Dr. Nemeh - February 26, 2015

We are so grateful for your loving response to our prayer request for Kevin yesterday. We want you to know that we keep you all close in our prayers and Praise God for having so many good people in our lives that we can count on. And a special prayer of ThanksGiving for Friend who made this visit possible. On our drive home from the visit, Jon and I both said we couldn’t quite put it into words but that it felt right and we knew we were supposed to be there.

Dr. Nemeh’s office is an hour's drive and just as we were getting bundled up to leave our house, his office called to say that he was still in a session with a patient and that there was another patient before Kevin waiting. They called back an hour later and then we were on our way. It was very convenient not to have to entertain Kevin in the waiting room for over an hour. Dr. Nemeh came into the treatment room about 4:45 pm and his session lasted over an hour. 

Kevin instantly had a big smile for Dr. Nemeh and got up to shake his hand. Dr. Nemeh said he remembered Kevin well and asked why we waited so long to come back. During the treatment, he talked about some other blessed kids/young adults like Kevin and how they have gained abilities they never had before with his treatment. He also reflected on Kevin’s good spirit. 

Dr. Nemeh began scanning Kevin with his device and then proceeded into treatment. Overall, he said Kevin was in good health but he asked if Kevin had falls. Kevin most recently had a bad fall down the steps just before Christmas. Dr. Nemeh said his back (spine) and head were affected from these falls and that his treatment would help. Dr. Nemeh also noted Kevin’s bloated belly and said the treatment would help that as well - by the end of the session, Kevin’s belly was soft again. Part of the treatment involves this device that looks like a vibrating drum that he holds on the bottom of Kevin’s feet and body - Kevin loves it! It was about this time in the treatment that Kevin began getting vocal and making sounds. Many of you know his ups and downs with sounds. Recently the the vocal sounds have been few and far between - so it was music to our ears to hear Kevin making so many sounds. Sometimes it really looked like he had something to say. It was about halfway through the session that you could see how relaxed Kevin was feeling and by the end it looked as if he may even fall asleep. 

Kevin wasn’t the only one feeling relaxed - yesterday morning did not begin the way I had envisioned. Jon has been under some additional stress; Kevin had one of his vomit episodes during breakfast and while I was trying to get him to the bathroom in time, my pot of soup was boiling over on the stove - it was one of those mornings!  But Jon and I both felt a real sense of peace during the visit. We’re not sure if that is just from being in the presence of this peaceful man with his beautiful pictures Christ, Mother Mary, and Saints on his walls - or from all your powerful prayers. But when we returned home about 7:30pm - all three of us went to bed with pleasant dreams. 

Speaking of sleep - I have to share an amusing story that Friend shared with me. Friend had taken a friend to see Dr. Nemeh and during the session said to Dr. Nemeh - if you are too tired to continue and need a rest, I can come back at another time - Dr. Nemeh said “I am praying”. During the treatment, there are times when it looks as if he falls asleep, but if you watch closely you will see his hands moving ever so slightly and of course feel the peace.

At the end of our session, Dr. Nemeh suggested getting an infrared light to use on Kevin’s left foot and head and also recommended that we return for another treatment in 8 weeks. 

I keep all your kind words close to my heart and reread them when I need a little extra support during my day. 

I wanted to share a few reflections that were shared with me.

"God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power and love and a sound mind.” - I interpret that as hopefulness and positiveness.

Matthew 7:7-12 "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you....if you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him."

Psalm 138  "..the Lord is with me to the end.”

Please continue to keep Kevin in your prayers as we believe in things that we cannot see.

Dr. Nemeh and Kevin - February 26, 2015

Prayers for Kevin on Feb. 26

I’m asking for prayers during Kevin’s appointment with Dr. Nemeh tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 26 at 3:00pm.

In case you haven’t heard this awesome story…read on.

Our church is holding this 7 week series called Christ Life. I knew I should probably sign up but was finding excuses (one was a good excuse - evening enemas with Kevin) but some not so good (I have to put on “real people” clothes and go out at night). So the morning of, I see a Facebook post mentioning it and decide to at least call church and see if there was still room to sign up, they were able to squeeze me in...and I FINALLY said Yes. After all, I have declared this year to be a year of blessings for us. Plus I knew once I went to Christ Life I would be glad I did and of course I was and am glad I am participating.

