Jenny McCarthy , The View and the Uncalled for Backlash

Since when did it become appropriate to permit an individual’s personal opinions to impact their ability to obtain a job?  Especially when said job is on a talk show aptly named “The View”???

There is a huge backlash going on in case you missed it, because Jenny McCarthy has been hired as a new permanent host on The View. 

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/blogs/post--jenny-mccarthys-view-hiring-blasted-as-public-health-threat

People have these types of comments:

"I think a network hiring a homicidal maniac, giving her a forum in front of people who have young children and are impressionable, is the most irresponsible thing I've heard of in a long time," New Yorker writer Michael Specter rants to the Los Angeles Times. "She's very dangerous. It's unfortunate that in our society, scientific evidence is now just taken as some other point of view." 

"Congrats ABC for hiring vaccine crank Jenny McCarthy for her 'outrageous... fresh POV,' [because] actual medical science is so stale and dull," fumes Time magazine TV critic James Poniewozik, who took issue with Barbara Walters' statement that Jenny "can be serious and outrageous. She has connected with our audience and offers a fresh point of view."

Salon takes a harder line: "Dear ABC: Putting Jenny McCarthy on 'The View' will kill children," blares its headline. "The vaccine conspiracy advocate doesn't just have a quirky point of view, she is spreading lies that hurt people."

Adds a pediatrician to the Boston Globe, "By choosing Jenny McCarthy to be a host on 'The View,' ABC made a decision that could end up costing lives -- even worse, the lives of children."

Now, I have my own “views” on vaccines, which I have shared plenty of times.  I think people are being extremely melodramatic about this.  To say that she will cost children’s lives is akin to saying that because a talk show host is prochoice, more abortions will occur. 

I do not agree with Jenny McCarthy’s simplified philosophy about all of this- aka autism, vaccines, nutrition, etc.  She does state that her son Evan is “cured” of his autism.  And I have heard stories of other “recovered” children.  The bottom line is that her son’s “recovery” was due to dietary changes, infusions of glutathione, B12, and intensive therapy.  I know this because I read her book.  It all goes back to the idea that children with autism have an impaired ability to rid themselves of toxins, which like or not, vaccinations do introduce.  But they also come from many many other sources, and even if, as she claims, the MMR vaccine was his tipping point, it does not mean it “caused” his autism.   That is why I am pro spreading out vaccines, not stopping them. 

For all we know, ABC has made her sign an agreement that she will not discuss this on the show.  Even that would be pretty crappy in light of the fact that we are in the U.S. and plenty of other hosts have certainly voiced controversial opinions on this show. 

You know what I think is irresponsible?  Parading the current popular medical opinion out to the public as fact.  There are far too many changes to these theories on a daily basis for me to buy the idea that the medical community as a whole knows what they are doing.  Especially as it pertains to autism.  I have been presented with so many ideas/theories/treatments since the boys were diagnosed that it makes my head spin.  It made me really mad to read these quotes.  Not because they are definitely wrong, but because they assert that the larger medical community is without question, right.  And I think that the jury is definitely out on that.  I base this on Johns Hopkins’ study of mercury’s effect on the immune system, and the more and more widespread acknowledgement that autism is in part an immune modulated disorder.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/immune-disorders-and-autism.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Just some food for thought….

If autism is related to immune system dysregulation, is it really such a huge stretch to consider the idea that maybe, just maybe, multiple injections of substances that are meant to activate the immune system of a typical individual (vaccines) could possibly negatively affect that of an individual with a genetically impaired one?

And if one considers this possibility, is it really appropriate to label her as a “homicidal maniac”?  I think not.

Dusting Off and Getting Back Up...



Right before we left for the TACA conference I got an email from Nate's teacher.  It felt like I was being dealt a huge blow.  And I can't really explain why.  In her email, she said that she was trying to "plan" for next year.  And that she felt strongly that Nate would benefit greatly from, wait for it, "additional adult support."  In case you've missed it, I have been all but begging for this for Jack this entire year (and yes, we have it).  And now it's being handed to me on a silver platter for Nate.  1:1 support in the classroom.  So why does it feel so unbelievably crappy?  I have been struggling with that for the past several days.  I think I was just hoping that Nate could get through this program without needing extra help (any more than he's already getting).  Frankly, I didn't even know that extra help in a classroom that is already special education by definition was an option.  I thought that he was getting exactly what he needed.  And now I am hearing that it's still not enough for him.  It could be worse, he's not being transferred to the "special school".  Not yet.  They apparently still think that he can succeed in his current setting.  So that's good.  But as with any discouraging news related to the boys, it feels like a knife in my heart.  Of course I want to hear that he's making great strides and blowing his teachers away.  So I need to bring my expectations and hopes down a notch....for now.  And I need to refocus on what I can do. Time to pick myself back up and get moving.

