Recovery from Autism? Piece of Cake.That is a thoroughly misleading headline. I know because I wrote it. But I need to tie two events together and it's early so that's the best I can do.
1) Jenny McCarthy is promoting her book "Louder Than Words" and being allowed to her story of how she is in the process of recovering her son from autism via biomedical interventions and a shitload of money. Yes, it requires about $75,000 a year to adequately treat a child newly diagnosed with autism to cover the RIGHT kind of doctors and the external therapies, which are also critical. I believe Jenny said she spent $2,250 PER WEEK just on ABA therapy. Which, like most treatments for autism, is OUT OF POCKET. She is talking about the travesty of injecting 30 - 48 vaccines into a child before age 7 in a "one size fits all" fashion. I'm not going to get too nutty about it here - but do pop over Rescue Post to learn more. There's also plenty of info about the jabberwocky report from CDC on mercury in vaccines. (PS) That flu vaccine your doc wants to give your Granny and your sonny has 25 mcg of mercury in it. Just be aware and decide for yourself if the risk of dying of flu is higher than the risk of mainlining a known neurotoxin.
And (bless you if you've stuck with me this far)
John Robison had his signing in CT last night. He did a great job solo. I was presented a challenge by "The Muse" who told John I was going to bring cake to him. WHAT? I am? I thought about it for a bit and said, "Why not?" I brought him a large spice cake the first time I met him. Somehow I just thought he must like cake. As you know from his blog, John has a particular love for a certain mechanical object. So here's the cake I made for him.
I'm heading in the tunnel of revisions today. It's a book day. Adieu!
21 comments:
Well, yet another reason to come over to our side of the pond. We don't have mercury in our vaccines and we don't have the same number you do either. Feel a rant coming on so will stop now.
Love the cake by the way, bet John loved it!!
What a gorgeous cake! How the heck did you do that?! I'm always surprised if my basic round cake actually holds together. ;)
I'll have to go read Jenny's book. I had no idea she had a child with autism. AND I didn't know the flu vaccine had mercury in it - I thought they got rid of the mercury in vaccines. UGH.
mystery robin they did, just not where you live!
I sculpted each little car by hand. Arduous! Or... I bought a nifty little train pan at Williams Sonoma and baked a double batch.
Yes, docs love to say mercury is out of vaccines. If your child needs a tetanus shot after an accident with a nail? 25 micrograms. Traveling to Asia? Japanese encephalitis has 35 mcg. And many vaccines are MADE with the mercury preservative and trace amounts remain, although they are called "Thimerosal free." There's also a hefty dose of aluminum in most vaccines, used as an adjuvant.
Cheers! KIM
I don't understand why Jenny would spend money out of pocket with ABA, since it's supposed to be funded by the Regional Centers in California. I think she is not paying for ABA, it's probably RDI or another type of therapy.
When I became a mother my natural health instincts when from sharp to razor and I questioned every last thing that went near my babies. Vaccines that mine had did not have mercury or heavy metals in them. I asked the question of two pharmacists, our health visitor and two GPs and they all confirmed each other. So, I'm as sure as I can be they were heavy metal free. As far as tetanus is concerned I'd be more worried about the human blood product it came from than the heavy metal content.
From her book: I had hoped the state would have the paperwork done to fund Evan's in home therapy but no such luck...
...Did I sit around and wait or self-fund. I called around to some agencies and asked them how much it would cost me.... Seventy Five dollars an hour.
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KIM
Kim, that cake is amazing! John must have been tickled pink.
Hi, Polly. He raised his eyebrows! That is the equivalent of a shit eating grin from one of us without Aspergers. I noticed he smiles a LOT when he reads his book. I love that.
Thanks for the clarification, Kim. I live in California and waited 4 months for funding, so I don't pay a cent for his ABA, Speech and OT. If your child's diagnosis is clearly autism it's pretty much a given, you'll get services. I guess 99.9% of the families can afford waiting a bit, because paying 40 times $75/hr is not really an option.
