HANDLE, Cranio, Enhansa

If anyone asked me what my three biggest "wow"s would be with Michael, these would have to be them. We have done so many things with him that have been miraculous (Tomatis, diet, etc.), but these are current and making a huge impact on him now.

We had Michael's HANDLE followup this afternoon. It is so remarkable for me to think back where he was last year when we started, and compare that child to the Michael we have now. Today he was interacting, asking questions, being polite, so many wonderful things. Last year he was shy, acting out, impatient. He still has a long way to go, but I am just so thrilled with his progress.

I think the biggest things he has gained from HANDLE have to be better vision, self-confidence and body awareness. He has always struggled with getting his eyes to work together, making distance reading and close work like writing extremely difficult for him. Now, when his schoolwork comes home I can actually read it! And, no more throwing pencils to get out of writing! Also, he really seems to have a much better idea of where his body is in space, letting him freely jump, run, and just be kid. I love it!

I think the CST works so well with HANDLE. As his therapist has been working on his frontal lobe and the two hemispheres of his brain working together, we are seeing huge gains in self control, expression, curiosity, and pretend play. I'm not 100% sure what to attribute to HANDLE and what to CST, but together, they make a whole new kid.

Underlying all these gains has to be the enhansa. Now that Michael is free of the chronic candida infection, his tummy problems are gone and so is his OCD and most of his aggression. I can see every day that as his body heals, his brain does too. It is hard to understand how yeast can do so much damage, but boy do I believe it! Plus, the anti-oxidants have to really help in reducing inflammation and just making him healthier.

So, after much introspection on the way home, I have to rave about my favorite three 'wow's -- at least for today!

I'm In Love with Enhansa!

I never thought I’d be in love with a bright orange capsule – but I am, and it’s the real thing! We have had Michael on Enhansa for well over a month now, and have seen incredible results. But, let me start with a little background information.

Michael has been battling systemic yeast his whole life. We’ve tried Yeast Aid, Diflucan, Ketokenazole, you name it. Each would help for a little while, and then the yeast would come back in force. I had researched the anti-candida diets, but just couldn’t do it. Michael is so skinny to start with; I just couldn’t take away any more carbs.

This calendar year we started off with the Diflucan and then switched to the Ketokenazole. Toward the end of the second prescription, the yeast was under control but I was terrified of what would happen when we stopped taking the medicine. Plus, I was afraid of what damage taking such strong antifungals could cause long term.

I had heard really good things about Enhansa, and was perfectly primed to try it. So, when we started, the yeast was mostly under control, but still there. We started Michael with one 75mg capsule in the morning for a week. We added one capsule a week until we are now at 2 in the morning and 2 at night, for a total dose of 600mg a day.

It’s like we have a whole new child. He was doing great when we started, but his social interaction is really taking off, and his OCD is much better. Right now he and Steve are playing Mario Kart on the wii. They are talking back and forth about the game, strategies for doing better, and unlocking levels. It’s so nice to hear a back and forth conversation that is related to what they are doing together! Add in that he’s sharing and taking turns, and I’m completely over the moon.

Spring is staring and Michael has been asking to go to the park. Last year, he would go on a lot of the equipment, but shied away from a lot of the more challenging tasks. This year, he is doing absolutely everything. He’s still a little intimidated by walking over a mesh bridge that is at least 20 feet off the ground, but he does it. He’s still a little more cautious that most of the other kids, but he’s catching up fast. It’s so wonderful to see.

Even better, he’s starting to interact with some of the younger kids. He generally feels comfortable with children about 2 years younger than him – they tend to be quieter and move a little slower. He’s played on the teeter-totter a few times, and shared some of the equipment that requires sharing. It’s so awesome to watch.

The very best result by far though is that Michael is a much happier child. He smiles more, and laughs a genuine laugh. I was so used to the hyper yeast laugh (other parents of yeasty kids know what I’m talking about) that it was a surprise to hear a genuine, happy laugh. I think he’s feeling better overall, and is less bothered by what’s left of the OCD.

I’m tempted to bump him up one more capsule to 750mg a day, but we haven’t decided yet. For now, we’re holding steady at 600 and seeing a happy, connected child. What more could I ask ?

I do have one footnote to add. Through all of this we’ve been seeing an absolute angel of a CranioSacral therapist. She has worked wonders with Michael both before and during our Enhansa experience. So, I can’t say for sure what is due entirely to the Enhansa, and what to the CranioSacral. I tend the think the two work synergistically, so it’s not a very big footnote.

Conference Summary

My brain is so full. After attending the DAN! conference in the spring, I thought I was prepared for the barrage of information at the Autism Expo last week. I was wrong. I guess when you hear a message several times, from several speakers, it starts to sink in. I'm finally making more connections between environmental triggers, mitochondrial damage, toxins, inflammation, and the body's ability to function. I never realized how interconnected everything is.

Before this conference I was relying on our team to guide us in the right direction regarding supplements, medication, and therapies. Now, I'm finally starting to understand how they all interact. I am so thankful that we've had such good experts to manage Michael's recovery! Every lecture further impressed on us the need to heal Michael's immune system and digestive tract, and to minimize further damage.

Coming out of the conference I am energized on several fronts. I really want to make sure that we keep Candida at bay. I've seen the terrible effects it has had on Michael, and I never want it back. We have a nutritional consult scheduled for this week, and I'm really looking forward to it. I am also trying to get through the Feast Without Yeast book. It sounds scary to implement, but if it's our only choice, that's what we will do.

I also want to investigate Cranial Sacral therapy. Until the lecture by Dr. Simkovich, I never understood how this therapy works. Now, I understand how the tiny movements in the cranial bones can affect the brain. Once you think about the interaction between the anatomy, the brain, and the spinal column, it starts to make sense. Now, to find a local practitioner with experience and results!

The more I hear about HBOT, the more I want to try it. Given the circumstances of Michael's birth (heart beat issues, oxygen, unplanned C-Section), I think there is a strong chance that it would help. Again, trying to find a local practitioner is next to impossible. Buying our own unit, or renting one, is so expensive. If you see a donate button pop up one of these days, you'll know why!

I'll probably have more to say over the next week or so, but for now I think I'll leave the conference summary here. Although, another good thing is that I think I'll be able to convince Steve to go with me again. And that's a wonderful thing!