So, I touched briefly on the visit with our DAN! Dr. Jane (amazing woman). I will go a bit more in depth now. Dr. Jane is a person who radiates warmth, positivity and compassion. I know that she is every bit as committed to recovering our children as I am. That means A LOT to me. Biomedical recovery of Autism is NOT something I take lightly. I have spent over a year educating myself and my family as much as humanly possible and continue research DAILY because Biomed is an ever changing miracle, with different treatments working for each child. Severity and cause of Autism varies so greatly, it only stands to reason that the treatments would also vary.

At our appointment,I had filled out a very large, very detailed amount of paper work, describing everything from my pregnancy with Kaelyn, to her birth, her first everything. Nothing is left undiscussed in these pages. It took me a good week to fill them out. I STRONGLY urge people to take their time with these papers, fill them out as accurately as you can remember everything. It helps paint the picture of your child’s individual struggle with Autism and can help the DAN! to see symptoms that we may have missed as parents. So, we went over this and worked up a plan for her supplements.
**this will vary, depending on the DAN! you use and if you have already begun the diet changes. The DAN! doctors will work with you from whatever you point you come to them at.**

We started Supplement #1 on June 5th.  I’m not going to list which supplements as this is medical treatment and I am NOT a doctor and don’t feel that anyone should follow the path we did just from a blog . This supplement is basically a very wonderful vitamin that helps make up for what her restricted diet lacks. I did not notice any changes in her DEVELOPMENTALLY, but her urine became darker and very smelly (almost identical to the smell of the capsule). Sup#1 (shortened:) is VERY pungent and has a bitter taste and so far is still hard for us to sneak into her. It comes in capsule form, filled with powder. Best method of getting it in so far has been in SunnyD (which we SO do not want in her diet, but I am doing the best I can to get these supplements in and get her diet straightened out at the same time). Some days, I don’t get the entire dose of this one into her. It took me about a week to come to terms with the fact that sometimes it just isn’t going to happen.

We started Supplement #2 on June 10th. I will say that this *Sup#2* is an antioxidant and OH MY GOD was that amazing to witness. The first few days, Kaelyn just didn’t seem to feel that good. Me, being the worrier I am, had a hard time with this. It’s VERY hard to see your child not feeling well, ESPECIALLY when you know you’ve had a hand in it and could make her feel better just by stopping that supplement. We pushed through that and slowed down the dosing schedule. Now, Kaelyn has been making steady progress all along with her vocabulary and eye contact. Steady, slow, daily improvement. Well, on this antioxidant- it was a very DRASTIC leap of progress. Eye contact became the norm, rather than the exception. Affection spilled out of her, she has been initiating hugs and kisses on her own, where before we typically had to “steal” kisses. After several days, we went up to the full dose of Sup#2 and she potty trained in the following couple of days. We took the diaper off during the day and let her go commando. Day 1 and 2 we had a few misses, poopies on the floor here and there. But on day 3, that was it. She woke in the middle of the night, came out to use the potty. She has not done anything in a diaper since then. About 10 days DIAPER FREE — except at night and her pediatrician suggested today that we try going diaper free at night as well, since she has not had a nighttime pee for over a week. I must say, I LOVE not having dirty diapers!!

On a negative note, which I’m not SURE is related, but seems likely, she has a rash *down there* and today we saw her ped, Dr. Adams, and he diagnosed her with Vaginosis. An unspecific “irritation”. Now, seeing as her urine is dark and nasty from the yeasty die-offs and toxins leaving her body, via *down there*, I would assume they are related. He prescribed a cream that we will be picking up later today.

Other progress is her vocabulary grew in BOUNDS. She started throwing out words we had NO idea she knew. Short sentences are typical now, this morning she climbed in bed with Buddy and said “Hi daddy. Get blanket” she covered up in between us and grabbed my body pillow and said “turn it around and close the door”. We all just laid in bed and snuggled together while she yelled “TICKLE ME, TICKLE ME MOMMY”. She understands every word we say now. She happily does as we ask. In contrast to just ONE YEAR AGO, where she was unable to even respond to her name- I see a MIRACLE.

Still there are behaviors. Autism aside, she IS a 3 year old. I will now admit that we have given her a lot of lee-way discipline wise because she is Autistic. A few days ago, she was having a particularly bad day. Very moody, very cranky and the activated charcoal wasn’t helping. So, after a couple hours of her SCREAMING in our faces, we decided to try a TimeOut. After two hours in and out of her TimeOut chair, she just GOT it. She understood that all we wanted was for her to calm herself down and stop screaming. So she did. Gave us both hugs, said “I Sowwy” and went and sat with me on the couch and watched a couple episodes of iCarly. A couple days later, Angry Kaelyn was out again and Buddy said “kaelyn, do you need a TimeOut?” and she said YES and went to her chair and sat down. We followed her and sat with her for a minute and then said “Good job honey, YAY Kaelyn”. She clapped, hugged us both and went off to play, leaving us staring at each other in amazement. I of course cried. Everything she does brings tears to my eyes. Everything she does is a GIFT.

I must say, we have come a VERY long way from the day our first ped said *AND I QOUTE* “Mourn the loss of your hopes and dreams, there is nothing you can do for your child.” Thank HEAVENS I didn’t take her word for it and decided to research on my own and found Biomedical. That ped recommended we try the gluten free diet, but that was as open as her mind could go Biomedically. After she told me that the DAN! doctors were after my money (at which I LOLed, seeing as I am nearly ghetto poor), I switched peds to the one we have now, Dr. Adams, who is willing to think outside mainstream medicine and allow me to work with Dr Jane to do what is best for my child. To anyone who hears those words “there is nothing you can do for your child”- I IMPLORE you to get another opinion or research for yourself. This website is LOADED with information and if it isn’t here, I will find it for you.

For those of you also using Biomed- PLEASE- go to the SHARE YOUR STORY section of the site and add what you have gone through, what you go through daily and what you are looking for in the way of help or things you have found helpful. We as Biomed parents should stand together and work together in recovering our children and helping to provide support and information for those just starting out or even just considering it.

For those of you who follow our story, thank you. PLEASE pass this site along to ANYONE you know who may benefit.

Next step- figuring out how to sneak Cod Liver Oil into her!!! Wish us luck on THAT one.