Parenting Archives - Page 444 of 720

2 behavioral oddities reminded me that I’m only human

Unfortunately, Gavin's had a rough day. I feel I need to stress that this wasn't behavioral, at least in the way it would have been a few years back. The first issue is in regards to Gavin's bladder problems returning today for the first time in a long-ish time. This is par for the course with Gavin because these things pop up now and again. The first thing we will do to address this is work with the Miralax again. We had backed off a bit because everything was going well. That's all we can do at this point. As for the second issue or challenge, I think that was probably harder for me than it was for him. The problem was that Gavin required a great deal of patience…

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January 16, 2017

My thoughts

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

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

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

Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Are #Autism Parents Overprotective?

Being a parent period, is a difficult but rewarding task. When you're an Autism or Special Needs parent, that difficulty level is increased to the nth degree as is the reward factor. Raising a child with a developmental disorder like Autism, is extremely difficult because of the very nature of the disorder. Autism is a very dynamic condition and often presents in a very fluid manner. This means that everything involving the parenting of a child with Autism can more often than not be a moving target. In my personal experience with my three boys on the Autism Spectrum, something that works today, may never work again. Likewise, something that's never worked before, could actually work today. Every single day that I wake up, I honestly have no idea what…

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January 12, 2017