Biomedical – AUTnotISM

Is gamma interferon with your social life?

Yesterday, we went out shopping for a new couch. Fraser loves trying out beds and couches, especially the big puffy recliner ones. After all, they are just house trampolines aren’t they? He bounces from couch to couch testing them all out for us, occasionally reclining with his sister with a wry smile on his face. After the third store though, the novelty began to wear off, not just with him but with Brian as well. I count on this boredom factor, as it usually means I have a better chance of getting the couch I want because it means we’ll get out of the store quicker 🙂 Anyhoo, Fraser did what he does when he’s had enough, he started saying ‘chipst’. Obviously, he wanted chips, but he likes to add a ‘t’ on the end for affect. So we’re wandering around looking at couches and all we hear is ‘chipst, chipst, chipst, chipst’ over and over again. He counts on us getting annoyed, as the annoyance factor usually means he has a better chance of getting the chips he wants…hey, wait a minute! So couchless, but armed with enough visual information to go on with, we headed for home with a quick stop at the drive through along the way. I say to my passengers, ‘does anyone else want chipst’? No reply. I say it again to which Eloise replies ‘i’ll have lemonade’ to which I say, ‘that’s not what I asked’. So, I just decide that one small chipst is our only requirement…easy! All of a sudden, Brian pipes up with ‘I wouldn’t mind a burger. Lets go in’. He NEVER suggests that, so, we go in to the nearest Maccas for some lunch. Fraser and I sit down to wait, while the other two decide they’re going to use some weird machine to order the food. How did it go from one small chipst to this? So, I decide to just go with flow and grab the paper to see whats going on in the world. I decide to bypass the horrific reality that is Donald Trumps speech to the world and open up a random page. I look at the article and realise, we were meant to come to Maccas, this was no accident! The universe had designed this moment just for me. There, in front of me, on page 19 of the Herald Sun, a safe distance away from Trump, was the following article …

IMMUNE VESSELS IN BRAIN LINK TO AUTISM

Now, anyone who has followed an alternative health/gut/immune lifestyle for their Autistic child knows not only innately but through years of hard work and research that Autism is inextricably linked to the immune system. The problem has been that mainstream medicine, mainstream science and especially mainstream media, all like to pounce on such inferences and put us whacko’s back in our places. The big surprise here was two fold: first of all, the information contained in the article was new to me, which is always exciting, and second, the fact that this was appearing in the Herald Sun! This is proof that these ideas that were considered ‘out there’ not so long ago, are thankfully becoming more and more accepted. Maybe now we’ll get somewhere!

So, what did the article say? Basically, new immune cells that have been discovered in the meninges of the brain, have an effect on social behaviour. Interferon Gamma, is an immune cell that is produced in response to a virus or bacteria. As Fraser has a major problem with Strep bacteria changing his behaviour, this was a massive breakthrough for me which helps to complete more of the big Fraser picture. When they interfered with Interferon Gamma (IFN-gamma) in mice, their social responses completely changed. No IFN-gamma, no social interaction, they were wall flowers standing on their own. Switch IFN-gamma back on, and it was mice party time! For something so seemingly simple, this could have a profound outcome for Autistic individuals and other neurologic disorders. So what next? Well of course that meant going back to Google University (like I ever left). So, I typed in ‘how to raise Interferon Gamma’, and to my delight, something really simple came up. So simple, that I had to laugh out loud. The good old probiotic, beloved of parents of Autistic children the world over…Lactobacillus GG, aka Culterelle. I have never been able to find out if this probiotic lowered or raised histamine, so I have and will continue to assume its neutral. Fraser has always better on Culterelle, and this could well be the mechanism, raising IFN-gamma in the brain! He has only one per day, but considering a new packet arrived at my door on Friday, i’m going to up his dose and see what happens. I won’t be expecting a miracle (not that I would knock one back), but, how can I not give it a go?

It is so reassuring to see articles like this coming up, and to know that behind closed lab doors all over the world, people are working to solve these big puzzles. I am grateful to the scientists, the nutritionists and of course, the little party mice for this invaluable leap forward. Keep up the good work dudes!

Lots of love,

Kitty xx

Folate Schmolate

When I was pregnant with my munchkins, I took care of myself and did all of the things I was supposed to do. I didn’t drink alcohol, I tried to eat healthy (not easy with morning sickness), I took my giant fish oil capsule, which, for a girl who doesn’t like the taste or smell of fish, was no easy task at the best of times, but with morning sickness it was almost impossible. Blahhh. And of course, I took my pregnancy multivitamin…with folate. Of course, we all know now that low levels of folate when a woman is pregnant can cause neural tube defects in your new born, which is something that none of us would risk, especially when taking a simple folate supplement can avoid that all together. All pregnant women are told to take folate for this reason, and of course, we do it for our children and ourselves. To avoid problems in women who don’t supplement, the government require food and beverage manufactures to ‘enrich’ their products with folate and thiamine (vitamin b1). Thiamine is added to avoid a nasty condition called Beriberi which is caused by overconsumption of carbohydrates and depletion of B1.