This past week was excellent in terms of gaining new knowledge.  As I mentioned in my last post, I feel pretty overwhelmed.  I feel that familiar panic that comes on whenever I realize how much I want to do in my efforts to help the boys.  And I want to do it all RIGHT NOW.  I know this is of course impossible.  Step by step. 

One of the first things we need to do is take our gluten and dairy free living a few steps further.  Eating crappy gluten and dairy free junk food does not help the kids much more than eating regular stuff.  Especially with Nate's yeast issues.  As Dr. Usman said at the conference, we need to go "caveman".  What does this mean?  Think meat, protein, veggies, fruits. Fewer pretzels, cookies, sweets, snack food in general.  Carbs are carbs, gluten free or not, and yeast feeds on sugar.  That was the premise of Nate's previous regimen, the specific carbohydrate diet.  I'm not planning on taking it back to that level.  Just fine tuning some.

Another huge issue is our food source.  We need to be very careful about this- these kids are clearly unable to clear toxins in the same way as the "typical" kid.  Things just affect them more.  Meats and eggs need to be specifically growth hormone and antibiotic free.  I mean, I am supposed to give Nate nystatin when he is on antibiotics right?  So if he is getting meat or chicken that has been given antibiotics, he basically should just be on nystatin forever?  We have found a dairy, courtesy of a mommy friend, that delivers fresh meat, eggs, chicken, dairy, yogurt, butter, etc as often as weekly for a less than $5 charge.  I "applied" for service today, we just have to ensure that we are on one of their routes.  Also, plan on seeing me at the farmer's markets this summer.  Even organic fruit that is stored in plastic can be leaching chemicals from the plastic.

Which brings me to my next point.  We are going to eliminate plastic as much as possible.  And this is for selfish reasons, not because I am protecting the environment, although that's a nice added bonus.  It's because of all of the chemicals that can leach into the nice fresh food we are providing.  Yes, most things are bpa free now, but there are other chemicals in plastic, plenty of things to avoid.  Why go to all of the trouble of going organic if we just pop this healthy food in plastic?  Doesn't that defeat the purpose?

I never thought I would take this type of intervention so far.  I scoffed at all of the "clean living" stuff, the green containers, the safe cleaners, etc.  But Dr. Usman said something that just keeps echoing in my head.  I think it will have the same effect on my readers.  She said "There is no such thing as a genetic epidemic."

It would take hundreds of years for the incidence of autism to increase as greatly as it has in the U.S. in the past 20.  Here are a few articles related to this:

http://www.autismcharlotte.com/reports/

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/02/05/can-autism-be-prevented/

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/dr-usman-autism-0

So once again I am confronted with that whole darned concept of....why the hell not?  How much more effort will it take for us to make these changes?  And as always, one of my biggest considerations is, will this hurt them?  Absolutely not.  It will help them, and it will help me and my husband. 

Some people think that all of these theories are ridiculous.  I beg of them, please give me some other explanation for what is going on with my boys.  Please tell me what YOU think is going on.  That's right.  No one seems to have a logical explanation for the explosion in numbers.  And I used to think "oh it was just under diagnosed before". Bull pucky.  If someone had seen Nate 15 years ago, they would NOT have looked at him and thought, oh he's just a late talker.  He would have been diagnosed.  No doubt in my mind.  It is clear to me that the incidence of autism truly is increasing at the rate that's being reported.   So bye bye antibiotic fed meat, plastic, carbs.  If you are on the list of possibilities, you are not welcome here any more!

Information Overload

Wow.  Today was intense.  No, Frankenstorm has not yet reached us, although intense preparations are in progress- generator is gassed, in the wagon, and aimed at the exit of our garage, extension cords are detangled, we have purchased water, beer, wine, beer, wine, D batteries.  We are ready.

However that is not what this post is about.  I had an amazing opportunity today (as did our entire local TACA chapter) to hear the illustrious Dr. Anju Usman speak.  She is a prominent DAN! doctor who is based in Illinois.  It was amusing really, they turned the lights down at the beginning of the lecture, then changed their minds, worried people might doze, and turned them back up.  This was information for my children- my ears were glued wide open- the only way I was dozing off was if I received a blow to my head.

