I have been pretty open and honest about my personal struggle with depression. Once again,  I think it's important to be honest about this because there is already such a stigma attached to things like depression. Periodically,  I like to post updates as to how my personal struggle is going. I want people to know that there is nothing to be ashamed of and I for one am not embarrassed by it. Today is the 27th of February, 2012. I have been back on Paxil for about 8 months now.  Not to long ago my dose was doubled to 40mg/day. The increase in medication was a necessary evil as thing in my life were getting harder and harder to manage. I started feeling better after a few weeks.  However,  as…

There are quite a few things I really enjoy in life. However,  there are few I enjoy more than hearing my kids laugh. I don't mean the forced laugh that can sometimes be a bit creepy.  I mean the truly genuine laugh that shows me that they are happy.  So often it's hard to know whether or not they are happy. Just as an example.  I gave Emmett a kiss on his forehead and before he could wipe it off,  I said sprinkles.  Sprinkles is a magic word because when you kiss someone and say sprinkles,  they can't wipe the kiss off.  Emmett gets the biggest kick out of this.  This is one of the times he will laugh in such a way that it quite literally erases the stress…

Tomorrow morning,  Lizze will undergo a procedure called an EMG.  My very limited knowledge of this procedure is really only based on the last time Lizze had this done on her neck. Basically,  needles are placed into the body,  along the nerve paths I believe,  and a small electrical current is run.  They are testing to make sure the nerves are functioning correctly. Lizze has been having issues with her legs for years.  The go numb all the time and her neurologist suspects neuropathy. By definition, neuropsthy is damage to a single nerve or nerve group, which results in loss of movement, sensation, or other function of that nerve. Symptoms depend on the specific nerve affected, and may include: Loss of sensation or pain. Hopefully,  the procedure won't last very…

For some reason,  Emmett has been getting up at like 4:30 am and not going back to bed. Not sure what's going on but this is not going to work.  I'm typing this so I can stay awake long enough for him to hopefully go back to sleep.  :-( **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Community Autism Support Forum Posted from WordPress for Android so please forgive the typos. Auto-correct and I don't get along very well.

Elliott and Gavin are at their grandparents house until tomorrow. Emmett,  while still a handful,  is a bit more manageable when he's alone. Emmett is in the middle, or rather the beginning of a flare up so he is a real pleasure to be around. Right now,  all the boys together is a really bad combination.  Emmett has become a bully and focuses his energy on Elliott.  It doesn't take a lot to send Elliott into an emotional spiral. Emmett can be such a sweet little boy but he can also be a helluva little tyrant,  especially when he's not feeling well. Anyway,  with a break in the constant drama, we were able to get some things done today that have been on the to-do list for way to long.…

At age 3 and approaching age 4, Emmett still doesn't tolerate clothes most of the time.  OT has been working hard to help with this and we have seen some improvement.  For example,  shoes and socks aren't as difficult for him anymore.  He'll take them off the second he gets the chance but he tolerates them much better now. Clothes on the other hand are a different story. He has started wearing pajamas more often and that's a rather big accomplishment.  You may not even recognize him in the picture below because he's actually wearing pants.  He's wearing pants and some hat thingy that Elliott made at school.  While some people may think,  whoopy he's wearing pants,  big deal.  Well,  it's a pretty freaking big deal,  because he never wears…

Sweet merciful Mary are my kids loud. We have had their hearing tested and that's not the problem.  I guess it's like a regulatory thing. I'm constantly saying,  "inside voices please".  It doesn't seem to make any lasting impression.  Right now,  Emmett is probably the loudest,  followed by Elliott in second and Gavin a close third. Emmett will stand right in front of you and screaming what he's trying to say. I'll literally be 2 or 3 feet away when he does this. It's not like we don't respond to them when they talk.  Sometimes why they need to speak in such a loud manner is a bit of a mystery.  Having said that,  it's a mystery that I need to solve because all the noise is driving me a…

As I'm sure you can imagine,  Lizze and I don't get out much. What I mean by that is we don't get out by ourselves very often. It's tough not to be able to spend some alone time with your spouse or partner because you're always wrapped up in the kids. Last year we had decided that even if we can't get away,  at least we can dedicate some time to each other,  at least every once in awhile. More often than not,  these plans fall through for one reason or another. However,  tonight Lizze and I hung out and had some ice cream and watched our new obsession on Netflix. Last year,  Lizze and I watched the entire series of Lost. We don't have cable or anything so we…