Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi, We can barely afford biomed, so I understand. Insurance does not pay for supplements, HBOT or other things. I found vitacost.com for a lot of my sons needs that were WAY les expensive than our DAN! office or pharmacies. Also, iHerb.com is a good place to buy from. A lot of times you can use two things for one use - enzymes work on the diet, but also have been known to control yeast when given on an empty stomach(at least in our house). Epsom salt baths help with phenol issues (from apples, oranges, chocolate, etc) and detox and relax.Things like that help us get by. Hope this helps, Susi > > hello, was hoping for ideas and suggestions for a single uninsured mom, who works part time how to afford the expense of biomed. Right now she has her son GFCFSF and corn/potato free. doing some supplements out of pocket. Thanks! > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 GRants ACT Today www.act-today.org (I received one from the AZ chapter to cover my son's copays for the past 5 months. Over $1000.They are definitely pro supplements and any researched biomedical interventions.) www.uhccf.org (This one works for anyone already on an insurance plan, but needing help with covering copays.) Helping Hand Financial Aid for Autism Families (This looks like it might be the best one to start with for her. Applications are out now and due in Feb.) www.nationalautismassociation.org TACA: http://www.talkaboutcuringautism.org/resources/financial_issues.htm > > hello, was hoping for ideas and suggestions for a single uninsured mom, who works part time how to afford the expense of biomed. Right now she has her son GFCFSF and corn/potato free. doing some supplements out of pocket. Thanks! > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 We're slowly going bankrupt too & I wouldn't have it any other way. Why not encourage her to apply to Lend 4 Health? That might allow her some breathing room to try a new approach & pay for it gradually without interest. Also, it pays to check around. One supplier I get enzymes from is about $15 more expensive per bottle than my new supplier. That adds up fast! If the child can swallow pills, there might be cost savings there too. Chewables always seem to be more expensive. Dana's page has ideas on swallowing pills. I don't think it is strictly necessary to get a lot of expensive testing done. With good notes & a daily diary, you can observe an awful lot & adjust based on that. For example: my son had a sudden phenol reaction. I've tried to duplicate it to pin down the exact food he isn't tolerating & we concluded it wasn't the food but the quantity of phenols. Hope that helps a bit. http://www.gfcfcanadianstyle.wordpress.com > > > > > > hello, was hoping for ideas and suggestions for a single uninsured > mom, who works part time how to afford the expense of biomed. Right > now she has her son GFCFSF and corn/potato free. doing some > supplements out of pocket. Thanks! > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I am sorry, but I just can't remain quiet on this. I have held my tongue until now. I just don't understand this concept, it is counter productive. Going bankrupt to pay for this stuff is not something I am willing to do. My family depends on me to make choices that will keep us stable financially. It doesn't matter if I can buy these supplements if I can't afford to put a roof over our heads. I am thinking, wow these people are nuts. I want to help myself and my son be as healthy as we can, but I will NOT sacrifice our financial stability to do that. It is far more improtant to have consistency and stability for my family. The stress caused by financial ruin destroys families and marriages and I will NOT RISK that. -Undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome Stay at home mom to 3, Wife to -6-6-02-Autism Spectrum, the light of my life Katy-11-19-03-undiagnosed genetic syndrome that includes cleft palate-Pierre Robin Sequence, scoliosis, heart defects, short stature, low muscle tone, developmental delay, oral defensiveness, g tube fed part time-working on oral feeding, slightly dysmorphic features, and my joy J.D-no issues except he is totally in love with mommy, cutest baby in the world visit my blog http://busiestmommyinamerica.blogspot.com " If you think my hands are full, you should see my heart! " ________________________________ From: Subject: Re: Affording Biomed We're slowly going bankrupt too & I wouldn't have it any other way. Why not encourage her to apply to Lend 4 Health? That might allow her some breathing room to try a new approach & pay for it gradually without interest. Also, it pays to check around. One supplier I get enzymes from is about $15 more expensive per bottle than my new supplier. That adds up fast! If the child can swallow pills, there might be cost savings there too. Chewables always seem to be more expensive. Dana's page has ideas on swallowing pills. I don't think it is strictly necessary to get a lot of expensive testing done. With good notes & a daily diary, you can observe an awful lot & adjust based on that. For example: my son had a sudden phenol reaction. I've tried to duplicate it to pin down the exact food he isn't tolerating & we concluded it wasn't the food but the quantity of phenols. Hope that helps a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 - If you don't mind me asking, which supplier are you using that is $15 less expensive per bottle?? Sounds like something I would be interested in. We, too, can barely put a roof over our heads and appropriate food on the table. In this economy, my husband's income is a quarter of what it was last year, but still too much to qualify for help from government agencies! The enzymes samples we received from Houston worked well, but I have not been able to afford to purchase any. Let's see (she says balancing on the circus ball!) - supplements or house, supplements or house..... :-) Marilyn in MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I think this TACA link covers most of what I would suggest...It's " biomed on a budget " : http://tacanow.com/medical/biomedical-on-a-budget.htm - If her son's not on it already, her son may qualify for Medicaid, which may help cover some expenses. - There are grants/scholarships that could help - TACA offers one. Here's the link: http://www.tacanow.com/fic/family-scholarship-program.htm - If she can't afford insurance and is in CA, there is a state program that can help insure her child. There are guidelines to qualify and more infomation can be found on: www.healthyfamilies.ca.gov Hope it helps. Libby wrote: > > hello, was hoping for ideas and suggestions for a single uninsured > mom, who works part time how to afford the expense of biomed. Right > now she has her son GFCFSF and corn/potato free. doing some > supplements out of pocket. Thanks! > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I know!!! I have a friend pushing very hard for us to do GF and I just can't afford it. that and if I took away 's crackers, he'd have nothing. We can't afford to do meat and veggies. That was pretty much our diet when I was pregnant and it's expensive and we couldn't wait for me to not to be pregnant just for the grocery bill. What good is it to really be bankrupt?? No home would freak my son out too. yes I want my son to talk but I want to keep him fed, clothed and a roof over our heads first. Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally for the rest of your life later. Either way you will pay big. Think long term. A short term financial crisis/sacrifices or _______ (you fill in the blank). Our kids depend on us to make good decisions after pondering potential consequences of those decisions. > > I know!!! I have a friend pushing very hard for us to do GF and I just can't > afford it. that and if I took away 's crackers, he'd have nothing. > > > > We can't afford to do meat and veggies. That was pretty much our diet when I > was pregnant and it's expensive and we couldn't wait for me to not to be > pregnant just for the grocery bill. > > > > What good is it to really be bankrupt?? No home would freak my son out too. > yes I want my son to talk but I want to keep him fed, clothed and a roof > over our heads first. > > > > Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, > 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 > http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not > necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com > > > > Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner > > > Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough > to make them all yourself. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 That's the way I see it pay now, or pay later. I know it's hard we have no coverage either but we keep pressing through. I need to do all I can now, we have such a small window of opportunity, and I am thankful to be able to do this. From: m_jhouston333 <m_jhouston333@...> Subject: Re: Affording Biomed Received: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 4:09 PM My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally for the rest of your life later. Either way you will pay big. Think long term. A short term financial crisis/sacrifices or _______ (you fill in the blank). Our kids depend on us to make good decisions after pondering potential consequences of those decisions. > > I know!!! I have a friend pushing very hard for us to do GF and I just can't > afford it. that and if I took away 's crackers, he'd have nothing. > > > > We can't afford to do meat and veggies. That was pretty much our diet when I > was pregnant and it's expensive and we couldn't wait for me to not to be > pregnant just for the grocery bill. > > > > What good is it to really be bankrupt?? No home would freak my son out too. > yes I want my son to talk but I want to keep him fed, clothed and a roof > over our heads first. > > > > Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, > 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 > http://momof6. dotphoto. com <http://momof6. dotphoto. com/> for not > necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot. blogspot. com > > > > Come, PLAY!! http://www.discover ytoyslink. com/nitagarner > > > Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough > to make them all yourself. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I'm in Canada - so I wasn't ordering directly from Houston. The go-between is charging (in my opinion) a huge up-charge for the exchange of US to Canadian dollars, shipping and small profit. Case in point - Trienza went from 65.00 to 72.00 per bottle overnight & the currency rate hadn't dipped that much.  I found another Canadian company who will special order directly from Houston & charge exactly what Houston does, of course with the exchange (properly) factored in. If you want to know who's who, please e-mail me off list. http://www.gfcfcanadianstyle.wordpress.com http://www.allaboutpotential.wordpress.com __________________________________________________________________ Get a sneak peak at messages with a handy reading pane with All new : http://ca.promos./newmail/overview2/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 > > - If you don't mind me asking, which supplier are you using that is $15 less expensive per bottle?? Sounds like something I would be interested in. We, too, can barely put a roof over our heads and appropriate food on the table. In this economy, my husband's income is a quarter of what it was last year, but still too much to qualify for help from government agencies! The enzymes samples we received from Houston worked well, but I have not been able to afford to purchase any. Let's see (she says balancing on the circus ball!) - supplements or house, supplements or house..... :-) > > Marilyn in MO > I wrote a few weeks ago about alternatives that might help in a time of financial problems, but felt rather ignored - which is fine. My son will be 27 years old in a few days. When we discovered digestive enzymes, it wasn't to cure autism or anything more lofty than to allow my son to eat food without getting a mouthful of canker sores - and clear up a few other really harsh problems. One being a liver problem. The digestive enzymes helped a great deal and my son could eat more foods, but still no where near normal. Maybe I should also clear that I think our children should be able to eat.... food. Not preservatives, colors, soy, processed, boxed, bagged, food-like substances, but food. Healthy, organically, homemade food. That was the problem that brought us to this site. And boy, did this site help!! So many had great suggestions that helped! And our appreciation can't be expressed enough! Our journey is pretty much at end. My son can now eat most any food he desires without harsh or unpleasant side effects - and the supplements are now down to very few! He still takes digestive enzymes, but it's just Vgest and he can even miss that for a meal sometimes without adverse effects. Otherwise, he drinks dandelion, milk thistle tea about thirty minutes before a meal to encourage bile to help with digestion. When we started the dandelion, we were able to let go of the No Phenol within a couple of weeks. Great for the budget! We are now growing our own dandelion and milk thistle. We started with Helping America's Silver Hydrosol. A wonderful product that kills all pathogens so it's not a battle between whether we are trying to kill yeast or virus - it kills all. And that has been beyond helpful! Another large supplement expense gone. We just started with Helping America's Liquid Zeolite Plus - which has humic acid to replace lost minerals from the zeolites in it. The product is great. So it the owner of the company! WE don't expect our son to be on the Helping America products all the time