime I get the tiniest bit frusterated or stressed.

What is that all about?? I saw kids doing that on the program tonight too. It bothers my mom that I do this but I really cannot help it...anymore than I can help the other behaviors that get triggered from certain things.

It sucks because I know what its like to have a brain which functions normally...I know that something is "blocking" that function right now but its definately improved immensely and I have no doubt that in a years time I will not be having these same struggles. I have alot of faith in my doctors and in my bodies ability to recover.

Anyways...this stuff is the hardest for me to deal with...its embarrassing and totally opposite of the person I was before this happened to me. It hasnt been fun for those close to me either.

Its still a daily struggle. Yesterday at work I was going about my business writing my orders and the checker kept calling me to check because he had a line of customers. He doesnt normally work the morning shift and didnt understand that I dont check when orders have to be written and sent.

I explained it to him and yet he STILL kept calling me. He was freaking out and calling desperately and loudly for help. Calling me and everyone else in the store. It wasnt his fault...there were people in the store who should have been responding and werent.

Just the "noise" and stress from him calling me so many times totally messed up the chemistry in my body. I wanted to sit down and hold my head and my body just wouldnt calm down or relax for more than an hour.....my heart was racing for all that time. I think if someone would have approached me during that time and stressed me out even more...I might have lost it.

The doctor described it as being similar to watching a suspenseful or scary movie....when all the tension is building up inside you and then if someone were to come and surprise you...or jump out at you...all of that "build-up" would come to the surface. She said thats the state that my body is in all the time.

That is a good description of how it feels....except when I was normal that type of reaction would subside after a few minutes. Now it doesnt goes away for HOURS at a time. That feeling of your heart beating out of your chest....or just feeling totally stressed out....it just STAYS there for hours....and other things will occur to just add to that stress and make it even worse.

Does *anyone* else have these types of problems??

It has to be from the mercury. All of these things are on the symptom list for mercury toxicity. For me its very very frusterating to not have control over some things that are happening in my body. Its more frusterating than the food and chemical issues...at least I have *some* type of control over those things.

[AndreaB]

I think it would not be the problem by itself but if the mothers mercury load is high and the babies get exposed to this type of toxicity before they are developed....its just disastrous. The mercury and other toxic substances that are in vaccines could instantly create a toxicity level so high that the child regresses and no longer functions to his/her capacity. I can see how this can very easily happen.

That's why I would be highly concerned if S had any more vaccines. I believe he's already near his limit just because he reacts to fish and probiotics. I'm suspecting more of the mecury with these than anything else.

Rachel,

I don't have the heart racing. It would be stressful for me having someone page me constantly when they were told I had something else that had to be done. I would be highly annoyed and probably snappy.

Donna,

How did they find out you had some amalgam underneath your crowns? I'm hoping I don't have to have those redone. I can swing the other 4, possibly 5 (the 5th is a tooth that can't be saved if the amalgam is removed). I'm hoping costs up here are a lot better than down there so I can get most of the work done I need. I'll get as much as possible done as anything is better than nothing.

[miamia]

I watched the show. I feel alot like that one lady...I think its DEPLORABLE and infuriating that this is not getting the national attention that it deserves.

I cant even comprehend why our government isnt taking more aggressive steps to research and determine the triggers of Autism. CLEARLY....this is an epidemic....this is very serious stuff and I dont feel like people know anything about it!!

There is obviously something going on and I dont think this mystery is "unsolvable". The money isnt there as it should be. This is not a priority and I cant understand why......these are our children. 1 in 94 boys! 1 in 150 kids...the rates are alarming and the lack of attention is unacceptable in my opinion.

I do still think about Lyme and Mercury as being very high on the list of triggers. I was thinking about it today. On the video about mercury it said that other metals such as lead have a "synergistic" effect with mercury.

The level of toxicty increases 1000 x when other metals come into a body which is mercury toxic. In the video they were specifically pointing out how damaging this is to children.

As far as Lyme goes...I remember my Dr. telling me the same thing about Lyme. He was saying that the toxins produced by the bacteria have a synergistic effect with mercury. When both are present in one body the toxicity is far worse.

If its true that over 90% of Autistic children are testing positive for Lyme...something is up with that.

