Weight Gain: Abilify

Earlier this month I was reading headlines from blogs that I have subscribed to, and I found something interesting. Action For Autism is looking for autistics who are currently on Abilify. Abilify has been approved for those with autism. Weight gain is the name of the game, and it is said that you can gain up to a pound a week. For the past two years, I myself have been on Abilify, and I have seen significant weight gain. I take it as a mood stabilizer. Before I started taking the medication, I weighted about 115 pounds (little I know). Over time, I have gained about another 50 pounds. I had talked to my doctor about it once, and she had assured me that it was not the Abilify that was causing my weight gain, but just feeling better. I still had my suspicions about the whole ordeal, and was excited to learn that my suspicions were if fact correct. If you have a child on Abilify, please contact Action For Autism. There is also a Yahoo group for Abilify and weight gain if you would like to join. The link will be on Action For Autism's blog. Please visit the link above for more information. You can also click on the button below. Thank you and let your voice be heard!!

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Spectrum Educational Solutions

Well, looks like I have to put both of the boys back on their medication due to issues at school. Devin could not focus to do his work, and now Eddie is constantly falling out of his seat at school. I contacted the boys former therapist this morning to see if I could possibly get them into Tupelo's autism clinic called Spectrum Educational Solutions. Dr. Mark Wildmon recently opened Spectrum Educational Solutions, a clinic offering specialized one-on-one instruction to children with autism as well as those with a wide range of developmental disorders and at no cost including applied behavior analysis therapy. Nearly 300 children in Northeast Mississippi schools have an autism spectrum disorder. This is not including home schooled, Asperger's Syndrome, or those attending private schools. Can you imagine what the real numbers are? For many years, I have wondered why there was not an autism clinic in our area. The only other one is in Jackson, Mississippi. The Spectrum Education Solutions formerly known as Autism Center of Tupelo opened up in December of 2009. They are a non-profit organization operating under the use of donations. If you would like to help Tupelo keep Spectrum Education Solutions open and functional, please donate. You can send in your donations to Parent Resources for Autism and Developmental Disabilities (PRADD) at 100 Parkgate Extended, Suite 2B, Tupelo, MS, 38801 or contact the center at (662) 821-2012. We really need this in our area to help those with autism and their parents. I would really hate to see this go due to lack of funding. Every penny counts and our children are worth it to have an autism center a little closer to home.

Thank you for visiting today, and for any donations that you wish to send to Spectrum Education Solutions.

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My Static Super Powers

For the past few weeks, I have had a serious static problem with my couch and other furniture. I had told my husband that I was getting super powers...he laughed. I was constantly getting shocked with nearly everything that I touched. My husband thought that it might be my shoes or socks, but I got a little curious and thought that I would look it up. One night I was standing in my doorway which is all metal, and I got shocked. I did not touch anything but on my face near the corner of my left eye I was shocked, and it went across my face. It was so bad that it messed up my vision for a little while. I found it odd that I would get shocked and not touch a thing. I was searching on how to eliminate static on my couch and I found the answer on Yahoo Answers. It had said that during the winter air was dryer, and is creating static in the air. To remove it, trying a humidifier would take it out. I can not wait to try that and see if it does work. I am really tired of getting shocked and shocking everyone and everything that I touch. So if you have furniture that keeps on shocking you try a humidifier and see if that will help. I know that I will. Thanks for reading and visiting me today.

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Back On You Go

Last Friday, I received a note from Devin's Special Ed teacher that said that he was having problems at school. He just can not focus and get his work done creating a bad day for him. So the weekend went on, and then yesterday (Monday) I received a call from his teacher. They were concerned about his progress since he is starting to fall behind again. As some remember, I had taken Devin off of his ADHD medicine to see how he would do about three weeks ago.

I had originally taken him off due to the red ring around his mouth. The boy's former therapist was concerned about the red ring on Eddie, and then later Devin started having it. She had explained that his medication could be causing it. Eddie was on Adderall, and is not showing any problems being off of it yet. The red ring has cleared up some, so I am not sure if it was the medicine or not. Then again winter may be causing the problem...who knows.

Obviously, Devin is not doing to good. So, back on you go. I had really wanted him to try to get off of the meds, but he is not handling it very well. I have not seen any side effects in him from taking Strattera so that is great. I am hoping that when he finally gets the meds back into his system that he will be able to cope better. He has gone so far in school, and his teachers and I do not want to see him fall behind, so I have decided to put him back on again. I will be sure to keep you updated if we still have a problem with him at school, but I believe that he will get better in the coming days.

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Snow For Devin's Birthday

With everything that is going on with me in the past week, I have been delayed in wishing my little Devin a Happy Birthday. It was on the 7th. He is now 7 years old. So Happy Birthday Devin. What he got for his birthday is any kids wish down here in Mississippi. We had snow! It had snowed for at least the first part of the day, and is still around in shady parts of the yard after five days. That never happens down here. It has been so cold here, and we are still shivering even though we finally made it out of the freezing mark today. I feel for those who have a lot more snow to deal with. I can not imagine what it is like for those who experience it day after day during the winter. My friend Rose is Freezing Cold where she lives. Take a look at her porch chair all covered in snow. They had removed the snow, but it just piled up again. Wow! Well, here is what we got. LOL. Not much to speak of though. Most of the ponds around here still have a frozen layer of ice on them. Some ponds even still have snow on the top of the ice. We rarely get snow in Mississippi, so when it does snow we really enjoy it.

