Things have been moving along since the last update. My boys are in Cub Scouts now, and we went Christmas caroling in early December. All four kids are VERY excited about Christmas this year, which is both good AND bad LOL

Since my last update, I have been able to remove the olive leaf extract, so my son apparently no longer needs anti-virals. Once I added back selenium and removed the Lauricidin, #2 broke out in a nasty rash all over his body. The welts would grow, break, ooze, and then dry up, while all the time new welts were forming. This was apparently viral "die off", and it lasted about a month. Once the rash was gone, I removed the olive leaf extract and I have not needed it again. He needed the olive leaf extract as anti-viral for about a year.

I was having problems with giving B100, so I experimented with each individual B vitamin. I did learn that #2 needed one B50 per day, because when I removed it entirely, after about 3 days he would regress. Here are the results I noticed for the individual Bs tho:

B1 [thiamin] -- this is the one which removes my son's visual stims. They are entirely gone now, with B50 and extra thiamin. See below for the progression which was required to remove his visuals, this last step is the last of MANY steps.

B2 [riboflavin] -- this one causes him to have visual stims again, plus writing letters in the air. If I drop it entirely, he will have problems, but giving it as part of B50 1x per day seems okay so far.

B3 [niacin] -- My bottle is labeled "No Flush Niacin" and indicates "Niacin from Inositol hexanicotinate". Several people use Inositol for OCD and obsession issues, and I have no idea if my niacin is the same sort of inositol, but I gave some to my #1 and it really does help him expand his interests. This was the last thing I tried individually for #2, and it has only been two days, but for these last two days, #2 has not written letters in the air at all!

B5 [pantothenic acid] -- this one appeared to cause a reduction in his writing letters in the air.

B6 [pyridoxine] -- this one causes a "calmness", more body awareness. Without it, #2 will climb on furniture and jump off, also he will be very "springy" and jumpy. This is very funny to me, because before ALA chelation, when he had phenol intolerance issues, B6 caused wild hyper. But now it prevents hyper as well as these other things. Update of the update: A few days ago, #2 was complaining of being itchy, which is a sign of B6 toxicity, so I removed the B6 for a day, then added it back at a much lower dose, which is working very nicely for him now.

B12 [cobalamin] -- this one caused scripting for my son, so I removed it for maybe a month. Then I tried giving it again with even more folic acid than before, to see if that helps. Removing it entirely caused a reduction in scripting, but the scripting was still there. Plus he was writing letters in the air. When I added it back with lots of folic acid, the scripting and the writing letters in the air was reduced again, altho not entirely gone. Plus increase in spontaneous language. If I give too much per day tho, the scripting will increase.

Folic Acid -- I did not notice anything good or bad when I tried this one by itself, but when I added it at a rather high dose along with B12, the combination reduced scripting and writing letters in the air.

Biotin -- this one helped with visual stims and writing letters in the air. It does deplete magnesium and cause constipation tho, so I have to give it with magnesium.

For a summary of interventions that removed visual stims for my son, click here.

Currently for #2 I give the following supplements:

Cal/mag

B50 with extra B1, B3, B6, B12, folic acid, and biotin [with magnesium].

A little GSE and garlic, because extra B6 tends to increase yeast.

Vitamin A [he finally tolerates CLO now] with selenium [giving vitamin A without selenium will cause his visuals to return].

Low dose ALA for daily antioxidant/chelation maintenance [plus when I remove it, he regresses].

Here are a few updates [modified for context] that I have posted on various message boards during this time period.

1. I took #3 to the dentist, and he and the dentist conducted the entire appointment without my assistance, all I did was watch and listen. He is age 7 but communicates about at age 3-1/2, full sentences and spontaneous language but with some hesitation to his speech.

2. #2 went to the kitchen, got juice for all his siblings, and took the cups out to them. He said "you want juice?" and then proceeded to give it to them anyway LOL, no matter what their answers were. About an hour later, he did it again, but this time while watching the cup to be sure he did not spill the juice, he tripped over the dog and threw the juice all over the dog and the intended recipient. So then he said "Ooops, be careful, I sorry". This is the longest and most abstract statement he has ever said [he is very concrete and speaks mostly in single-thought phrases].

3. My #3 and #4 attend Sunday School and other programs together. They have recently graduated from preschool programs to K-2 programs [#4 is age 5, #3 attends with her even tho he is age 7]. For some reason, #3 only wanted to attend the new AWANA program once, after that he has refused to attend, even tho I tell him it is the "big boy room". My SIL runs the program, and he is there with his sister, so I have not been able to figure out why he does not like it.

Anyway, once recent time I took him there was no different. We get there, drop #1 at his program [grade 3-6], then go to the K-2 room. SIL is there, #4 happily runs in, #3 says "no, go home". So I ask him, just like always, "why not". Now usually he repeats "no, go home". But last night he said "because I said no!"

#3 has never answered a "why" question before, ESPECIALLY not with "because". And we are not currently working with him on doing this [altho you can be SURE I will be updating his program LOL].

So his "reward" for appropriately answering the "why" question, was that he got to go home. Now I am hopeful that I will eventually be able to get him to really answer the question of why he does not like the "big boy room".

#2 usually follows #3 developmentally, about 4-6 months behind. So I am VERY hopeful.

4. #2 and #3 are VERY TALKATIVE, lots of interaction, and working with their computer [that is NOT connected to the internet LOL, we learned about that the hard way!]. They are both reading new words that I have not heard them read before, and I am sitting here typing THIS message, not helping them read on THEIR computer. The noise level here right now is VERY HIGH! #2 and #3 are currently arguing with each other using WORDS, rather than beating up on each other. This is definitely a FIRST! [#3 just told #2 "stop talking" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]

#1 and #4 went outside to play in the sandbox, because they are not accustomed to this much talking from #2 and #3. This transition period will NOT be easy or fun for us....

5. Now, my #2 and #3 are very obsessive about Christmas. [#2 is a child who was never supposed to even recognize that Christmas existed.] We put up our Christmas lights on the outside of our house Sunday after Thanksgiving, and every 5 minutes for two days #2 and #3 would come up to me, give me my car keys, and say "mommy's car, let's go, Christmas tree". It was driving me absolutely NUTS! We won't get our tree for another two weeks, otherwise it would be dead and dry by Christmas. So mid-week, I went out and bought a cheap plastic tree, and we put some lights and ornaments on it. Now at least I have some peace LOL

Other random observations:

#4 is a typical "princess" with three older brothers. The only daily supplement she still needs is biotin [plus magnesium], or she will develop a rash on her outer thighs.

#3 will say "mommy look at me", he wants me to watch him do things. He says "mommy help me please", "I don't know", and "what's that" when appropriate. He wants to help me do things. He has always been my "small" child, the other 3 kids are at 75% or higher, but #3 has always been below 50%. Recently however, he has made it to 60%. Daily, I give him vitamin A and half a B50 plus a little extra B12 and folic acid, biotin and magnesium. Otherwise, his skin rash [like goosebumps] will appear again.

#2 still needs the daily supplements indicated above, altho I have noticed that he needs a lesser dose than when I first typed this, so hopefully his dependency on supplements will continue to gradually reduce.

My parents bought us annual passes to Knott's Berry Farm [amusement park] for Christmas, the first 2 pictures are from there. The last 3 pictures are from a family friend's ranch in Northern California, where we vacationed last October.