Remember G.I. Joe?

There's a lot of information flying around these days about biomedical treatments. Maybe you've looked into these, maybe you're doing them, maybe you're a big skeptic and you think the claims of some parents is just the result of desperation mixed with some kind of placebo effect. Chelation sounds risky, not to mention expensive, GF/CF diet sounds difficult, not to mention expensive, Hyperbaric oxygen therapy seems silly, not to mention expensive, supplements, O.T., speech therapy, music therapy, and on and on it goes. Did I mention it's all expensive?
You might wonder, is your child toxic? Is that the cause? Do they have a leaky gut? Is that the real problem? Should you get your child tested, or just wait until the main stream has some pharmaceutical solution? My advice to you is remember G.I. Joe.
I didn't watch the cartoon as a child but my husband did. At the end of each show, G.I. Joe would give you a little life lesson after which he would say, "Now you know and knowing is half the battle."
Getting your child tested gives you a base to start with. Your local D.A.N doctor can run these tests for you. The testing does not cost all that much and if you want to try biomedical treatments, the testing will save you money in the long run. You don't want to waste your time and money treating the wrong thing. I'm cheering for you. Smile and think about the good things.

You're running out of time

A few years ago, one of my main thoughts was wondering how to keep pushing myself forward with my son's treatment. I happened to be cleaning off the counter top and came across an old shopping list on a 3x5 card. Inspiration struck. I turned the card over, grabbed a marker, and wrote: you're running out of time. I put the card on my fridge and was amazed at how looking at that simple sentence throughout the day helped me. The next time my in-laws were over, my father-in-law asked, "Running out of time for what?"
"Everything," I said.
My little saying on the card certainly goes across the board, but what about our kids? We are running out of time! You only have a few years to aggressively help recover your child. It is an ever shrinking window. The older they get, the smaller the window gets. Don't waste time wallowing or being lazy, your sweet child will pay the price. I'm here as your cheering section! Now kick your own butt, if you need to. You're running out of time!

The darkest day of my life

For you parents of autistic children, I don't need to remind you of that day. That dark, dark day that you really faced it for the first time. The day you looked at your child and knew, there's something wrong. That day was five years ago for me. I try not to think about that day, but it will always be with me. That day was so painful, even now, after all this time, I can feel it like it was yesterday. You know what I mean.
Having an autistic child will not only change your lifestyle, it will destroy it. You will be crushed under anger, sorrow, depression, confusion, and desperation. You and you child will be ostracized. Your spouse might leave you. Your pediatrician might dump you. And God forbid, but even the members of your Church might tell you not to come back.
You might be a veteran or just beginning on this journey, but there is comfort knowing that you are not alone. The pain is always there, it might be dull today or it might be acute. So where is the joy? It's there too. Joy and happiness are not the same things. You will never be happy that your child has autism, but there can be joy in the triumphs of the steps they make. Being joyful is a choice I try to make daily. It's one you can make, too. No matter where you are, it could always be worse. Life is short, so focus on the good today.