or forever. But they are helping to finish our battle. We tried all the excessive supplements recommended. High magnesium... which led to needing some other supplements to balance the magnesium. We didn't find that it helped our case that much in the long run and overwhelmed us. WE found that lower amounts consistently helped more. We're all on our own journey with this as our children are the same, but very different. We too, have seriously financial problems - and this caused us to keep looking. In this particular part of our journey we think that more of our children's problems are related to liver problems that we know. How else would dandelion/milk thistle have stopped the need for No Phenol? The red ears stopped. The cankers. All of it. Because we have reached the point where we have solved the problems we came for, it's probably time to move on. This is to wish you all a successful journey and to encourage all of you to keep good journals and keep an open mind. We feel the economic troubles for our Country are more than a light recession this time and our children are going to need us more than ever. Never give up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I totally agree. It's either pay for it now or much, much more later. This is just me, but I would rather eat ramen noodles and PB & J every day of my life if I had to in order to be able to afford my son's supplements. I would rather live in a crappy apartment or with relatives over having my own home if it meant he would have that much better of an opportunity of better, healthier future. A house is just a place to live - you make a home a home no matter where that roof over your head may be. A car is just a car. Etc. etc. And if this journey has taught me anything, it's taught me that I don't care much about either anymore - they are just things. What I care about is my son and his future and well being. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of m_jhouston333 Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 11:10 AM Subject: Re: Affording Biomed My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally for the rest of your life later. Either way you will pay big. Think long term. A short term financial crisis/sacrifices or _______ (you fill in the blank). Our kids depend on us to make good decisions after pondering potential consequences of those decisions. > > I know!!! I have a friend pushing very hard for us to do GF and I just can't > afford it. that and if I took away 's crackers, he'd have nothing. > > > > We can't afford to do meat and veggies. That was pretty much our diet when I > was pregnant and it's expensive and we couldn't wait for me to not to be > pregnant just for the grocery bill. > > > > What good is it to really be bankrupt?? No home would freak my son out too. > yes I want my son to talk but I want to keep him fed, clothed and a roof > over our heads first. > > > > Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, > 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 > http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not > necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com > > > > Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner > > > Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough > to make them all yourself. > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I'd rather shoot myself than live with my in-laws, even if living w/ them meant the difference b/t david and his therapy. You do the best you can with what you have and I think that includes the therapy our kids need. You say this now.. but to save money b/c things are going to get worse, why not do it now? I drive home at 55-60 mph in a 70 zone to save gas money. even though prices are low now, I don't think they're going to remain low. Pple will forget and start increasing demand and then prices will go up again or there will be a natural disaster and prices will go up due to limited supply. There's the difference b/t reality and theory and I'm just saying, what we think we *might* do and what we really do are 2 totally different things. I think if you truly were eating pb/j every day.. you'd soon be so sick of the sight of peanut butter it just would not be a pretty sight to see. We have a friend that drove trucks for krispy kreme. I thought 'wow.. yum " and he thinks " if I see one more donut box, I'm going to kill someone " . so anyway, back at the ranch. It's my nap time so I don't drive off the road from tiredness. Gotta get david from preschool. We all will do what we need to do but I think what the OP was is let's keep things in moderation. Don't actually go bankrupt. Stick to your budget and save up for the future. I mean, no, I don't want my son to be nonverbal the rest of his life and my dh and I worry about this and I don't know what I'd do if he lost his job.. I'd be in a rock and a hard place and we'd have to make some hard decisions. We haven't yet really decided what we would do and I could say we'll eat pb/j..but is that realistic? No. imo, it isn't. Already tried living w/ my mom and that didn't work out very well and to me, to have a rent free situation and your own space?.. sounds great. I say I'd put up w/ a lot for that but my mom left it and bought her own place b/c my dh and she were about to kill each other. Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. From: RE: Re: Affording Biomed I totally agree. It's either pay for it now or much, much more later. This is just me, but I would rather eat ramen noodles and PB & J every day of my life if I had to in order to be able to afford my son's supplements. I would rather live in a crappy apartment or with relatives over having my own home if it meant he would have that much better of an opportunity of better, healthier future. A house is just a place to live - you make a home a home no matter where that roof over your head may be. A car is just a car. Etc. etc. And if this journey has taught me anything, it's taught me that I don't care much about either anymore - they are just things. What I care about is my son and his future and well being. ---------------------- My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally for the rest of your life later. And have we asked 'if we do all these sacrifices and they don't work'..that is what I ask myself every day as I drive 2 hours for my son. 4 hours.. sacrifice comes in lots of ways. no answers yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 >We can't afford to do meat and veggies. That was pretty much our diet when I was pregnant and it's expensive and we couldn't wait for me to not to be pregnant just for the grocery bill.<  I don't want to appear to be picking on your food choices, Nita in asking this, but what are you eating, if not vegetables and meat?  