Those were the words spoken to me on Dylan's second day of camp. They were spoken by one of the camp counselors at after care. She has been going on and on about how much his behavior has improved, how well he listens, doesn't run off, how verbal he's become (and understandable). What did we do?!?!
By the way - our first conversation, she realized that by saying how wonderful he's doing and how much he's improved, that he was a bit of a challenge (to put it mildly) he was last year and tried a bit to back peddle. It was okay, we've noticed lately too how much he's grown. Not just physically but emotionally and behaviorally.
Let's be honest - it's a year. The year between 5 and 6 is HUGE. Lots of room for growth and maturation in even a neurotypical child. But let's also consider how hard Dylan has worked this past year....
He's received...
Speech at school 3x a week. 2 one-on-one and 1 small group half hour sessions plus the speech work the therapist does with the entire classroom.
Private speech - 30 minutes on Saturday.
OT at school 3x a week (sometimes more depending on need). 2 one-on-one and 1 small group half hour sessions plus additional work in the clasroom. He needs so much OT that he'll even brush himself when he feels the need (self care has been a huge leap this year).
Behavioral therapy every other week not just for him but for us as a family.
Hippotherapy (a/k/a therapeutic riding) 1x a week for 30 minutes. He loves this! It's OT, PT and speech all rolled into one with some behavioral thrown in (when he is misbehaving a quick "what would Biscuit think!" usually snaps him back into reality).
Lego Learners 1x a week. Social skills program which works on fine and gross motor.
Educational tutoring 2-3x a week.
Now that I've written all that out, I realize that I would be more surprised if he hadn't blossemed over the past year. He has worked his adorable little tush off. We are so very proud of him.
Now he's enjoying camp. He spends his day with friends, swimming at least 2x a day, playing Gaga, soccer, hockey, basketball, doing arts & crafts, cooking, sledding (man made hill, they run water down it and the kids fly down on inner tubes), biking, nature, boating on the lake. OMG I wanna go to camp in the worse way!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
6 years ago today
A brave woman in Guatemala labored to bring an amazing boy into the world. 6 pounds 10 ounces of smiles and love. 2 days later, that child was no longer with his mother but rather a foster mother who would love and care for him for the next five months. Five months later, he was placed into our arms with the understanding and trust that we would love him and care for him with every fiber of our beings. For the 6 past 6 years, Dylan's first mother has never been far from my thoughts but they always come to the forefront during certain times. This is one of them. I hope my son's Mother is at peace and has happiness in her life. I pray that she feels this was the right decision for them both.
In August we go to Boston for a study on his genetic deletion. We will probably attempt to reach out to Dylan's first Mom after to share information and hopefully start a relationship. At the very least, I want her to know that her son is loved, honored and respected and so is she.
Dylan woke up this morning and announced "I am 6!" He had chicken nuggets for breakfast and then off to camp he went with a bag full of TastyKake treats for his bunk mates and counselors. Tonight we are off to a special birthday dinner.
Happy Birthday my sweet boy!
In August we go to Boston for a study on his genetic deletion. We will probably attempt to reach out to Dylan's first Mom after to share information and hopefully start a relationship. At the very least, I want her to know that her son is loved, honored and respected and so is she.
Dylan woke up this morning and announced "I am 6!" He had chicken nuggets for breakfast and then off to camp he went with a bag full of TastyKake treats for his bunk mates and counselors. Tonight we are off to a special birthday dinner.
Happy Birthday my sweet boy!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Special Needs = Friendless??
Thankfully, not in our world.
Dylan goes to an aftercare program at a facility that has a wonderful special needs program. It ranges from children to adults and has everything from Passover Sedars, to drumming programs, to camp advocates and everything in between. It also prides itself on the fact that "special needs kids don't feel special here". Meaning, they are treated like everyone else and every effort is made for inclusion.
This type of community, one that embraces and works hard at inclusion has an interesting effect on the NT children and adults who spend time there.
When Dylan was in his school run after care program, it was a nightmare. The adults didn't facilitate play with the children and Dylan was routinely left out or exluded by the other children. The result was him acting out and being asked to leave the program.
We moved him into the program he is out now and, we've had some issues with Dylan's impulse control issues, it's been a wonderful experience.