The main topic of the lecture was the gut-brain connection in autism and various treatment modalities.  All of this is controversial.  The medical community at large has not accepted these practices as of yet, mainstream medicine still considers autism to be a behavior/mental disorder.  Here is the basic definition in Stedman's Medical Dictionary (one of the first texts you are handed in nursing school- or at least in the "old days", haha)

1. A mental disorder characterized by severely abnormal development of social interaction and of verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Affected people may adhere to inflexible, nonfunctional rituals or routines. They may become upset with even trivial changes in their environment. They often have a limited range of interests but may become preoccupied with a narrow range of subjects or activities. They appear unable to understand others' feelings and often have poor eye contact with others. Unpredictable mood swings may occur. Many demonstrate stereotypical motor mannerisms such as hand or finger flapping, body rocking, or dipping. The disorder is probably caused by organically based central nervous system dysfunction, especially in the ability to process social or emotional information or language. Cf.: Asperger disorder

There is of course no mention of genetics, actual medical causes, and certainly nothing about the GI tract in this definition.  In order to start learning about these aspects of autism (and note that I do not say theories, as I believe them to be fact), one has to do their own research, to connect with the right people, to stumble upon an amazing pediatrician like our family did.  Our first pediatrician labeled Jack manipulative and "difficult".  The first developmental pediatrician told me not to bother with any special diets, if I wanted to try anything, B vitamins would be a good idea.  So when we first went to see our current pediatrician and she started talking diets, supplements, blood, stool and urine tests, I was overwhelmed to say the least.  Last fall was a blur of trying to implement everything that was being thrown at me, and then trying to understand why!  And I was a biochemistry major!  Can't imagine how other parents with different backgrounds must feel when confronted with all of this.  I thought our pediatrician was so "radical", and for a general ped she is, but in reality she was just getting us started on the right path.  And I have known for awhile that there is much more that we need to do.  Today just drove that point home a little more.  Consider me once again overwhelmed and confused.  I am not confused about the actual interventions, not even their scientific basis. I don't know what to do first, I don't know what each of my kids needs.  And they are so stinking different.  We go to see our autism doctor in less than two weeks- I will be armed and dangerous when I walk in to his office. 

Dr. Usman went through all of the functions of the GI tract, which was in general a review for me. Then she went in to many of the issues that can cause impairment in the function of the GI tract- bacteria, yeast, "leaky gut" (basically not absorbing nutrients appropriately)- it's all very complex, and if I were on the outside of this situation looking in I would find it completely fascinating.  Instead I find it horrifying- when it's your kid, you're sitting on the edge of your seat, you want too throw yourself at this person's feet and scream fix them, please!  Of course I didn't do this- I was grateful just to hear her speak for 3 hours. 

I am going to try to curtail the amount of information I communicate, as I know I have a tendency to start throwing a million different things out there and making people feel like their heads are going to explode (lol). I will say that the things that she talked about in her lecture touched on almost all of my areas of concern for the boys.  The very first thing she talked about, before she began her own lecture, was the MTHFR gene and research being conducted on this and what they are now calling "cerebral folate deficiency".  This just confirmed that I will be asking the autism doctor for an Rx for methyl folate.  I think the boys need it and I think he will agree.

Other areas that I have new plans for:
Jack's attention- I want to try GABA for him- Lee Silsby, my favorite compounding pharmacy has a cream- how much more convenient can you get when your kid can't swallow pills yet? 
Their guts- I want them retested for yeast (this is at least $200 out of pocket for each of them, sigh).  In fact I don't think Jack was ever tested for yeast- and he had major dental issues last year. This is a sign of many nutritional issues including gluten intolerance, but it can also be a sign of yeast.  He has many of the hallmark signs of yeast overgrowth- I am just so worried about Nate's speech all the time that I feel like I overlooked it.  They both likely need more probiotics and more cleansing diets- ie, fewer processed foods.  Nate may even need more antifungal medication to treat his preexisting yeast. 

There are many many other things that need to be investigated.  So many that I just can't even get into it here yet.  I need to sit down and do some major research.  In between preparing for the hurricane, reading for my More Than Words Class and developing new goal oriented behavioral play plans for Nathan that will be videotaped again soon, trying to keep up with the current interventions, cleaning, doing laundry and going to work.  Oh and cooking the special diets.  And Jack's OT gave me about 5 articles to read today, and "prescribed" several new interventions.  And even our marriage counselor handed us articles on autism and interventions this week- everyone is getting in on the action :).  I don't believe in cloning- except, right now, for me.  I need two of me.  (Ok Helen you can be cloned right now too, and Jo you too) I am glad that I feel overwhelmed by valuable information and the number of interventions that I want to try for the boys.  At least I am not lost, at least there is something I can do.  Man, I really need to make some lists!  

Sending some prayers to my two dear friends mentioned above.  You have both been so incredibly supportive of my family, and I will do anything I can to support either of yours.  Love to you both and wishes for a smooth next couple of days- you are always in my thoughts. 