We are all aware for the most part to some extent, that food is not what it used to be. We know this don’t we? As an example, take my beloved Sauvignon Blanc, or Merlot. Were they traditionally made with the preservatives that they contain now? Nup. They have not always contained sulphites, as alcohol IS a preservative. Has meat always contained the growth hormones that it contains now? Nup. Cows and sheep all managed to just grow just fine on their own, thank you very much, if they were given grass, water and sunshine. So what we have, is a situation where food and livestock have been manipulated over time to be vastly different than they used to be. I remember an ad growing up that said ‘bread is the staff of life’ and for hundreds of years this may have been true, but now that the bread is enriched, it may be the exact opposite for a large percentage of people.

That problem is that approximately 45% of people can’t break down this chemical into the form of folate that the body can use, so it then becomes a toxin. Did any government check with the population before they loaded up every product that contains flour with these extra ingredients? Nup. It’s really a cheap and easy win for the government (I really don’t want to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but i’m getting fed up with this crap). They pass a bill saying ‘put folate into flour that is used for baking and babies won’t get spina bifida’. They look like super heroes. They just need capes and a leotard with a great big ‘F’ on the front. We of course would let them think that the F stands for folate 😉

A lot of people are affected by a Single Neucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) of the MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reducatase gene (MTHFR). A what? Big long words for gene mutation. What is this gene mutation? I have written about this before in my post ‘You MTHFR’. MTHFR is a gene and an enzyme that breaks down folate into the usable form ‘l-methylfolate’ which then is used for several cycles that included methylation (detoxification) and the B4 cycle (neurotransmitters). In a percentage of people, the mutation is such that they are unable to break down the folate into a usable form, so not only are they low in folate, but are now more toxic because the supplement then becomes a burden that the body has to deal with. If you’re on the pill the news is not good. The pill depletes folate in the body, and makes a bad situation worse. Gluten has been the big buzz word for the last decade and I couldn’t agree more that there is waaaay to much gluten around, but this flood of folate has been overlooked and could be causing a lot a people a lot a problems that they don’t realise. What if, in taking my supplements and eating enriched foods, I have inadvertently helped to create or exacerbate another condition???? High histamine, or histadelia, is linked to this gene, and can run in families. Is it possible that I have contributed to my own histdelic state, causing severe morning sickness and bombarding Fraser’s growing body with harmful levels of folate and hormones that my body could not break down or detoxify, which have in turn caused some or all of the issues he has today? It seems not only possible, but very likely. He had hallmarks of histamine issues from the time he was a month old, such intestinal discomfort and eczema on his face, which with good ol’ hindsight seems quite obvious now. So from where I stand today, looking back over this chain of events, it seems painfully obvious that I HAVE in fact at best, made things worse than they would have been, and at worse, caused a situation that might not have been. It might not be as cut and dried as that, but it might be. I am not one to look back with regret though, as regret serves no purpose in this instance. I keep my head high and look forward. I look forward to a time when scientists are able to stop a worm hole collapsing in on itself and making time travel possible. Only kidding….sort of.

Are you wondering what the hell this has to do with Autism? Well, my investigations constantly bring me back to a figure of 98%. It is estimated the 98% of people with Autism have a MTHFR gene mutation. That is a pretty staggering number. The list of health conditions linked to this gene don’t stop at Autism. It is really mind blowing. I won’t overwhelm you with it here, but it’s worth Googling or Binging or Yahooing.

So, solution? Come on Kitty, what do I do then? For Fraser I get Oat sour dough that does not contain folate from the local health food shop. Yes it’s expensive, but I think of it as an investment in his health rather than an expense. The thing about it is, is that he is better on this bread. Of course the other option is to make your own bread. I mean from scratch…even the bread mixes at the supermarket already contain folate. Argh! Be aware of everything that has flour in it from breads to biscuits to pastries. It’s everywhere! Avoid packaged foods as much as possible and add in fresh fruit and vegetables as much as you can. Not easy with a kid with Autism! I guess the thing is to not be too stressed. Just do what you can and be aware that it could be causing problems. The best thing to do if you can is get a test for the gene (doing it in the next few weeks), and you can supplement with the active forms of B Vitamins. I use a website called iherb which have very affordable supplements and shipping. Just type in ‘activated b vitamins’ and you’ll have a range to choose from that will suit your budget. It pays to do this slowly as it will begin a cascade of detoxification processes that could be uncomfortable. I will post on this in the coming weeks. Otherwise, do the easiest thing…stay away from processed food and stick to food naturally high in folate. Ah, if only wine were high in folate 🙂

Take care,

Kitty. xx

Link to my app – https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/emotion-fonts/id779305002?mt=8

Is Autism Inevitable?