I think it would not be the problem by itself but if the mothers mercury load is high and the babies get exposed to this type of toxicity before they are developed....its just disastrous. The mercury and other toxic substances that are in vaccines could instantly create a toxicity level so high that the child regresses and no longer functions to his/her capacity. I can see how this can very easily happen.

An adult such as myself can deal with these toxins much better than a toddler who is in the most critical stages of development.

Also...I can recover alot of what was lost through my illness. These children usually cannot fully recover because of the damage occurring in the developmental stages.

I feel somewhat connected to these kids when I watch shows like this....or interact with kids who are Autistic. I feel so certain that if I were "hit" with this same illness at that stage in life I would be permantly damaged and more than likely would be Autistic....and probably not "high functioning".

I was trying to get pregnant at the same time I got my dental work done and started getting sick. If I had succeeded I think it would have been disastrous for my child. I have no doubts since I now know that I'm carrying the Lyme bacteria along with this heavy metal overload.

Even though I dont feel that Lyme is contributing too much to my symptoms....I cant help but wonder if it had a synergistic effect when I got exposed to the mercury. If the two toxins together created a toxic environment that was 1000 times greater than it would have been had I NOT had Lyme??

These are all things that need to be researched to figure out whats happening to trigger the Autism in these kids. Its more than just genetics at play here....I would bet money on that.

During the first two years (and while I still had the metals in place) I really was not the same person. I was disconnected with everything and everyone. I couldnt communicate well and I couldnt make eye contact with people. I lost my social skills and I stayed by myself...I was not comfortable around people and would sort of freak out inside if I got around a crowd.

This is one reason I was unable to work. My job requires alot of interaction with people and I could no longer handle it. I also lost my ability to retain information and to perform tasks or do any math.

I was having outbursts at work. VERY BAD outbursts. It was happening almost daily because stress was triggerring me to lose all control. I was swearing, yelling, crying, throwing things, etc...AT WORK!

This is not normal behavior for me and I dont lose my cool that easily...something was very wrong.

One guy was "pushing my buttons" during that time. We were friends who had a falling out and at the time he didnt understand how sick I was...nobody could understand this...not even me.

It got to the point where I was having these outbursts constantly and then would have to immediately go home sick because my body would suffer with migraines or lightheadedness, shaking, etc.

Management got involved and the guy was not allowed to speak to me and any communication was to go through the manager. I clearly couldnt cope with any stress and eventually I went back out on disability.

At home I still had "tantrums". Screaming, crying, throwing things, sitting in a ball holding my head in my hands, etc.

There has been alot of improvement the past year but my brain still doesnt work right. This is more of a concern to me then all of the other problems put together. I still cant deal with stress and its still ALOT of work for me to keep focused on things and to retain information.

I havent had any outbursts at work since I got all the metals out and changed my diet.....and that same guy has been super supportive, caring and sweet since I returned to work almost 2 years ago.

I still get stressed out easily when I'm with my mom. I still have outbursts but less severe...I dont throw stuff or get out of control anymore. I still hold my head in my hands everytime I get the tiniest bit frusterated or stressed.

What is that all about?? I saw kids doing that on the program tonight too. It bothers my mom that I do this but I really cannot help it...anymore than I can help the other behaviors that get triggered from certain things.

It sucks because I know what its like to have a brain which functions normally...I know that something is "blocking" that function right now but its definately improved immensely and I have no doubt that in a years time I will not be having these same struggles. I have alot of faith in my doctors and in my bodies ability to recover.

Anyways...this stuff is the hardest for me to deal with...its embarrassing and totally opposite of the person I was before this happened to me. It hasnt been fun for those close to me either.

Its still a daily struggle. Yesterday at work I was going about my business writing my orders and the checker kept calling me to check because he had a line of customers. He doesnt normally work the morning shift and didnt understand that I dont check when orders have to be written and sent.

I explained it to him and yet he STILL kept calling me. He was freaking out and calling desperately and loudly for help. Calling me and everyone else in the store. It wasnt his fault...there were people in the store who should have been responding and werent.

Just the "noise" and stress from him calling me so many times totally messed up the chemistry in my body. I wanted to sit down and hold my head and my body just wouldnt calm down or relax for more than an hour.....my heart was racing for all that time. I think if someone would have approached me during that time and stressed me out even more...I might have lost it.