Today, my best friend volunteered to pick him up at school and drop him off for me. She called me after she dropped him at aftercare and told me that she hopes when her son is older, the "same thing will happen to him". I asked her what she was talking about and she said "Dylan walked into the room and all the kids started yelling "Dylan, play with me! Be on my team!" ~insert tears of joy~ We've worried, because of his experience at the school program, that he wasn't included. I'm happy to say those worries were unfounded.
Dylan goes to an aftercare program at a facility that has a wonderful special needs program. It ranges from children to adults and has everything from Passover Sedars, to drumming programs, to camp advocates and everything in between. It also prides itself on the fact that "special needs kids don't feel special here". Meaning, they are treated like everyone else and every effort is made for inclusion.
This type of community, one that embraces and works hard at inclusion has an interesting effect on the NT children and adults who spend time there.
When Dylan was in his school run after care program, it was a nightmare. The adults didn't facilitate play with the children and Dylan was routinely left out or exluded by the other children. The result was him acting out and being asked to leave the program.
We moved him into the program he is out now and, we've had some issues with Dylan's impulse control issues, it's been a wonderful experience.
Today, my best friend volunteered to pick him up at school and drop him off for me. She called me after she dropped him at aftercare and told me that she hopes when her son is older, the "same thing will happen to him". I asked her what she was talking about and she said "Dylan walked into the room and all the kids started yelling "Dylan, play with me! Be on my team!" ~insert tears of joy~ We've worried, because of his experience at the school program, that he wasn't included. I'm happy to say those worries were unfounded.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Awesome Give Away
I love the SPDBN website. It has many bloggers facing challenges I face every day. They also have killer give aways. They just put up a new one where you can win $250 in sensory friendly products! Woo Hoo! I'd love that for my Dylan! So go check it out SPDBN's website to win it for yourself!
While you're there, check out the posts too - there are some amazing writers over there :)
While you're there, check out the posts too - there are some amazing writers over there :)
Monday, June 06, 2011
Adoption is a happy thing right??
Apparently, Kung Fu Panda 2 is generating a lot of conversations. Not just in the adoption world but in the non-adoption world.
A friend of mine's 7 year old son saw the movie and really, really got it (this kid is wicked smart). He came home and started up a conversation with his Mom about the loss the Panda suffered in his adoption. He connected that loss to a cousin who was adopted. "Does he feel sad that he can't be with is real family?" He asked her. She immediately corrected him and said that his parents are his real family. He asked her if adoption was a sad thing. She told him no, it's happy. I corrected her. I pointed out that adoption involves a triad of people. 2 of the 3 parties involved suffer tremendous loss. The birth family loses a child and the child loses their birth family, heritage, culture, etc. The only person who doesn't suffer a loss in adoption is the adoptive parents/family (although there is sometimes a loss of fertility but I feel that is a separate issue). I shared with her that how that loss manifests itself is going to vary from family to family, child to child, adult to adult. Just like everyone reacts differently to, say a sad movie (some will not be moved, some will cry, some be hysterical, others will roll their eyes and make light of it), everyone will respond to their adoption differently. Some children, young adults and adults of adoption feel tremendous loss. Don't believe me - there are lots of blogs out there by adoptees - go read them. Some children, young adults and adults of adoption feel no loss at all. There are many factors in what a person would feel from having an open adoption to just their personality and their level of comfort with their adoption. A person in an open adoption may feel differently from a perso in a closed or semi open adoption. A person adopted at birth may feel differently than a person adopted through foster care. A person adopted domestically vs. internationally is going to have difficult viewpoints as well.
She seemed to be uncomfortable with my end of the conversation. Which is absolutely understandable and okay. While she has family members who are adopted (internationally), adoption loss is just not a topic that typically comes up outside the immediate familly - hell, it quite often doesn't come up within the immediate family either!
My own history being what it is, I guess I'm hyper aware and watching for signs that Dylan is feeling loss from his adoption. I hope that I am able to convey an open door to him to let him know that it's okay to feel loss, to feel sad, to miss his first family, his culture, his country and it's okay to share it with us if he wants to.
I'm glad this movie is being a cataylyst for conversations about all aspects of adoption, not just the sunshine and rainbows. I'm grateful for good friends who feel comfortable coming to me with questions - the hard ones as well as the easy ones. I'm grateful I can go to them as well. I love my friends as we've all travelled very different roads which makes it easy to find answers to some of life's tougher questions (maybe not answers but at least ideas).
