Hello again and a Good Bye

It’s been quite some time since my last update.  My last blog was back in October, and I was just starting to work at Costco.  Well, I’m still there about 32 hours a week. I’ve actually developed tendonitis in my right arm as a result of lifting 1000 packs of water bottles and dog food over and over again. This injury prevented me from doing much typing, so I was unable to blog.  The whole family has had to adjust to me working and not always being around.  Previously, I had done all the work around the house.  Heather was able to come home and just play with the boys, watch a little TV, and go to bed. She never had to worry about laundry, cooking, cleaning, and endlessly picking up toys. Now that I’m working (and hurt), she had to do almost everything which has certainly been a hard transition. Things around the house aren’t quite as neat and tidy as they were, but Heather is starting to figure out how to balance her time between the boys and the house work. As my arms continue to get better, the workload will start to even out as I will be able to pick up the slack where I could not before.  The most difficult transition for me is my time with Ethan.  I miss my buddy. I only get to have 2 meals a week with him. I probably only see him about  8 hours each week.  Ethan started to have some behavior problems at school and at home, and it was very tough for me not to be around to work with him and help curb the issues.  Ethan had a period of adjustment as well. Around the same time I started working, Ethan began waking up at 4:00am (some times even earlier), his yeast treatment was coming to an end , and his therapist at ABA were changing. (Ms Amanda we miss you)   Soon after, his behaviors started. Spitting and potty accidents were the biggest problems. Both of which are starting to decrease and seem to be fading now. Even through these behaviors are occuring he is still making progress and is more in tune to what's going on.  Ethan will begin a new treatment plan which I will explain in a future blog. Gavin is as happy as ever.  He’s growing smarter and smarter, bigger and bigger, and sweeter and sweeter.  He’s does so good now playing with other kids. He used to be shy and timid when we went to playplaces at the mall or McDonalds. Now, he goes right up to kids and even takes the lead in play. Being a shy guy myself, this makes me very happy. I want him to be much more outgoing than I ever was, and he is on his way.  Gavin LOVED being a pirate on Halloween, and he had a blast at Thanksgiving. We had a very low key turkey day. We bought a precooked chicken that served as our turkey and bought a pumpkin pie. Heather made sweet potatoes. That’s it. That was our Thanksgiving. We spent the rest of the day getting ready for Christmas.  We’re all looking forward to Christmas. Can’t wait to go home to St Louis and see all the family. Heather and I are looking forward to some much much much needed together time. We plan to take full advantage of the babysitters we will have.  

One last thing to mention today. 

Today we say good bye to the absolute best ABA therapist in the state of Texas and maybe the world!!  Ms Ashley is leaving the Behavior Exchange :(     She is selfishly taking her new baby back home to be closer to her family.  I’m only kidding Ms Ashley. I guess we are the ones being selfish. Although, I was good and did not follow through with the silent treatment I suggested we give you:) 

Ms Ashley will not only be missed by Heather and I, but Ethan will miss her too.  Ethan loves him some Ms Ashley. He gives her lots of hugs and kisses; so much so that, honestly, it made us a little jealous from time to time. Just a tad. We were so happy over the connection they seemed to have we got over it quickly.   Perhaps, the best thing about Ms Ashley is she really liked Ethan too. She was genuinely excited to see Ethan succeed. I think she will even miss Mr Ethan too. 

 After our previous bad luck with school and other ABA centers, we were not all that optimistic.  Ms Ashley has given us hope for Ethan, and future therapists.  Ethan has grown so much working with her. She has been so awesome, and she will be the benchmark for which all future therapist will be judged.  Brace yourself guys, the bar has been set pretty high. 


UPDATE:
Dropping off Ethan this morning.  Ms Ashley nearly brought me to tears.  I can't remember the exact words because I was trying not to cry in front of her.  Basically, she said that Ethan has touched her life, and working with him, has made her a better therapist.  I was so touched by those words. I just had to share that with everyone.  

Ethan's 5th Birthday Weekend

Here is a short 4 minute video from Ethan's birthday weekend at Sea Life and Legoland.

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dwborden#grid/uploads

Cold & Flu Season is back already!?!?

