When your special needs kid turns 18, there’s a ton of shit you have to worry about

We just finished meeting with Social Security. Gavin has to requalify for permanent disability now because he's eighteen years old. The appointment only took about an hour and that's not too bad. I felt terrible because there were people without appointments who'd already been waiting almost five hours for a possible walk-in appointment. That absolutely sucks. Anyway, we answered all the necessary questions and they were really good with Gavin. Now we wait four or five months and see what happens. I'm still his payee and there was no paperwork needed for that. When Lizze and I gain permeate guardianship, I'll have to submit those papers but it doesn't really change anything. They will be pulling all of Gavin's medical records since his last appoval and using that to determine…

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I’m clinging to the last bit of sanity I have

The morning has been unbelievably stressful but we've been hitting the targets so far. Emmett and Elliott are at school but that didn't come easy. I had to walk Emmett into the school and briefly meet with his teachers in regards to his makeup work because that's the only way he would be comfortable enough to stay. Unfortunately, that set us back a little bit in regards to time but it was totally worth it because he felt better. I haven't even had a chance to eat breakfast because I had to pick up Lizze and Gavin from home, drop Lizze off at her appointment and take Gavin for his bloodwork. I did take advantage of being in a huge parking lot and went for a brief walk while I…

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Daddy’s in timeout and it’s a teachable moment

Despite all the positive thoughts and optimistic approach to this morning, it's become a fucking nightmare. Emmett is freaking out, Elliott is not being super cooperative and Gavin won't stop talking to me. I swear to God, if I had any hair left, I'd be pulling it out right now. I'm taking a few minutes to myself right now and putting myself in timeout. I figured I would make this a teachable moment and hopefully something positive will come from this disaster. Rather than continue beating my head into the wall and losing what little sanity I have left, I'm putting myself in timeout for a few minutes. I'm someone who has a great deal of patience with my kids but even I have my limits. Without question, I've reached…

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I’m really going to have to buckle down today

We've got a busy day tonight and our success depends on whether or not Emmett makes it to school. It's more important that we get out the door on time because we have to have Gavin's bloodwork done and get Lizze to a doctors appointment before 9 AM. I try to be positive but I have a bad feeling about how things are going to go with Emmett in the morning. After all of the morning chaos, I have to get Gavin to Social Security for his review. I'm hoping beyond hope that they don't want to have me discuss Gavin's status in front of him. I like to include Gavin in his own care when it's appropriate but talking about all the problems he's having isn't something I want…

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We might be approaching the end of the road

This fever flare is driving me nuts. I know it's worse for Emmett but I'm still having a really hard time getting him to eat anything. He's had a bit of yogurt, some pudding and I just got him to eat some brown rice. The brown rice was a pretty big surprise actually. The problem is that he's not eating much and there's very little that we can pack in his school lunch and be sure he'll eat any of it. He's not being picky, he's just in a tremendous amount of pain. He's getting a new sore on his cheek and that's probably what's keeping him from eating now. He's been complaining about it today. Thankfully, that's one of the only new sore he's presented with for a couple…

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Why I ALWAYS expect the unexpected

The last time we spoke, I was talking about how we were going to get Emmett back to school today. I was worried about a few things that turned out not to be a problem at all. Last night, Elliott went to bed dealing with tummy issues. Emmett woke up a bit after midnight with tummy issues, while Gavin woke up about 3 AM sobbing because his head hurt and he felt like he was going to puke. Needless to say, this Dad didn't get much sleep last night and no one went to school today. I know there are tons of things floating around the school and thankfully this seems like a 12 hour bug because everyone is beginning to feel better. Lizze sent me to bed this morning…

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He’s not a typical kid and this isn’t a typical situation

I'm concerned that Emmett is going to be very difficult to get to school in the morning. His mouth sores are getting better but he still has a big one on the inside of his lip and it hurts me just to look at it. Poor Emmett is still in pain but we're sending him to school and as of bedtime, he's okay with that. He was worried about his pants but we told him he can wear his old pants. Shirts won't be too big of an issue and neither will his crocs. The big issue, or rather the two big issues will be his lunch and his makeup work. He's very worried about what he's going to eat for lunch because a lot of things still hurt his…

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Coping Mechanisms: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

This is a collaborative post and may not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of this blog or its author.   Whether you have a son with challenges, from autism to ADHD and beyond, or you are dealing with other difficulties in the family, it can take a toll. Watching the people you love suffer and dealing with the stress, anxiety, and setbacks of fighting it with them will affect you. When most people deal with significant difficulty in their life, they look for coping mechanisms. In doing so, they make themselves vulnerable. If you find yourself being drawn to certain kinds of behavior or coping mechanisms, you have to try and sort the good from the bad as soon as possible.Image Source The bad When we deal with stress,…

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