A friend of mine's 7 year old son saw the movie and really, really got it (this kid is wicked smart). He came home and started up a conversation with his Mom about the loss the Panda suffered in his adoption. He connected that loss to a cousin who was adopted. "Does he feel sad that he can't be with is real family?" He asked her. She immediately corrected him and said that his parents are his real family. He asked her if adoption was a sad thing. She told him no, it's happy. I corrected her. I pointed out that adoption involves a triad of people. 2 of the 3 parties involved suffer tremendous loss. The birth family loses a child and the child loses their birth family, heritage, culture, etc. The only person who doesn't suffer a loss in adoption is the adoptive parents/family (although there is sometimes a loss of fertility but I feel that is a separate issue). I shared with her that how that loss manifests itself is going to vary from family to family, child to child, adult to adult. Just like everyone reacts differently to, say a sad movie (some will not be moved, some will cry, some be hysterical, others will roll their eyes and make light of it), everyone will respond to their adoption differently. Some children, young adults and adults of adoption feel tremendous loss. Don't believe me - there are lots of blogs out there by adoptees - go read them. Some children, young adults and adults of adoption feel no loss at all. There are many factors in what a person would feel from having an open adoption to just their personality and their level of comfort with their adoption. A person in an open adoption may feel differently from a perso in a closed or semi open adoption. A person adopted at birth may feel differently than a person adopted through foster care. A person adopted domestically vs. internationally is going to have difficult viewpoints as well.
She seemed to be uncomfortable with my end of the conversation. Which is absolutely understandable and okay. While she has family members who are adopted (internationally), adoption loss is just not a topic that typically comes up outside the immediate familly - hell, it quite often doesn't come up within the immediate family either!
My own history being what it is, I guess I'm hyper aware and watching for signs that Dylan is feeling loss from his adoption. I hope that I am able to convey an open door to him to let him know that it's okay to feel loss, to feel sad, to miss his first family, his culture, his country and it's okay to share it with us if he wants to.
I'm glad this movie is being a cataylyst for conversations about all aspects of adoption, not just the sunshine and rainbows. I'm grateful for good friends who feel comfortable coming to me with questions - the hard ones as well as the easy ones. I'm grateful I can go to them as well. I love my friends as we've all travelled very different roads which makes it easy to find answers to some of life's tougher questions (maybe not answers but at least ideas).
Friday, May 20, 2011
Off we go - update
Well, we aren't going in 2 weeks. Turns out the researcher isn't available to we are hoping to do it the last week in August which would work better - it's between camp and school. Less daycare to pay, yay!
In other news, yesterday they were doing roadwork in front of our house. We decided to drive up the street to meet Dylan's bus. For some strange reason, Marc was convinced the bus driver would somehow know that there was construction going on (there were no signs) and decided to go over to the next street to keep an eye out for him. After he walked away, I called the bus company, asked them to radio the driver and let them know where we were. A second later, the bus turned into the street. I told Dylan to get his backpack only to find that Marc had it ~insert steam coming out of ears~. I hear "I'm coming" and here comes Marc, running at full speed, on a wet pavement. There goes Marc, twisting his ankle and falling into a patch of mud. Needless to say, the fall triggered Dylan's memory of Marc's seizure and totally freaked him out. Marc got up, limped over, we got Dylan on the bus and I took Marc home to change. He got back into the car, put his foot up on the dash and I said, okay - we're going to the hospital.
A few hours later, we left with an air cast and crutches and instructions to baby his sprained ankle for a few days.
Of course this means all the housework and yardwork we had planned to do this weekend will be done by yours truly - including mowing the lawn. Let's hope I can do it early enough that I don't end up in hives from the 80+ degree heat we are going to have this weekend.