Over the years, I have had many many conversations with many many people about Autism. Some are wanting information, some are just curious, and mostly people are kind and caring. I have noticed though, that one question gets asked more than others. The question is…’are there more kids with Autism these days or is it just diagnosed better’? And my answer is this ‘there are more kids with Autism these days and it is diagnosed better’. I’m not trying to be wiseacre, but to me, that seems to be the answer! With that said, I do have to add one thing. Yes our diagnostic tools are better these days. There are more tests available, and a whole lot more information than there used to be. Of course there are more diagnostic categories than there used to be. It’s not just Autism anymore, it’s Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and within that spectrum lie a vast number of extreme’s and diagnosis. For example : PDD (Pervasive Development Disorder), SPD (Sensory Processing Disorder), Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD), Rett Syndrome, Aspergers Syndrome and of course Autistic Disorder. So indeed, there are a lot more possibilities for diagnosis, BUT, there are waaaaaaay more children being diagnosed than ever before because there are waaaaaaaay more children affected than ever before. All you have to do to know that this is true is to think back to your own school days. Of course there were always one or two kids in the school that were ‘a bit different’, but now it’s hard to meet anyone who doesn’t know or know of, someone that is affected in some way.

Lets look at the possibility of why. 100 years ago, when statistically there was no Autism, what was different? The short answer is almost everything, but lets at least start with something that affects everybody, everyday…food. This is an obvious place to start when you look at the supermarkets of today. Basically, they had meat, vegetables (mostly locally sourced) a little fruit, grains in the form of bread and porridge, eggs, milk, water and perhaps a little sugar in their tea. Of course any treats such as biscuits and cakes were rare and home made. There may have been, for the average person at least, a little alcohol on the odd occasion. Fast forward to today, and while our diet may resemble the basics, it’s a safe bet that we all have a lot more sugar than just a little in our tea, probably more grains than vegetables from all of the pasta, bread, rice and breakfast cereals that we eat each and every day. Add to that, the hormones and antibiotics feed to the animals that we eat, add to that the grains, especially corn, fed to the animals that were never meant to eat grains. Add to that the bombardment of agricultural sprays on our fruits and vegetables, add to that the gmo’s, add to that the depletion of the soils from over farming, add to that the chemicals such as BPA added to bottled water and canned goods that we eat. Add to that preservatives, food colourings, flavour enhancers, gluten gluten and more gluten! Add to that things you can’t even freaking pronounce!!!

Now lets look at the environment we live in. 100 years ago, the population was much smaller than it is today. They were simpler times when people worked close to where they lived. The transport was much more limited than it is today, with bicycles, horses, trains and of course walking being the major ways of getting around. Fast forward to today and there are MILLIONS of cars clogging up roads everyday. If you live in the suburbs or inner urban areas, you can’t escape the sound of traffic, let alone, the bi-products of the traffic namely, cadmium, lead and carbon monoxide. Then add mercury from industrial fumes as well as countless other nasties, now add endless cleaning chemicals and antibacterial hand washes that contain liver damaging triclosan, add to that, heating and air conditioning, flame retardants on our pj’s and almost every piece of furniture we own and of course the biggest add of them all, electromagnetic radiation from power lines, appliances and wireless technology.

Lets have a quick look at the water we drink now. 100 years ago, it was as basic as it gets, fast forward to today and things have dramatically changed with the addition of fluoride and chlorine in the water, not mention the countless heavy metals and industrial waste that have polluted our water supply. There are so many more things that could be added here, but I think i’ve made my point.

So, what does this have to do with Autism? Well, I think when you look at the changes that have occurred in the last 100 years (and this is only scratching the surface), you have to wonder what effect does this have on the human body??? To answer that question, you really only need to look around and see the epidemics surrounding us. It’s on the news almost every day! Obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, dementia and Alzheimers and of course Autism which now affects 1 in 68 children. In 1975 it was 1 in 5000!!! Growing up in the 70’s I don’t think i’d ever heard of anyone having autism or cancer, now, I know too many people who are suffering from these once rare conditions. It is happening really fast. Our bodies have evolved over 100,000 years. How are they supposed to adapt to this tidal wave of assaults in 100 years!!!! I believe that when industrial chemicals, food additives, petrol fumes etc, made their way into the environment, that our grandparents were affected. How could they not be? I believe that these affects were passed down to their children, who have now passed them onto our children and I will use my own family as an example, as this is why this post has any relevance at all. My grandfather died of bowel cancer and Alzheimers disease. My Mum was diagnosed as a child with Crohns Disease and in the last 10 years has developed Rheumatoid Arthritis, her twin sister in that time has been diagnosed with Lupus. Their older sister developed severe Rheumatoid Arthritis in her 30’s. Her daughter, my cousin, was also diagnosed with RA in her 30’s. My grandmother, my mum and her two sisters have all had thyroid problems. I won’t delve further than that for now, but of course, my interest peaks at my own son who has Autism, Intellectual Disability and PANDAS, which is an Autoimmune condition (Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus and Crohns are also autoimmune diseases). I believe the affect of these changes have been profound. I believe that our bodies and brains are the results of the cumulative affect of these changes. I believe that some of us, generationally speaking, have paid a fairly high price for these changes. I believe that while our bodies are truly incredible and are obviously capable of dealing with many things, gene’s have been switched on and off in ways that must differ from those 100 short years ago. (Please see my post ‘You MTHFR’). I believe that with all of this in mind, Autism and other conditions must be an inevitability. There are more than 200 chemicals found in umbilical cord blood. 200!!!!!!!! Babies are compromised in utero. Not necessarily through any fault of the poor mother, but from the environment we are living in. Children with Autism are the canaries in the coal mine.

