Emmett John Archives - Page 36 of 85

We’ve been hit with a new #Sensory issue

We've hit an unexpected, but not all too surprising bump in the road with Mr Emmett. I've shared many times how sensory processing disorder impacts his life on a daily basis. Here are a few examples. Emmett hasn't worn shoes and socks in over a year. He's worn socks temporarily on a few occasions over the last year but that's all. He will only wear crocs, but not just any crocs. His crocs have to have a smooth insole. There can't be any texture to it, or else he won't wear it. His shirts have to come exactly to his waist. Any more and it's too big. Any less and it's too small. He will only wear pants that don't button or snap. He can't do buttons or snaps on…

0 Comments

August 6, 2017

Emmett John / My thoughts

My little shelf straightener

Emmett and I made a quick trip to the grocery store. Ever since he was little, he would stop as he was going down the aisle, and straighten up the shelves. He's even put things back where they belonged. At that point in time, Monk was still on TV. Emmett reminded me so much of Adrian Monk, and that's a compliment because I loved that show. I took this picture yesterday. My little Monk still has it. ☺

0 Comments

August 2, 2017

Emmett John / Fever Cycle / My thoughts / PFAPA

He just breaks down in tears

Emmett is very unpleasant today. He's freaking out over every single thing that doesn't go right. Any tiny imperfection is leading to a massive meltdown. He's still running a low grade fever, and is about waist deep inside of a fever flare. Emmett is a difficult kid on a good day, but he's never like this unless he's in a fever flare. He's even more overly sensitive to all sensory input than he normally is and it's making things very unpleasant for him. If we try to calm him down and comfort him, he just breaks down in tears. Honestly, I'm really, really frustrated right now, because I'm so tired of being screamed at. I also understand that Emmett is absolutely miserable, and not enjoying things at all. I know…

0 Comments

July 30, 2017

Autism Parenting Struggles / Emmett John / Feeding Problems / Fever Cycle / My thoughts / PFAPA / Sensory

Why lunch was a sensory nightmare

Emmett's still in the opening stretch of his current fever cycle, and he's incredibly difficult to manage as a result. I've mentioned before that when he's in a fever flare, many of his Autism related challenges are exacerbated. Typically, the biggest challenge during the period of time the flare is active is sensory related. He becomes so much more sensitive to everything around him. Making lunch today was a nightmare that resulted in a massive, but relatively short lived meltdown. It had to do with a pepperoni sandwich that wasn't perfect. Sometimes he likes to make his own sandwich because it must be perfect. I should also add that he rarely ever eats a sandwich because he rarely eats bread. I don't know why it's okay sometimes and not okay…

2 Comments

July 27, 2017

Emmett John / My thoughts / Sleep Issues

Surgically removing myself

I had a rough time sleeping last night, but my amazing wife let me sneak a nap this morning. Emmett woke up around 3 am and climbed into bed with us. He was freaked out over a bad dream. He fell back to sleep quickly, because he was glued to my side. I was already having a rough time sleeping because Elliott was using my pillow, and I was really uncomfortable. I ended up surgically removing myself from Emmett's grasp, and made my way to the couch. Unfortunately, my back is still not doing well and I couldn't get comfortable. Bottom line, I didn't get very much sleep at all, and I'm definitely feeling it.

8 Comments

July 27, 2017

Emmett John / Fever Cycle / Heartbreak / My thoughts / PFAPA

Heartbreaking: Emmett had a really rough night

I didn't write much yesterday because it was a rather trying day. Whenever I don't publish at least three or four posts a day, it's a safe bet that things aren't going so well. Yesterday was full of challenges related to Emmett's fever disorder. He was in a horrible mood for most of the day and had zero tolerance for pretty much everything. I lost track of the meltdowns, but there were quite a few. I personally had the hardest time when it came to dinner. There wasn't anything in the house that he would eat. Emmett's tough to feed on a good day, very challenging to feed on a bad day, and impossible when he's in a fever cycle. Last night was one of those impossible times, and it…

32 Comments

July 26, 2017

Emmett John / Fever Cycle / My thoughts / PFAPA

Living in #meltdown Hell

It's safe to say that we are officially inside a fever cycle. If you look at the image below, you can see Emmett's temperatures over the last couple of weeks. We crossed over the 100°F threshold, that is typical of a fever flare. If that wasn't evidence enough, his demeanor has been a kick in the nuts. Yesterday afternoon we went Pokémon hunting/walking in North Canton. The idea was having some fun while getting a bit of exercise. Things were good until we got there and Emmett was out of Pokeballs. The moment we pulled into the parking lot, Elliott caught a Pikachu with a hat on. I guess that's a big deal. Emmett couldn't get it because he needed to find a Pokestop first. Anyway, the trip was a…

0 Comments

July 25, 2017

Blessings / Emmett John / My thoughts

I’ve chosen to focus on the blessings

Last night ended with more tension than I like, but before that, we had a decent evening. I took everyone to the park and we walked the track. We had to sorta improvise a bit because there's major construction going on in the park right now. We had to map out a new path and that required walking on a gravel trail for about a quarter mile. Walking on gravel is just fine for everyone. Everyone that is, except Emmett. Emmett will only wear crocs and only do so without socks. Every tiny piece of anything that touches his foot, requires the foot cleaning routine. We walked about a mile and a half last night. However, it's was more like a mile and a half of line drills. I would…

0 Comments

July 21, 2017