AGE OF AUTISM: Cell Division, Autism and Ultrasound

AGE OF AUTISM: Cell Division, Autism and Ultrasound.

I’m not quoting any of the article, because the entire thing is worth reading. It’s also something I’ve been saying since 2000, so it’s nice to see someone backing me up.

Most of you know by now, my middle son has autism/is autistic, however you want to say it. I insist that he isn’t defined by his diagnosis, but his diagnosis is built-in, not something that we can treat and get rid of, so either way I guess.

Most of you also know we don’t do routine vaccines. I didn’t do routine prenatal healthcare (not after my oldest anyway, in terms of standard prenatal care). I don’t bombard my kids with antibiotics, tylenol or much of anything really.

I had a thousand and one sonograms/ultrarounds with Dorian. Why? I was so sick. Pneumonia, sepsis, kidney infection, thelist goes on. So while I was trying my hardest not to die, they were doing marathon sonograms, doppler, you name it. After that medical experience (which I didn’t want – I had wanted a nice, calm homebirth) I made sure my next pregnancies went more how I wanted.

I had no sonograms with Malachai. I had a few doppler checks (and by a few I mean three, total). I had a water birth. It was beautiful. My family was there, and Malachai came into the world so easily.

I had almost no care with Eshiva. Best pregnancy ever. I mean it. I delivered her with the aid of my mom and no one else. I caught her. It was painful (back labour, meconium, I did wind up at the hospital, but I had her on my own) but it was how birth should be.

So how did my child who had almost no medical intervention (a few doppler readings) wind up being my autistic child? Why not Dorian? Why not Eshiva? Is it genetic? We had gene testing done, but nothing was found. Just one of those things.

I am so happy to see articles like this, exploring what it could be, but in the end, they lead down dead ends for us, because we don’t do these things.

I was reading how WiFi, radio, mobile phones, can cause these changes too… even if I got rid of our WiFi at home, how do you avoid these things these days? It’s everywhere. I can’t go outside without being within range of three other WiFi accounts in my neighborhood alone – sometimes more if everyone is on at the same time.

So we wait. We wait to see what kind of collective damage we’ve done to ourselves, to our children.

Yesterday… and Tomorrow

Yesterday I had an ok kind of day up until it was time to take Mal to therapy. Yesterday was apparently take your mom to therapy day. No one told me. Almost every woman there her her mom with her for some reason, or her mom was picking her up, or she was on the phone with her mom… you get the picture. While I was slowly realizing this, it also occured to me that I spent a good portion of my life with my mom at various therapy joints (yep, they are joints now, just like bars and boites) and perhaps the universe was preparing me then for not having mom to bring with me now.

My world is entirely Jenn-centric. Isn’t yours?

I realize that the universe didn’t give us Erin just to prepare me for Malachai. That would be a little too Jenn-centric, even for me, but…. Well, you just never know, right?

So I texted my husband, whom I adore, and told him I was missing mom and I wanted to go out when he got home, even if it was just to StarFuckers or someplace like that, to sit. Well, Eshiva wouldn’t go to sleep, and finally did around 9.30, so we went out. Can I shoehorn in here, that my sister had her friend go home so she could keep an eye on Esh? She is such a love. I had him print out the free drink coupon for B&N, so that’s where we wound up.

Normally B&N is a bad, bad, bad idea for me. I can drop a hundo easy there, and usually do. Well, we get there, and I’m not even in the door yet and I realize I don’t want a cup of coffee (or whatever frou-frou drink the coupon is for) and we just shmy around for a half hour or so. I see a ton of books and magazines I want, but don’t get any. This is bad people, I am beyond pick-me-up shopping and into save the money, I don’t need it anyway territory. Everything I looked at was photography, graphic or cooking related. It all reminds me that I let everything fall by the wayside, that I can’t stick to doing anything. Which of course, puts my somewhat funky mood into piss-off territory.

So we come home, my husband feels like crap because he can’t fix it (and he isn’t expected to, but I appreciate the thought) and I get in bed and turn the lights out and listen to an audiobook. Fin.

This morning I was woken up at 6.30 because dad is still at work and will not be home to wake and take the twins to school. So I wake up Sara and Michael wakes up Michael and agian, being the love that he is, takes them to school because I just can’t drive at this hour safely.