So now you are wondering what this Christ Life series has to do with Dr. Nemeh. We are assigned to small groups in Christ Life and OF COURSE a certain person (who would prefer to remain anonymous and I will now refer to as Friend) was assigned to my table. When we first met a few years ago (in a similar small group at bible study), Friend said to me…”I know who you are, your son is the reason I went to Dr. Nemeh and was healed from my terminal illness.” I don’t see Friend very often, so I was very happy to see this unforgettable friend at my table. Friend asked if we had been back to see Dr. Nemeh and I said no. Friend told me that the Nemeh’s and Trapper (the radio guy that covered our last appointment) ask about us. Friend asked about Kevin and I said things are ok - not wanting to be pessimistic about things but also always hoping things were better for Kevin. I told Friend that Kevin had surgery on his ankles last year and while the surgery did what it was supposed to do it has not corrected all the problems Kevin has in regards to his walking - and that we are really struggling in this area. Later in the evening, during a break, Friend comes up to me and gives me Dr. Nemeh’s business card and told me to call for an appointment and that friend will cover the cost of the appointment. So needless to say, this first night of class left me utterly speechless!

There’s more to this awesome story…

Before I was able to call Dr. Nemeh’s office - they called me. Friend was there with a friend and had the office call me to set up the appointment. The office started giving me dates for an appointment and when she said the first available was February 26 - I couldn’t believe it, because I knew instantly that the same date, February 26 in 2006 was when our church had the Healing Service with Dr. Nemeh. In case you don’t know or remember that story - Kevin was about 1 1/2 years old at that time and the next night, I received my first hug when he wrapped his right arm around my neck - I will never forget it! It took me some time later to realize that it was that following June that my Mom discovered the book by Glenn Doman that changed our world and gave us hope for Kevin - which I attribute to the Healing Service. AND in 2009 on February 26 was when Kevin took his first steps and began to walk - which is a direct result of finding Glenn Doman through Divine Intervention from the Healing Service - not to mention a lot of helpers (from neighbors and our church) and Kevin’s hard work. 

So, of course I said we wanted our appointment with Dr. Nemeh to be on February 26!!!!

This is exactly what we need - some HOPE!!!!

Another friend in my small group table pointed out that our 3pm appointment is the hour of Divine Mercy.

This is an appointment for medical treatment. On drnemeh.com it states that “Dr. Nemeh’s primary method of patient treatment and diagnosis is called Meridian Regulatory Acupuncture. Meridian Regulatory Acupuncture (MRA) is different from traditional Chinese acupuncture. MRA consists of two parts, a diagnostic procedures and a treatment procedure. This treatment is painless and is performed with a small, single needle that is temporary inserted at various points on the body, usually for just a few seconds.” "Please note that Dr. Nemeh does not offer private prayer sessions through his medical practice. While the doctor may pray silently to himself during a medical office visit, those who are interested in only prayer and do not want medical treatment should visit PathToFaith.com for information on personalized prayer sessions and upcoming healing services.”

But from the stories Friend has shared with me - Friend’s personal experience and those witnessed - there is still a lot of healing happening in that medical office.

Ultimately we are always striving towards more progress for Kevin, especially in regards to walking and talking, but as we discovered in 2006, it may not be an instant healing, it may be something just as important like Hope. 

Thy Will Be Done

This is Kevin with Dr. Nemeh during our last visit in 2009

Love & Blessings to you all

We Wish You a Merry Christmas

The 2014 year has certainly been a year with blessings and challenges. We began this year with Karen’s Dad’s recent heart transplant and he is doing very well. In February, Karen had surgery and is also feeling great. In April, Kevin had Hyprocure surgery on both ankles and was off his feet for 4 weeks. He continues to have some struggles regarding his left foot that we are working diligently on and hope will straighten out soon. In June, Jon’s Dad was in the hospital for several weeks and passed away. And in September, Karen’s paternal Grandma, Bubbie, died at 90 years of age. 

Overall we are thankful for the blessings that we have had and are looking forward to the new year. Despite the sadness and challenges this year, it did not prevent us from making some good memories. We were in New Jersey for Kevin’s surgery and stayed near the Jersey Shore and walked the famous boardwalk. We enjoyed Kevin’s cousins visiting us over the summer. In October, we celebrated Kevin’s 10th birthday with Karen’s Mom & Dad. We took them to some of our favorite spots around town and then took a road trip to Chautauqua Lake, NY and Niagara Falls, Canada. The weather was chilly and rainy during our trip but it never spoiled our time together. For Thanksgiving, we had all 14 of the Golembiewski’s at our house and then traveled to Pittsburgh to celebrate Karen’s Grandma Como’s 90th Birthday, a weekend full of good memories. Kevin also continues to have his weekly visits with Grandma Hudak which is a treat for both.