Wait, I was planning to do the lawn Sunday.... if I get lucky - the rapture will happen and I won't have to mow the lawn. Oh wait, it's going to be hell on earth so I'm sure I will have to mow - it'll be my pentence for being the heathen that I am. ~le sigh~
In other news, yesterday they were doing roadwork in front of our house. We decided to drive up the street to meet Dylan's bus. For some strange reason, Marc was convinced the bus driver would somehow know that there was construction going on (there were no signs) and decided to go over to the next street to keep an eye out for him. After he walked away, I called the bus company, asked them to radio the driver and let them know where we were. A second later, the bus turned into the street. I told Dylan to get his backpack only to find that Marc had it ~insert steam coming out of ears~. I hear "I'm coming" and here comes Marc, running at full speed, on a wet pavement. There goes Marc, twisting his ankle and falling into a patch of mud. Needless to say, the fall triggered Dylan's memory of Marc's seizure and totally freaked him out. Marc got up, limped over, we got Dylan on the bus and I took Marc home to change. He got back into the car, put his foot up on the dash and I said, okay - we're going to the hospital.
A few hours later, we left with an air cast and crutches and instructions to baby his sprained ankle for a few days.
Of course this means all the housework and yardwork we had planned to do this weekend will be done by yours truly - including mowing the lawn. Let's hope I can do it early enough that I don't end up in hives from the 80+ degree heat we are going to have this weekend.
Wait, I was planning to do the lawn Sunday.... if I get lucky - the rapture will happen and I won't have to mow the lawn. Oh wait, it's going to be hell on earth so I'm sure I will have to mow - it'll be my pentence for being the heathen that I am. ~le sigh~
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Off we go, into the wild blue yonder!
Dylan has been approved to be part of a study for children with the 16p11.2 genetic abnormality (they are studying both children with the deletion and the duplication. When we received Dylan's diagnosis (he has the deletion) I, the queen of Google, found the wonderful folks at Simons VIP Connect. There I found a great chat forum and the opportunity for Dylan to participate in this study. It's, for the most part, completely non-invasive. The most invasive part is a blood test and a possible MRI (if we can get him to sit for an hour - ~insert hysterical laughter~). I'm hoping he does because I'd like them to get a full picture.
I've found a great group of parents on Facebook and I've heard wonderful things about this study - especially their Boston location. Plus, because we are going to their Boston location - that means some quality time with our friends Andy, Lori and their three girls (one of which we haven't met yet!).
I've found a great group of parents on Facebook and I've heard wonderful things about this study - especially their Boston location. Plus, because we are going to their Boston location - that means some quality time with our friends Andy, Lori and their three girls (one of which we haven't met yet!).
Friday, May 13, 2011
Gazing into the crystal ball
When my dear, IRL friend Cecily asked on twitter if anyone would be interested in a free psychic reading I jumped at the chance. Okay - stop rolling your eyes. I knew it was for fun but hey, with all the shit going on around me I figured what could it hurt. I called the 800 number at http://www.psychicsource.com/. It was a neat process and one I've never experienced (the few times I've seen psychics it's been in person). They offer you a list of psychics to choose from. I chose one who claimed to be empathic as well as a psychic. I think her name was Allie but I was walking to work and the morning traffic did make it hard to hear at times.
She asked me why I was calling and I told her I had never done this before. I just said I wanted a general reading as it pertains to my family. It was VERY generic, nothing made me gasp and think OMG, how did she know that about me. However, she just kept telling me that all my problems would be resolving soon. I really hope she's right.
She asked me why I was calling and I told her I had never done this before. I just said I wanted a general reading as it pertains to my family. It was VERY generic, nothing made me gasp and think OMG, how did she know that about me. However, she just kept telling me that all my problems would be resolving soon. I really hope she's right.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Great opportunity for parents of special needs kids
As many of you know, a weighted blanket is a great tool for children with sensory processing disorder. For some, it can mean the difference between a child (and parents) waking every few hours vs. a full night of restful sleep. Supportforspecialneeds.com is having a great giveaway on a weighted blanket. If you need one - go register, tweet about it and blog about it and have a chance to win one! http://supportforspecialneeds.com/2011/05/04/a-weighted-blanket-giveaway-again/comment-page-1/#comment-1661
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
WTF was that???