Hopkins Wants to Test My Kid's Immune Reaction to Mercury??

So yesterday I received yet another packet in the mail for the SEED study.  I am telling you, these people are thorough.  So thorough that even I think they are thorough, which is really saying something.  We scheduled our clinic visit yesterday, which will take place on October 30th and is expected to last 8 hours for John, Nate, and I.  I also dropped my 30 pages of questions in the mail this morning- phew.  Seriously I learned things about myself filling that sucker out.  Anyway, in the new packet was a discreet manilla folder that contained information on an ancillary study to the SEED study.  This is pretty common, smaller studies are often "tacked on" to larger ones in order to reach a larger population.  Usually it involves something like an extra vial of blood, or an extra assessment, something like that.  This one was labeled "Information Packet for SEED II ancillary study:  Genetic susceptibility for mercury-induced Immune Dysfunction".  Hmmmm......I say hmmmmm.  Wasn't it just a few years ago that Mark Geier was being ridiculed for his "false" study about thimersol (a component of mercury) in vaccines causing autism?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Geier

So I jumped on my friend Google to see what the latest word on mercury in vaccines is.  Here is one article I found.

http://www.naturalnews.com/035787_vaccines_autism_monkeys.html

Following this entry, of course there were about a thousand links saying that vaccines are perfectly safe.  I am not here to give my opinion at this moment- I cannot say for certain whether vaccines are a culprit.  My personal research study was conducted unwillingly and only had 2 subjects.  One of them received a hepatitis B vaccine on day 2 of life and cried for nearly 48 hours straight afterwards.  He has Asperger's.  The other was developing perfectly normally until 15 months of age, at which point he received a round of vaccines and regressed, then another round at 18 months of age, and regressed even further.  He has autism.  This is just my observation of my children as a mother.  And this could have nothing to do with it (do I believe that? nope).  There are so many different factors at play.  I have come to believe that it is a combination of genetics and environment.  Which is basically what this study is testing right?  Genetic susceptibility.  I am on board for that!  Why else would vaccines and other toxins effect some children so greatly and others not at all?  Here is a little information on the study:

Genetic Susceptibility to Mercury-Induced Immune Dysfunction in Autism & ASD

Summary

Principal Investigator: Ellen K Silbergeld

Affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Country: USA

Abstract: DESCRIPTION (provided by investigator): The overall goal of this research is to test the hypothesis that there are differences in response to the immunotoxic effects of mercury compounds in humans, and that susceptibility determinants are enriched in families with cases of autism/autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This research is relevant to understanding preventable risk factors for autism/ASD, based upon the hypothesis that mercury compounds by themselves do not cause autism/ASD but may contribute to the risks of autism/ASD through their immunotoxic properties, in combination with genetic susceptibility and co-exposures to other risks, such as infections. Based upon extensive findings of genetically determined susceptibility to mercury immunotoxicity in rats and mice, we hypothesize that there is a range of susceptibility for mercury-induced immunotoxicity in human populations. We specifically hypothesize, based upon the experimental literature by us and others, that individuals within families with multiple cases of autism/ASD, will have heightened responsiveness to the immunotoxic effects of mercury compounds. The eventual goal of this research is to identify candidate genes that influence individual responsiveness to the immunotoxic effects of mercury compounds. In order to accomplish this goal there is a primary need to define the phenotype of mercury-induced immunotoxicity, which is the goal of this project. We will test in vitro responsiveness to mercury in PBMCs obtained from volunteers. Responses will be measured by FACS analysis of cell surface markers and by ELISA measurements of released cytokines. A dose-response curve will be carried out, in vitro, in order to determine the slope for each individual. Replicability will be assessed by repeat measures of the same individuals; method validation will be completed by analysis of a new set of individuals. The overall relevance of the in vitro system will first be tested by comparing PBMCs from men and women (cycling, in the luteal phase). In the second phase, we will test the hypothesis that patients with autism are more susceptible to mercury-induced immunotoxicity by comparing in vitro responses of PBMCs among family trios (autism cases plus parents) with unrelated controls. Accomplishing the goals of this project will be the first stage in developing a broader study of gene-environment interactions in autism, as well as a targeted search for candidate genes related to mercury susceptibility in humans.

Funding Period: 2006-08-01 - 2010-07-31

more information: NIH RePORT

Top Publications

1. Mercury induces an unopposed inflammatory response in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro
   Renee M Gardner
   Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
   Environ Health Perspect 117:1932-8. 2009

So the Hopper wants to tackle this?  I say have at it!  But I damned well better get the results of that test!