Autism – Page 437 – The Autism Dad

Aside from that I have no complaints

After a night without sleep because Emmett kept having nightmares, I began my day way earlier than an human being should. When Lizze woke up about 8 am, I was sent to bed and slept about four hours. While I feel better, I'm still exhausted overall. Thankfully, there are no plans today that will require me to drive because I'm too tired to do that. I will say that I'm in a really good mood. Sure, I'm tired but aside from that, I have no complaints. ☺

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January 15, 2017

Depression / My thoughts

How #Depression impacts my life

Depression has been a constant companion of mine since I was a teenager. I've spoken very openly about this war I'm waging, and I'm going to try and provide you with some further insight. I've always referred to my struggles with Depression as a war because depression is a life long struggle, consisting of many battles. Some battles will be won, and others lost, just like any other war. It's important for me to share these battles because there's such a lack of understanding in regards to mental illness in general but more specifically, Depression. My hope is that my story will inspire others to share theirs as well. I've fought many battles against Depression over the years. There are times I feel like I'm gaining ground and others where I feel…

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January 14, 2017

Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

#Autism Parenting Exhaustion

I've been dragging a little bit lately. Honestly, I feel completely spent, like all the life has been drained from my body. My diet and exercise journey has suffered as a result. The problem is probably more complicated than this, but I'm very sleep deprived. Even when the boys are gone for the night, my sleep patterns are still messed up. Almost every single night, one or both of the boys have a problem in the sleep department that requires me to either wake up or not go to sleep yet. Some may read this post and hear only excuses for my lack of discipline. Others who live a life similar to mine will better understand where I'm coming from. It's difficult to function when you didn't sleep well the…

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January 14, 2017

Gavin / General Update

Bad News news to share about Gavin

I've been putting off a really important update recently because I'm still processing some of it, at least I'm trying to. During our last meeting (this past Tuesday) with Dr. Pattie, Gavin did another mission debriefing. This debriefing was a little different because we learned something new about the status of his current psychosis. After talking about all the adventures he had gone on since the last debriefing, I began asking him questions about what he was saying, in an attempt gain a bit more insight. These questions led to a much better understanding of where he currently resides, psychologically and emotionally. It turns out that Gavin's hallucinations are actually getting worse. There used to be a portal he had to walk through in order to be transferred from his…

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January 14, 2017

My thoughts

What his stomach looks like after an IVIG infusion

I wanted to take a minute and share a bit of insight into what Gavin experiences in regards to his IVIG Infusions. Gavin receives these medically necessary procedures twice a week and will do so for the rest of his life. These infusions provide him with the immune system his body naturally lacks. Without these infusions, his body would not be able to fight off infections. While these treatments are a blessing, they aren't always pleasant. The pictures below show what the infusion sites look like and it's incredibly unpleasant for him. Gavin has almost no body fat and so all the swelling is from the infusion

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January 14, 2017

Gavin / IVIG Infusion

When IVIG Infusions go wrong

Gavin's IVIG infusion has been a disaster so far. First of all, the supply company shorted us the needles needed to draw up his meds. I had to find a pharmacy that carried theses and was willing to sell me some without a script. Honestly, who would be buying these things without some a script? I guess I get it. Luckily, the Walgreen's down the street was willing to because they are familiar with Gavin and his infusion needs. Unfortunately, after I arrived home and struggled for about 20 minutes to draw up his medication, I realized that they sold me fricking filtered needles. Let me just say that trying to draw up his meds with these needles was like trying to suck a watermelon through a stir straw. Thankfully, I was…

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January 13, 2017

General Update / My thoughts

Quick Update

We had to get both Gavin and Lizze's bloodwork done this morning. Everyone cooperated pretty well and I'm grateful for that. We also had to stop by the UPS Store on the way home. Elliott and Emmett were distracted by Pokémon Go during the hour or so we were gone. They actually had fun, which made everything much easier. Everyone is in a good mood this morning, at least for the most part. I'm hoping that good mood will continue when we get home because I have some small projects I'd like to work on today.

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January 13, 2017

My thoughts

When my kids have a great day at school

The boys had a great day at school today. That's not a huge surprise, but I never assume anything. I appreciate this ending to the week because we are heading into four day weekend and it's always a good thing to start those out on the right foot. Apparently, tomorrow is a teacher in-service day and then, of course; Monday is MLK Day. I'm super proud of the boys for giving the week their all and walking away with a smile. We don't have any plans for this weekend, but the boys are going to spend the night with their grandparents tomorrow night. That means we get a break. :-)

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January 12, 2017