Alexis Wineman
As a medical professional who has had neurologic issues, I commend you on your magazine. I find it heartening to read about the myriad neurologic conditions that can affect us and the courage of people in handling them, such as Alexis Wineman ("The New Normal," June/July 2014). - Robert F. Hirt, DVM, (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)
As the mother of two children with autism (ages nine and 11), I am concerned that you put too pretty a face on autism in your cover story on Alexis Wineman. Most of us are in the weeds dealing with so many specialists: neurologists; epileptologists; behavioral, occupational and speech therapists; nutritional therapists when sensory disorders leave our children unable to eat enough to sustain a healthy weight; and developmental pediatricians. Then there are the state coordinators-gatekeepers for services-whom we fight to determine how much we'll be paying out of pocket; and specialty compounding pharmacies; and the insurance companies that never cover enough. We deal with moving to find a better school district (three now) or the private schools that take half of our combined income when the public schools fail. We have meetings that cover things like when exactly the school is allowed to call the police on your 11-year-old autistic daughter for having a self-injurious tantrum in her special education class before calling you.
Don't forget the isolation from your friends and family because you can't really go anywhere or do anything and your children can't handle being out of their home environment or the increased stimulation of having anyone come over with their children. And your friends want to talk about taking the kids to swim practice or baseball and soccer games, but you have no stories about sports, to say the least. Your stories are things like, "Joey ate apple sauce today without vomiting."
Presenting autism as something that my children just need to try really hard to overcome so that they, too, can be "normal" isn't helpful. My son is non-verbal at nine years old, even though he had early intervention from 19 months of age and has continued therapy his entire life. He's been trying. My 11-year-old daughter is verbal, but her sensory and behavioral needs are extreme. She was diagnosed at 26 months and has had the same intensive therapeutic schedule as my son. Miss Arizona is probably not in her future, although she is gorgeous. I wish it were as easy as your article made it seem.
After reading Neurology Now for approximately a year, I was happy to see an article on autism, but disappointed it was so candy-coated with a message that might leave the public thinking the affected just needed to buckle down and get over their symptoms. I have met countless families like mine in therapy environments. We are the new normal when it comes to autism. Educating the public about a typical autistic family would help others understand what we're dealing with when they encounter us struggling in public. Although I am pleased for Alexis and her family, it is so much more than that for so many of us. - M. Lopez, Tempe, AZ
THE EDITOR RESPONDS: Thank you for your powerful and moving letter. We certainly did not mean to dismiss the challenges of families with a child who has more severe symptoms than Ms. Wineman—or to suggest that autism can simply be overcome with effort. Still, your point is well taken, and we thank you for pointing out the difficulties many families face. We will make sure to keep this in mind when reporting on autism in the future.
The Limitations of Helmets
It seems that Dr. Conidi has it right; "Helmets were never designed to protect against concussion" ("Concussion Research" href="/link/2fc57d7725dc45ec85e936bcbf181c3d.aspx">Latest Concussion Research," June/July 2014). Basic physics tells us that the brain will almost certainly impact the skull during a high-speed collision. No practical shock absorber can change this fact. What's more, the game of football has evolved considerably during the last 60 years: players at all levels are bigger, faster, and more specialized. At the same time, the game is more wide open. These facts combine to promote high-speed collisions. Modern plastic helmets with face masks are even used as weapons. If we are serious about protecting players against concussions, we need to look at the rules of the game as well as the equipment. - W.L. Schroeder, PhD, Corvallis, OR
Chemo Brain
I cannot tell you how thankful I am for your article about the cognitive effects of chemotherapy ("Chemo Brain," April/May 2014). I was fortunate because I didn't have to go through systemic chemo, and the 30 radiation treatments weren't bad. I did not miss an hour of work through it all. In March 2014, I completed my third year on an aromatase inhibitor, which is often prescribed to women to prevent breast cancer recurrence. In the last six months, I have been "foggy," forgetting people's names and words in the middle of my sentences. I have little recall of articles I read for my nursing career. So now I am making an appointment next Monday to discuss with my oncologist. Your team deserves kudos for bringing awareness to the issue. - Deb Wetta, RN, BSN, Wichita, KS
Stroke Support
My name is Mary and my heart is very heavy. My mother experienced a stroke last November and was left paralyzed. She is unable to talk, walk, or eat on her own. Now she's confined to a senior care home over a thousand miles away from me. I feel like I'm losing a part of my mother every time I visit her. - Mary Wells, Sent from my iPad