All in one post because I’ve been ignoring this blog (what else is new?) while I get busy with life.
First, her encopresis/ megacolon. We’re stuck. We are down to one normal sized bowel movement a day (thank GOD!)…. AND STILL the random soilings as well. When she soils we make her sit on the toilet, get the rest out, and be calm while we wipe her and change her. Every night after dinner she needs to produce on the toilet. If she doesn’t, she gets an enema. That was all fine and dandy until recently she decided she no longer wanted enemas so the threat of an enema produced a meltdown. A 30 second procedure shouldn’t involve an 8 year old screaming for twenty minutes. Wishing there were better options. But when you’re left with very few options after trials of other stuff, (Miralax brought her back to the 10 to 17 soilings a day, new poop around impaction— she got re-impacted on Miralax) and the kiddo becomes less and less compliant, and older and stronger…… ugh. Sadly, it used to be a breeze to get this done. She is not at all impacted. She is on probiotics and metamucil every day. I have NO IDEA when her nerve endings will decide to tell her brain that a poop is coming and SHE will initiate a bowel movement in the toilet without being scheduled or enema—ed. But when that day happens, it’s party time.
Second, my husband was in the hospital for six days recently. 2 kids, 3 pets, laundry, dishes, trash, bill paying, kid appointments, etc depended on me alone that week. I had strep throat TWICE that month. Mommy doesn’t have time to get sick but get sick she did anyway. He was in for a horrendous abdominal abcess— we have no idea what caused it but he needed six days of IV antibiotics and a couple weeks of oral. He’s fine now— some residual pain if someone bumps into him in that area of the body– should take a few more weeks and he’ll be perfect. waited a long time with 2 autistic 7 year olds for my appt at minute clinic. I got diagnosed with strep again. got my antibiotics, got in my car to go home, and…. minor car accident, my fault. I tapped a car while pulling out. So then there were two autistic 7 year olds screaming in the back seat because we weren’t going anywhere— the other car was a woman a bit older than me and an elderly man. The woman was trying to calm the man down by taking a photo of my insurance card and license but she didn’t feel there was any need to call the police— it was a tiny scratch on their car. The elderly man told me I shouldn’t have a license. Then out of nowhere he fakes a fall. He wasn’t even in the car when I hit it. He was standing next to it. All of a sudden he falls down. I burst into tears because I have a husband in the hospital, strep throat which hurts like heck, and two screaming kids. So the woman says they won’t call the police. Right then in the four minutes I was crying, of COURSE I saw someone I know. Long story short, they did NOT file a claim but MAN what a day!
Next, I got my TMJ splint. After six facial surgeries, upper jaw expander, braces, and retainer, I now have TMJ. I need six months of splinting and then braces again. So far, I’m taking it out every time I try to talk on the phone. You’d think I’d be used to orthodontic craziness but it’s been decades. Good luck understanding me when you see me. I sound like Cindy Brady.
My kids had winter break for 2 weeks. They have drawn armadillos playing the violin. They have watched youtube videos of “Fergie” as Stacy Ferguson from Kids Incorporated in 1984 (I totally remember “Fergie” as a child and they didn’t believe me). They have picked each other’s noses (I never said my children were normal). They have visited two different hospitals, watched me get tested for strep, gotten themselves tested for strep, been out to lunch and for ice cream, been to ToysRUs, been to the post office and the grocery store, and begged incessantly for ipad time. We did (try to) watch one movie—– my blood pressure is still high from that event (MOMMMMMMY CHANGE THE CHANNEL!). School came back again and sanity was restored. But when you transition autistic kids back from winter break, a snow day is sure to hit. then a four day weekend (Friday was teacher in service day and Monday was MLK). Next up? Spring break. Kids are both having a REALLY rough time getting back into the swing of things…. psychiatrist thinks it’s still from transitioning back from winter break and doesn’t want to make med changes yet. CURRENTLY he’s on risperdal which had been working well till now, and she’s on adderall and geodon. Switched to geodon from abilify which was making her gain weight. Not sure if i’m hating the geodon, or hating that we just had winter break.
And finally, Fred might be a panda. 🙂 In a neurotypical child, if mom gets strep throat twice and has both kids tested to see who the carrier is and one kid is a non symptomatic carrier of strep and gets two antibiotics, gets tested again, and no longer has strep, you’d be done. In MY child, since I don’t know whether his behavior increases lately are from winter break or from strep causing PANDAS (I’m too lazy to explain it– please use google) since he acts a LOT like a PANDAS kid, he’s now about to do a month of a third antibiotic— PANDAS protocol with our pediatrician’s office. If it helps his behaviors, we look into a PANDAS diagnosis (would that help him move up the medicaid waiver wait list so he can get ABA sooner? hmmmm). If it doesn’t, then hey— at least we know he’s no longer gonna give me strep again (which hurts like a bitch in a grownup, by the way!).
I’m working more recently. Aside from Mary Kay and Send Out Cards I also have a small social media business. Just one of my social media clients wants me for at least six hours each week. Financially, yay. Housework wise? bleah.
Oh and Fred, dear sweet Fred. BIG meeting tomorrow with the IEP team and the head of gifted for the whole district. They are now giving as much attention to his IQ and his gifted identification as they are to his autism and at this point, they need to differentiate his instruction more than is comfy. I’m not sure they’ve ever seen such a low functioning kid (psychiatrically, behaviorally, socially) who is so academically advanced. I just don’t need to be told that it’s the highest IQ they’ve seen in many many years when the boy still poops himself from time to time, ya know? On the table is skipping a grade (I’ve said no before, but they’re starting to convince me, if they keep him superglued to an intervention specialist who gets him), a gifted program at a different school, or a really individualized program. I’ll know more tomorrow and I will try not to wait two months to blog again so you all can catch up. As for Wilma, she’s not gifted, doing fine academically, and will stay at her current school in the correct grade.
Now— kids are back in school. No more hospital for Abba. No more strep for me. Can my life please get boring again?
Oh yeah, they turned eight. Woot!
sortedmegablocks 