Support for Dr. Wakefield

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
-- 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

I was thinking about this verse the other day in relation to Valentine’s Day. In the same day, I saw a facebook request by a friend to send Valentine’s Day cards to show support for Dr. Wakefield. There have been so many blog entries and articles talking about how horrible the decision was, and how the medical and legal fields have been taken over by special interests groups – I don’t really want to rehash that. (If you don’t know what I am talking about, just go over to Age of Autism and read for a while.) I am a firm supporter of Dr. Wakefield and don’t feel the need to go beyond that at this time.

But, when I read this verse, it really put into perspective how selfless Dr. Wakefield has been in his support of our children. To survive the public flogging he has been through, and come out the other end with his dignity and integrity intact, shows his true character. When someone shows so much love for our children, they deserve our respect and appreciation. Thank you Dr. Wakefield, you will never know how many lives you have touched in a positive and loving way.

Valentine’s day is still a couple weeks away – plenty of time to find a card, or help your child make one. If you can, please send them via Thoughtful House.

Dr. Andrew Wakefield
c/o Thoughtful House Center for Children
3001 Bee Caves Road
Suite 120
Austin, TX 78746

Please, vote!!!!!!

It's been a while since I've posted.. so far, this is an exciting, productive year for our family. Michael is doing amazingly well, I'm actually getting some projects done around that house that we've been putting off for years.. and I think we're just generally happy and content. So, what am I begging for?

Chase Community Giving is donating $5,000,000 to charities around the country. But, you have to vote on facebook for the recipients. It is so easy and quick to do.

Why vote for National Autism Association? They spread the word about hope. They have programs to help families in hard times. They have programs to help keep kids from wandering. They are one of my top five autism organizations.

So, if you have a facebook account, please, please, please go to www.voteautismnow.com and cast your vote for the National Autism Association Inc.

Thanks!

Happy New Year!

It's been a crazy but great holiday season. But, I am so ready to go back to whatever passes for 'normal' around here. Tomorrow is back to work, back to school, and back to reality. I'll miss the relaxation from the holidays, but it will be nice to get back on a schedule. Michael has certainly missed that!

But, one last present! Game giveaway has a great free game today, and it's kid-friendly. Let me know what you think?

Big snow of 2009!

I normally don't post video, but this one was just too cute.

Michael had so much fun playing in the snow today... sledding, walking, throwing snow. I love when he gets to do 'typical kid stuff'!!!!

Taking my life off 'hold'

I took this last week as a vacation week so I could get stuff done around the house, and prepare for the holidays. After I finally got the last presents wrapped and ready to go, I started to attack the piles of stuff in my bedroom. Wow! Talk about a huge amount of 'stuff'!

As I was going through some of the piles shoved further to the back, I realized there were boxes there that were five years old! As I was going through and trying to decide what to keep and what to toss/freecycle, I realized how much we had put on hold ever since Michael got his diagnosis. Our world has revolved around him for the past five years, almost to the exclusion of all else. Not that this is a bad thing - he has made such tremendous progress. But, kinda sad in another way when I look back on the things that used to matter to me.

I was talking with Steve and we realized that our life has changed so much since October. That was when we realized that Michael finally had the perfect placement (for him), and that he was incredibly happy where he is, and hopefully we have a break from fighting the 'system' to get him that placement.

October is also when we started seeing results from a new antioxidant we have been trying. Michael is happy. He's learning. We aren't having the daily battles we once did. A bad day now used to be an incredibly good one - just a year ago. I have so much to be thankful for!

So, now that we aren't in constant battle mode, there is actually time for us. We've taken a vacation. We've spent time together. Now, it's time for me to focus on my own health, and trying to get the house back. I'm not sure if there is any hope for the carpets (supplements really stain when they come back up!) but who knows, maybe the rest of the house can be guest-ready.

On that same topic, we finally broke out a new set of dishes. I had bought them soon after we moved into the house, intending to invite people over for dinner. It's a beautiful set, with all the serving pieces. But, after life started spiraling out of control, I lost hope of having guests and the set got banished to the garage. Yesterday, we brought them in, washed them all, and loaded the cabinet. Anyone want to come over for dinner? It will still be allergy friendly and life is still chaotic, but I have hope.

Does any of this mean that we are less focused on Michael and his recovery? Not at all. It just means that he is finally doing well enough that we can have other interests and maybe a few tiny moments of 'normal'. It's a Christmas wish so it has to come true, right?

What a shock, ethics violations at the CDC regarding vaccine safety!

I was really surprised to see coverage of this inspector general report in a mainstream newspaper. If the advisors have financial interests in the outcome of their recommendations, how much can we trust their opinion? If the CDC shows such disreagard for the law, how can we trust them with our children?

Daiya has made my day!!!!

Tonight we gave Michael a grilled cheese sandwhich. He hasn't been able to have one since we went gluten/casein/soy free. He normally doesn't care much about food, but tonight he actually asked if he could have another sandwhich. I don't know if my heart broke more that it took so long to find a 'cheese' he could eat, or that he was so happy.

I never thought it would be so hard to find a cheese like product that didn't have soy/dairy/wheat, etc and actually melted and tasted good. But, finally, we have one and the house is happy. Now, please don't let the grocery store ever run out!!!

Here is a link to their website - you can see if there are any ingredients I overlooked, or if they have it near you. I am one happy mommy!!!