So what is my point? My point as usual is to make people aware. We need to keep our minds open, we need to understand what we are doing and what future we are contributing to. We need to look further than the brain for answers. We need to look more at the gut and the liver, at what price they have paid and will keep paying. We need to not just look for an ‘Autism Gene’, but look for which genes are effected in a person with Autism. We have come such a long way in our understanding, but I think we have a long long way to go. You may not agree with my theory at all and thats okay. But after researching for ten years, it feels pretty obvious to me. As a parent, it is my responsibility to not only look after my beautiful boy, but to help my daughter have the best possible outcomes when she is old enough to have children of her own. This is my conclusion and it feels pretty logical. Now that you’ve read this you may truly understand why I made the title a question and why i’m off to get a glass of Sauv Blanc. Actually, I might make it a green tea instead 🙂

Take care,

Kitty

You mthfr!

If you looked at the title and thought, ‘Wow! A post about MethyleneTetraHydroFolate Reductase’ then you’d be right! If you looked at the title and thought about something or someone else…actually what else could you have been thinking? We’ll get to the title later.

Have you heard of String Theory? It is a very VERY complicated theory that explains the parts of the universe that are too small to be explained by Einsteins theories of relativity. And when I say small, I mean we need a whole new word for small. The best example i’ve heard, is that if an atom where the size of the solar system, a string would be the size of a TREE! That is mind boggling to say the least. String Theory and particle physics have been controversial for a long time, in no small part because there wasn’t one model of the theory for anyone to agree on! There were in fact 5 different theories to explain strings and the evolution of the universe. It was said at the time, that ‘If one of those theories explains the universe, then which universe’s do the other four explain’. It was not just food for thought but a whole damn smorgasbord! Then one day, a very brilliant man with a soft delicate voice, an unassuming perona, and an enormous brain called Ed Whitten, announces that he had unified the five different string theories into one that he called ‘M Theory’. As a basic example, if I asked you to hold up your pointer finger and describe it, what would you say? Well, for a start, there’s a fingernail at the top that is hard, it has a white bit a the top, a pink part in the middle and a half moon in a lighter shade of pink at the bottom. There a two convex knuckles which are a bit wrinkly (and becoming more wrinkly every day), there is a vein popping out and a mosquito bite and when I bend it, it points away from me. Now, turn that same finger 180 degrees, and describe it. Well, it’s the same colour, but it’s much smoother. At the top there are strange markings that are unique to each finger…on the entire planet! There are horizontal lines that are a darker colour and when it bends, it points towards me. One thing, two different descriptions. Basically, what the incredible Ed did, was to look at the existing theories from a different angle. In doing that, he saw that they were all describing our universe, just at slight different angles. Pretty impressive stuff.

It has been said before, and will be said again, the human body is truly a wonder. The simplicity of the outside of our bodies belies the intricate dance of systems, organs, networks, hormones, amino acids and neurotransmitters that is going on inside. And thats just to name a few. There are armies of workers going to and fro, cleaning house, transmitting information and letting in nutrients, breaking them down to smaller pieces and sending them where they need to go and others that are takin’ out the trash. There are trillions of bacteria living symbiotically in our mouths, and digestive tract producing essential vitamins and compounds that help make up our immune systems, as well as killing off bad bacteria so that we stay strong and healthy. Our amazing bodies are ALWAYS trying to keep themselves in tip top shape despite how it sometimes seems. When we are overwhelmed with symptoms and illness it’s easy to think your body has turned on you, when it is in fact trying to do the opposite. Your body does not just employ single organs to do specific jobs. They are intricately connected in ways you can’t even imagine! One such example is Methylation. It is on an incredible scale of complexity and is happening as you’re sitting reading this, but we’ll get into that later. When you’re doing biomedical interventions for Autism, there are a few standard issues and treatments that almost everyone agrees on. Digestive issues, allergies, a high toxic load of mercury and other metals, and an out of whack zinc/copper ratio are the most common. As it turns out that the vast majority of Autistic individuals suffer from all of these conditions and many treatments are based on or around correcting digestion, removing allergens like gluten and casein, removing toxic metals and balancing zinc and copper. Probiotics are a standard treatment as is fish oil and omega 3 supplementation. Then there are the countless other issues that affect kids on the spectrum. In fact, the symptoms in and of themselves are a spectrum. Each child is so different, and what may affect some won’t affect others. It is a very complex, and multilayered condition, as it is almost impossible to know what issues they would have been dealing with if they didn’t have Autism. But what do you do, and where do you start when your child has a seemingly impossible and seemingly unrelated set of symptoms as long as your arm????? I’ll give you a quick run down of my little man’s rap sheet. Eczema (from one month old), digestive problems (from day one), multiple food and chemical sensitivities, high histamine, low zinc/high copper, low magnesium/high calcium, high cortisol, intermitant fevers, aggression and anxiety. You keep on looking. You research each symptom and deal with them one by one and if you’re like me you do that for many years.

