Autism – Page 449 – The Autism Dad

Important Update: Gavin’s Urologist Called Today

We had some things go very right today and we had some things present us with challenges. I feel like overall the day was a success, and not just because we physically survived. (see Thank God for mornings like this and read all about it) The main topic of this entry is centered around the phone call I received from Gavin's Urologist's office at the Cleveland Clinic. They were following up on Gavin's emergency room visit yesterday. I think that's a cool thing to have a doctor's office follow up like that without being prompted. It shows they care and that's why we love the Cleveland Clinic. I spoke with a nurse who wanted to know all that happened and everything the ER doctors did while we were there. We spoke for…

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December 14, 2016

Good News

Thank God for mornings like this

Yesterday was a tough day for me on many levels. I experienced intense feelings of fear, panic, disbelief, frustration, exhaustion, anger, resentment and lots of guilt. The long day turned into a long night because Elliott woke up in pain and I'm pretty sure it was the result of the way he was sleeping. He felt better after moving to the couch and falling asleep while I played with his hair. Having barely survived that, I was so incredibly thankful for how well the morning went. The boys were slow to get moving but once they did, the morning went well. Emmett did his crocs and socks without much problem because he knew that once he got to school he could put on the super fuzzy slippers I bought him…

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December 14, 2016

Gavin / General Update / My thoughts

UPDATE: Gavin was in the hospital today and here’s what happened

Update: I was so frazzled when writing this that I forgot to thank all of you for all the love, support, thoughts and prayers that were sent our way today. It actually means a great deal to us. ☺ There are times I wish I could just speak to my readers directly because it would so much easier to talk than write. Sometimes I struggle with putting words to my emotions and frankly, that is why I don't write more than I do anymore. I'm overwhelmed and lacking the energy to say all I need to say. Please bare with me as I try to explain what happened with Gavin today and do so in a way that makes sense. It's best I start at the beginning. I woke…

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December 13, 2016

Gavin / Thoughts and Prayers

Gavin’s in the emergency room please keep him in your prayers

We're waiting to go back, but I wanted to take a minute and ask that you keep Gavin in your thoughts and prayers. Currently were at the emergency room because Gavin has been experiencing something going today that could end up being very serious, especially with a compromised immune system. Essentially, Gavin's been peeing blood today, and we aren't sure why. Gavin's story has been shifting today, and so we aren't entirely sure what's going on. At first, we thought he was popping blood and so we called his doctors to find out what to do. Then later on in the morning, Gavin informed us that he hadn't pooped today at all and that he was peeing blood. He didn't think it was important enough to tell us…

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December 13, 2016

Bullying / Elliott / My thoughts

Great news about the school day today

We had to pick the boys up from school and then run to the other side of town because Lizze had a doctor's appointment. While Elliott's in a bad mood because he's hungry, he was able to deliver piece of really good news. When I asked him how his day was and if there were any problems, he said good and no problems. In other words, it sounds like he had a bully free day. I can't tell you how much I needed to hear something like this today. I'm so relieved that our efforts have produced a positive outcome, at least for now. ☺

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December 12, 2016

Emmett John / Sensory / Shoes and Socks

I don’t know what we’re going to do

We had a really difficult morning because Emmett would not tolerate shoes or socks once again. I went last night and tried to find new socks that he might be more comfortable with but he wouldn't even try them on. This morning however, he was finally able to put on one of the pairs of new socks but would not tolerate any type of shoe over top of them. After about 90 minutes of exhaustive effort, we finally got him to wear his slippers. He wasn't happy about it but it happened. The battle to reach that point was horrible. The screaming was overwhelming for us but the whole thing was beyond overwhelming for Emmett. This thing is heartbreaking and I don't know what else to do. Nothing works. …

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December 12, 2016

Emmett John

Today’s Victory: Guess who slept in their own bed last night?

After the little hiccup we had over the weekend, Emmett fell asleep in his own bed again and that's not only awesome but a big relief. I was worried that he was going to start sliding backwards but he's back on the wagon and I couldn't be prouder. I'm hoping this trend continues and we can file this particular challenge under overcome...... ☺

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December 12, 2016

General Update / My thoughts / Reunification

UPDATE: Seven months after my wife moved back home…..

It's been seven months since my wife and I put our family back together. For those tardy to the party, we spent about twenty months apart after she suffered what our marriage counselor calls caregiver burnout, along with what turned out to be undiagnosed bipolar disorder. I'm not going dredge through the past at this point but it's important that we're all on the same page. Since Lizze moved back into the house with myself and the boys, things have been going well. There hasn't been any downside to having our family back together as far as we're concerned. The boys have not had much trouble adjusting and Gavin is still doing phenomenally well on a behavioral level. Lizze and Gavin have a relationship now that is amazing. It's healthy…

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December 12, 2016