Kevin perseveres with his daily program. We have been with the Family Hope Center in the Philadelphia area for 5 years now. Kevin had 3 months of neurological growth at our recent visit. And we have some new programs that we hope will help give Kevin more progression and healing. If you would like to follow along our journey with Kevin go to www.hudakfamily.blogspot.com

Wishing you a happy and healthy new year. 

10 Visits with FHC

We received these beautiful flowers from the Family Hope Center
to congratulate us on Kevin's 10th visit.

I copied what I wrote in a previous post below and added some pictures.

Kevin is 10 years old and we had our TENTH visit with The Family Hope Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. FHC recognized this milestone visit by presenting Kevin with a personal gift. He received a backpack and a Superman T-shirt. Matthew reminded us that in “Man of Steel” (the 2013 Superman movie) we are told that the “S” on Superman’s chest is the Kryptonian symbol for “hope”. Henry Cavill, who plays Superman in the movie says that “It’s that hope against the odds, to beat all odds, no matter how steep or how grand and it’s just standing up and facing the troubles and going I will not surrender.” Here are some odds that Kevin beat in the last six months! Kevin made 5 chart changes and 5 quality changes giving him 3 months of neurological growth. His gains on the Integrative and Developmental Progression Chart were in Reading, Understanding, Tactility, and Emotional/Social categories.

The FHC Team

 I have high hopes for the year 2015. I’ll share a secret with you. After this revisit, I had a dream. I dreamt that Kevin said his first sentence. He said “I want ____”. I don’t remember what it was that he wanted but I do remember that he said it twice in the dream. This is the first time I can remember dreaming (while sleeping) of Kevin talking. Please continue to keep Kevin in your prayers for healing. And we will continue dreaming and working hard.

Philadelphia, Thanksgiving, Pittsburgh

The Sunday before Thanksgiving we traveled to Philadelphia for Kevin's six month revisit on Monday and Tuesday at the Family Hope Center. More details in the post below.

A rain to snow storm was expected on Wednesday, the day we were traveling home, along with all the other Thanksgiving holiday travelers. Our plan was to be on the road by 7:00 am. But for some reason Kevin woke up about 3:00 am. When Jon finally heard Kevin and woke up he said, "well we might as well go ahead and leave." Kevin immediately sat up in bed and gave his affirmative sound. We laughed because I think this was Kevin's plan all along. We were very thankful that Kevin did get us up and moving early because the storm did cover most of Pennsylvania, and because we left so early in the morning we did not have much traffic.

It was nice to arrive home and have a few hours to unpack, pick up the turkey, and take a nap before the first car load of family arrived for Thanksgiving. The rest of the family arrived on Thanksgiving day. We had 14 people overnight for Thanksgiving and it was a lot of fun! We went on a hike, we ate Thanksgiving dinner, we played pictionary, and we watched the Polar Express (which got a lot of smiles and laughs out of Kevin).

Kevin couldn't wait to start eating Turkey!

 On Friday, we all traveled to Pittsburgh to celebrate Kevin's Great Grandma's 90th Birthday. Our family of 14 took her out to dinner and presented her with the album we made that included 90 memories and over 100 photos. On Saturday, the entire extended family went to Mass and a big birthday party for her.

Kevin was amazing the entire week. He handled the revisit at FHC like the champ he is. Not many kids could sit through the long days we have during our revisit. Then to come home and spend the Thanksgiving holiday with our family of 14 people overnight in our house. Then travel to Pittsburgh to celebrate his Great Grandma's 90th birthday. I was so proud of him during the celebrations, the best part for me was that the extended family got to see the true Kevin. He was charming, social, and smiling to all.

It was a big week of family and I am so thankful for:

Our FHC family that gives us Hope

Our related family that has Faith in us

And the Love we have for all of them

FHC Revisit November 24 & 25, 2014

Kevin is 10 years old and we had our TENTH visit with The Family Hope Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. FHC recognized this milestone visit by presenting Kevin with a personal gift. He received a backpack and a Superman T-shirt. Matthew reminded us that in “Man of Steel” (the 2013 Superman movie) we are told that the “S” on Superman’s chest is the Kryptonian symbol for “hope”. Henry Cavill, who plays Superman in the movie says that “It’s that hope against the odds, to beat all odds, no matter how steep or how grand and it’s just standing up and facing the troubles and going I will not surrender.” Here are some odds that Kevin beat in the last six months! Kevin made 5 chart changes and 5 quality changes giving him 3 months of neurological growth. His gains on the Integrative and Developmental Progression Chart were in Reading, Understanding, Tactility, and Emotional/Social categories. 