Ethan continues his awesome progress in all 4 therapies. Just yesterday, we got an email from The Behavior Exchange. They were so excited about his progress, they sent his charts to us to show just how great he's been doing.  We started Ethan on a new stronger anti fungal about a week ago. We are seeing some of the same reactions we saw a month ago when his yeast treatment first began.  Fever, some aggression, rashes, picky eating, are some of the things we are seeing associated with this treatment. Ethan seems to be battling this cold bug for a bit now as well. It is exciting to see Ethan making such progress despite not being 100%.
This week, 2 of Ethan's behavior therapists, (the best 2 wink wink) told me how cute Ethan was and how all the therapists in the center just love him. It is sooooo nice to hear that people are actually liking him and enjoy working with Ethan.  At this time last year, we were in the opposite position. Teachers and therapist did not really like Ethan (and he did not like them) and his progress was extremely slow.
What a difference a good ABA center can make!!

What can I say about Gavin? He is awesome. He is the sweetest, smartest, funniest little 3 year old on the planet. That he should be the benchmark for all kids. I took him to a new class on Monday. He did pretty well. After everything he did, he would look at me and flash a thumbs up to me. It was soo adorable.

Heather and I are rolling on. Heather is working hard, but seems to be finding her stride at school.
Some new happenings for me.  After 3 interviews, a drug test, and a background check, I finally got offered a PT job at our new Costco today. I should be starting in a couple weeks.
I am also becoming a Live Green in Plano volunteer this year. Training for that started this evening. I enjoyed the training. I learned some new info and met some interesting people.  I even won a "prize" for being the most "extreme" green person. It was really nice to get out of the house and mingle with other adults with similar environmental values.

The Borden's have started their winter ritual early this year. At least one of us have been sick the entire month. I have been sick on/off since mid August. We've just been catching one virus after another. I'd say about 4-5 different bugs since mid August. Heather almost made it through without getting hit, but she is sick now. She has a pretty nasty cold, and I am expecting Ethan will get hit within a day. Gavin and I are finally on the upswing though the road to health has been slow. Please send us lots of healthy antimicrobial positive vibes this week as we try to nurse ourselves back to 100% health.

You can't make this up!!

*******TMI*************TMI******************TMI**************TMI


I'm sitting at a stop light. Ethan is screaming and having a fit. I see in the rear view that Gavin begins to cough. Suddenly, I realize Gavin is not coughing. He is about to vomit. With the reflexes of Super Dad, I grab an empty tupperware bowl from Ethan's lunch box. I am half way turned around catching vomit in a bowl and catching backsplash in my hand. Meanwhile, Ethan is still screaming and begins to start swinging at poor vomiting Gavin because Gavin is crying and being loud. Gavin fills the bowl and finishes his projectile. Quickly, I put the lid on as the light turns green and I have to turn left. Turn left and begin to drive in a 55mph limit where 3 lanes merge into one.   Oh wait, Gavin is not done yet. I grab another bowl from Ethan's lunch box. This time I am driving 50mph while merging with my arm bent back catching more vomit.  Poor Gavin is crying and covered in his lunch. Ethan is crying because, of all things, he's hungry.  Silver lining is we were minutes from home and luckily Heather got home at the same time to take care of Ethan while I cleaned up Gavin and the car. Spent an hour cleaning up.    Oh the joys of parenting.

My boy is 5 years old today!!!!!!

I can't believe Ethan is 5 years old.  I still remember the day he came into our lives. I was up all night worrying about his fluctuating heart beat. Finally, around 6AM, Ethan David was born.  Little did we know, that was the latest he would ever sleep in.  He was born just a little guy at 5 pounds 14 ounces. He was the most precious perfect little baby.  Challenges started right away for the little dude.  He was jaundiced and dropped to just 5 pounds. Ethan spent 3 of the first 4 weeks of life in the hospital. He underwent over 10 tests and procedures including lumbar puncture, head CT scan, ultrasound on his brain, and a course of antibiotics within his first few weeks.  Once home, Ethan thrived as an infant. He hit all his major milestones. At age 1, he had over 150 words.
However, at age 2, we stopped noticing a lot of progress. At age 3, Ethan began his journey against autism. Ethan began an extremely restrictive diet. No wheat, dairy, soy, preservatives, or artificial ingredients were allowed. In addition to the diet, Ethan began taking supplements to heal his ailing body and correct his deficiencies and broken cycles and systems. In addition to the nutritional interventions, Ethan works hard every day at his 4 therapies; speech, OT, PT, and ABA. He has made huge leaps in communication, behavior, and temperament. He continues to improve with every passing day, and we are filled with pride every time we see him.
While autism is something Ethan lives with, it certainly does not define him. He is the happiest little boy with a smile as bright as the sun. When he smiles at you, it warms your heart.  Ethan is a playful little boy. Just like his Daddy, he loves to play in the yard everyday. Basketball is his favorite sport. He shoots baskets when ever he can.  He loves to swing, climb, and jump. He loves water. Whether it's sprinklers, pools, water tables, or baths, Ethan has a blast splish splashing.  Ethan loves nature and being outside. He's so happy just to run outside. He loves animals. As a tot, he loved the cheetahs. " Cheetah running fast," he used to say.
Like his Momma, Ethan loves to create. Painting, coloring, and play do are favored activities with Mom.
Another trait he got from his Momma, stubbornness. Although, he gets a smidge from Dad too.
Ethan is your average Borden male. We all love to play and joke around with people in a manner that sometimes annoys the other person. For instance, Ethan will take something from you and run away cracking up laughing, or pretend to start dumping out a cup of water onto the floor just to get a rise out of you. Yep! That's my boy.