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Changing Website

I am changing my website address. I am hoping that you will find me still. I am at autismandtheworldaroundme.blogspot.com. Please be sure to change your links on your page. Thanks again.

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Viruses and Hackers: What's next?

We are in the second week of 2010, and I am wondering how things will turn out. It has not been a great one so far. On New Year's Day, we ended up with a computer virus, and that took all day to get rid of. Just days later, my email was hacked and emails were sent out to people I had in my contacts. I am not sure how many people got the message, so I am letting you all know now that I am at home safe and sound and not out of the country. I wish that I could be, but that will not happen.

The email that was sent had a title of EMERGENCY. The email said the following:

Hope you get this on time ? Sorry I didn't inform you about my trip UK for a program and am having some difficulties here because i misplaced my wallet on my way to the hotel where my money and other valuable things were. presently my passport and my things are been held down by the hotel management pending when i make payment.

I will like you to assist me with a loan of $2,000 Dollars to sort-out my hotel bills and to get myself back home. I will appreciate whatever you can afford to assist me with, I'll Refund the money back to you as soon as i return, let me know if you can be of any help? ASAP.

I don't have a phone where i can be reached.
please let me know immediately

Amanda

My cousin had responded by saying," I got this today,do you know who could of sent it?"

They had responded to her again saying the following:

I am much more confused than you are,I would have called you on the phone ....i don't even have any money to pay for a PAYPHONE to call. I don't have access to the hotel phone because am in debt with the hotel. I will really appreciate if you can help me send the money before everything get bad. You need to come to my aid at this time. I promise to pay back as soon as i get back home all that matter now is my well being.

I have recently changed my email, and everyone in my contact list should have gotten the new email address. If you did not, then please let me know by leaving a comment, and I will email it to you.

This is what we get in the world if we are not careful or just doing day to day business. I had family members worried over the fact that my email was hacked. It has created some problems with me, and I still have not gotten everything straightened out. If you have received one of these emails from me, then I am sorry that you had gotten the email. I do have access to my old account, but that will be deleted once I believe I have everything that I need out of it. I believe that Twitter and other accounts will be ok for now. I will change them later if needed. Hopefully I will not have to do that one. I am hoping that this is a one time thing and will not happen again. Thank you all for understanding and I will see you all soon.

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Allergy Proof Baby Buddy Bear

In the September 2008 Parenting magazine, I found an allergy proof bear called Baby Buddy Bear. Many children have allergies and asthma, and stuffed animals carry dust mites that can irritate these conditions. This bear is reasonably priced at $12.00 from Kids Preferred. They are also being sold at Khol's for $14.00 for everyone who loves to shop at Khol's. In Parenting Magazine it says, " To keep it sneeze-and-wheeze-proof once a month freeze it for 24 hours to kill most of the mites, then wash and dry it to dispose of them." Sept. 2008 pg. 36

I found that very interesting and a good tip for parents, and it can also be tried on other plush animals as well. I hope that you will add this little guy to your child's toy collection. The bear is made for the washer and dryer so it will not tear up as easily. Taking away toys because of allergies and asthma can be difficult, and this little bear can ease some of the stresses that comes with changing a child's toys. Bring him home today!!

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Thank You Entrecard Droppers (Dec. 2009)

I want to thank all of my Entrecard droppers for dropping their ad on my page. Thank you all for choosing Autism And The World Around Me this month. Hope to see you all in the month of January again. Thank you always!

Dropper # of drops comatised 20 Crimsonsparkle.net 19 Republic of A 6 Viz4U.net 4 Dark Nogisaka's Life 3 Down Home Frugal 2 Traveling Suitcase 2 Rose's obstacles and glories 2 Brandon Lee 2 Autism LearningFelt 2

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Happy New Year

Happy New Year everyone! Well, it is finally 2010, and we have had a great year. We are hoping to even have a better year this year. My husband will be graduating from college this year, and I am glad to have that out of the way. Now hopefully we can start a life a new. I hope that everything will work out for us once he gets a degree. He is going to college for computer programming. He is still doing very well in school.

I was reading Yahoo news this morning and I had seen where you can check your astrological horoscope for 2010. I thought that I would share mine with you today. There is one for your career and love. I thought that I would share the career one. I am already in love, so I just do not read those much.

Year 2010 Career

Brace yourself for big changes in your work and money life, Aries! This is the year when a lot of your past potential and promise come out. Two eclipses in your career sector (one in January and one in July) will set the stage for a major shift. Some of this will be the fulfillment of things you've been working on quietly for some time, and part of this will simply be thrust on you by circumstance.

Either way, change is good, and will lead to a greater sense of long-term fulfillment on your part. Pluto also continues its long-term travel through your job zone. Pluto is a planet that demands a deep and committed response, whether you thought you were ready for it or not. This isn't at all necessarily bad or difficult news. No one is every 100 percent happy with their work and money life, it seems, and that basic sense of mild ongoing dissatisfaction can be what propels you towards greater career heights. June and July may see you seriously contemplating a change in direction as far as what you do for a living. Keep your eyes open for new opportunities.

As far as actual cash on hand, the news appears to be more good than bad -- especially in September and October. The last year probably wasn't too comfortable (but lacked any serious shortages). The next year will provide stability. No big lottery wins, in other words, but lots of chances to get smaller expenses in line. Keep an eye on the pennies, and the dollars will take care of themselves.

Guess that we will wait and see what part of this will play out. Do not forget to check out yours as well. Have a great day, and thanks for the visit today. See you all again soon!!

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