I just think it's a little scary and misleading for parents of newly diagnosed kids to think you have to pay for ABA therapy out of pocket (at least in California) when any family can get if funded by the Regional Center (and School District for children over 3yo).
For DAN doctors and GFCF items, though, that's another story. You have to foot the bill, but then that's something that not all autistic kids need. My son had no issues with yeast, gluten or casein, so I skipped the biomed and the boy is developing well with the behavioral/social skills/Speech/OT combo, plus lots of reading and playtime with Mom.
AAM, California leads the way, and has enough ABA therapists to go around (mostly.) Other states are SO far behind the only choice is to hire privately. I've seen ads on Monster.com from families paying $50K a year to find therapy! It's nutty. Great news about your son. Yes, every child IS different - therein lies the rub in autism treatments overall.
KIM :)
Great cake(s), Kim!
I loved Jenny's book, and I love that she's all over the place spreading the word. I mean, last week my 82 year old GRANDMOTHER called me to tell me to watch Oprah, cause "someone is on and she's talking about autism and those shots!" Gotta love it. Gran has no idea who Jenny is (probably a good thing! ;) but got the message. My mom called to tell me to tape Larry King Live, as well, which was good, since I would have missed it otherwise, not remembering when Jenny would be on.
Yep, I had a flu shot while pregnant with Hutton, we both had them the following winter, plus he had all his other shots which were not "thimerosal free!" at the time. Not that they are now, either. I didn't even think anything of it when they started the whole "Thimerosal Free!" thing on my contact lens solution in the 90s. Yeah, I'm sure I didn't get any mercury from my contacts the first ten years I was soaking them in mercury solutions overnight. :/
ABA is definitely not covered here in WA. My friend pays her son's out of pocket. Our insurance is very good, and pays 80%, but that's still about $500 a month out of pocket (for only 6 hours of therapy a week, nowhere near the 20 hours(!)a week we had recommended to us when Hutton was diagnosed) in addition to the money spent on supplements, GFCF food, etc. The amazing progress is worth every penny, though!
Kim the cake is wonderful. I'm sure John was thrilled.
WOW! Look at that cake! OMG I think that I owe you a favor now. That was so sweet of you to "volunteer" to make a cake. I thought that you'd just bring something from Costco's. I'm sure that John enjoyed it. I hope that you'all partied last night and celebrated. I'll bet you had a blast. I'm delighted that it went well for him.
So cute! You have a gift (well many but a baking one, too.)! It was so great to meet you in person. Thanks for the invite, it's a shame I had to turn it down. I've just finished the 2nd chapter of LMITE. This book...I have no words to describe it, I think I'm seeing more and more of my son (older one, not dx'd) as I read along.
yum.
my favourite bit is the caboose.
Ahvarahn are you being naughty?
Hey Kim, our younger son just asked me what I was laughing at, you have me going so good.
I keep reading about John and cake, on these blogs connected to his. My in-laws are Scottish and I have a great shortbread recipe that knocks people's socks off. Might have to put a little bee in his bonnet (and yours too, if we attend the same event again. I think you need some shortbread, after all that baking you did.)
I love shortbread. Amanda, who is a faithful blog buddy, is from Scotland. Did I mention I love shortbread? I have eaten an entire giant supersize box of Walker's shortbread all by my lonesome.
OK OK Kim, hint taken - send your address and the shortbread's yours.
Oh Amanda I wasn't scrabbling for a care package! I can buy lovely imported shortbread from the craggy shores of your fair isle here in horribly overpriced gor-mette shops. And you'd probably slip in some haggis just to gross me out. My BIL is a McElwrath by the way. He named his son Mac MacCammom McElwrath. Fortunately the boy (well, he's a man now) is as handsome as they come and a terrific guy so he can pull off the triple Mac name! Safe your shillings (I know, that's English, right?) for a treat for your girls. Thanks!
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