Malachai was impressed with himself that he woke up before the alarm clock went off. We had a nice chat. He told me his teeth feel like there are little people in there playing them like xylaphones. He asked when his birthday was going to be. Tomorrow? No Mal. After tomorrow? After lots of tomorrows, yes. I have no idea if he understands time outside of yesterday, today and tomorrow, because any real length of time is just “after tomorrow.” I know he gets that it’s eight days to Halloween and ten days till we go back to the beach, but I think he still thinks of it in terms of “after tomorrow.” It’s kind of endearing.

Today is a half day, so I need to figure out what this afternoon will bring. Tomorrow is off, which will be interesting as we have Edinea at 9.15, so we’ll have to figure that out. Maybe we’ll take them all and go to breakfast after. We’ll see.

Look, she’s at it again! Need graphic or web work?

You can see my new store here – a lot of the categories are empty right now as I am not quite done stocking it but if you want something in an empty category, just let me know!

My Alt Bazaar shop is here and it’s got a smaller selection of items.

I spent today trying to install a coupon mod but the one I have is outdated (oh, by about three years) and the guy who scripted it hasn’t gotten back to me yet. Until he does, in lieu of a coupon, I am offering a 7.5% (that seven and a half, not seventy five) store-wide discount. Why? It’s a fun number!

Discount only applies in my aD shop, not The Alt Bazaar.

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Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz…

You Are a Marilyn!

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You are a Marilyn — “I am affectionate and skeptical.”

Marilyns are responsible, trustworthy, and value loyalty to family, friends, groups, and causes. Their personalities range broadly from reserved and timid to outspoken and confrontative.

How to Get Along with Me

  • * Be direct and clear
  • * Listen to me carefully
  • * Don’t judge me for my anxiety
  • * Work things through with me
  • * Reassure me that everything is OK between us
  • * Laugh and make jokes with me
  • * Gently push me toward new experiences
  • * Try not to overreact to my overreacting.

What I Like About Being a Marilyn

  • * being committed and faithful to family and friends
  • * being responsible and hardworking
  • * being compassionate toward others
  • * having intellect and wit
  • * being a nonconformist
  • * confronting danger bravely
  • * being direct and assertive

What’s Hard About Being a Marilyn

  • * the constant push and pull involved in trying to make up my mind
  • * procrastinating because of fear of failure; having little confidence in myself
  • * fearing being abandoned or taken advantage of
  • * exhausting myself by worrying and scanning for danger
  • * wishing I had a rule book at work so I could do everything right
  • * being too critical of myself when I haven’t lived up to my expectations

Marilyns as Children Often

  • * are friendly, likable, and dependable, and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn
  • * are anxious and hypervigilant; anticipate danger
  • * form a team of “us against them” with a best friend or parent
  • * look to groups or authorities to protect them and/or question authority and rebel
  • * are neglected or abused, come from unpredictable or alcoholic families, and/or take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Marilyns as Parents

  • * are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty
  • * are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence
  • * worry more than most that their children will get hurt
  • * sometimes have trouble saying no and setting boundaries

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

AGE OF AUTISM: Denis Leary on Autism.

Denis Leary on Autism.

It might be time to add a new category to our lineup. Denis Leary knows the power of the autism community. That’s why he’s using us to sell books. Can we have a giant, “Whatever.” for Mr. Leary?

“There is a huge boom in autism right now because inattentive mothers and competitive dads want an explanation for why their dumb-ass kids can’t compete academically, so they throw money into the happy laps of shrinks . . . to get back diagnoses that help explain away the deficiencies of their junior morons. I don’t give a [bleep] what these crackerjack whack jobs tell you – yer kid is NOT autistic. He’s just stupid. Or lazy. Or both.”

New York Post Gossip section.

PS My apologies if you’re offended by the graphic. It seemed fitting.

AGE OF AUTISM: Denis Leary on Autism.

So yah. You’re an asshole. I just have one thing to say really. My autistic child tested at just shy of *genius* on his IQ testing (part of the testing that was done during his diagnosis). G-E-N-I-U-S. And my kids not lazy either. Me? I’m lazy. I spend more time and energy figuring out how not to do things than just doing them in the first place. I’ll own my laziness. Most autistic kids? Not so lazy. Not so stupid.

I’m not buying his book. I’m not telling you to buy his book. I’m not even looking the damn thing up. I’m also not buying Jenny McCarthy’s books either, so there you go.