The doctor described it as being similar to watching a suspenseful or scary movie....when all the tension is building up inside you and then if someone were to come and surprise you...or jump out at you...all of that "build-up" would come to the surface. She said thats the state that my body is in all the time.

That is a good description of how it feels....except when I was normal that type of reaction would subside after a few minutes. Now it doesnt goes away for HOURS at a time. That feeling of your heart beating out of your chest....or just feeling totally stressed out....it just STAYS there for hours....and other things will occur to just add to that stress and make it even worse.

Does *anyone* else have these types of problems??

It has to be from the mercury. All of these things are on the symptom list for mercury toxicity. For me its very very frusterating to not have control over some things that are happening in my body. Its more frusterating than the food and chemical issues...at least I have *some* type of control over those things.

Rachel-

I do get symptoms like this. I always say one of the worst things about this illness is that it has not only stolen my ability to feel good or enjoy food but it has stole my BRAIN!!! High stress situations are so bad for me and crowds absolutley kill me. I definitly take a while to recover from any build up of stress or emotions. Even when its not necessarily a negative interaction if if it ahigh energy situation it is like my body and mind get overwhelmed and go into overdrive. I don't know if i am explaining this right. I just definitly understand how you feel.

I have not been posting much a quick update-

This week will be my last on antibiotics for now. I am kind of confused as to what the next steps are going to be in my health I am going to talk to my doc on tuesday and hope to get a clearer picture. I feel very confused right now.

Miamia

[Fiddle-Faddle]

If its true that over 90% of Autistic children are testing positive for Lyme...something is up with that.

Was that on the Larry King Live? I missed some while I was posting. I also got mad at one point when they kept flashing "no known cause" on the screen because we DO know that mercury CAN cause every single symptom (there is a chart comparing the official signs of mercury poisoning in adults with the typical symptoms of autism, and they are nearly *identical*), so I got up and walked around for a while til I calmed down.

Did you notice the similarity between 1/150 kids diagnosed with autism and U.of Chicago's 2006 report citing 1/136 people diagnosed with celiac? That's rather close, especially considering the vast concurrence of symptoms.

But in celiac, aren't more women more affected than men? Or is it even?

[Rachel--24]

Was that on the Larry King Live? I missed some while I was posting.

No....they didnt discuss possible causes AT ALL. Which is one of the reasons I was totally infuriated by the whole thing.

Yeah...the first thing I saw when I turned it on was that message stating that there is "No known cause". This is exactly what I'm talking about. I agree with you...they DO know some of the triggers but they arent taking more action to put the whole puzzle together.

MERCURY is definately a trigger here. I dont think its mercury alone though. It is a puzzle...they were wearing those blue puzzle pieces to represent that...but without more funds and research they cannot put the puzzle together and get Dr.'s on board.

The Lyme connection is recent. I posted alot about it a couple months ago. Some of the Dr.'s who are treating these kids started testing them for Lyme and found that nearly all the kids test positive. One Dr. said that 100% of the Autistic kids he had tested were positive for Lyme. It was in a newspaper article I read and theres alot of info. online.

Some parents formed a foundation called "Lyme Induced Autism Foundation" (LIAF). They are trying to bring everyone together on this. They want the Dr.'s treating Lyme and the Dr.'s treating Autism to come together with all the parents and start figuring this thing out.

They held a "Think Tank" in San Diego earlier this year for a "meeting of the medical minds".

This is what the founder of LIAF says...

We are not saying that Lyme disease is the exact cause of autism for every single child. Let me clarify; what we are saying is that Lyme Disease could be an inciting factor that is suppressing the childs immune system, which would make them more susceptible to heavy metal toxicity, environmental factors, etc.

There are a large subset of autistic children in which this is happening. However, most children with Lyme Induced Autism cannot begin to heal until this infection is under control. Parents want their children healed of autism."

I am in total agreement with what shes saying. The fact that more than 90% of these kids test positive has to mean something. There is some significance. I think its just like she said....its probably alot like my own situation. Lyme + mercury + other metals/environmental toxins = severe toxicity.

Some of these kids can get dramatic improvement if the Lyme infection is addressed as well as detoxifying mercury, etc.

Although mercury is a serious and most significant problem in a child with ASD, more than mercury must be considered. The concept of "synergistic toxicity" was introduced, with the lethal combination of minimal amounts of lead and mercury in rodent studies.