One of the best things about Ethan is his heart. He shows his love for you everyday in his own little way.
Whether by saying Daddy pick me up, then following it with a punch in the nose and a huge smile, or running to Mom with arms wide open when she gets home from work. Ethan has the heart of an angel.
He perseveres through all life's challenges with the strength and courage of a lion. He is such a great kid, and I am lucky to have him as my son. I wish him a Happy Happy Birthday.  
                                     HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!!!
Slideshow: Ethan: The first 5 years. 

Light at the end of a rough couple weeks

The end of summer brought some challenging times for the Bordens. Heather started school a couple weeks ago. Her first weeks of school have been hard. She is adjusting to a new job with new coworkers including helping along a new teacher. She is the teacher in the behavior unit at her school. Her class has been going okay, but a reorganizing and new programs are proving to be challenging.  Unfortunately, I was unable to ease Heather's stress at home due to me  being sick.  I had all sorts of things going on from a sore throat to a yellow tongue to horrible tooth pain. Basically, my mouth was so inflamed that I couldn't distinguish the pain until I started to feel better about 8 days later.
Additionally, it's been a rough several days at our house. All summer, Ethan has been up around 430 in the morning. This week was even worse.  Ethan has woke up between 3-4am this week.  No matter how hard we tried, we just couldn't get him back to sleep.  Once he was awake, he would just cry and cry. The only thing we could get out of him was watch Mickey watch Mickey over and over and over again. It was emotionally draining for Heather and I because we just couldn't figure out what was wrong. We certainly knew something was off, but couldn't figure it out.  We thought he was just tired from waking up at 3am, or maybe he was getting sick.  Early Sunday morning, we were awakened by horrible screams and loud bangs.  It was Ethan. He was in what could only be described as an     "autistic fit". He was crying, screaming, and kicking the door.  He began flailing his arms and throwing himself against the wall.   A few hours later, we found our answer.  Turns out, Ethan was extremely constipated.  Once he relieved himself of a major traffic jam, he was fine. It was like a switch was flipped. Today, he was initiating play, shooting basketballs, and smiles all around.  He even played catch with Heather for about 3 minutes.   It's just another example of how what's going on inside our kids definitely has an effect on behavior, mood, mental state, and ability to function. It really is remarkable the change we've seen in just a few hours.
We did introduce dairy just a day before Ethan started having troubles. We are not convinced the yogurt was responsible, but we will certainly remember this the next time we give him dairy.
Ethan has finished his antifungal prescription for his yeast treatment. We will continue the natural anti fungal, grape fruit seed extract, for another couple weeks.  We've seen great improvements in all aspects. He's been in a better mood, looks healthier, and his therapies are going great.
No school for Ethan this year. He is currently going to therapy 40 hours a week. He has OT and PT once a week, and speech twice a week. He is in ABA therapy all week for about 35 hours. We finally have Ethan in a good position with all his therapies. We really like all of his therapist. This is his 3rd OT, and I think he is going to be great. He is a veteran in the OT game specializing in sensory integration therapy. He's got a great energy and Ethan has responded well to him. Ms Jenny is his longest running therapist. We've been seeing her for speech for about a year and a half.  Ethan has had some ups and downs with Ms. Jenny. She's seen first hand just how different Ethan can be when his biology is off.  She sticks with us and remains positive through all the cranky days. Ms Jenny had a really nice moment with Ethan this week. On Wednesday, Ethan ran into the OT gym and wanted to swing. It was not time for swinging, so as Ms Jenny was trying to get him back into her room, Ethan began to get really frustrated. In the past, Ethan has hit, scratched, or even attempted to bite Ms Jenny. However, this time his frustration made him wrap his arms around Ms Jenny seeking comfort from his long time therapist. It was great to hear Ms Jenny tell the story, and I think she really appreciated the hug from Ethan. I am now proof reading this, and reading the story is bringing a couple tears to my eyes.
So, summer has ended with a bang. After all that has happened, now little Gavin has a pretty good cold.  Although, he is taking it pretty well. As you can see from the photo, he is still up for a good sword fight. A little more whiney and bossy, but nothing we can't handle. Hopefully, we can nurse him back to good health before Ethan's birthday on Wednesday.  Grandma Penny and Grandpa Bill are coming in town for Ethan's birthday this week. (shot out to Gma Penny and Gpa Bill who spent their Labor Day helping in Joplin with tornado relief)  We are all very excited to have them. I think everyone is a little home sick. It will be nice to see some familiar faces from back home. Heather and I plan to take full advantage of the babysitting while we have it available.  I can't wait for a couple of much deserved, and much needed, date nights with the Mrs.

