Family Archives - Page 552 of 553

Today’s been full of parenting challenges

It's been kind of a busy day here. Gavin had an appointment this morning that we never worked out. We waited so long that we got bumped to the nurse practitioner and didn't get to see the doctor. There are just sometimes you have to roll with the punches as a parent. Bigger fish to fry and all that stuff.. I really struggled with Elliott today because he was just so far over the edge that I just couldn't get him back. We had brief moments of calm between the meltdowns but he really had a rough day. The evening was the high point of the day and not just because it brought about bedtime.. Lol I made arrangements for the boys, myself and Maggie to meet my Mom at…

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August 3, 2015

#Autism and #anxiety are kicking my butt today

Anxiety often goes hand and hand with Autism. My kids on the spectrum are no exception and struggle with anxiety almost every single day. As a parent, this can really take its toll after awhile because it's a constant game or putting out fires. For the last few hours, Elliott has been struggling because he's hungry but can't decide what he wants. The only thing he's willing to eat at this point is pancakes and I don't have everything needed to do that. There's plenty of other options but he simply won't budge off the pancakes that I will not be making. It's tough because a large part of this is outside of his control but at the same time, he's trying to guilt me into giving him what…

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August 3, 2015

Autonomic Disorder / Clozapine Crisis / Gavin

Gavin’s blood pressure was really high for him today

Before every appointment at his psychiatrist's office, Gavin has his vitals taken. This allows for the detection of any significant medication related changes to be monitored. Because of Gavin's autonomic disorder, his blood pressure is always really low. The last time it was taken at this doctors office, it was 100/40 and that's about his average since the autonomic issues first started a few years back. When Gavin's blood pressure was take this morning, it was 137/66. That's actually not too bad for the average person but Gavin anything but average. The general consensus is that this may be caused by his medication that helps with the side effects of the Clozapine. Gavin's been taking liquid Pseudoephedrine three times a day to control the bladder issues caused by the…

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August 3, 2015

Emmett's Question of The Day

So Emmett asked the most interesting question today

As a Dad, I'm always fielding questions from my kids, often the questions are repetitive in nature but every once in awhile, Emmett asks a really interesting question that I simply can't answer. This morning, Emmett wanted to know how animals or insects breathe when they're inside on their egg? I've got to admit, I'm completely stumped and told him that we would have to ask Google. For a 7 year old kid, that's a pretty damn good question. I haven't looked it up yet but I thought I would see if anyone knows the answer without having to consult Google. 😉

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August 3, 2015

Emmett John / My thoughts

This #Autism Dad needs his beauty sleep

It was a really rough night for sleep. Emmett climbed into my bed at some point again and from there, proceeded to take it completely over. lol He can't just stick to one side of the bed, he ends up laying across the bed or wrapped around me. He still struggles at night since his Mom left but we are making progress. Anyway, I was up by 8am and I'm sorta dragging right now. 😴 I had a healthy breakfast and I plan on walking today but not until after Gavin's appointment this morning. Hope everyone is having a great morning.. 😀

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August 3, 2015

Clozapine Crisis / Doctor's Appointment / Gavin / My thoughts

I take Gavin see his psychiatrist this morning

The week will begin with a trip to see Gavin's psychiatrist this morning. There isn't too much to report, which is a positive thing. Frankly, Gavin's doing really, really well. There is however, an issue with a difficult side effect to the medication Clozapine he's on. He's having continued bladder problems and a constant, driving need to use the bathroom. It's very painful and definitely interferes with his day to day life. I don't know if there is anything we can do about this but I really want to provide him with at least some relief. At the same time, the medication is absolutely necessary to manage his schizoaffective disorder. Hopefully, we can get some good news and start the week off on the right foot.

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August 3, 2015

My thoughts / Taking Care of Myself

Well I’m back on the wagon today

With all these new beginnings and whatnot, I'm feeling a renewed sense of hope for the future. Along with that renewed sense of hope, I'm finding myself once again focusing on my personal health and wellbeing. Truthfully, I've been feeling rather depressed recently and can't seem to avoid late night stress eating. It's a will power thing or actually, a lack there of. That being said, as of this moment, I'm back on the wagon. I'm going to make it a point to get back walking or running everyday. I'm also going to trying winding my bedtime back to a reasonable hour as well. I don't expect this will be easy but nothing worth doing ever is.. 💪

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August 3, 2015

Anxiety / Elliott / My thoughts

Helping my son manage his anxiety by exploring nature

It was another anxiety filled day for my middle minion Elliott. We've had more challenging days in the past but we've also had better. My efforts to help him manage his anxiety were met with success today once again. When Elliott reached a tipping point with his anxiety, we went out side to explore some of what nature has to offer within the confines of our own backyard. I've found that encouraging and supporting his natural curiosity when it comes to animals and nature has proven to be a very healthy way for me to help him manage his anxieties. When he's exploring, he relaxes and just focuses on the possibilities of what he might find during his adventure. Regardless of the why's, he finds relief in a healthy, non-self-destructive…

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August 3, 2015