Like those tireless String Theorists looking for solutions to endless questions and problems, carers of Autistic children, or in fact any child that has any type of issue, sometimes you just feel that you reach a dead end. Sometimes the problems seem as though they’ve gotten so big and so exhaustive, that no solution is actually possible! But of course in this magical universe, there is always another avenue to explore. They can dawn on you slowly as you acquire information piece by piece, or they can pop up out of nowhere when you least expect it. And on very rare occasions, they happen simultaneously. MTHFR Avenue popped up on my inner GPS as I was doing yet more research on Histamine. I was looking for what started the high histamine sequence of events and it happened. I had a moment when all of my theories came together. That moment when right before my eyes, on the very computer screen i’m typing this onto, revealed the answer to most of my questions. I had that moment when your whole body comes alive and boundless energy surges through you as this information fills every gap and satiates the previously insatiable hunger for answers. Like ‘Neo’ from ‘The Matrix’, I had an ‘I know Kung Fu’ moment! My head was full of this new information and it all made perfect sense, it was the missing link in this broken chain of symptoms. BBBAAAAMMMMM! I was Ed Whitten!

So, what is this MTHFR? Well, in the words of the little guy from the Curiosity Show, ‘I’m glad you asked’. In your body at this very moment, you are undergoing an incredible process called ‘Methylation’. Methylation is almost as complicated as String Theory to my untrained brain, and I am slowly trying to wrap my head around it. I’ll do what I can to explain it.

Gene’s in our body act like switches, turning processes on and off. The MTHFR gene is responsible for converting Folate (a B vitamin, also known as B9) into methylfolate. The conversion of folate to what is known as 5-methylTHF, is the beginning of the Methylation cycle. The cycle is like cogs turning, and each cog relies on the next for the smooth and proper functioning of itself and each function from there on. The central cog uses the converted folate, and methylcobalamin (B12) to produce SAMe, and reduce Homocysteine. It brings in Methionine, B6 and Cysteine to produce the master antioxidant, Glutathione. This process also sets in motion, on the other side of the cog, yet another cycle called the BH4 cycle, which is responsible for the neurotransmitters Seratonin and Dopamine, by the conversion of the amino acids Tryptophan and Tyrosine. PHEW! When I say I have simplified this process i’m not kidding. Google ‘Methylation Cycle’ images and prepare to be blown away! It is beyond description, and I have not done it justice by any stretch of the imagination. But the point is not the cycle itself, but that one seemingly small thing can trigger such a cascade of symptoms and diseases.

The functions of the methylation cycle include :

Detoxification
Immune function
Maintaining DNA
Energy production
Mood balancing
Controlling inflammation

To put that into perspective, here’s a list of what happens when it’s not working properly

Cardiovascular Disease
Cancer
Diabetes
Adult neurological conditions
Autism and other spectrum disorders
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Alzheimer’s disease
Miscarriages, fertility, and problems in pregnancy
Allergies, immune system, and digestive problems
Mood and psychiatric disorders
Aging

It seems that a mutated MTHFR gene is becoming more and more common, as it is passed down from generation to generation. Down’s Syndrome and other genetic diseases are also implicated.

So, what the hell do we do? Thankfully, there is a simple saliva test, which we shall be undertaking shortly, that can test for mutations in the MTHFR gene. The gene can have up to forty mutations and the treatment depends on where the mutation occurs. I don’t know yet if every mutation has a treatment, but believe me, i’m working on finding out. Some treatments however, can be as simple as taking the already converted form of folate called folinic Acid. I have already seen incredible improvements in my own Mum after suggesting she try this form. She takes a drug for her Arthritis called Methotrexate, which actually depletes the body of folate, which then causes Methotrexate toxicity. Her doctor had prescribed folate for her to take, but every week, for 3 days after taking the drug, she was incredibly sick even with the folate. After discovering all of this, I gave her the folinic acid, and her sickness has vanished! It has been quite a remarkable difference, and most certainly points the finger at the likelihood of her having a mutation.

Although it may seem a depressingly long list of issues, I am so excited by the possibilities. It also unfortunately raises quite a few questions which I will address in the next post, regarding folate in our food supply. But for now, let’s rejoice in the wonders of the human body, the incredible discoveries of mankind and the little universes that are our kids.

Kitty. xx

Lithium…more than just a really cool Nirvana song.

Okay, it’s also a cool song by Evanescence, but I just couldn’t fit that in the title. Anyhoo, i’ll get to that later.

