Dear readers: Thanks for tuning in to Luke’s autism saga. But according to an environmental doctor I took him to, it’s not autism but heavy metal poisoning. The doctor pointed out the slack expression on Luke’s face, the way he walked way up high on his toes, his poor motor skills and the poor quality of his speech…he talked, but his voice was high-pitched and he had trouble expressing himself. I told the doctor that I had Luke tested for heavy metal poisoning when he was younger, with a blood test, which came back negative for heavy metals. But the doctor told me that a blood test will only test positive for acute heavy metal poisoning, which means that it happened very recently. The doctor told me that Luke’s heavy metal poisoning was over a period of time, and that is why it didn’t show up on a blood test.
The doctor did a heavy metal challenge on Luke, which consisted of Luke taking DMSA, which is a chelator that pulls heavy metals from soft tissues, including bones, the liver, the kidneys and the brain. We then kept his urine in a container for the next twenty-four hours, then sent off a sample to the lab.
Luke also had a spect scan done, which is a brain scan that can detect heavy metal poisoning. I’ve included a link to help better understand what a spect scan is and what it does:
The doctor called me a week later, chortling into the phone, “I was right! Your son is not autistic, he’s toxic! His body is full of mercury, but he also has large amounts of lead, arsenic and pesticides. The spect scan showed that his brain is full of heavy metals. And that, my dear, is what killed his twin. Luke is very lucky to be alive right now, but he needs treatment immediately, or he will die.”
“How did they get that?” I cried.
“From you,” the doctor said in a gruff voice. “Your well water is contaminated. Mercury and arsenic from the pesticides used on the crops over the years seeped into the ground, and got into your water.”
My breath quickened as my head reeled. “Bu…bu…but we had the water tested when we moved into the house!” I stuttered.
“Get it tested again. And this time specify that you want it tested for heavy metals. Oh, and by the way, the lead came from the paint you scraped off the walls. Lead dust is invisible…you didn’t even realize you were inhaling it. So, most likely, you’re full of heavy metals too, and need to get treated, along with your son.”
I hung up the phone and called the county agent, determined to prove the doctor wrong.
The agent, a young. slim guy wearing cowboy boots and a denim shirt studded with rhinestones, knelt over the old well and dipped a container in the water. He peered at it, pushed his cowboy hat adorned with a snake head back, and scratched his head. “Well, ma’am, it looks like you got a ton of arsenic and mercury in your water,” he announced in a thick southern twang.
I trembled as I felt anger flood my body, my fingers gripped into fists, wanting so badly to knock that stupid hat off his head. “Why didn’t you guys test for heavy metals when you first came out here?” I screamed. “You idiots helped kill my baby!”
“But no one has heavy metals in their water,” he said with a shrug.
“That’s because you guys never test for it, you imbecile!”
I stormed in the house and slammed the door, already feeling the guilt overwhelm me…guilt for being part of the reason for Luke’s disability and his twin’s death, and guilt for calling the poor guy an imbecile. I stumbled to the couch and sobbed into a pillow, my mind a whirlwind of depressing thoughts.
My twins got heavy metal poisoning because of me and our farm, and one of them died and the other one was barely clinging to life, in an autistic fugue.
I curled into a tight ball, wanting to stay on the couch until the Grim Reaper came and took me away. But then Luke called for me, and I knew I had a responsibility to him. I wiped my tears, pulled myself off the couch and squared my shoulders.
I may have been part of the problem, but, by golly, I will be very much part of the solution! I thought to myself as I went to check on my son.
stay tuned…
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