In my own experience, it is actually cheaper to eat whole foods (fresh or frozen vegetables & meat) than packaged food. Fresh vegetables are more expensive in the winter but the local store had 20kg (nearly 50 lbs) of potatoes on sale for $8.99. Baby carrots were 1.00 per pound and cabbage was 50 cents per pound. I turned that, plus beef into a hearty soup.  My gentle suggestion is to find a farmer. You have a big family & could really benefit from buying your meat directly from the producer. Our family of 4 goes through a 1/2 of beef (plus assorted chickens - maybe 20 - I buy in a store as we don't raise them) per year. The processing of the beef costs about $200 here, plus the cost of the meat. (Which I don't have to pay because they are my husband's cows.)  But, we've sold it for around $2.00 - $2.50 per pound. A half of beef weighs about 300 pounds. Out of that, I get about 30- 40 steaks (rib-eye, t-bone, sirloin, and round), 10 roasts, 20 lbs stewing beef, 100 lbs ground beef (pkg in 1.5 lbs) and soup bones. That's a large size freezer full, if you are keeping track. (and all quantites are approximate, the main point is you get 300 lbs of beef!)  You might even be able to find a producer who will sell you a 1/4 of beef, which would at least help out for part of the year. Try Farmer's Markets or if that isn't an option, try phoning a small town Civic Office where you know there are farmers. The staff might be able to connect you to a cattle producer. (I work in a Civic office, and I would do it!)  I want to afford biomed but I won't starve my kids of meat and vegetables to do it. This isn't meant to be a criticism, I simply wanted to suggest another way of getting your food. http://www.gfcfcanadianstyle.wordpress.com http://www.allaboutpotential.wordpress.com __________________________________________________________________ Canada Toolbar: Search from anywhere on the web, and bookmark your favourite sites. Download it now at http://ca.toolbar.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I've lived with both my parents (with my husband) and my in-laws, so I do know full well what kind of situation I would be walking back into. Was it always great? Not hardly. Would I do what I needed to do in order to make sure I give my child the best shot he has at life? - absolutely. And, yeah, many times it has come down to buying groceries or vitamins. I will always buy the foods my son needs and his vitamins. I don't mind eating PB & J, ramen noodles, scrambled eggs for dinner - if it means I've given my son his best chance. I don't judge anyone who chooses to do otherwise, we all have to make our own decisions - I am just agreeing with those who would do the same as I would, that's all. From: [mailto: ] On Behalf Of Venita Garner Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 1:26 PM Subject: RE: Re: Affording Biomed I'd rather shoot myself than live with my in-laws, even if living w/ them meant the difference b/t david and his therapy. You do the best you can with what you have and I think that includes the therapy our kids need. You say this now.. but to save money b/c things are going to get worse, why not do it now? I drive home at 55-60 mph in a 70 zone to save gas money. even though prices are low now, I don't think they're going to remain low. Pple will forget and start increasing demand and then prices will go up again or there will be a natural disaster and prices will go up due to limited supply. There's the difference b/t reality and theory and I'm just saying, what we think we *might* do and what we really do are 2 totally different things. I think if you truly were eating pb/j every day.. you'd soon be so sick of the sight of peanut butter it just would not be a pretty sight to see. We have a friend that drove trucks for krispy kreme. I thought 'wow.. yum " and he thinks " if I see one more donut box, I'm going to kill someone " . so anyway, back at the ranch. It's my nap time so I don't drive off the road from tiredness. Gotta get david from preschool. We all will do what we need to do but I think what the OP was is let's keep things in moderation. Don't actually go bankrupt. Stick to your budget and save up for the future. I mean, no, I don't want my son to be nonverbal the rest of his life and my dh and I worry about this and I don't know what I'd do if he lost his job.. I'd be in a rock and a hard place and we'd have to make some hard decisions. We haven't yet really decided what we would do and I could say we'll eat pb/j..but is that realistic? No. imo, it isn't. Already tried living w/ my mom and that didn't work out very well and to me, to have a rent free situation and your own space?.. sounds great. I say I'd put up w/ a lot for that but my mom left it and bought her own place b/c my dh and she were about to kill each other. Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. From: RE: Re: Affording Biomed I totally agree. It's either pay for it now or much, much more later. This is just me, but I would rather eat ramen noodles and PB & J every day of my life if I had to in order to be able to afford my son's supplements. I would rather live in a crappy apartment or with relatives over having my own home if it meant he would have that much better of an opportunity of better, healthier future. A house is just a place to live - you make a home a home no matter where that roof over your head may be. A car is just a car. Etc. etc. And if this journey has taught me anything, it's taught me that I don't care much about either anymore - they are just things. What I care about is my son and his future and well being. ---------------------- My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally for the rest of your life later. And have we asked 'if we do all these sacrifices and they don't work'..that is what I ask myself every day as I drive 2 hours for my son. 4 hours.. sacrifice comes in lots of ways. no answers yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 I understand your situation believe me I do. But... the only thing I can say is it is worth a shot. I really don't know anyone who's child has not at least improved a little bit with the diet, supplements, etc. Just imagine how life would be 20 years from now if your child does not develop any further than where they are today. That should be motivation enough to just find a way to make it happen instead of finding reasons not to do it. > > I'd rather shoot myself than live with my in-laws, even if living w/ them > meant the difference b/t david and his therapy. > > > > You do the best you can with what you have and I think that includes the > therapy our kids need. > > > > You say this now.. but to save money b/c things are going to get worse, why > not do it now? I drive home at 55-60 mph in a 70 zone to save gas money. > even though prices are low now, I don't think they're going to remain low. > Pple will forget and start increasing demand and then prices will go up > again or there will be a natural disaster and prices will go up due to > limited supply. > > > > There's the difference