Party’s on. No doubt about it. The Detox Party has begun.

So much controversy. So many arguments. So much confusion. Do vaccines cause Autism, trigger it or have anything at all to do with it? It’s gonna be awhile until that debate is settled. In the meantime, I’m gonna do with Jakob what has been working for thousands of kids. Diet and detox to start.

We’ve had Jakob on the gluten-free, casein-free diet for 3.5 years. We’ve done some biomedical intervention over that time as well. Now, we’re getting really serious about it.

Ever since that biomedical conference I went to in Detroit, I’ve been fired up and ready. For the first time, I really feel like I have a firm grasp on the medical side of this. I get what’s going on inside Jakob’s body and how it’s affecting him. And I also understand what we gotta do to help him. It’s so nice that there are some doctors (and big-mouth moms) out there making it easier for everyone to understand. I just wish more people were hearing it. I know in time they will.

It’s been two months since we really started some stuff and there have been some obvious differences in Jakob. His pale complexion and the dark circles under his eyes have gone away. He looks healthier. He’s sleeping better. Those are major changes in my book. And we’d barely gotten started. Here comes the big stuff.

We had an appointment on Thursday with our DAN doctor in Columbus. He spent 90 minutes with me going over the results from blood work and two urine tests. Wow. There’s work to do. And we’re starting with his immune system, yeast and strep…and we gotta get some nasty heavy metals out of his system. I came home with several supplements and have several more coming in the mail. I’ve started him on a couple already and I can tell that they’re doing something.

It’s funny, really. Before, I never understood what to expect as the detoxing occurred. Now, I know and I’m witnessing it. I’ve been told that however Jakob is when he’s his “most autistic”, expect that, multiplied. Yup, that’s what we got.

I’m seeing things that I haven’t seen in two years. He has times when he’s very hyper, very loud and very rigid. OCD is running rampant around here. He can be very exclusive and very repetitive. It’s Autism at its biggest and best. And it can be pretty unnerving. And it can be scary. But I gotta say that it’s like a big pendulum swinging…he goes way Autistic and then swings back and is so connected. His eye contact is awesome. His language is clearer. And then the pendulum swings back the other way.

I’m so glad I know that this is what happens. I’m so glad that I understand what’s going on inside him that is causing him to be this way. I’m so glad that it is happening…it makes it obvious that something is happening…that the stuff is working.

And every time I get annoyed, frustrated, scared or sad, I remind myself that this is all a good thing, that he’s doing the best that he can and this too shall pass. And every single time I do that, he does something so cute, so sweet and so funny. Like yesterday…when he decides that he wants me to stop talking, he will gently put his fingers over my lips and squeeze my mouth shut. (It’s hard not to laugh when he does it and I always think about how wonderful it would be if I could use that move on some people I know and get away with it. A girl can dream.) So while he’s squeezing, he looks at me, smiles and plants a big kiss right on my pressed-shut lips. I love that kid.