This past May, I sat in an empty waiting room with one of my daughters. She periodically looked up at me and I could tell she was wondering what we were doing there. I looked at her and gave the best smile I could. It was a sad smile though. I couldn't help it. I am not good at faking my emotions.

Soon, the side door opened and a nurse called us in. We followed her to a room full of toys and a toddler table. My daughter was in her stroller and trying to bury her face into the side of it. She could not stand for strangers to get to close to her or to even look at her.

The nurse asked me to sit down and gave me the same sad smile I just gave my daughter; as she shut the door and walked out. I pulled my daughter out of her stroller and let her walk around the room. She was intrigued by the toys but hesitated to walk too far away from me.

The door opens a few moments later and two women walk through. My daughter ran over to me and buried her face into my stomach. The two women were doctors and tried to make eye contact with her to no avail. Every now and then my daughter would peek over at them and then bury her face again.

The women proceeded to ask me a long list of detailed questions about my daughter. They wanted to know if she spoke any words, does she eat with a spoon, does she eat vegetables and on and on. It took about 1/2 hour of questions before they started interacting with my daughter. By this time, my daughter was finally able to stop hiding her face and actually looked at the doctors and around the room.

One doctor pulled out a picture book page and asked my daughter to point to certain objects. My daughter pointed to all of them correctly. I was so excited and thought nothing is wrong with her. She is such a smart girl. Then the doctors asked her to go and get a certain toy. My daughter froze up and didn't want to do as they asked. She just sat and looked at me as if she was scared. All of a sudden I felt sad again. Why won't my daughter go and get a toy? Seems like such a simple task for a 2 1/2 year old to do. Why is she scared?

The doctors brought out more toys and dissected my daughter's every move on how she played with them. They watched my daughter grab my arm and try to make me reach for a toy she wanted. They quickly grabbed their pens and took notes. They watched her turn one toy upside down and inspect it. They quickly jotted down more notes.

I felt like we were animals on a dissecting table. It was uncomfortable for me. I know it had to be just as, if not much more, uncomfortable for my daughter.

The doctors stood up and said they need to leave the room and privately discuss their findings. I thought they would be gone for 1/2 hour or more. It only took them 5 minutes to come back into the room and say, "She is autistic." Just like that. The whole "dissection" took 50 minutes and they came to a decision in what felt like seconds.

I sat there in shock and was quiet as they continued to talk. I do not know what else they said to me because I was not absorbing anything else at that point. I felt the first tear fall down my face and then the next. I tried to hide my sadness from my daughter and pull myself back together so I could ask intelligent questions.

They gave me a small box of tissues and gave me that sad smile I gave my daughter just 50 minutes ago. They quickly gave me a list of books I should read on autism and told me about state programs I need to look into.

I started asking, "Why?" "Why does my daughter have autism?" They could not answer me. I asked them, "How do you cure autism?" They could not answer me. I remember saying, "So, my daughter has an illness but no one can tell me how it suddenly appeared and how I can make it disappear?" They just gave me that sad smile with a shoulder shrug this time.

I also asked without expecting an answer at this point, "Is there anything I can do to get my daughter back? Are there any medications that help? Are there any doctors out there that can help my daughter? Are you telling me to read a few books and get help from the state and that is all you can prescribe?"

I went on to say, "I heard about autism a few times and heard a gluten-free diet helps. What do you think about that?" They looked at each other, as if this is the standard question, and one said to me, "The diet is not medically proven to help autism."

At this point, I had heard enough. Actually, I hadn't heard anything that was helpful. I just wanted to leave. My daughter had grown attached to a specific toy in the room while I was asking "unanswerable" questions. I picked her up and put her in the stroller. She was clinging to this toy. I knew this was going to end in a huge melt down when I took the toy away.

I wanted to take the toy away in a slow manner. I was going to try talking to her and explaining that the toy has to go, "bye, bye." Before I even bent down to talk to my daughter, one doctor grabbed the toy, opened the door and "helped" push my stroller out of the room. Of course my daughter started screaming and pulling on her hair. The doctor walked ahead of me and tried to rush me out of the office. She was motioning with her hand to "hurry up." She opened the side door and said, "Bye."

I wanted to kick the doctor in the butt on my way out but I was falling apart; emotionally. I felt like dropping to the ground and crying my eyes dry. Of course I had to be strong and try to make it to the car without crying. I can't believe just one hour earlier, I was sitting in that waiting room without answers to some "strange" behaviors my daughter had. I did not think of my daughter has having "special needs." I thought maybe a few behavioral issues but nothing we can't deal with and fix.

Basically within an hour, my life changed. The way I looked at my daughter changed. I was told my daughter now has a life-altering illness and there is not one thing the medical industry can do for her. It felt kinda like this; your daughter is sick...too bad we can't help...now get out!