b/t reality and theory and I'm just saying, what we > think we *might* do and what we really do are 2 totally different things. > > > > I think if you truly were eating pb/j every day.. you'd soon be so sick of > the sight of peanut butter it just would not be a pretty sight to see. > > > > We have a friend that drove trucks for krispy kreme. I thought 'wow.. yum " > and he thinks " if I see one more donut box, I'm going to kill someone " . so > anyway, back at the ranch. It's my nap time so I don't drive off the road > from tiredness. Gotta get david from preschool. > > > > We all will do what we need to do but I think what the OP was is let's keep > things in moderation. Don't actually go bankrupt. Stick to your budget and > save up for the future. > > > > I mean, no, I don't want my son to be nonverbal the rest of his life and my > dh and I worry about this and I don't know what I'd do if he lost his job.. > I'd be in a rock and a hard place and we'd have to make some hard decisions. > We haven't yet really decided what we would do and I could say we'll eat > pb/j..but is that realistic? No. imo, it isn't. > > Already tried living w/ my mom and that didn't work out very well and to me, > to have a rent free situation and your own space?.. sounds great. I say I'd > put up w/ a lot for that but my mom left it and bought her own place b/c my > dh and she were about to kill each other. > > > > Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, > 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 > http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not > necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com > > > > Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner > > > Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough > to make them all yourself. > > > > > From: RE: Re: Affording Biomed > > > > I totally agree. It's either pay for it now or much, much more later. > > This is just me, but I would rather eat ramen noodles and PB & J every day of > my life if I had to in order to be able to afford my son's supplements. I > would rather live in a crappy apartment or with relatives over having my own > home if it meant he would have that much better of an opportunity of better, > healthier future. A house is just a place to live - you make a home a home > no matter where that roof over your head may be. A car is just a car. Etc. > etc. And if this journey has taught me anything, it's taught me that I > don't care much about either anymore - they are just things. What I care > about is my son and his future and well being. > ---------------------- > My take on the expense... you can either pay a lot now for 1,2,3 years > of biomedical treatment, therapies, restricted diets and have a decent > chance that the child will be self-sufficient later on... > > Or you can pay for supporting your child financially and emotionally > for the rest of your life later. > > > > > > And have we asked 'if we do all these sacrifices and they don't work'..that > is what I ask myself every day as I drive 2 hours for my son. 4 hours.. > sacrifice comes in lots of ways. no answers yet. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 14, 2009 Report Share Posted January 14, 2009 Would love to hear more from the mother with a 27 year old son with autism. My son is 16 and I have been lost most of the last 11 years. Diagnosed at 5. Have tried a lot. Most hasn't worked. Closest Dan doctor 4 hours away required $16,000 on hand for 1st year. Did not accept insurance. Regular ped. said biomed was a bunch of hooha. ABA was also beyond our means.  D.  From: donaharrington <donaharrington@...> Subject: Re: Affording Biomed Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 12:47 PM > > - If you don't mind me asking, which supplier are you using that is $15 less expensive per bottle?? Sounds like something I would be interested in. We, too, can barely put a roof over our heads and appropriate food on the table. In this economy, my husband's income is a quarter of what it was last year, but still too much to qualify for help from government agencies! The enzymes samples we received from Houston worked well, but I have not been able to afford to purchase any. Let's see (she says balancing on the circus ball!) - supplements or house, supplements or house..... :-) > > Marilyn in MO > I wrote a few weeks ago about alternatives that might help in a time of financial problems, but felt rather ignored - which is fine. My son will be 27 years old in a few days. When we discovered digestive enzymes, it wasn't to cure autism or anything more lofty than to allow my son to eat food without getting a mouthful of canker sores - and clear up a few other really harsh problems. One being a liver problem. The digestive enzymes helped a great deal and my son could eat more foods, but still no where near normal. Maybe I should also clear that I think our children should be able to eat.... food. Not preservatives, colors, soy, processed, boxed, bagged, food-like substances, but food. Healthy, organically, homemade food. That was the problem that brought us to this site. And boy, did this site help!! So many had great suggestions that helped! And our appreciation can't be expressed enough! Our journey is pretty much at end. My son can now eat most any food he desires without harsh or unpleasant side effects - and the supplements are now down to very few! He still takes digestive enzymes, but it's just Vgest and he can even miss that for a meal sometimes without adverse effects. Otherwise, he drinks dandelion, milk thistle tea about thirty minutes before a meal to encourage bile to help with digestion. When we started the dandelion, we were able to let go of the No Phenol within a couple of weeks. Great for the budget! We are now growing our own dandelion and milk thistle. We started with Helping America's Silver Hydrosol. A wonderful product that kills all pathogens so it's not a battle between whether we are trying to kill yeast or virus - it kills all. And that has been beyond helpful! Another large supplement expense gone. We just started with Helping America's Liquid Zeolite Plus - which has humic acid to replace lost minerals from the zeolites in it. The product is great. So it the owner of the company! WE don't expect our son to be on the Helping America products all the time or forever. But they are helping to finish our battle. We tried all the excessive supplements recommended. High magnesium... which led to needing some other supplements to balance the magnesium. We didn't find that it helped our case that much in the long run and overwhelmed us. WE found that lower amounts consistently helped more. We're all on our own journey with this as our children are the same, but very different. We too, have seriously financial problems - and this caused us to keep looking. In this particular part of our journey we think that more of our children's problems are related