Since most of you reading this do not know me in real life or my family I will start with some background info, you will learn more with the more blogs I post. For now I simply need someone to "talk" to.
I have a son, you will hear about him alot, his name is Gabe...he is 5 1/2 yrs old. He was normal until he was 2.5 yrs old, that is when we got him his shots...(the ones that kids normally get at 15 months old, we delayed the vaccines) Within in 3 weeks of his shots we started to see things slipping away with our son. His words started to be fewer and fewer...suddenly there were days he didn't speak at all. He didn't seem to hear us say this name, or anything for that matter...we had his hearing checked...more then average.
He then stopped using the toilet and started to use his underwear all the time....after that came the anger, the fits and screaming because we didn't understand him or what he needed/wanted.
Then came the guilt that I had...I thought it was a parenting issue, then I learned how to google...and my thoughts went to autism. I called a new ped. made an appointment and got him in.
I secretly knew what she was going to say all the while I prayed that I was wrong, that she would call me nuts and send me home. We got to her office (all 4 kids in tow, you will learn about the other 3 in future blogs) and she noticed him right off the bat, within 4 minutes of us being there and her watching him (as much as she could see of him, as he was under the chairs with his stuffed bunny...Mr.Bunny) She looked at me and Geromy (my hubby) and asked if we have had Gabe checked out for anything...we said no, but that we suspected autism with him. She said that she agreed and sent us to the neurologist for an E.E.G.
The E.E.G was 3 pure hours of HELL! Gabe screaming for me, me and Geromy trying to hold him still while they hook him up to all the wires....finally he passed out. Peace at least. We stayed for the results...our son has seizure like activity. Nice little bomb shell and it didn't come wrapped or sugar coated for ease of swallowing. The neurologist said for sure that Gabe had something going on...he was not sure what it was for sure. But he wanted to see him again in 6 months...no diagnoses. We leave there to go on the next 6 months without knowing for sure what was going on. (what went on with the school during this time is a whole other blog)
The day of Gabe's next neurology appointment finally came (May 23rd, 2007). Talk about a bundle of nerves and emotion. I took him alone to this appointment. Gabe and I get there...within minutes the doc is in the room, Gabe is under the chairs. The doctor tells me Gabe has autism...and the world starts to spin...I see the lights in the room go off, then on, then off, then on. Gabe is out from under the chairs...messing with the lights now. I get him to stop. I hold in the tears long enough to ask the neurologist if that is a medical diagnoses...he says yes, recommends hitting the library to learn more about autism, tells Gabe bye...tells me to take all the time I need and leave when I am ready.
The door shuts I am left looking at my son, my perfect son. My son that says 15 words in total at 4 yrs of age. My son...he is my son and that is all that matters. I hug him and cry for a min...wipe the tears off and take my sons hand. Vowing to myself as we leave that none of my other kids will EVER get another vaccine, EVER.
