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
AUTnotISM 