A Good Day

We are in week 2 of Ethan's yeast treatment. Every day we see more and more improvement!!  Ethan's language has increased again this week.  We're seeing more spontaneous language. A couple days ago he said, I like to swing." He also has been requesting more using I want statements rather than just a couple words. Not a lot of chips, chips chips or pick me up.  Instead, we are hearing I want chips and even I want you to pick me up. He'll even add a please in from time to time.
Ethan and Gavin are beginning to interact more with each other. They have been playing in the bath together again. Ethan's been dumping water on Gavin's head, and Gavin has been okay with it. (Normally, Gavin cries when we wash his hair. Doesn't like the water on his head.) The boys are playing next to each other and in the playroom together now. Ethan likes to push Gavin on the swing. Gavin also tries to get Ethan to hold his hand in the car. Super Cute!
Ethan is also getting some interest back in some of his toys and even his books too!  It's been a long time since he has actively looked at any of his books, and we've seen him several times flipping the pages.
His aggression has gone down. It's still more than it was before we started the treatment, but we are in the right direction. Still some tantrums, and he likes to throw things now particularly his shoes. (of course)  Rashes are also beginning to disappear. Although, his cheeks are still a bit red. Hopefully, this will go away very soon.
Heather, Gavin, & I got a chance to observe Ethan at ABA on Thursday.  The therapist, Amanda, working with Ethan had only just started working with Ethan a few days prior. We were very impressed with how well Ethan worked with her and how well she interacted with him.  All the therapist there have been great.  There really isn't anyone there we don't feel comfortable with. Obviously, I have my favorites, but everyone there has been good.  

We had a meeting with The Behavior Exchange on Friday.  We went over Ethan's treatment plan and some of the goals that he's already mastered.  He is showing a lot of progress. They said he has improved so much over the last week and a half, they expect him to start knocking out more of his targets at a faster rate.  We are extremely happy with the job they are doing. They seem to really like Ethan, and Ethan really likes them.  This was the first meeting we did not have a big list of concerns going in, and the first meeting that we didn't wonder, "is this the right thing for Ethan? " We actually came out smiling and excited for the future!!!  Leanne and Tammy from The Behavior Exchange are so awesome that they are actually reading this blog. (You guys rock BTW)
We were so happy after the meeting; we decided to brave a celebratory dinner at Chick Fil A. We got to see more improvement from Ethan. He actually sat down (for a couple minutes any way) and ate a little bit. He also was interacting with some of the kids in the play place.  I gotta say it was a good day.
Summer is winding down. Heather is set to go back to work on Monday. Ethan will start his FT schedule the following week.  Gavin will be reentering home school with Dad soon. I already made our goals for this year.  We had a pretty good summer. I take a step back during the summer and let Heather have more time with the boys.  I am excited to get back to being full time Dad again.