It gives me hope and motivation that Kevin has finally made some progress on the neurological chart. For the five years that we have been with FHC he has not had much development on the chart as he did in when we first began the program.  Although he is not the same boy that was hitting and biting five years ago, his progress has been in other areas and not measurable on the chart. But ultimately our goal is to further Kevin’s development by the progress he makes on the chart. At times it can be very frustrating to work so hard for so long and not have much to show for it. I was very downhearted while working on the revisit report as I looked back over the last five years and not seeing the change I would have liked to have gained with all our hard work. It is not typical that FHC would not be able to see more chart progress in kids that follow the program…which is frustrating for me, the dedicated Mom doing the program. 

Matthew, “The Boss” of FHC did Kevin’s evaluation during this visit. During the testing, Kevin started doing the same thing he always does, looks at the correct answer but points to the wrong one. And basically Matthew wouldn’t have it, he would give Kevin a reset and firmly tell him to focus. I began to question if this was legitimate because I didn’t want Kevin to obtain progress on the chart only to have it taken away later like the victory he received at IAHP for reading. But the truth is we KNOW Kevin KNOWS and the goal now is to expect it from him even if he needs a reset to get there. As an added bonus, Kevin’s progress was further confirmed after spending the Thanksgiving holiday weekend with family. I do see a shift and change in Kevin from just six months ago. 

We spent a lot of time with Matthew at FHC to help us come up with some answers and a plan to help Kevin’s progress in all areas. Matthew did Kevin’s evaluation, his physical program, and both days he did an unwinding (bodywork) which included four people and an allergy clearing.

After Kevin's bodywork session, he sat in this position on his own, which is usually not comfortable for him

Best Thing

Other areas of change (not measurable on the chart) was that Kevin’s digestion improved and he is making vocal sounds, after his session with the Solisten headphones in June. This is the most sounds we have heard from Kevin and the longest period of time that he has kept the sounds. It is very encouraging when other people actually get to hear the sounds he is making. Another new thing is that Kevin sometimes has an opinion about which shirt he wears and what he watches on TV. He has even chosen a couple new shows to watch, that I had not introduced to him.

Worst Thing

The big areas of frustration are: digestion (although there has been improvement we still need more); walking (desperately need to get that left foot straightened out); and communication (he is not consistent and he easily loses abilities that he has shown in the past). 

Mollii Suit

We were very disappointed that we did not see the results we were hoping for after having the Hyprocure surgery and purchasing the Mollii Suit. Unfortunately, we have had many delays with the Mollii Suit from Sweden. We received the suit in May. After trying two different jackets they had to add extra material to a jacket for him because it was too tight around his distended/bloated belly and I had to have an extra person around to help me zip up the jacket and then the zipper would open up at the bottom. In July and August as Kevin began walking more after his surgery, his walking became worse. We then came to the conclusion that the Mollii control unit was not working. We sent the control unit back to Sweden in August. Once the control unit was finally returned to us two months later, we realized it was shutting off after 15 minutes. Sweden very quickly sent us a new control unit. During our revisit at FHC, Matthew was able to verify that the new control unit was working properly, he even wore his suit with Kevin’s control unit and said he was very pleased with how it is programmed for Kevin. But we were disappointed to find out that the Molli suit does not fit him properly. Kevin’s body shape is not typical. His belly is often distended and bloated but his arms and legs are like sticks. The pads inside the suit that carry the stimulation need to press tightly against his skin, which it was not doing on his arms and legs. While we were at FHC with Matthew, we were able to Skype with Sweden to solve these issues. They are now custom making jacket and pants for Kevin to ensure that it fits properly. The people from Sweden have been very cooperative with us and want the suit to work as much as we do.  

Dr. Joe (the foot doctor)

We also met with Dr. Joe while with Matthew. The Hyprocure surgery did what it was supposed to do, it strengthened his ankles, because he has not sprained his ankle like he used to. Kevin’s right foot looks great. But Dr. Joe explained that Kevin’s left toe walking looks worse now than before the surgery because he can’t collapse his arch, the bones can’t dislocate, and so he compensates by walking on his toes. After several consultations with chiropractors, a physical therapist, and a doctor of osteopathic medicine, we all concluded and agree that Kevin’s left tibia is about a half inch shorter than his right leg. This is causing some additional stress on his left hip and left foot. Dr. Joe is making him a new pair of orthotics that will help make up the height difference and help him keep his left foot from turning in while walking. There is also a contracted big toe on his left foot we are keeping a close eye on that may need a small procedure.

