How I helped my adult son with #Autism work through a really bad day

Today felt like a trip back in time to when Gavin was really struggling with behavioral issues. OMG did he have a rough day. He tried his best but couldn't cope well with all that went on yesterday. His Monday was thrown off because of the shift in his bloodwork schedule. That threw him for a loop and the day had only just started. When he started his IVIG infusion, both infusion sites ended up leaking and he needed to be stuck with a needle five or six times before we could get it working. His infusion going poorly sent him into a downward spiral that he would never recover from. Throughout the rest of the day he struggled with just about everything. His frustration threshold was nonexistent and he…

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How helping others helps me to cope with being an #Autism parent

This may sound like it would be counterproductive, but one of the best ways to cope with the stress of being an Autism parent is to use your experience to help others. That's sound crazy right? I know it does but let me explain. When I first began my Autism parenting journey almost seventeen years ago, the stress was unbearable. I was on edge all the time and barely slept. I didn't know what to do and felt like I was completely lost in the dark, trying to find my way. I began blogging under the title Lost and Tired. It was basically a digital journal that helped me to process things. I could write about what I experienced or how I felt and walk away from it feeling lighter.…

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Gavin’s not having a good day

Gavin's having a rough morning. For starters, his routine is thrown off because he's not getting his bloodwork done today. The new day for that is Wednesday's. His IVIG infusion is leaking from the left needle and that always freaks him out. It's pretty easy to fix but it's not without additional pain. It's good that he's working through it but it's not very graceful.. Lastly, and this one is driving me crazy. He has been nonstop complaining about a hang nail on his right index finger. All of the crazy things he's endured or is currently enduring, and the kid is freaking out over a hang nail. He's always been this way and they tell me it's sensory related. Back when he suffering from very serious behavioral problems, he…

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Another example of why Monday’s suck

Mondays suck. I don't know what it about a Monday but it just seems like they never go well. This morning for example, we woke up to Maggie puking up a bunch of Slim Jim wrappers and we have no idea where she found them. The only thing we can think of is that she found them outside, in which case, I need to search through the yard and find the source of this problem. Emmett is not in a good mood this morning and has been raging on and off since he woke up. Elliott on the other hand, is up and ready to go without any problems. Lizze got up right away and took Ruby outside, only to have her come back inside the house to poop. Ruby…

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A major milestone in my battle with #Depression

I've been openly talking about my torrid relationship with depression for a long time now. It's important to speak openly and honestly because I want people to know that it's okay to talk about depression. There's no shame in battling depression and I think that when we suffer in silence, it's that much harder to stay afloat. At the same time, I understand why many people don't talk about it. Unless you're living with depression, it's very difficult to understand it. I have an update in regards to my current battle with depression. It's a big one and I'm feeling really good about it. Tonight marked the beginning of the third phase of my withdrawal from Paxil. That means I'm officially two months into the process and have one month…

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