Happy Anniversary

Monday, August 15, marks our 8th wedding anniversary. Heather and I will have been together for 14 years.  We were married on our 6th dating anniversary.  I remember much of the wedding well.  It was a Friday evening.  We may have set the record for fastest ceremonies. I think it lasted around 15 minutes.  Since we were going to Disney World for the honeymoon, we wore our Mickey and Minnie Mouse bride and groom hats at the reception. The reception was awesome. We had so much fun. Delicious Hank's Cheesecake. Good music, family, friends, great toast from the best man. I remember crazy (or drunk) uncle Terry dancing circles around me holding his hands over his head as if to mock my Mickey hat.  We had loads of fun in Disney. It was my first time, and I was hooked. We've gone pretty much every year since.
Heather and I have been together since we were 16 years old. She was such a quite and timid little (and I mean tiny) girl.  We met at McDonalds.  After seeing her at orientation, I told everyone that would listen, I saw my next girlfriend that day.  A couple weeks later, we were a couple. She did have a boyfriend, but let's face it, he couldn't compare.
Heather has been a great wife and friend to me.  Without her, I may still be working at McDonalds and never have gone to college. She has inspired me to be a better man, and I am proud to be her partner in life. She is a fantastic mother for our boys. Even the mighty Blue Cross Blue Shield can't stop this mother warrior.
We certainly have had our share (and others') of bad luck. From flying bats to crawling rats, great losses both financial and personal, lay offs and career changes, and of course we've had our share of arguments. We've persevered through many obstacles and hardships. We remain dedicated to each other, our family and our vows, for better or for worse, for richer or poorer.  Heather I Love You, and I look forward to celebrating our 10th, 20th, and 50th anniversaries.  Enjoy a short walk down memory lane.

Jump-Swing-Climb

  The beginning of the summer brought a tough choice for the Borden Family.  What should we do with our now vacant 3rd bedroom?  We could not decide. Should we give the boys their own bedrooms, or should we turn the extra room into another playroom?  We went back and fourth for 2 months. Finally, we decided to make it a room that we help the boys develop new skills both cognitively and physically.  The plan is to use this room to work on certain OT, speech, and behavioral programs with Ethan, and work on motor skills, both gross and fine, with Gavin.  The result: a new gym.  Although, Gavin is insistent. It's not a gym!  It's a playroom!  So, playroom it is.  This would be my first real home project.  I was confident I could pull it off, but I was a bit nervous. The boys would be climbing and swinging. If I didn't secure it good enough, the boys could fall and get hurt. Then, I would feel like an awful Dad.  I got several 2 x 4s from Home Depot and turned those into a climbing wall and a balance beam.  Gavin helped me paint everything, and he helped Mom add some fun details to the walls.  Grandma Marcie & Grandpa Bob added a trampoline for Ethan's birthday.  We purchased a swing from IKEA, and so far, the swing is the favored activity.  The room is already serving its purpose. Ethan has had an increase in spontanous language saying things like, My turn please, Gavin get off the seat, I want to swing.......  Everyone is excited about the new room. Heather and I are excited to finally be done and start teaching the kids.  The boys are having a blast jumping, swinging, and climbing.

Check out the video below to see our new playroom.  Don't forget to click the button for full screen viewing.

An Update on Ethan's Treatment

Ethan is one week into his yeast treatment.  He has been taking all 3 rounds of medicines and supplements pretty well.  I have been opening the capsules pouring them in a 2 teaspoon dropper and mixing with different juices.  We follow that with a skittle or two. He is beginning to resist this method, but hopefully, we can continue to deliver the meds effectively.  All signs are saying the treatment is working.   Physically, we are seeing more rashes and bumps on his thighs along with his cheeks.  Over the weekend, Ethan developed a fever which follows the same pattern as the first 2 times he took antifungals.  He has been really tired too. Taking naps much much more often.  Ethan has had more aggressive behaviors at home and more tantrums as well.  These physical and behavioral changes indicate the yeast is beginning to die off.  His body is responding to the release of toxins and dead yeast and bacteria.  Despite these difficulties, Ethan is still showing progress.  He is doing well in his therapies. In fact, he allowed the OT to put a vest on him and work on buttoning. It's hard to get him to keep on regular clothes sometimes much less a vest with buttons, so a big win in OT this week.  Additionally, we have been seeing an increase in language.  A couple days ago, he walked up to me, looked up, and said, "want Mom, Mom go." As if to say, I want to see Mom where did she go. This is the first time he has asked me an actual question.  He communicates what he wants well, but he has never asked, unprompted, for anything like that.  A happy moment in our house.
This last week has been a challenging one.  As Ethan proceeds with treatment, I expect the behaviors to continue and even get worse.  We will press on through these next couple weeks. Every day will bring new progress and new motivation for Heather and I to persevere.  We are very happy with the progress so far.  We plan to continue the treatment and are excited to watch Ethan's growth and improvement over the next couple months.

