Family Archives - Page 90 of 554

How we knew our 11-year-old son was #depressed and how we’re helping him

I've spoken about my personal war with depression many times. This time, I thought I would take a few minutes and provide some insight into how we knew that Emmett was struggling with depression, as well as why we decided medication was in his best interest. Everyone is different, and this is not to be viewed as medical advice or replace seeking help from your doctor. Emmett is our recently turned 11-year-old. He's the youngest of our three autistic kids. He's been through a great deal in his short life from Gavin's extreme behavior to the loss of three family members in the last eight months. Everyone in our house is on at least one medication, and some are on multiple. We take medications very, very seriously, especially for our…

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June 30, 2019

My thoughts / Self-Care

I totally feeling like I’m going to own today

It's been an oddly productive morning. While I didn't sleep well, I was up before 8 AM and out the door to get my walk in extra early. I avoid being in the direct sun during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM, as we all should, at least without sunscreen. I prefer to walk first thing in the morning, but it was much easier when the kids were in school. I'd take them to school, go walking and be home before 9:30 AM. I've been going in the evenings, but I seem to always get behind people who are chain smoking on the track. That's a personal pet peeve but whatever. Anyway, I feel really good about getting this done before my day gets started. It bodes well…

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June 29, 2019

Akron Children's Hospital / Autism Parenting Victories / Emmett John / My thoughts / Pediatrics

Major Update

Again, I find myself behind the eight ball in regards to writing. I'm really trying to get back into the swing of things, but I'm struggling a bit with my depression lately. That being said, I'm here now, and that's what matters. Last I wrote, I was still going back and forth with Emmett's pediatrician about getting him on an antidepressant. We're not excited by the idea of further medicating him, but everyone agrees that it's absolutely in his best interest. I was experiencing some resistance from the doctor for reasons that didn't make sense. We have a fantastic relationship, and I was very surprised that she seemed unwilling to manage Emmett's depression until September when he gets into the behavioral health clinic at Akron Children's. I've been around the…

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June 29, 2019

Akron Children's Hospital / Autism Parenting Woes / Emmett John / My thoughts / Pediatrics / Psychiatry

If you detect some frustration, you’re not wrong

I've been struggling to write as much as I'd like if under better circumstances. This last week of my life has been very challenging, and recovering from it is taking some time. We buried my grandmother a week ago today. All of us are still feeling the impact of this, but especially Emmett. As I'm writing this, he's been up for two days now and cannot fall asleep. Melatonin isn't helping, and he's incredibly stressed out. I just got off the phone with his pediatrician's office, and I'm trying to get them to put him on low dose Prozac. Emmett has his first appointment with Akron Children's Behavioral Health in September, and he's on a cancellation list as well. For some reason, his pediatrician, whom we really like, seems resistant…

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June 27, 2019

Emmett John / My thoughts

It’s a difficult birthday for our youngest

Today is going to be crazy busy for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it's Emmett's birthday, and he turns 11 years old. ☺ Secondly, my Mom is having knee replacement surgery this morning, and I'm at the hospital with my Dad waiting while she gets her brand new knee. I'll probably be here most of the day. We've been trying to help Emmett figure out what he wants to do for his birthday, but he doesn't know. He doesn't even know what he wants for his birthday. This isn't something we can decide for him either. He's a very indecisive person and struggles with even the most benign decisions. He's always been this way, and it does create many issues. If we try to surprise him with something, especially when…

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June 26, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My thoughts

Confessions of a frustrated #Autism Dad

This is one of those posts where I'm brutally honest about something that's going on. Those with experience will be able to relate, and those without have an opportunity to gain some insight into something they might not otherwise have any experience with. The issue tonight is a reoccurring one, but I've not spoken about it in a little while. Mr. Gavin has been driving me nuts today, and the day before, as well as the day before that. You get the picture. He's driving me crazy on a pretty regular basis. I always want to preface things with a this is not his fault statement, because it really isn't his fault. Yes, choices are being made, but nothing he does is meant to upset or cause distress to anyone.…

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June 24, 2019

My thoughts

No parent likes to see their child struggle

It was a rough night. Emmett only ended up falling asleep in our bed, and that ultimately sent me to the couch. I'm okay with that because it meant that he got some sleep and wasn't up all night. I'm hoping that we can help him through this because he's clearly struggling with everything that's happened over the last couple of weeks and I certainly can't blame him. I know it's been tough for me, and I have a plethora of coping skills he has yet to develop. So far today, he had quite a few emotional outbursts. It's not like emotional outbursts are uncommon for him, but these are not triggered by things that would normally trigger him, like more sensory oriented events. He's miserable, and I hate seeing…

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June 24, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

#Autism can make dealing with loss much more difficult

Raising kids with Autism is no easy task. There are a zillion little things that we as Autism parents have to be cognizant of, that other parents don't. There are challenges our kid's experience that are unique to Autism, and it can be very difficult to navigate as a parent. Losing a loved one is one such challenge. I've been talking recently about my late grandmother. She passed away a week ago, and we had to decide how to handle services with our three Autistic kids. Elliott and Gavin didn't want to go because they knew it would be too hard. Emmett, on the other hand, struggled to decide. Ultimately, Lizze and I went on our own while the kids stayed with her parents. We knew that even without attending…

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June 24, 2019