My all time favourite movie is Apollo 13, not only because of the great acting, direction, music, attention to detail and because Tom Hanks is in it, but because, at its heart, the true story of Apollo 13 is a testament to what incredible things human beings can achieve not only when they want to, but when they have to. The differences between wanting to and having to can be vast indeed, but when the desire is there, great things can happen. The movie is obviously about the Apollo 13 mission to the moon in 1970 that ultimately ended up almost costing the astronauts their lives. Jim Lovell, the mission Captain, had been in an unexpected situation before and referred to it in the movie…

'I remember this one time. I'm in a Banshee at
 night in combat conditions, so there's no running lights on the carrier. 
It was the Shangri-La and we were in the Sea of Japan, and
my radar had jammed, and my homing signal was gone
because somebody in Japan was actually using the same
frequency and so it was leading me away from where I
was supposed to be. And I'm looking down at that big black
ocean. So I flip on my map light. And then suddenly zap
everything shorts out right there in my cockpit, all my
instruments are gone, my lights are gone, I can't even tell
now what my altitude is. I know I'm running out of fuel, so
I'm thinking about ditching in the ocean and I
look down there and then in the darkness there's
this green trail, it's like a long carpet
that just laid out right beneath me, and it was the algae,
right. It was that phosphorescent stuff that gets turned up
in the wake of a big ship and it was just leading me home. 
And... if my cockpit lights hadn't
shorted out, there's no way I had ever been able to see
that. So you never know what events
are gonna transpire to get you home'.

Yesterday, I took my kids shopping to the local shopping centre (‘whoa Kitty, livin’ large’! I hear you thinking), which, with a child with autism, can be fraught with peril and could be very aptly described as ‘combat conditions’ as the list of possibilities can be endless, from running away, to screaming (his sisters favourite…NOT), demanding ‘chocrat’ or ‘chipst’ at the top of his voice and heaven forbid anyone knock him, ’cause he not only has autism, but is afflicted with ‘indignation’ and he will give, bigger and better than he got if he’s in the right (or wrong) mood. In his defence, shopping centres are those mystical places that to some of us humans, are calling to us like the Sirens of myth and legend, while to others, they are like torture chambers that do nothing but inflict pain and discomfort. My husband is in that last category and he doesn’t have autism. So poor Fraser has been hit twice, not only does he have the big ‘A’, but he is also, just a chip off the old block!

Anyhoo, before I tell you what happened I will go back a few weeks, as I want to keep you in suspense. As I have previously mentioned, in the last few weeks of school of 2013, I started to treat Fraser for his high histamine by giving him large doses of vitamin C, calcium and a half a Zyrtec everyday and the results were nothing short of miraculous. That was then. What has been happening is that he has had a major exacerbation of symptoms, which is common as you are pulling histamine (or any type of toxin) out of tissues to be removed from the body. He has been very difficult to handle at times. He has ranged from just looking and feeling unwell to being so agro that he’d have Mike Tyson cowering in the corner. This is soooo difficult to watch because he just looks so tormented. So, when you see your child turn from calm, happy and settled with no negative behaviours, to one that is raging, agro and out of control, what do you do? PANIC!!! I couldn’t call for help on the radio, and the lights had shorted out, Like Jim Lovell, I was flying blind! I know you’re not supposed to panic, you’re a mummy, that’s not what you’re supposed to do…at all, but I just couldn’t help it. A year ago he was ‘asked to leave’ his special school and here we were, a year later, possibly back where we started dealing with the same unmanageable behaviour. Now, I knew as I dealt with the Histamine, that this could happen, but sometimes, as a Mummy, the logical part of me is not in control. The funny thing is, if I saw someone else’s child going through the same thing I know I would say ‘don’t worry, this will get better’ but I couldn’t do it for myself in the panic mode I was in, and as much as I love my hubby, he’s hopeless at that. His big advice when he saw me stressing was ‘stop stressing’. Yeah right! So, my panicked but curious Capricorn self kicked in and began what i’ll call a ‘fractal quest’, one that has branched of the side of the main quest. So, I stayed up researching late into the night, and something crept into my head that had made it’s way there before during another difficult time. It was the thought that ‘maybe there’s something else wrong here’. As difficult as it was, I started to look at childhood schizophrenia and bipolar, and while he has some overlapping symptoms (which is very common), I wasn’t convinced either way. As I said, I was in panic mode, and I had to find a way to help him settle. He had been on a very low dose of Risperdal (an antipsychotic) for the past year, and there was no way, we were going to raise the dosage. I hated giving it to him at the best of times, but when he was agro, it seemed not only pointless as it clearly wasn’t working, but dangerous to continue. I searched and searched, like Captain Lovell looking for something, anything to guide him, and then, I found my green carpet laid out for me! While it wasn’t as clear as that at the time, the sound of it glittered like hope in my head. Enter ‘Lithium Orotate’ (now the title should start to make some sense). I started researching the overlapping symptoms of Autism and Bipolar and the supplements for children and adults with these overlapping symptoms when I read about the Lithium Orotate. Just to be clear, Lithium Orotate is a naturally occurring mineral and nothing to do with Lithium Carbonate that is prescribed by psychiatrists for Bi-Polar. I started reading reviews and blogs by other parents and sufferers and it sounded fantastic, in fact, it sounded waaaay to good to be true but, as I said, I was in panic mode, and with a tingle of hope, I searched and found some locally available, and had it express posted the next day, and made the decision not to give him the Risperdal anymore. I had wanted to get him off the medication since the first dose! But he needed it at the time.