Ethan's Biomedical Treatment. The Bad News: Yeast

As mentioned in my previous post, Ethan has some pretty heavy treatment coming up. Ethan's 3 main medical problems are yeast, mitochondrial dysfunction, and oxidative stress.  Step 1= yeast treatment

The nutritional evaluation showed several alarming markers of an overgrowth of yeast. The stool analysis confirmed the presence of yeast. The stool analysis also showed an overgrowth of bad bacteria in the gut. Ethan has been given an anti-fungal from his pediatrician twice in the past 6 months in an attempt to kill off the yeast. Both times, we saw huge improvements in behavior, compliance, and attention, but it wouldn't last very long.  The most resent round of anti-fungals lasted for 20 days. Within a week after being off the medicine, behavioral indicators of the yeast were back. Lack of attention, aggression, laughing for hours and hours,  and being carb crazy are a few.  In addition, the rashes, most notably on his cheeks began to reappear.  Ethan's doctor believes the yeast has been around for so long, it has built up defenses and refuses to leave without a fight. The yeast has put up a shield known as Biofilm.  It's basically a mucus membrane that protects the yeast from the antifungals.  We will be attacking the yeast with Biofilm Protocol therapy. It is a 3 step process that takes about 3 hours each night for 2 months.  First we give him a supplement that will break down the biofilm. Then, we give the antifungal an hour later. After another hour, we end with activated charcoal.  Activated charcoal will pick up any dead yeast, bacteria, or biofilm, and discard it with the next B.M.  Hopefully, we can keep Ethan going with magnesium. We hope to avoid any constipation which would be a major setback in the treatment.

While this is quite serious and not good news,  I could not be more excited.  Yeast overgrowth in Ethan is something I whole heartedly believe.  I knew shortly after discontinuing the meds this last time that the yeast was back, and these tests confirm it.  Shot out to paternal instinct!!!
We started the treatment at bed time today.  We will probably see some bad behaviors and possible regression at first. Once we start killing off this yeast,  I expect huge improvements.  We will treat for 2 months before moving on to mitochondrial dysfunction.

Ethan's BioMedical Update!! The Good News

Some of you know, about a year ago, Heather and I were on the fence regarding biomedical treatment for Ethan.  We were all set to stop the diet, but something in our gut kept telling us that quitting was not  the right thing to do.  We spoke to Ethan's D.A.N. (defeat autism now) doctor, and without even realizing he talked us into staying the course. The latest round of tests are helpful indicators to us that we are definitely doing the right thing for Ethan.

We met with Ethan's doctor today.  He spent an hour and a half with us going over the results for 3 different tests.  We had a nutritional evaluation, the stool analysis, and the IgG test (food reaction).  Ethan had a few victories.  Ethan's leaky gut is healing. The IgG test showed the number of foods Ethan reacts to has dramatically decreased.  There was so much healing in the gut that the doctor was confident enough to recommend reintroducing the foods that were previously avoided. Wheat, soy, and even dairy are going to be back on the menu!!!!  We still need to slowly reintroduce these foods on a rotational basis, but this is exciting news for us. (and for Ethan I'm sure)  We will begin to introduce these foods one at a time every week or two.  Obviously, we will still be staying away from preservatives, artificial flavors, and heavily processed foods, but this will open up many new food possibilities for Ethan.
The nutritional evaluation showed many of Ethan's severe nutritional deficiencies are on the up swing. Levels of Vitamins A, B1, B7, B9, C, and E, Zinc, CoQ10, and Magnesium are all climbing. A long battle to get the almost non existent Vitamin D level up is finally over.  Vitamin D is key to helping the immune system, and Ethan's finally jumped into the normal range.  We will go from giving Ethan 20+ different supplements everyday down to 10!!!
The test also had markers indicating Ethan is starting to methylate. The methylation cycle is how your body detoxifies and helps prevent oxidative stress.  Oxidative stress has been one of Ethan's 3 biggest problems medically.  The battle is not over, but it seems we are starting to get a grip on this one.

  A popular saying in the autism community is, it's a marathon not a sprint.  As we pass each mile, we turn the corner and realize there's still 20 more miles ahead. Ethan still has many roadblocks, and some pretty heavy treatment coming in the near future. I will leave that for another post.  Let's enjoy these victories as tomorrow brings us more detours for Ethan's path toward health.