I think it does come down to this concept of synergistic toxicity. The situation might not be identical in every child. If a child is born with Lyme (a neurotoxin) a vaccination containing thimersol could have a synergistic effect in that childs body.

To me it seems like there are ALOT of Dr.'s out there who are working on this and figuring this stuff out. The Govt. is ignoring this in the same way that they ignore Lyme in general and there is no money put forward for research.

Heres some links...

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

Open Original Shared Link

[Rachel--24]

Did you notice the similarity between 1/150 kids diagnosed with autism and U.of Chicago's 2006 report citing 1/136 people diagnosed with celiac? That's rather close, especially considering the vast concurrence of symptoms.

But in celiac, aren't more women more affected than men? Or is it even?

I think in general women are more affected by autoimmune disease than men.

I never compared Celiac to Autism. Some of the kids with Autism do have Celiac but the majority do not...so I dont know that there is a connection.

Theres alot we dont know about Autism so anything is possible.

I've been following more closely the newest link between Lyme and Autism. The numbers (if accurate) point to this being a big piece of the puzzle. Of course noone will really know until there is more research.

Lyme cases have steadily climbed over the years....the numbers parallel the growth of Autism. They have paralled each other exactly since the 70's. Also states with higher incidence of Autism are the same states with higher risk for Lyme.....such as New Jersey. The number of kids with Autism in New Jersey is higher than in other states.

Another project that is in the works is to use these numbers to see if "demographically speaking"....the occurrance of Lyme and Autism match up.

I think there is definately an environmental trigger involved...Autism is occurring too frequently for there NOT to be an environmental trigger.

Environmentally, there is increases in levels of heavy metals, toxicity, neurotoxicants, mold, and most of all but not least, the prevelance of

the lyme bacterium.

Obviously we dont know the answer but it definately warrants a closer look...and I dont feel that its being taken seriously AT ALL.

I've seen an in-depth article in Time Magazine on Autism. This was a COVER article....and yet no mention of "causes" or "triggers". It wasnt any different watching "Larry King Live" last night.

[Rachel--24]

Oh...I missed the first 20 minutes so I'm not sure if it was explained...but what is Bill Cosby's involvement in all this??

I also didnt know that Toni Braxton had kids....let alone a child with Autism.

I could not imagine how much strength that one woman must have....with all 3 of her kids born with Autism. I think one child would be very challenging....I could not imagine how trying some of her days must be.

[Rachel--24]

I have not been posting much a quick update-

This week will be my last on antibiotics for now. I am kind of confused as to what the next steps are going to be in my health I am going to talk to my doc on tuesday and hope to get a clearer picture. I feel very confused right now.

Miamia

Mia,

I'm sorry you're feeling confused....its gotta be frusterating for you.

I know the feeling all too well...unfortunately.

I hope you can get a more clear picture on Tuesday. If not.....I would be concerned that this Dr. might not be the right one for you??

You should feel more certain about your diagnosis, treatment and prognosis by now. It doesnt seem like he's giving you those answers and the treatment is random and not specific to anything.

I know that you like him...and that finacially he is better for you.....but in the long run...if he's not capable of getting you better (or even given you a clear picture of whats going on) he might not be the best choice...even if he's nice...and even if he cares about you.

I think for all you've been through you deserve to...at the very least...feel less confused about your treatment. I do think we all feel somewhat confused given the nature of our illness....but I'm still concerned that your Dr. doesnt have the experience needed to tackle something like this.

There are other Dr.s who have alot of experience and will know exactly how to proceed with you. I dont think it would be wrong for you to seek more knowledgeable and experienced Dr.'s.

I cant be 100% certain that my own Dr.'s will get me better....or make all the right choices. However...I know that they do have the experience and there is no hesitation, confusion or question of how to go about treating me. It makes a HUGE difference in my state of mind, depression....just the whole "outlook" that I have on everything.

I'm more optimistic now and when I was feeling confused with my previous doctors....I was very depressed, scared and definately less optimistic.

I dont want you to continue feeling that way and if this Dr. cant give you a better picture I would definately look into seeing someone else. You never know....you might find someone just as nice...and just as caring....but also more experienced.....someone who can give you all the answers to your questions.

I dont mean to put down your Dr. in any way...I just want you to get the best care possible and to feel good about your treatment.