Okay, here's what's going on with Emmett.  First let me thank you for the thoughts and prayers.  We really appreciate them.  In a nutshell, Emmett is negative for strep throat. That means that this is entirely a fever flare and a bad one at that.  The ER doctors were awesome and really good to Emmett.  He did really well, despite being scared. The doctors in the ER contacted the doctor on call in immunology and it was decided that since this flare is so bad, we would put him on a cycle of steroids. This is a double edged sword because while it has shortened the flares in the past, it's not good for the immune system and can't be done very often, at least not safely.  We have to…

Emmett has gotten so bad that Lizze and I made arrangements and took Emmett to the ER at Akron Children's Hospital.  His fever was high and he was inconsolable for most of the day.  My concern was that he may have strep throat on top to of the fever flare. He's been complaining of his throat all day and that's not something we've seem much of before during a flare up.  There's not really anything we can do about the flare itself because it has to run its course, which is typically about 10 days.  However, if strep throat is involved, we can't let that go unchecked. Here's to hoping were not dealing with anything more than another fever flare.  Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.  This site…

Elliott created a bird that would be able to remind him of the birds he fed while not the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo. He wants a parrot now and of course, we've told him "not a chance". He did the next best thing and made his own.  Check it out, it's pretty darn creative. This site is managed almost exclusively via WordPress for Android. Please forgive any typos as autocorrect HATES me. ;-) Follow @Lost_and_Tired Visit the My Autism Help Forums To reach me via email, please Contact Me

Emmett's in really bad shape.  He's in so much pain that he's inconsolable.  We tried and failed to get him into his pediatrician and as many of you know, taking an Autistic child to the ER or Immediate Care, doesn't always go well.  I called Emmett's immunologist at Akron Children's Hospital but they were out of the office today as well.  However, I spoke with the nurse on call and explained what was going on with Emmett. I explained about the fever disorder (PFAPA) and how the cycles have started up again.  When I called and she first answered, she thought I was calling in about a trauma because of Emmett screaming in the background.  Anyway, she was so incredibly nice and as a parent to a child with Autism…

My goal with this post is to educate.  I want people to understand what we go through and that can help you understand what others go through as well.  The video included is not easy to watch but it's a key to helping you understand the struggles that families like mine often face. There is a world of difference between a tantrum and a meltdown. The most significant difference is that a tantrum is a willful act, with the goal being to manipulate or change the behavior of the people around them. A tantrum can be defused and the person having the tantrum can hear you and may be able to talk back or respond to your voice. A meltdown is essentially the body purging because it simply can't cope…

My day began shortly after the last one ended. Emmett's been up since about 4am. He's miserable and couldn't sleep.  We moved downstairs to the couch and he had a popsicle to help numb his mouth. It's about 7am now and I traded off with Lizze, so I could get some sleep... This site is managed almost exclusively via WordPress for Android. Please forgive any typos as autocorrect HATES me. ;-) Follow @Lost_and_Tired Visit the My Autism Help Forums To reach me via email, please Contact Me

Okay, I've talking about these loud cannon blasts that have been happening almost every day.  They happen in the afternoon, evening and in the wee hours of the morning. For example, the one that just went off and woke me up. Lizze actually called the police yesterday morning because there were two blasts around breakfast time. She called the non-emergency line and explained what's been going on and apparently we aren't the only ones complaining.  The problem is that they can't locate the source of the explosion. We know the general area because smoke can be seen rising above the treeline, after each blast. We're really close to whatever is being set off.  A few of my neighbors have said that there's some dude with a cannon and he has…