I don’t know much about Lithium Orotate and I don’t for a second want to pretend that I do, I just want share the journey of what i’m doing, and I invite everyone to do their own research before putting anything into yours or your child’s body, however, I felt that I knew enough at that point to give it to him safely. What I do know it’s that Lithium Orotate works particularly well on Autistic children who have high levels of toxic metals (as Fraser most definitely does) so, I nervously gave him the first dose. I really was nervous, because I’ve had bipolar friends on Lithium and I know how much trouble it can cause. I had to get my head around the fact that this was different. I cut it in half, put into the good old peanut butter and watched nervously. Now, 30 days is what I read is the time it takes to build up in the system and have a noticeable effect, so I was only watching to make sure nothing negative happened to him. Within an hour, he seemed a little sleepy, but so calm!!! He just seemed happy, like some of that inner tension had just evaporated! I was perplexed, and still am that this happened so quickly! It has been five days and he is a new boy… again!

So, shopping centre story. I said to little man, ‘we have to go to the shops and get some things, then we’ll get you some chips’ (have to sweeten the deal somehow), so off we went. For the first time, he got into the car without a twirly ( tape measures he like to twirl around his fingers, he doesn’t go anywhere without one and hasn’t for years), no iPad, ipod or even a book. He calmly got in and put on his seatbelt. We went to the supermarket and got some food, and he was fine. We went to Ishka because it’s his sisters favourite store, and he was fine. We went to the food court and as I lined up to get his beloved ‘chipst’, proudly watched as my children calmly sat at the table and played together. He finished his chips and happily sat and waited for us to finish our lunch (he’d normally run off as soon as he was done and yell ‘cart’ to go back to the car), while smiling and looking around at everyone and everything. We then went to Kmart, where he excitedly bounded around looking at books and DVD’s. He got himself a Lion King book and happily carried the bag of shopping back to the car. So lets re-cap…busy supermarket, check! Small overstocked, pungent smelling, brightly coloured specialty store, check! Noisy, pushy, overcrowded food court, check! And hugely overwhelming department store, check! It may not sound like a big deal to you if your child doesn’t have Autism or sensory issues, but for us it was incredible. I got to feel like a normal Mummy! It was so joyous watching the kids walking hand in hand through the centre. As much as I enjoyed watching them enjoy each others company, I wanted to shout out to everyone in the food court ‘check this out’!!! Once we got home, didn’t pick up a twirly until 3 in the afternoon.

At this point I don’t know if it’s just the Lithium, the lack of Risperdal, or the lowering of the histamine, but he’s happy again, and that’s all that matters for now. If he wakes up agro again tomorrow, I know that peace is possible, and the right balance will make it happen again, as there is more than one green carpet. As I have been researching, I have found something incredibly interesting. Risperdal (the potent brain shrinking anti psychotic drug he was on) is a potent anti histamine!!!!! I have to wonder, if it’s course of action in the year he was taking it, has been not by affecting his dopamine levels as it was prescribed for, but lowering his histamine. It seems that with all of the other histamine lowering supplements, that the risperdal’s method of action in Fraser’s body was not only no longer needed, but causing the very aggression is was supposed to curb!!!! The great thing is, that none of it was in vain, as without this course of events, we wouldn’t be riding the green carpet today. I’m not a big fan of medication, but as i’ve said previously, it is often necessary. What is the point of doing all of the other things to help, if you can’t get the stress levels down! There’s not a lot of point to dragging out excess histamine and toxins if the adrenals are going to be shrivelled up little prunes by the time your done! Cortisol and stress MUST be kept low as much as possible and there are many herbs, supplements and medications that reduce stress. Finding what works is such a hard slog, but ultimately worthwhile. It seems for now, that things are continuing to look up again.

There is one thing final thought that I want to leave you with. In the midst of all of this, I wrote an email to Fraser’s pediatrician outlining his behaviour, but I never sent it. I saved it to drafts and didn’t think about it again. Two days ago, Fraser took his Dad to the computer, opened up the emails, and went straight into the drafts to the email about him. He wanted his Dad to delete it. We don’t know how on earth he knew it was there. He certainly wasn’t around me when I wrote it, but he somehow knew it was there, and wanted it gone. This child continues to amaze me in every way. It seems that he has been craving foods for many years, that contain the most natural lithium…bread (grains) and potatoes (nightshades), and since starting on the Lithium, his need for large amounts of these foods has markedly decreased. At this point all I can say is…’watch this space’. I’ll keep you posted,

Kitty xx

Vaccines & the Holden Monaro

This blog might surprise you. Probably from the title you think you know what i’m going to say, but hopefully you’ll be pleasantly surprised and maybe even a little bit enlightened. That’s a lot to hope for I know, but I really think it’s time to change direction on this issue in the name of progress. I am at no point going to give my personal opinion on vaccines, as I believe it is not only counter productive to do so, but would negate most of what i’m about to say and that would be silly indeed. My sole aim is to make this world better and safer for our children, our children’s children and so on.