When I say, "I look at my daughter differently," I don't mean this in a negative way. I look at her with a new understanding. Things suddenly make sense to me now.

Those two doctors that diagnosed my daughter in 50 minutes basically said there was nothing I could do to help her but read books and ask the state for therapy. They discounted every other idea I had on how to help her. For example: A special diet and the help of DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctors.

Good thing for my daughter is that I am not the sit and listen type of person. I investigate. I will never accept that there is nothing I can do to help one or all of my kids. Matter of fact, if a doctor tells me there is nothing more we can do that just gives me more fuel to research.

I would like for those two doctors to know that the special diet is helping my daughter. I know a gluten-free diet does not work for every autistic child (I wish it did) but it does help mine. It has not been a 100% cure for her but it has given me my daughter back in many, many ways. I also found a DAN doctor who prescribed supplements that make a world of difference for her as well.

I wish those doctors would have said, “Try the diet, it can’t hurt. Try contacting a DAN doctor, that can’t hurt either.” Why would they give me such devastating news and then rush me out of the office with no clear path ahead? I am sure there are doctors out there that deliver this kind of news with more compassion but for those mothers, who may experience such a day, know there is help out there for you.

The truth is there is a lot I can do for my daughter. There are doctors out there that want to help and CAN help an autistic child. I still read books and I am getting her therapy through the state but now I feel something I didn't have that one day in the doctor's office: Hope. No more sad smiles to my daughter. She gets full-on happy smiles now. We have a long road ahead but I am hopeful and so very proud of her.

Smile on,
Alicia

I thought I was doing the right thing by vaccinating my twins on schedule with all of their required annual shots. On their 1st birthday, they received 4 (or should I say 6 since the MMR is 3 in 1) shots, including the MMR, HIB, Hep B & Varicella vaccinations. My twins were born at 39 weeks but they were still earlier than a "normal" gestation and I had them through In-Vitro. There were already hormones circulating through my body during and after my pregnancy.

After this one year visit, my twins lost their words (they were up to about 15 at the time), broke out in full body rashes, developed flu-like symptoms, my daughter began losing her hair 2 days later and by the end of 2 months; she lost it completely.

You can see her transformation in the above pictures. In October she was her normal, happy & healthy, self. In December she received her shots and her eyes quickly grew red; she started developing dark circles underneath. By March she lost all of her hair.

Immediately after the shots; both children became catatonic, rocking back and forth and staring off into space. It was horrible to watch and I was panicking about what I had done to my sweet babies. Luckily, my son started to "bounce back" more quickly than my daughter. His words and cognition started to appear again slowly, but none-the-less, they started to appear.

I took my daughter to her Pediatrician and explained the reaction her body had to her shots. Of course, the Dr. refused that the shots could have had anything to do with the changes and he sent me to a Dermatologist for her hair loss. This didn't sound right to me- I knew my daughter's hair loss was not due to a Dermatological issue. I figured the Dr. was feeling guilty since I had tried to refuse the shots (all of them at once) in the first place and he and his staffed pressured and intimidated us into accepting the shots for our kids. We relented and look what happened.

Not surprisingly, the Dermatologist recommended steroids for my daughter- steroids that specifically on the label warned "DO NOT give to children under the age of 16 as they may result in liver and kidney failure." How many parents did what their Dermo told them without looking at that label?? I went back to the Pediatrician and he referred us to an Immunologist/Allergist. My daughter's blood work revealed an Immune Disorder- her body was not producing fighter B & T cells to fight disease and infection.

I was very proactive and started my kids on a completely organic, wheat-free, gluten-free, sugar-free diet and had them drinking goat's milk instead of cow's milk to eliminate additional hormones in their body. I started taking my daughter to my Holistic Doctor (Dr. Larry Cart at http://www.wellnessrestored.net/).

I was called a freak, was made fun of and was chastised- in some cases by family members and friends. I didn't care. I had one focus and that was to help my children in any way I could and find the resources to rehabilitate them as quickly as I could. It wasn't just the WFGF Sugar Free diet that did the trick. It was the vitalized whole food nutrients customized by Dr. Cart's analysis combined with a regimented diet that changed the hypogammaglobulinemia and returned her immune system to normal.

I had spoken to other mothers who just did the diet and wondered why really nothing changed much in the way of their kids' behavior. The diet change was only a quarter of the picture. I had to be completely confident and devoted to believing in this course of action for my daughter. And I trusted Dr. Cart. Below is a current photo of my daughter (with her hair blowing in the wind):

Within 6 months, my daughter was healthy beyond words. Her blood work indicated her Immune System levels were off the charts. Both children were speaking and achieving their milestones on schedule. They were two of the lucky ones- this I know. In retrospect, I don't care what people say about my methods and choices regarding helping my kids. They are proof that what we did worked- for us. For us.

