Hi Friends!

My Mommy put me on my back, but I just rolled over!

And that's all I have to say.

So long... Mendele!

Homeopathy's Answer to DS

Mendele's Zaidy gave him a homeopathic remedy soon after he was diagnosed with Down syndrome. Let me tell a little about this remedy:

A homeopath in India discovered that the “Mongol Child”, otherwise known as Down syndrome can be treated with a remedy called Baryta Carbonica. He found that the remedy can enhance the DS child’s development, in some cases improving his IQ to the point that the child can no longer be considered even mildly retarded.

Baryta carb. is made from a mineral called Barium Carbonate. This mineral is also called witherite after William Withering the man who discovered it. Barium is found in minerals in the earth's crust. It grows very much like quartz. If you heat it up it will glow in the dark. It’s used in the making of television screens, fancy glass goblets and eye glasses, bricks and cement.

Barium carbonate is actually quite poisonous. Its main use is in rat poison. However, homeopathy doesn’t use the actual substance in its remedies. The original ingredient is diluted so much that not even a molecule of it remains in the medicine. The only part that is left in these remedies is the electromagnetic energy.

Like most homeopathic remedies, the easiest way to understand Baryta carb. is by understanding the “Baryta character”. The main characteristic in Baryta people is that they don't act their age. Baryta children are behind in their development, Baryta adults behave childishly and old people act like children again.

All Baryta people have not fully matured in some aspect of their personality be it on the physical, emotional or mental plane. Children who need this remedy tend to be late walkers and talkers with large heads, whose bodies may not have grown properly or reached full maturity (thus the likelihood of infertility in DS children). Elderly people who require this remedy may have senile dementia or may have suffered a stroke and been left with a handicap.

In short Baryta carb. is meant to encourage the underdeveloped to finish developing. The suggested dosage is 1 dose of Baryta Carb 10M per year. (Please, do not administer anything without the guidance of someone knowledgeable in Homeopathy.)

Please let me know if you've tried this remedy and whether you've seen any major changes at all. Also if you have any questions about what I wrote here feel free to pick my brain.

Mendele's Week

Hi friends.

This week Juliet and Leslie worked Mendele harder than ever. We are trying very hard to build his "trunk support", a vital ability without which one can neither sit nor stand and surely not walk.

Take a look:

Tada! After therapy it's back to play!
This is Mendele's new Bumbo Seat TM.
This is Mendele's xylophone, finally in picture!
And this is Mendele's new and improved smile.
So, from under the couch (the only place he can scoot to), Mendele wishes you all a good week.

The Anat Baniel/Feldenkrais Method

OK, it's time to get down to business. Let me begin by telling you the reason for our trip to Manhattan. We took Mendele to see a therapist named Marcy Lyndheimer, a certified Feldenkrais practitioner and among the top in her field.

Here she is working with Mendele:

Mendele thoroughly enjoyed the sessions with Marcy. Feldenkrais is in general a gentle therapy and Marcy is a specialist in the Anat Baniel method, specifically for children.

For a full understanding of Feldenkrais please follow the links above. I will write the general idea.

Often, when a body isn't functioning at the highest rate, the problem is caused by a lack of communication between the brain's nervous system which governs the body's movements and the muscles that actually move the body's limbs. In other words, the brain might not know how to make proper use of those muscles.

The aim of Feldenkrais is to make the connection between the brain and the muscles, helping the body get to know itself, thereby enabling it to take proper advantage of all of its muscles and members.

Unlike most therapies, Feldenkrais is not a goal based system. These therapists will not allow a child to learn to stand before they can crawl, for example. The only goal is to get the body to figure itself out, step by step without skipping, always at its own pace.

As you will find in a quick search, Feldenkrais has worked miraculously for some very desperate cases. What you might not hear is that although it has made miracles for some it has simply not worked at all for others. I don't know why, perhaps it is exactly the gentle nature of the therapy that might make it ineffective.

Either way, we decided to give it a try. We haven't seen tremendous changes yet, but, then again, Mendele is basically on par with his age group so we don't need a miracle.

Here you may see some pictures and some videos of Marcy's work with Mendele. Of course I couldn't possibly write this post without saying a big Thank You to Aunt Ellen (also a Feldenkrais practitioner) for accompanying us on this journey, to Uncle Z. for sponsoring the first session and to Uncle and Aunt C. for sponsoring the rest. Thank you all so much!

Enjoy the visuals.

Well, have a good Shabbos everyone.

Manhattan is in no particular order.

Hi everybody and welcome back.

Mendele and his Mommy and Tatty spent Shabbos in 'the country'. Mendele took to the fresh country air like a fish to water. (The following is in no particular order.)

Lately Mendele has been putting everything in his mouth; his burping diaper,his bally toys,
his pushka's toes...
He got a new Bumbo Seattm ......which he uses mainly during mealtime.
Mendele is a smiley face!
A beautiful smiley face!
Mendele got to play with a piano, and a xylophone (not pictured... yet).
Mendele also got to go to Manhattan for the first time.

We'll tell you why a little later.So, from the Big Apple, tu da lu.