Hi Everyone, I'm still Here

[Guest guest]

I haven't posted since October and have only partially kept up with

the list.

My Mother had a severe heart attack. She was life-flighted to the

Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland from our rural

southern Oregon area. Things were touch and go for a while, she is

home now but has lost over 1/2 the function of her heart. It is

impossible to get clear answers. We are dealing with several things

now. She had runaway diabetes that we did not know about that

brought about the heart attack in the first place. But I can't seem

to get a clear answer from the allopathic doctors if there is artery

disease or it was just the diabetes that over-stressed her heart.

Her blood sugar was over 400 when she went in. I am also angry that

months before the coronary she went in to an opthamologist for spots

or floaters in her vision. Despite this and being 72 years old they

never checked her blood sugar or even asked about diabetes. We have

severe genetic eye issues in our family so apparently that could be

the only cause and my mother couldn't possibly develop a disease

that every other human being might suffer from. What a bunch of

morons!!!!!

She has gone from never being on a prescription in her life to now

being on 9 different drugs plus insulin injections. Her blood sugar

is still running just under 200 on a regular basis.

I am cooking, cleaning, taking care of two households now and you

may have noticed I have not written an article for the ARI

newsletter for November or December.

I have spent the last two months trying to educate myself on the

diabetes, the heart disease, living with heart failure, the biggest

challenge now is food preparation. It seems ironic that after a

lifetime of hardwork and struggles, raising six children, having 38

foster children through the years, giving up things for their

children and grandchildren,now that they are retired and have at

least a little money, they can't enjoy it in any way, not the foods

they could never afford before, vacations or even short travels.

They seem to have become prisoners in their own home. My Dad always

said things were backwards, that our young bodies should be the

retirement bodies (ha ha).

My parents, by the way, gave up their home and financial security

when my daughter was diagnosed to help me. My mother transformed

her kitchen to GFCF when I did and has been my daycare as well as an

ABA therapist for years. Much of our ABA was run out of my parents

home while I was at work. What we did would not have been possible

without my parents. So, I will do everything I can to repay them.

My Father is in the early stages of dimentia and now my Mother's

physical health. It is a huge burden, but also a labor of love. I

am so behind the learning curve here on the diseases and drugs we

are now dealing with. I do have my mother on CoQ10 but have not

made any major inroads into the other drugs she in on yet, as I do

not have the knowledge to risk that yet. Any advice from this list

is appreciated, especially Sheri Naaken.

It's been a wild ride these last two months and my Mom is getting a

little stronger, but I am terrified that in this country over 50% of

women die in the first year following a heart attack while for men

the percentages are just the opposite. Why is that?

So, that is why I have not been on this list, or any others for that

matter in the last two months. Things are slowly starting to return

to normal, but may never be totally like it was. I do though, have

to stay in the Autism world and continue to fight for all our kids

and those to come.

Thanks everyone,

Kendra