We had the loading doses of Theo's Fecal Microbiota Transplant done July 15th and 16th, 2020. This week marks the 2-month mark from the procedure.
This is a video of Theo being curious about my tongue and sounds that I am making with my lips. This is just one example of Theo thriving. I had spent the weekend at my Yoga Instructor Training. The final part of my course required me to be at Yoga from 12 pm-7 pm on Saturday, and 7 am-3 pm on Sunday. As soon as I came home, Theo wanted me to pick him up and flip him or tickle him. I played with him for a bit, but then I laid down to relax and watch some much earned tv time. That's when he climbed up to cuddle with me. He spent about 40 minutes playing with me and then fell asleep as I massaged his feet.
Video of Theo copying my tongue movement
Our friends Laura and Abe were over last week with their kids. Their son Kingston had the procedure done at the same time as Theo. We asked them if they had seen any improvements with their little guy. They also said that Kingston was more aware. We were joking about this because whenever we say this to other people, they have this dumbfounded look on their face, like "ok, psycho".
More aware to us means that he listens to commands better. Whether that is us telling him to go to his room and he listens, or he puts things back in the fridge when we ask him to. This has been a huge improvement that we have seen from the very beginning. It also means that we see more clear moments. Theo doesn't look past us in a blank stare, there is more interaction with us and with other kids and family.
When we were in Rosarito, Mexico for the procedure I kept telling Theo that we were going to put more good bugs into his belly. That is the visual that makes the most sense to me. Imagine a re-population of healthy gut flora/bacteria taking over Theo's gut and cleaning house. They eat up and destroy dysfunctional and bad cells hanging out. This will allow Theo's nervous system to relax. His nervous system has been in hyperdrive for so long, that means logical processing in the pre-frontal cortex wasn't possible. Now that his immune response is chilled-out, his antibodies aren't attacking his own body, his cells can go back to doing what they were supposed to be doing all along.
If you want to learn more, I highly recommend Brain Maker by Dr. David PerlMutter.
Dr. PerlMutter has a whole chapter about Autism and the benefits of a Fecal Microbiota Transplant. Here are a couple of really impactful quotes:
"Researching autism means being on the frontiers of brain medicine, especially as the science relates to an understanding of the microbiome...
... for a long time problems with the gut were regarded as a set of symptoms unrelated to the brain, but we're now discovering how gut health and function- especially gut bacteria- connect to brain development. We are also finally seeing how gut bacteria may contribute to the development and progression of a brain disorder such as autism. As you'll soon learn, one of the most convincing pieces of evidence linking intestinal microbes and autism is the fact that children with autism exhibit certain patterns in the composition of their gut bacteria that are absent in children without autism." -page 120
"Today, the CDC estimates that children with autism are more than 3.5 times more likely to experience chronic diarrhea and constipation than their peers who do not have autism- a statistic that just cannot be ignored." - page 127
"Whether or not gut microbes are a main player in the development of autism, or any neurological disorder, they are vital players in our complex physiology. And supporting them as best we can is perhaps the chief way we can influence our brain's health, and even our DNA." - page 138
and my favorite quote out of them all...
"I think the studies I highlighted in this chapter are promising, and could lead to new preventive measures and therapies that can help shift autism from being a debilitating disorder to a manageable condition. And best of all, these new therapies won't be pharmaceutical drugs that come with side effects. They will, for the most part, come from dietary choices and probiotic treatments to rebalance the microbiome. They will be lifestyle interventions that are highly accessible and economical for everyone." - page 139
We really believe that supplementing with organic veggies will only help everyone's gut ecosystem.
In his book SuperLife, Darin Olien says:
"Green foods increase detoxification, balance acidity and alkalinity, lower the inflammatory response, and boosts the immune system."
Darin is the real star in the Netflix hit: Down to Earth with Zac Efron, and he is the creator behind the amazing product called Shakeology from Beach Bodies.
As you can imagine, giving a kid veggies is really difficult. That is why we offer our Pure Living Greens in an easy to consume powder that can easily be diluted into water, or mixed into a smoothie. Our Theo takes them every morning through a syringe and I have them every morning for my breakfast. Check them out here:
Pure Living Greens on www.purelivingfamily.com.
Here is a quick video showing you how I mix them every morning for myself and share them with Theo.
Video of How to mix your Pure Living Greens with a Frother.