I have been away from blogging for the last two months because we spent the summer focusing on getting our boy better. And hell yeah is he better!
After a break from chelation of more than a year, we tested him to find that his lead levels were through the roof. Our DAN doc was alarmed and he recommended that we go straight to IV Calcium EDTA chelation (CaEDTA).
Previously, I had wanted to remain cautious and used the much slower method of oral DMSA, but seeing the results that Chandler had from just 10 sessions this summer, I could not regret my decision more. I wish I had done this for him three years ago.
(So much has been made of the accidental death of the autistic child in PA who was mistakenly given the wrong form of the drug, Na2EDTA, while undergoing chelation for lead, and I wanted to take a moment to link to
the CDC’s review of three chelation deaths. These tragedies were medical accidents and not the result of the administration of CaEDTA which is the standard and safe treatment for children with lead poisoning.)
His results have been wonderful. Cautioning, he is still autistic, but his speech is really starting to flow, his eye contact has shot up, he is connecting with the kids in the neighborhood, he is beginning to make little jokes, and get my little jokes, and – miracle of miracles – hold on to your butt – HE IS POTTY TRAINING!!!
The change in him over the first five sessions were the most dramatic. Our neighbors, whom we have been close friends with since before the kids were born, and whose kids play with our kids practically daily, went away for two weeks at the beginning of his IV chelation. We had not told them what we were doing. When they came back, their family was outside with my husband and Chandler. After about 20 minutes I came out and the mom said to me, “What is up with Chandler, he is acting like a different kid?” I told her about the chelation and she said that it was like we had adopted a new child.
His lead levels are still rising, and he still has mercury tucked in there behind the lead (chelators bind to lead first and you have to clear it before you can get the mercury out adequately), so we will be doing this for a while. After a month long break, we will be starting up again and I will give more frequent updates on his progress.
But for now, I wanted to share with everyone our wonderful news of our beautiful boy’s progress.
Thank you to all of the encouragement that so many have given us over the years.