It seems on the issue of vaccines that every one has an opinion, and so they should. Whether you choose to vaccinate or not to vaccinate is your choice (for now). However, some people have strong opinions. REALLY strong opinions. So strong in fact that in the case of some pro-vaccine advocates, they have gotten to the point of showing absolute disdain and disgust for parents who choose not to vaccinate. There has been high profile media personalities injecting (pardon the pun), their own personal (or network) agendas into the issue, which then creates disharmony, judgement and fear among the public and this is only the tip of the iceberg. Disdain and disgust do not belong in this arena. There are people out there doing terrible things to innocent people and animals, and while we might be disgusted or appalled for a moment while the news story is on, we move on to whatever is next, but mention on a tv morning show that you don’t believe in vaccination and be prepared to be lynched!

When I began my crusade to help my autistic son, 10 years ago, I mentioned to a couple of doctors that I was trying diet and biomedical interventions, and one of the kinder things I was told was that I was ‘trying to reinvent the wheel’. What they meant (in more than just those words) was that it was a waste of time and that I should not question and stick to the set protocols. ( In Australia that meant early intervention and possibly medications. That was it!) I often left feeling deflated and discouraged, when you would think that a mother trying to help her child should be encouraged. I’ve been thinking about this ‘reinventing the wheel’ comment lately as I work on my son’s issues and i’ve come to this conclusion…what is so wrong with trying to reinvent the wheel? Can you imagine how a Holden Monaro would perform if its wheels were sandstone and not Bridgestone? So, with that said, I think it’s time for the vaccine issue to be reinvented.

Like a holy war, what he have is an impasse, where one side is right and the other side is wrong, but which is right or wrong depends entirely on the side you happen to be on. Holy wars can and have gone on for hundreds if not thousand of years, with little to no progress along the way, but always casualties. In the case of the vaccine war, it is children who are at risk of being casualties. There are obvious reasons for this. As most children seem to tolerate vaccines well, there are a percentage that don’t. If your child has not had a bad reaction, then this issue will not have much relevance for you, but it is very relevant to families of vaccine injured children. It is fact not fiction, that there are children and families that have endured horrific suffering due to reactions to vaccines (and other medications). There are ‘side effects’ from every single medication on the planet. There are medications that are without a doubt, lifesaving. Without some of those very medications, my husband would not be with us today, but of course for the most part, you still need to weigh up the good and the bad.

What I am suggesting is that it really doesn’t matter who’s right or wrong. Vaccine advocates and governments (I will leave the drug companies out of this) are trying to prevent current and future epidemics and outbreaks, they are trying to see the bigger picture, and that is their job whether you agree or not. Anti-vaccine lobbyists are also trying to see the bigger picture, and are trying to dispel fear and protect children and families from harm now and in the future. Everyone really wants the same thing, it’s just different sides of the same coin and neither side is going to back down, So what do we do now?

What if we at least met half way? What if, doctors and medical staff took a full family medical history including allergies, before a new born is injected irreversibly with a vaccine? Would that be so bad? What if drug companies took out dangerous ingredients like Thimerosal and add a preservative that is at least a bit safer? We know after all, without a doubt, that mercury IS neurotoxic. Would that be so bad? What if parents waited a little, and took some time and spaced the vaccinations out? Would that be so bad? What if at least, a basic medical examination was done on each child before each vaccination (glands and temperature at least checked) to try to ensure the child was not compromised in any obvious way? Would that be so bad? What if governments insisted that drug companies use safer ingredients? Would that be so bad? And, what if governments afforded parents the right not to vaccinate, without penalties? What if, we did everything we could to make this situation safer? What if we all met half way for the sake of our kids? While these things are being done, the next step is for people to respect each others decisions. This planet is rife with judgement. It stinks and it’s time to stop. People should be entitled to make their own decisions without fear or judgement. In lieu of judgement, the dissemination of information should be open and on going and can hopefully be given and received with respect on both sides. We are all happy and lucky to be living in a democracy, and it should continue that way.

Before I finish my little rant, I do have one observation i’d like to make. I am continually amazed when a pro-vaccinist gets concerned over the thought of an epidemic from children who aren’t vaccinated. It’s not exactly a ringing endorsement for vaccines! If you’re child is vaccinated, you don’t have anything to worry about, do you? There are people out there who vaccinate their children, because they just go with the flow. It’s just what you do. Then there are those who are fearful either way and put time, consideration and hopefully some research into their decision and we all have to be aware that either way, it can be a very difficult decision. Sometimes it may not be one big decision, but many smaller decisions along the way as their child grows.

I hope I don’t sound too scalding, but while I stand by not giving my personal views on vaccines, i’m happy to share my views on judgement of others as you’ve just discovered. One of my favourite lines from my very favourite tv show, Modern Family, is when Mitchell locks the baby in the car. When he calls for help he says to the operator, ‘we’ve locked our baby in the car…and people are judging us’! We are all judging and being judged whether we even realise it or not. Lets endeavour to look after and support each other instead, and make the world a better and safer place at the same time.

Kitty xx

Link to my app 🙂

https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/emotion-fonts/id779305002?mt=8