Last night, Dylan melted. He melted hard! Crying uncontrollably. We haven't had a melt like that since before we pulled him off food dyes. I even asked him (several times) if he had eaten something that may have had "ickies" in it (our word for food dye). He insisted he hadn't. He just cried and cried. None of our bag of tricks were working. Not the brushing, the back rubbing, the rocking. Just made him cry harder. Only when I began to whisper a new story in his ear did he begin to settle down. I whispered of a wonderful, handsome prince who lived in a big, pink castle with horses and puppies and kitties and his Mommy and Daddy. I told him about how the prince would ride his horses and pull the reigns to the left or to the right to turn or back when he wanted to stop (he just learned to manuver the horse this week). Gradually, my sweet boy calmed and finally fell asleep. I laid there for a while, just listening to him breath, smelling his clear hair and wondering WTF just happened. It started out as his crying over something really silly and just escalated from there.
I think he's still processing what happened to Marc. Last week, we were running late due to a neuro appointment and my best friend picked him up at day care. OMG did he flip out. He screamed at her "I don't want Mommy and Daddy to go the doctor. I want them to pick me up". I think he thought Marc was back in the hospital. Marc told him that nothing would happen to him and he was okay. I told him after that he can't say that - he's still having seizures (smells and tastes - not full body) and that until it was completely controlled, he was at risk. Dylan needs to be prepared so we've shifted gears and are trying to let him know that while it's a possibility, if it does happen, it will be okay.
At around midnight, Marc brought him into our room. He climbed in next to me, pushed my one arm under his head and pulled the other over his body. Any time I moved, he'd pull my hand back over him so not a great night's sleep but I do love it when he's a snuggle monkey.
I'm just worried about him. He's seemed, well, off lately.
I think he's still processing what happened to Marc. Last week, we were running late due to a neuro appointment and my best friend picked him up at day care. OMG did he flip out. He screamed at her "I don't want Mommy and Daddy to go the doctor. I want them to pick me up". I think he thought Marc was back in the hospital. Marc told him that nothing would happen to him and he was okay. I told him after that he can't say that - he's still having seizures (smells and tastes - not full body) and that until it was completely controlled, he was at risk. Dylan needs to be prepared so we've shifted gears and are trying to let him know that while it's a possibility, if it does happen, it will be okay.
At around midnight, Marc brought him into our room. He climbed in next to me, pushed my one arm under his head and pulled the other over his body. Any time I moved, he'd pull my hand back over him so not a great night's sleep but I do love it when he's a snuggle monkey.
I'm just worried about him. He's seemed, well, off lately.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Those $@$%!@ Teenagers!
~insert tongue in cheek~
I pray I am able to raise a young man like we met yesterday.
Dylan didn't have after care due to Passover so I left work early and picked him up. Being a beautiful day, we headed to a local park which features several play areas, a lake and a picnic area. We met my best friend and her 18 month old and set the two of them up to play. After a while, Dylan announced that he needed to use the bathroom and off we went. We cut through the picnic area where a couple of teens had arrived. One had a guitar. I had to drag Dylan off to the bathroom before he had an accident. Oh how he wanted to see that guitar, see the boy play. I promised we'd stop on the way back.
He finished up and tore out of the bathroom and made a beeline for the kids who were setting up to do some sort of art project. Dylan walked up to the young man and demanded "why you not playing?" The young man smiled and asked him if he'd like to him play for him and he responded with an emphatic "Yes Please!" Dylan stood there mesmerized. His eyes darted between the boy's hands trying to understand how he was eliciting the beautiful music from that lovely guitar. Dylan loves music and especially loves guitars. He has one that was given to him for his first birthday from my brother and his family. It's one of his prized possessions.
Dylan announced that he needed a guitar like this one and he needed a pick at once. The young man held out his bright orange pick and told Dylan he could have it. That young man gave my son the world at that moment (and me an easy out).
When it was time to leave and he began the typical five year old "I don't wanna go!" I simply said "Don't you want to go home and try your new pick?" Whoosh! Into the car he went. He didn't want to pick up Daddy from the train. He just wanted to go home and use the new pick. We finally got home and he set about strumming his guitar. I could see he enjoyed the vibrations and was very happy with the music he was making. Oh of that young man only knew what he gave my son. An even deeper love of music. A deeper understanding of how things work. An appreciation for what it means to share a bit of yourself with another. Last night he slept with that pick firmly in his hands (and even woke with it still there).
If this is an example of what the teenagers are like today, I think we are in good shape.
I pray I am able to raise a young man like we met yesterday.
