Signs, signs...everywhere there's signs

Signs, signs everywhere, there's signs
Blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind
Do this, don't do that, can't you read the sign?

I don't know why, but this song is stuck in my head.  It probably has to do with the fact that yesterday was R.D.'s last session at Brain Balance before his assessment.  Nathan has his last session tomorrow.  I sat yesterday in the waiting area while the boys did sessions and filled out paperwork.  It is the same paperwork I filled out before the boys started.  I had been told that this is often the point when you realize the changes that have been made.  They weren't kidding!

As I sat there filling out the paperwork on each boy, I was shocked by how much I hadn't noticed had changed.  It's like being with that person who loses a lot of weight and you don't notice because you are with them everyday.  They were things that I just hadn't noticed....literally there were signs all around me, but I hadn't seen them all.  We have seen many changes for the better and almost daily see more advancement.  R.D. is more responsible.  He makes his bed now, he doesn't fight when I clip his fingernails, his ability to follow multi-step directions is getting better.  He is acting more like an 11 year old.  He just seemed to make the change to doing things that others take for granted overnight.  He just all the sudden does the "normal" thing and he's not even aware of it.  It is amazing to watch.  Often I have to stop myself from cheering, because I don't want to bring attention to it.

Nathan is having the same great results.  He is not a disruption in class and is getting back to playing with friends.  He now wants to be social again.  They like to play outside, they are more active, and they are less likely to whine every time we do something different.  Now, they still have their moments but don't most kids.

Both boys are on the lowest dosing of their medicine.  They are taking 18 mg of Concerta.  R.D. started at 45 mg in August. Nathan began the journey at 36 mg.  Their pediatrician is excited and genuinely impressed by their improvement.  He just saw both boys in the last week for their well checks and couldn't believe what he was seeing.  The changes were noticeable to him.  He wants to learn more and do what he can to help other parents.  He told us he sees kids with ADHD, Autism and other learning disorders all day long.  Their doctor believes that in just a few months (or sooner) they will be completely off the meds.  That is one of our goals!  Teachers are giving good feedback and letting us know the changes they are seeing as well.

We have to wait till after their assessment to know if they need 3 more months, a few more sessions, or if they are done.  By done I only mean that their sessions at Brain Balance would be over.  They will still have a certain number of at home exercises to do for awhile.  They also will remain on their diet.  No gluten, No soy, No dairy, and No Casein.  Yes, they have told me they want to keep eating the food we eat...they like it.  As we continue to introduce more foods from their "intolerant" list, the happier they get.  My boys know they feel better and our whole family has made the change.  We like it!  I am anxious to continue learning new recipes and becoming a better cook.  Can I just say that we have never been healthier.  No doctor visits this fall.  No medicines.  A lot of the weird runny noses, congestion and other issues are no longer occurring.

If we need more sessions, we will make it happen.  I have chosen to view the at home exercises as a great time to be with my boys.  Yes, it is exhausting. Yes, it is a lot of WORK.  Yes, we have sacrificed.  Yes, we have struggled.  Yes, the food changes were HARD.

But....I would do it over again!  I have been able to put my family first.  I know that I have given them everything I have. I have learned more about them and spent precious time with them.  Our boys will not have to wonder if we care about them.  They know!  Even on those days when I didn't want to cook a meal, pack a lunch, or do another session....I tried to remind myself that this is precious time, to slow down and to live in the moment.  I have been so PROUD of them in this journey that I can't help but shed tears when I think of how hard they have worked.  I don't believe they would have worked as hard as they did if they didn't want to fix their brains, and felt that the whole process was working.

Brain Balance works, if you work the program.  Don't skip anything they tell you to do!  We have learned to go against the norm.  It's made our family stronger.  I am excited to see the future my boys have.  I feel like they have a better chance of success now.

Our sign says...."Just Getting Started!"

This one hurt...

We have been cruising right along with our Brain Balance journey. Anyone who asks me about it, probably regrets it 45 minutes later when I stop talking.  I believe in the program. If you work the program it will work for you.  I continue to tell people it is NOT easy!

Last night there were a lot of tears....

People are always complimenting me with how well our boys have been doing on the diet.  They can't believe they don't cheat.  The boys work hard on this diet.  I am so proud of them.

Last night Nathan broke my heart.....

All afternoon and evening he had been acting up.  We knew something wasn't right.  We went over what he had eaten the day before, what he had eaten yesterday.  Nothing stood out.

We put the boys to bed and went to bed ourself.  I heard a ruckus in Nathan's room and went to investigate.  He had thrown his drawing notebook on the floor and was sitting in bed. Angry.

I asked him what was wrong. His response, "I can't think of anything to draw." I knew this wasn't the problem.  He had been acting up all night out of frustration.  I asked him again, "What is wrong?"  This time he told me he wanted to quit the Brain Balance diet as soon as we finished the program.  We've had this discussion before, but I knew last night was different.  After a few more questions....I got it out of him.  

Tears and lots of them started flowing.....

Nathan's table of 6 kids at school had received a special award from their teacher.  They earned it for being quiet, clean, doing their homework, etc.  The award is bringing treats for each other and sitting all together at the back of the room for a special party.  Nathan decided to take all of his friends some of his chocolate bars.  This is where it goes wrong....

As Nathan through tears shared with me his story, I couldn't help but feel my heart break for him.
Apparently not everyone liked his chocolate, but what hurt Nathan was when his friend took some chocolate and then threw the rest in the garbage.  Nathan was so upset that his friend didn't give the chocolate back to him.  He was sad that his friends didn't like his treat.  Also, one of the little girls had thought of Nathan and brought a gluten free cookie with frosting for him.  You guessed it, he can't eat that.  It has eggs and sugar...things on his intolerance list.  Nathan wanted that cookie SO bad!

He didn't cheat, but he felt cheated.  His feelings were so hurt by no one liking his chocolate and someone thinking of him and he still couldn't eat it.  This is where my heart broke in two!  He so desperately wanted his friends to like his healthy food.  He wanted to be kind to the little girl and eat the cookie that looked so delicious, but he didn't.

Big brother heard Nathan crying and came in to cheer him up.  He shared his own troubles at Intermediate School, like how they had pumpkin pie the other day.  R.D. loves pumpkin pie.  How they have 3 lines for lunch with burritos, chicken sandwiches and pizza.  R.D. told Nathan, "If your friend is going to throw your chocolate in the trash, you don't need to be friends."  Not exactly the right advice, but advice given from a very protective big brother.

I told Nathan his friend didn't mean to hurt his feelings and probably didn't even know he had.  He just didn't like the chocolate so he threw it away.  No harm. No foul.  I told him that next time someone gives him something he can't eat, that he can thank them and bring it home.  I will check the ingredients.  We will either eat it or save it till we can.  He felt so bad saying, "no".

Today is a new day! Today we will continue our journey.  Today we will have a better day. Yesterday we learned that when he acted up, it wasn't related to his diet or probably even anything with his ADHD.  He was acting up because he had his feelings hurt.  Believe it or not while this was hard to hear, it was also a blessing.  Nathan was acting out like anyone who gets their feelings hurt.  He was having normal emotions.  He didn't know how to deal with those emotions just yet.  He wasn't sure how to share those emotions, so they came out in frustrating ways yesterday.  This is all part of the process.  What I love...is when the lightbulb goes off above my head and I figure this out.  We are progressing!