to liver problems that we know. How else would dandelion/milk thistle have stopped the need for No Phenol? The red ears stopped. The cankers. All of it. Because we have reached the point where we have solved the problems we came for, it's probably time to move on. This is to wish you all a successful journey and to encourage all of you to keep good journals and keep an open mind. We feel the economic troubles for our Country are more than a light recession this time and our children are going to need us more than ever. Never give up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 Wow - Donna! That is exactly what I was looking for. Have not been on this site for a long time so I must have missed your alternative post. I am going to look for it now! I agree with what we do need to eat - we grow and can our own vegetables and meat. And, for those of you who don't like living with relatives, etc - at least you have them to live with - LOL!! We, also, live in a friend's basement and help manage the property for a rent reduction. They have learned to deal with our son and his idiosyncrasies (and ours too - LOL!). You gave me so much hope with your son's success story - THANK YOU! Marilyn in MO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 My daughter is 14 and I can tell you that for her biomed is absolutely not " a bunch of hooha " but our saving grace. That is not to say traditional therapies don't help, but Houston enzymes were our number one treatment (we tried gfcf first...long story...enzymes were much better for us) and we have " tried it all " over time. Right now we use minimal supplements(enzymes, NCD, Culturelle, GSE when necessary, and a basic multi vitamin) and my daughter is sooooo much better off than before. When I think back...I shutter. She is happy, sleeps through the night, talks (limited) is on the honor roll in Jr High (modified curriculum) and just leads a happy, fulfilled life. It is never too late. I have a pal with a 23 year old daughter who is just starting biomed treatment. > > > > - If you don't > mind me asking, which > supplier are you using > that is $15 less > expensive per bottle?? > Sounds like something I > would be interested in. > We, too, can barely put a > roof over our heads and > appropriate food on the > table. In this economy, > my husband's income is a > quarter of what it was > last year, but still too > much to qualify for help > from government agencies! > The enzymes samples we > received from Houston > worked well, but I have > not been able to afford > to purchase any. Let's > see (she says balancing > on the circus ball!) - > supplements or house, > supplements or > house..... :-) > > > > Marilyn in MO > > > > I wrote a few weeks ago > about alternatives that > might help in a time of > financial problems, but > felt rather ignored - > which is fine. > > My son will be 27 years > old in a few days. When > we discovered digestive > enzymes, it wasn't to > cure autism or anything > more lofty than to allow > my son to eat food > without getting a > mouthful of canker sores - > and clear up a few other > really harsh problems. > One being a liver problem. > > The digestive enzymes > helped a great deal and > my son could eat more > foods, but still no where > near normal. > > Maybe I should also clear > that I think our children > should be able to eat.... > food. Not preservatives, > colors, soy, processed, > boxed, bagged, food-like > substances, but food. > Healthy, organically, > homemade food. That was > the problem that brought > us to this site. > > And boy, did this site > help!! So many had great > suggestions that helped! > And our appreciation > can't be expressed enough! > > Our journey is pretty > much at end. My son can > now eat most any food he > desires without harsh or > unpleasant side effects - > and the supplements are > now down to very few! > > He still takes digestive > enzymes, but it's just > Vgest and he can even > miss that for a meal > sometimes without adverse > effects. > > Otherwise, he drinks > dandelion, milk thistle > tea about thirty minutes > before a meal to > encourage bile to help > with digestion. When we > started the dandelion, we > were able to let go of > the No Phenol within a > couple of weeks. Great > for the budget! We are > now growing our own > dandelion and milk > thistle. > > We started with Helping > America's Silver > Hydrosol. A wonderful > product that kills all > pathogens so it's not a > battle between whether we > are trying to kill yeast > or virus - it kills all. > And that has been beyond > helpful! Another large > supplement expense gone. > > We just started with > Helping America's Liquid > Zeolite Plus - which has > humic acid to replace > lost minerals from the > zeolites in it. The > product is great. So it > the owner of the company! > > WE don't expect our son > to be on the Helping > America products all the > time or forever. But they > are helping to finish our > battle. > > We tried all the > excessive supplements > recommended. High > magnesium... which led to > needing some other > supplements to balance > the magnesium. We didn't > find that it helped our > case that much in the > long run and overwhelmed > us. WE found that lower > amounts consistently > helped more. > > We're all on our own > journey with this as our > children are the same, > but very different. > > We too, have seriously > financial problems - and > this caused us to keep > looking. > > In this particular part > of our journey we think > that more of our > children's problems are > related to liver problems > that we know. How else > would dandelion/milk > thistle have stopped the > need for No Phenol? The > red ears stopped. The > cankers. All of it. > > Because we have reached > the point where we have > solved the problems we > came for, it's probably > time to move on. > > This is to wish you all a > successful journey and to > encourage all of you to > keep good journals and > keep an open mind. We > feel the economic > troubles for our Country > are more than a light > recession this time and > our children are going to > need us more than ever. > > Never give up! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 15, 2009 Report Share Posted January 15, 2009 I have 2 kids a daughter 9 ADHD, ODD, asthma, allergies, eczema and a son 8 ADD, coping problems. I had tried everything and finally put them both on meds because I felt it was the one thing that could possibly help them. But the meds helped some just not the cure I was looking for. A friend recommended a nutrition program that involved vitamins, homeopathic meds and food restrictions. They are GF/CF, no soy, no sugar, no preservatives, no articial dyes. When I decided that this just might be the answer I was looking for, my husband was out of work. In fact my husband has been out of work for a year. I have worked 3 jobs, 7 days a week to keep it together. My husband and I have gone without in order to give the kids this chance, and yes it has helped. Going GF/CF was not that expensive. We no longer eat out, buy pizza, go for Chinese. We eat fresh and frozen vegetables, rice and chicken meat or fish. I buy millet bread, special hot dogs and bacon. Other than that everything else is fresh. I have cut out frozen microwave dinners, cookies, snacks. So by doing this I am actually not spending more money, I have just cut out the " crap " that I used to buy and in its place now buy nutritious food. Over the holidays we suspended the nutrition program due to traveling. In so doing my kids had meltdowns in front of family memebers that had never seen this from my kids and I just wanted to disappear into thin air. I decided right there and then that the nutrition program was worth it not for my kids not to go through this and not to be embarassed by this again. When I started the program in July I felt that it was the right thing to do for my kids and if I was correct the money would just be there and God would find a way for me to afford it. In mid Sept we got 5 out of 6 numbers on the lottery. Since then, the money has always been there somehow. And yes my husband is still unemployed. Have faith and if it is meant to be it will all work out. I personally had to try it, that way I would not be able to say " what if? " Sorry if it sounded as if I was on my soapbox, I just felt the need to share my experience. Sharon > > I understand your situation believe me I do. But... the only thing I > can say is it is worth a shot. I really don't know anyone who's child > has not at least improved a little bit with the diet, supplements, > etc. Just imagine how life would be 20 years from now if your child > does not develop any further than where they are today. That should > be motivation enough to just find a way to make it happen instead of > finding reasons not to do it. > > > >> > > > > >> > > >>> > > > > > > >> > > >> > > > > >>> > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thank you. I have wondered if it was just to late for it to make any difference. Â D. > > From: donaharrington <donaharrington@ ...> > Subject: Re: Affording Biomed > > Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 12:47 PM > > > > > > > > > > > - If you don't > mind me asking, which > supplier are you using > that is $15 less > expensive per bottle?? > Sounds like something I > would be interested in. > We, too, can barely put a > roof over our heads and > appropriate food on the > table. In this economy, > my husband's income is a > quarter of what it was > last year, but still too > much to qualify for help > from government agencies! > The enzymes samples we > received from Houston > worked well, but I have > not been able to afford > to purchase any. Let's > see (she says balancing > on the circus ball!) - > supplements or house, > supplements or > house..... :-) > > > > Marilyn in MO > > > > I wrote a few weeks ago > about alternatives that > might help in a time of > financial problems, but > felt rather ignored - > which is fine. > > My son will be 27 years > old in a few days. When > we discovered digestive > enzymes, it wasn't to > cure autism or anything > more lofty than to allow > my son to eat food > without getting a > mouthful of canker sores - > and clear up a few other > really harsh problems. > One being a liver problem. > > The digestive enzymes > helped a great deal and > my son could eat more > foods, but still no where > near normal. > > Maybe I should also clear > that I think our children > should be able to eat.... > food. Not preservatives, > colors, soy, processed, > boxed, bagged, food-like > substances, but food. > Healthy, organically, > homemade food. That was > the problem that brought > us to this site. > > And boy, did this site > help!! So many had great > suggestions that helped! > And our appreciation > can't be expressed enough! > > Our journey is pretty > much at end. My son can > now eat most any food he > desires without harsh or > unpleasant side effects - > and the supplements are > now down to very few! > > He still takes digestive > enzymes, but it's just > Vgest and he can even > miss that for a meal > sometimes without adverse > effects. > > Otherwise, he drinks > dandelion, milk thistle > tea about thirty minutes > before a meal to > encourage bile to help > with digestion. When we > started the dandelion, we > were able to let go of > the No Phenol within a > couple of weeks. Great > for the budget! We are > now growing our own > dandelion and milk > thistle. > > We started with Helping > America's Silver > Hydrosol. A wonderful > product that kills all > pathogens so it's not a > battle between whether we > are trying to kill yeast > or virus - it kills all. > And that has been beyond > helpful! Another large > supplement expense gone. > > We just started with > Helping America's Liquid > Zeolite Plus - which has > humic acid to replace > lost minerals from the > zeolites in it. The > product is great. So it > the owner of the company! > > WE don't expect our son > to be on the Helping > America products all the > time or forever. But they > are helping to finish our > battle. > > We tried all the > excessive supplements > recommended. High > magnesium... which led to > needing some other > supplements to balance > the magnesium. We didn't > find that it helped our > case that much in the > long run and overwhelmed > us. WE found that lower > amounts consistently > helped more. > > We're all on our own > journey with this as our > children are the same, > but very different. > > We too, have seriously > financial problems - and > this caused us to keep > looking. > > In this particular part > of our journey we think > that more of our > children's problems are > related to liver problems > that we know. How else > would dandelion/milk > thistle have stopped the > need for No Phenol? The > red ears stopped. The > cankers. All of it. > > Because we have reached > the point where we have > solved the problems we > came for, it's probably > time to move on. > > This is to wish you all a > successful journey and to > encourage all of you to > keep good journals and > keep an open mind. We > feel the economic > troubles for our Country > are more than a light > recession this time and > our children are going to > need us more than ever. > > Never give up! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 > > Wow - Donna! That is exactly what I was looking for. Have not been on this site for a long time so I must have missed your alternative post. I am going to look for it now! I agree with what we do need to eat - we grow and can our own vegetables and meat. And, for those of you who don't like living with relatives, etc - at least you have them to live with - LOL!! We, also, live in a friend's basement and help manage the property for a rent reduction. They have learned to deal with our son and his idiosyncrasies (and ours too - LOL!). You gave me so much hope with your son's success story - THANK YOU! > > Marilyn in MO > We just got the lesson in 'it's never too late'. A infant problem resurfacing at 25 years old(liver problem) seemed impossible to help with at thr time. We just didn't give up. What I didn't mention is that, not only can our son eat most any food he wants now - his expressive language has improved so much that all the professionals in the area are stunned! They have never seen these kind of improvements at this age. They are bringing in a braille teacher again because our son's advancements make it seem worth a good try. He has so much more expressive language! I cried over our first conversation - at 26 years old! Low level, but a 'give and take' conversation! Our economy is in serious trouble this time. The day may come when we just can't afford the supplements and need to look harder. Right now dandelions are unavailable in most places, but they are one of the first plants to 'come alive' in Spring. If you learn to make your own tinctures - just put the washed plant in a blender and add cheap vodka - you have a digestive aid. Dandelions also work as food in a serious pinch - and I hope we don't get that far into a depression.... My husband and I are both taking free classes locally on medicinal local plants. How to recognize them, ect. Even if we never need it... knowledge is never wasted. We all have to find our own path through autism, but it's so great to have others to help us as y'all know so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 Thank you. Until recently, most things that I have read agreed on one point. You had to start intervention for these kids by 3 years. My son wasn't even diagnosed until 5. We didn't hear anything about interventions until he was about 7. We tried gfcf when he was 8 or 9. He just shut down and refused to eat anything at all. So, under the advice of the ped, we caved. Over the years, I've been discouraged about the results of what we have tried. I still implement things that seem to be safe when we can afford them. We are one of those families who's standard of living fell because of the diagnosis. He was diagnosed with severe autism and multiple digestive issues. I quit my job years ago to take care of him. He was too severe for school, so I've bought books and tried to implement what I could of ABA in a homeschool program. He is now 16, so I thought what improvement we had seen was pretty much " it " . Then I started reading some of your posts about it " never being too late " but I really don't know where to go from here. As with others, cash is at a premium. He currently takes probiotics, TMG, and daily multi-vitamins. I just want to thank you again for your posts. D. From: donaharrington <donaharrington@...> Subject: Re: Affording Biomed Date: Friday, January 16, 2009, 10:06 AM > > Wow - Donna! That is exactly what I was looking for. Have not been on this site for a long time so I must have missed your alternative post. I am going to look for it now! I agree with what we do need to eat - we grow and can our own vegetables and meat. And, for those of you who don't like living with relatives, etc - at least you have them to live with - LOL!! We, also, live in a friend's basement and help manage the property for a rent reduction. They have learned to deal with our son and his idiosyncrasies (and ours too - LOL!). You gave me so much hope with your son's success story - THANK YOU! > > Marilyn in MO > We just got the lesson in 'it's never too late'. A infant problem resurfacing at 25 years old(liver problem) seemed impossible to help with at thr time. We just didn't give up. What I didn't mention is that, not only can our son eat most any food he wants now - his expressive language has improved so much that all the professionals in the area are stunned! They have never seen these kind of improvements at this age. They are bringing in a braille teacher again because our son's advancements make it seem worth a good try. He has so much more expressive language! I cried over our first conversation - at 26 years old! Low level, but a 'give and take' conversation! Our economy is in serious trouble this time. The day may come when we just can't afford the supplements and need to look harder. Right now dandelions are unavailable in most places, but they are one of the first plants to 'come alive' in Spring. If you learn to make your own tinctures - just put the washed plant in a blender and add cheap vodka - you have a digestive aid. Dandelions also work as food in a serious pinch - and I hope we don't get that far into a depression.. .. My husband and I are both taking free classes locally on medicinal local plants. How to recognize them, ect. Even if we never need it... knowledge is never wasted. We all have to find our own path through autism, but it's so great to have others to help us as y'all know so well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have heard repeatedly too not to do too many things at once so you can know if it is working. I have heard to do 6 months of one therapy and I have heard to do 3 months, and I've heard a year too.. so not sure what time frame you'd want to do. Right now we're trying the ABA and if gas prices go down and I can stay away from the CC, I'll have some money to try something else but I don't want to do too many things at once either b/c I want to know if it's working or not and if I need to continue or stop. I think there is value in that. you need to be able to know if what you are sacrificing for is working or not. Nita (crew chief) and the crew: 15, Jon 14, 11, 9, 7, Christian (7/16/03 to 8/22/04), 3 and Isaac, 2/3/08 http://momof6.dotphoto.com <http://momof6.dotphoto.com/> for not necessarily current pictures and http://nitasspot.blogspot.com Come, PLAY!! http://www.discoverytoyslink.com/nitagarner Learn from the mistakes of others. Trust me... you can't live long enough to make them all yourself. " never being too late " but I really don't know where to go from here. As with others, cash is at a premium. He currently takes probiotics, TMG, and daily multi-vitamins. I just want to thank you again for your posts. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 16, 2009 Report Share Posted January 16, 2009 You could have a private fundraiser. Like a spaghetti dinner, ask for local businesses (restaurants) to donate gift cards that can be raffled off. Golf outing fundraisers could also be done. Look for local Foundations for children and write them with your story, you never know! > > hello, was hoping for ideas and suggestions for a single uninsured mom, who works part time how to afford the expense of biomed. Right now she has her son GFCFSF and corn/potato free. doing some supplements out of pocket. Thanks! > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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