Physical Program

We will continue Reflex Integration with some additional reflexes to work on. We will belly crawl 100 meters a day and creep on hands and knees 1,000 meters a day. While creeping we will use the left arm brace and we are going help Kevin creep in a better position with a bolster between his knees and a strap around his ankles (Lord, help me!). We hope that this will prevent him from knocking his knees together and sprawling his feet out. We will also continue walking the wooden track to help him keep his left foot straight. When we get our new and improved Mollii Suit he will wear it for the hour that he is walking the track (4 days a week). 

Nutrition Program

Another big hopeful part of our revisit was meeting with the new medical doctor and nutritionist. Kevin has had a long time challenge with his bowels. He has been less constipated with the lycopodium remedy but as I said still much more improvement is needed in this area. Both Dr. Kristin and Dr. Coralee (who we met with at our very first visit to IAHP in 2006) have recommended that we research and consider the Chlorine Dioxide (CD) Protocol by Kerri Rivera. In her book “Healing the symptoms known as Autism” she states that “autism is avoidable, treatable, and curable.” Kevin does not have an official autism diagnosis but he does have Autism Spectrum Disorder symptoms and biomedical issues…”viruses, bacteria, candida, parasites, and heavy metals cause the behaviors that lead to an autism diagnosis. Once you remove what is causing the symptoms, you can remove the diagnosis.” They are having great results removing these symptoms with the CD protocol. I still have to do my research but I am very hopeful about it and anticipate beginning it in a couple months. I will post updates along the way regarding the protocol.  

Physiological Program

We will continue Mild Hyperbaric Therapy and Deep Breathing Reflex Bags. We are adding a new (but old and improved) program, the Coordinated Breathing Machine. This will help teach Kevin to breathe with good rhythm and deliver more oxygen to the brain. This is the vest and machine that we had over 5 years ago while at IAHP with some important adjustments from FHC. This will be a passive program he does in the evening before bed. 

Sensory Program

We will continue Olfactory and Sensation Programs. And because Kevin has had so much success with the Solisten Headphones (a 2 hour program for 13 days) for vocal sounds we will likely have a fifth session in 2-3 months.

Learning/Developing Self

Quality Control - Our goal is for Kevin to be more consistent and clear with output in areas when we know he knows. Kevin can make clear choices by looking AND pointing, using a reset or time out when needed. I have been so pleased that, when needed (not very often), time outs are finally working with Kevin. And the best thing is it not a big deal and he comes back cooperative. In our daily life we will continue to incorporate: Sign Language; Time Concepts; Color; and Spatial Concepts. At Table Time we will continue to work on: Sequencing; StoryTelling; and Numicon for math.

The 2014 year has definitely been a challenging year for us as a family. We began the year with Karen’s Dad’s recent heart transplant. In February, Karen had surgery. In April, Kevin had Hyprocure surgery. In June, Jon’s Dad was in the hospital for several weeks and passed away. And in September, Karen’s paternal Grandma (Bubbie) died at the age of 90. We know there will be more challenges in our future but I have high hopes for the year 2015. I’ll share a secret with you. After this revisit, I had a dream. I dreamt that Kevin said his first sentence. He said “I want ____”. I don’t remember what it was that he wanted but I do remember that he said it twice in the dream. This is the first time I can remember dreaming (while sleeping) of Kevin talking. Please continue to keep Kevin in your prayers for healing. And we will continue dreaming and working hard. 

Wishing you all a healthy and happy new year!

Kevin's Snack Bars

When my niece's were visiting over the summer they found some dates in my cupboard and asked if we could make "Lara Bars". We quickly concluded that we could substitute the nuts for seeds in the recipe and chocolate chips for craisins so that Kevin could enjoy them too. This is the first real snack food (besides fruit) that Kevin has ever had and it immediately became his favorite.

1 1/2 cups dates, pitted

1 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup flax seeds

1/3 cup crasins

I ground the seeds first then the dates. Combine ingredients together in a good food processor until the mixture sticks together. Add in the craisins until combined into mixture. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper and press mixture into pan. Refrigerate. Cut into squares. 

On a recent Saturday, Kevin was off doing his own thing while I was in the kitchen making his snack bars for our upcoming travels and holiday. Once I began pressing the mixture into the pan, he was wiggling his way under my arms to get his hands in it so he could have a taste, or two, or three. I loved having this experience of Kevin getting "under foot" while I was working in the kitchen on a treat he wanted to eat. And it amazes me that Kevin automatically knows what he can have and not have to eat without me telling him.