Sunday, September 30, 2007

Timeline

This posting was submitted from a mother who wants to share her story. This item was emailed to this on this blog---AR



What has happened in 9 yrs?
- 1997: my almost 2 yr old son, Jacob stops talking. Biting and scratching are off the scales
- 1998: Jacob is diagnosed with Autism/PDD. We're told they don't know what causes and there
is no cure. Sorry.... I asked about the connection between my husband's Guillain Barre Syndrome and Autism. Genetic predisposition? Immune related? No, sorry ....

Frustrated, I start to do what I know best, research ...... Jacob is offered <2 hrs of service a week by ourlocal Public school system-spec ed.

Angels were looking out for Jacob on the days he was evaluated byDr CT Gordon. He said Jacob was 'an extremely bright and intelligent child who would one daybe an engineer or mathematician'. He recommended ABA.

We contracted with NJIEI, A LovaasReplication site in N.J. after being laughed at by the school system. Again, angels were on duty.

We were given a wonderful consultant named Debbie Engerran. Friends and family formed a groupand they raised over $60,000 in 3 yrs to pay for the program (7 days wk/ 6 hrs day).

- In the meantime, we found a local DAN Dr who said he would help Jacob. Help? He couldn't
even read the blood test results. Jacob endured B12 injections and horrible vitamin/mineral
concoctions I had to grind up and feed to him because the DAN Dr said it would help.

We followed a strict Gluten/Casein free diet, which did help. But we finally 'got smart'
on the day this DAN Dr tried to given Jacob a Polio booster against our wishes and behind our back.

We discovered what huge doses of vitamins and minerals will do to a body. And we found out thatthis DAN Dr wasn't even treating Jacob's severe anemia and couldn't even tell us why
his immune system was 'over-reacting'. "We often see this with these kids," was his response.

- Early 1999: I attended a local ABA support group meeting where I met a father who had 3 childrenon the Autism SPectrum. He told me about this doctor in California who was treating his familyfor Neuro Immune Dysfunction. For days I researched this pediatrician ...

I called his office and got an appointment for Jacob. Finally, after so much time lost,
Jacob was finally on the road to healing.

- NIDS = Neuroimmune Cognitive Dysfunction. Dr Michael Goldberg.
http://www.nids.net or http://www.neuroimmunedr.com

Dr Goldberg seems to have a '2nd sense' about our kids. Perhaps it's because he's been there
with his wife, diagnosed with CFIDS and then cancer?

Dr Goldberg uses common sense and medical research to treat our kids.
He is on the cutting edge of treatment for our kids and yet has been scoffed and laughed at
by DAN, CAN, MIND, NAAR ... and whatever other organization has sprung up like a weed
these past 9 yrs.

Under Dr Goldberg ever watchful eye (yes, even from California) Jacob has thrived and gotten better. His immune system is 100% calmer and he looks like a 'regular little boy'. Sure, we have those annoying stims and negative behavior outbursts. But his eyes are clear and his thoughts wide open. Dr Goldberg doesn't believe in snakeoil treatments or 'the flavor of the day' like HBOT, chelation or Transfer Therapy.

He uses blood tests and neuroSPECT scans to see what cannot be seen with the eyes.

Where is Jacob at today? He eventually went from ABA to the school system where they did nothing with him for 5 years. We got an advocate and finally a lawyer and now Jacob's at Kennedy KriegerInstitute making meaningful progress. We email Dr Goldberg updates once a week; speak with himonce a month; and visit him once a year. We found a regular pediatrician in our area who is willingto work with us and Dr Goldberg.

And Dr Goldberg is finally going to get the recognition he's worked so hard to get.
"Good things come to those who wait" and we've been waiting a long time .....

Doris
Maryland

2 comments:

~Zurama Arencibia Nuñez~ said...

I tried to make an appointment with Dr. Goldberg about a year ago, for my severly Autistic son and I was told, he wasn't taking any new patients.

Anonymous said...

I got an appointment 2 months ago and now my son is making progress.
Dr. Goldberg is taking new patients as he finished one of his clinical responsibilities
Get in while you can 818-343-1010