Guess where we are today

We've made it to see our friends at Akron Children's Hospital, and did so on time. That's quite an accomplishment if you've driven through Akron in recent years. Anyway, this is a follow-up with Gastroenterology for Mr. Gavin. I don't expect anything Earth-shattering to occur today. Gavin's in a pretty good mood, and he's having a decent day thus far. He's a bit animated though. I guess manic would be a better or more accurate word to use, but it's not mania how he's historically experienced mania. He's just really happy, very exaggerated in much of what he does, and is extremely talkative. It's not bad, at least comparatively speaking but it's enough that we can tell something is going on. I do suspect it will be a bit annoying…

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My son asked that I share this

Gavin has been a Sonic fan for most of his life. Sonic is also one of the main characters in his Schizophrenic hallucinations. We hear about Sonic all the time, and while we can't see him, he often accompanies us where ever we go. Anyway, the point is, Sonic is very important to Gavin. It's been a good while since Gavin spent time drawing. He's usually too busy running missions with Sonic and the rest of his superhero team. The other day, however, Gavin came downstairs after having drawn and colored this picture of Sonic. He's super proud of himself and asked that I share his work with my readers. ☺ I'm always thrilled when my kids are creative, and I'm also excited to share my kid's artwork. I think…

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My 19-year-old #Autistic son totally impressed me

When Gavin was younger, he was admitted to the psych unit at Akron Children's Hospital more times than I can remember. It was always a last resort but a necessary action when things got really bad, and he needed acute stabilization. Anyway, Gavin's doing so much better now, but he's beginning to struggle once again. Most of this struggle revolves around him, managing his frustration. It's not easy for him because he's very easily frustrated and often has unrealistic expectations of himself. The other day, Gavin came downstairs and wanted to show me something. He'd been straightening up his room and came across one of his old folders from a psych stay at Akron Children's. Inside it, he found some of the work he'd done while he was there. In…

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My #Autistic son did the most amazing thing today

Gavin was able to get his blood work done without any problems. In fact, I wanted to share something cool that Gavin did while he was there. It's no secret that Gavin is a creature of habit. He thrives on routine, especially for things that are scary for him like blood work. Today there was a new tech that Gavin had never met before, and instead of freaking out because of the change, he explained how he likes it done and let her draw his blood. Gavin likes the techs to count to three before sticking him and then warn him before taking the needle out. When he's done, he likes his arm wrapped in cling so he doesn't see the area the needle went into his arm. It's pretty…

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One of the most independent things my #Autistic 19 year old does

I didn't sleep well last night, and my amazing wife was kind enough to take the kids to school so I could go back to sleep. ☺ 💙 When I did drag myself out of bed, I was able to get Gavin for his weekly blood work, and that's where I'm residing at the moment. Hopefully, he doesn't have a long wait. This weekly trip is one of the most independent things he does. I drop him off at the lab and wait in the car. We've been coming here for most of his life, and everyone adores him. He's able to sign himself in and answer some routine questions about traveling outside the country. When it's his turn, he goes back, gets his blood draw, and collects three suckers.…

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How the f**k was I supposed to know that?

It's been a really long weekend, and it wasn't always pleasant. Mother's Day was a mixed bag for several reasons, but ultimately, it ended on a high note. Lizze was missing her Grandmother, and it weighed heavy in her. 😔 That said, we had a nice dinner and even went to bed super early. The boys got off to school this morning without much trouble, and I went for my morning walk with Ruby. It rained the entire time, but we survived. ☺ Gavin's infusion went off without much of a hitch, at least the infusion itself. He struggled a bit this morning because he was very nervous about this infusion for some reason. Keep in mind, Gavin is one of the bravest human beings I've ever known. This kid…

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As an #Autism parent, my son’s violent and aggressive behaviors are very concerning to me

The boys have been home about an hour or so, and I feel like we've already spent the sanity this break has allowed us to regenerate. Admittedly, it's still not much, but we were a bit saner before they arrived home. 😜 Drama ensued fairly quickly upon their return. The boys reported that Gavin had dropped what they referred to as an f-bomb. In other words, he said fuck. When we asked Gavin about this, he completely freaked out. He stomped down the steps, pointing at his brothers and screaming. It was a very aggressive and threatening reaction. I know Gavin wasn't going to hurt anyone, but that's beside the point. If Gavin reacts that way in public or when he's around people who don't know him, he would be…

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Oh that’s where all the hand sanitizer went

In our house, we keep hand sanitizer in key locations. The reason for that is that not everyone is mindful of proper hygiene and touching up with some Purell is necessarily a bad thing to do before touching or preparing food. We also keep hand soap in the bathroom and kitchen because that's the preferred method of hand cleansing. Anyway, we go through so much fucking hand sanitizer, and it I'll give you a clue as to why. His name begins with Ga and ends with vin. Mr. Gavin feels the need to use hand sanitizer constantly. As an example, this just happened. I finished my walk and swung by the house to drop Ruby off, as well as pick Gavin up for his bloodwork. He had just left the…

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