Common Variable Immunodeficiency Archives - Page 72 of 260

One on one time with my kids is always a priority

This morning I was able to convince Emmett to go walking with me. It's really nice to be able to do that because it's quality time, without the distractions of everything going on at home. I like to get as much one on one time with my kids as possible. I think it's really important. Emmett and I went one lap around the track, and he did great. He has so much energy and can be difficult to contain, but it was fun. I was able to show him the new ducks, and he got to visit his old friend, the lonely duck. I know my walk was shorter today but I gained way more than I lost. 😊❤

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July 17, 2019

My thoughts

I’m hoping Emmett will go with me

We're supposed to get hit with major weather today and then the heat index is supposed to be very dangerous the rest of the week. At the moment, things are pretty comfortable, and I'm going to try sneaking in my morning walk before the weather hits. The boys have therapy again tonight, but that's pretty much the extent of scheduled activity for the day. I'm hoping to get some things done today and be able to check them off my ever-growing list of stuff I need to get done. I might try and get Emmett to walk with me. It'll do him some good and it'll nice to hang out.

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July 17, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My thoughts

He gets very angry and looks for something to hit

I wanted to briefly talk about therapy tonight because we spent it trying to address some problems we are experiencing with Gavin. We spent time talking with Elliott first, but then an issue arose with Gavin that sorta derailed things. Gavin is an amazing young man, who's come a very long way over the years. Unfortunately, Gavin also has a temper and very little ability to manage it. Roughly 80% of the time that Gavin makes a mistake or needs to be corrected, he loses his temper. This is usually because he can't accept ever making a mistake. When this happens, he gets very, very angry and will look for something to hit. Usually, that something is himself. He punches himself in the face or hits his legs. He also…

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July 17, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

The stress is unbearable

We're waist-deep in teenage and special needs growing pains. One of the more typical problems right now is that our house is way too small. No one besides Gavin really has their own space. Lizze and I do okay, but Elliott and Emmett are very much struggling right now. Elliott needs his space and Emmett isn't adjusting to the change. Wars are waged on the daily, and it's just getting worse. Their room is way too small for them, and the only actual personal space they have is their beds, and that's only if the boundaries are respected. Elliott and Emmett need their own space, and in our current situation, they just don't have it. Emmett needs the light on at night, and Elliott needs it off. Portable lighting doesn't…

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July 16, 2019

My thoughts

Quick update

I feel like I slept pretty well last night. I'm really trying to focus on sleep quality and I'm currently reviewing the OOLER by Chili Technology. Stay tuned for that. I was up at 6:30 AM to go walking, and it's the perfect time to do so. It's cool and not very crowded. Plus I'm done with it before everyone is even awake and anything I do above or beyond that is just a bonus. Lizze had an appointment this morning, and I'm taking my Mom to physical therapy around noon. I want to get the boys room under control today, and that's going to take a shitload of patience because it's pretty bad. I'm not looking for perfection but rather progress. I want to make progress today. The only…

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July 16, 2019

Autism Parenting Victories / Gavin / My thoughts

This might be something only another #Autism parent can truly appreciate

After my walk this morning, I had to take Gavin to get his blood work done. He needs this weekly due to one of his medications. Frequent blood work has been required for many, many years. When Gavin was much younger, his blood draws were an absolute nightmare. It was so bad that it had to be planned ahead of time, and extra staff needed to be on hand. At times, it took upwards of six to eight people to safely and successfully draw his blood. Gavin's always been very strong. No one could believe how violent and aggressive he could get until they witnessed it first hand. Gavin was a very small, unassuming kid but packed a wallop. Anyway, he's come a long way over the years. I now…

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July 15, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / Depression Confessions / My thoughts

I feel so lost right now

I'm not having a good day today. I'm feeling enormously overwhelmed by everything in my life, and I honestly don't know how much more I can take. The things going on in this country are not okay. The things going on in my neighborhood are not okay. It's all so infuriating, overwhelming, and impossible for me to ignore. Everyone in my family (Lizze, Gavin, Elliott, and Emmett) are struggling with so much right now, and there isn't a goddamn thing I do to make their lives better. There's not enough of me to go around, and everyone needs more than I have left. I'm in a darker place than I've been in for a long while and pissed off at the world. There is absolutely no part of me that…

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July 14, 2019

My thoughts

Sometimes I really struggle with being a full-time #caregiver

Sometimes I struggle with all the responsibilities associated with being an Autism and Special Needs parent. Frankly, I struggle with my wife's chronic health issues, as well. It's not easy being a full-time caregiver to four people while trying to work from home and battling my own demons. It's not easy trying to manage everyone's life and not lose myself in the mix. I've been struggling a great deal lately, and there are a number of reasons for that. I often find myself being crushed by all I'm trying to maintain. I can get frustrated because things are always so hard. While we had a pretty good day today, especially by our standards, there were still some times that I was incredibly frustrated. Sometimes I just need things to work.…

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July 14, 2019