I have been harping on the ill effects of the MMR shot for 2 years now. The truth is that I really feel that live-antibody viruses are what sparked my daughter's Immune Disorder. It is next to impossible to find support of this through the medical community on the Internet, through books and articles. Even my mother-in-law who is an RN poo-pooed the information I compiled and my choice of medical support for my daughter. To this day she has not asked about nor recognized my daughter's state of health.

I feel that the In-Vitro drugs mixed with my early delivery and overkill of shots in my children's first year Dr. visits compromised their health and well being. My kids should have had less shots spread out over a longer period of time.

The bottom line FOR ME is that there are too many shots crammed into a ridiculously short period of time. Our kids should not be subjected to this abuse- they are not going to get Hepatitis B before pre-school. The schedules need to be changed and the toxins need to be taken out. I want to protect my children just like everyone else but I will not risk their lives to do so.

Gina

I just had my best period in years! Sounds crazy doesn't it? But, I can explain. I was diagnosed with Endometriosis while going through infertility treatments a few years back. I suffered from crippling periods since my early 20s. The pain was so bad at times it made me nauseous. I also had severe pain in my legs for one to two days during my period. I never got a good night’s sleep either because the pain always intensified when I would lay down.

I know having a great period doesn't make much sense. However, if you suffer from Endometriosis then having a less painful period is something to celebrate! This last period must have felt like a “normal” one. I had a little discomfort, but no feeling of nausea and I was able to sleep just fine.

I am so excited to share what I learned. There is a link between painful periods and wheat. I took wheat (more like gluten) out of my diet and it has made all the difference in the world. There may also be a link between wheat triggering Endometriosis and causing "unexplained" infertility.

Here is what I discovered:

I never knew a nutrient deficiency can be one of the many triggers of Endometriosis. “One of the immune system's jobs is to break down implants [uterine lining that has shed] that form after each menstruation. To function properly the immune system needs a range of nutrients, including selenium, iron, zinc, magnesium and all the vitamins,” explains Dian Shepperson Mills, Director of The Endometriosis and Fertility Clinic in London. She further notes, "a lack of both vitamins C and E makes the pain more severe - these vitamins also help reduce inflammation.”

Ms. Mills feels the genetically re-engineered wheat can cause a lot of damage to the human body. She states, “.. all wheat is a problem... I think [it] may be the hormones in the wheat or the phytic acid is locking up some of the minerals but certainly there seems to be some modality with wheat and Endometriosis. It’s almost as though something within wheat is exacerbating the implant." I think she is definitely onto something here but I wonder if the explanation is Celiac Disease and not just wheat.

Celiac Disease is an allergy to gluten (which is a protein found in all wheat products and many other products). If you have Celiac Disease and consume gluten, you will damage your small intestine by flattening the cells on the surface. These cells, called villi, are responsible for the absorption of nutrients. Once these cells are flattened and damaged, your body cannot properly absorb the nutrients in the food you are eating. Therefore, if you have Celiac Disease and your immune system is nutrient deficient it may not able to break down the shedding of your uterine lining properly.

Ms. Mills claims 80% of her patients notice their pain subsides and that it increased their chances to conceive when they went on a gluten-free diet. Even though this is a high percentage of her patients, this obviously doesn't work for everyone but I do hope further studies are conducted.

I suffered for so many years and not one doctor brought up Celiac Disease. It turns out my Dad was recently diagnosed with this. 1 in 133 people have it but only 3% are diagnosed. It is highly genetic too. I changed my diet and now live pain-free! If you have Celiac Disease and go on a gluten-free diet, your intestine can repair itself and heal.

I am not a doctor, but I am proof that taking gluten out of your diet may help alleviate pain caused by Endometriosis (and this may only be the case if you have Celiac Disease). The diet is not easy to get used to but after a month or two, it is a piece of gluten-free cake. Just take cooking back to the era of your great-grandmother. My family now eats meat, veggies and potatoes / rice. We do not eat any processed food at all. We basically eat what Mother Nature intended us to eat. Another great side effect is that I have lost weight!

Don’t take my word for it, do your own research. I just wanted you to be informed and to ask you to educate yourself if you have Endometriosis or are struggling with unexplained infertility. In studies, it appears 4% to 8% of women with unexplained infertility have Celiac Disease. Some women, with this disease, were able to change their diet and finally conceive. Please note, I said “some.” I don’t want you to think this is a cure-all. It is a small percentage, but if you fit into this percentage it is life-changing!

You can find out if you have this disease by a simple blood test. It’s worth a shot in looking into. You can learn more about Celiac Disease and the signs/symptoms by visiting http://www.celiac.org/.

As always, keep an open mind and educate yourself. I just wanted to pass on what I just learned. I hope this blog helps one woman out there - I would be ecstatic! If this information helps you in anyway, please send me an email and tell me about it. I would love to hear it.

Take care,

Alicia