Dylan didn't have after care due to Passover so I left work early and picked him up. Being a beautiful day, we headed to a local park which features several play areas, a lake and a picnic area. We met my best friend and her 18 month old and set the two of them up to play. After a while, Dylan announced that he needed to use the bathroom and off we went. We cut through the picnic area where a couple of teens had arrived. One had a guitar. I had to drag Dylan off to the bathroom before he had an accident. Oh how he wanted to see that guitar, see the boy play. I promised we'd stop on the way back.
He finished up and tore out of the bathroom and made a beeline for the kids who were setting up to do some sort of art project. Dylan walked up to the young man and demanded "why you not playing?" The young man smiled and asked him if he'd like to him play for him and he responded with an emphatic "Yes Please!" Dylan stood there mesmerized. His eyes darted between the boy's hands trying to understand how he was eliciting the beautiful music from that lovely guitar. Dylan loves music and especially loves guitars. He has one that was given to him for his first birthday from my brother and his family. It's one of his prized possessions.
Dylan announced that he needed a guitar like this one and he needed a pick at once. The young man held out his bright orange pick and told Dylan he could have it. That young man gave my son the world at that moment (and me an easy out).
When it was time to leave and he began the typical five year old "I don't wanna go!" I simply said "Don't you want to go home and try your new pick?" Whoosh! Into the car he went. He didn't want to pick up Daddy from the train. He just wanted to go home and use the new pick. We finally got home and he set about strumming his guitar. I could see he enjoyed the vibrations and was very happy with the music he was making. Oh of that young man only knew what he gave my son. An even deeper love of music. A deeper understanding of how things work. An appreciation for what it means to share a bit of yourself with another. Last night he slept with that pick firmly in his hands (and even woke with it still there).
If this is an example of what the teenagers are like today, I think we are in good shape.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Joys Of Stimming
We had the pleasure of attending a Passover Sedar for families with adults and children with special needs. I was so excited to attend when I heard the description of the event. I was told that if a child needs to walk around, run around, spin, vocalize, bang on the table, whatever, it was a safe place. It was a sedar where children can be themselves and parents didn't have to try to control their kids so as not to offend, bother or embarrass someone else. Everyone could be themselves and enjoy the holiday together.
It was everything and more. I also realized something about stimming I hadn't quite latched onto before. It feels good. Really good. Does your child spin? Join them sometimes, you'll have a better understanding of why they do it. Do they bang or drum on a table or clap their hands? Try it when you are stressed and want to jump out of your skin - it helps!
Dylan loves to vocally stim. He does this high pitch hum or hoot. At the sedar, several people were verbally stimming at different octives. The result gave me a similar sensation I get when I've chanted in yoga. That deep in your chest vibration and it hit me. Just like a neurotypical person chanting Ohm gives a sense of peace and wellbeing, a vocal stim (which it may sound harsh to someone else's ears) is probably bringing that person their peace.
So how does your child stim? Have you ever joined them? If you haven't - try it - you may like it!
It was everything and more. I also realized something about stimming I hadn't quite latched onto before. It feels good. Really good. Does your child spin? Join them sometimes, you'll have a better understanding of why they do it. Do they bang or drum on a table or clap their hands? Try it when you are stressed and want to jump out of your skin - it helps!
Dylan loves to vocally stim. He does this high pitch hum or hoot. At the sedar, several people were verbally stimming at different octives. The result gave me a similar sensation I get when I've chanted in yoga. That deep in your chest vibration and it hit me. Just like a neurotypical person chanting Ohm gives a sense of peace and wellbeing, a vocal stim (which it may sound harsh to someone else's ears) is probably bringing that person their peace.
So how does your child stim? Have you ever joined them? If you haven't - try it - you may like it!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
IEP Update and OMG some real drama
We had our IEP meeting - we got everything we asked for. Yay!
Drama.
2 Fridays ago, we had some business to take care of so Marc and I took off work. It just so happened that Dylan was off school. Great timing. We sent him to day care for the morning and we went and took care of our junk. We went to pick him up at daycare. He was outside playing. We asked if he wanted to go to a different playground and fly his kite. That was met with an emphatic YES!
We were walking to the car when I hear Marc behind me say "OMG What is that smell?!" I turned and asked him what he was talking about - I couldn't smell a thing. He was pointing a the ground with his head twisted over his shoulder. I touched his should and asked again. He started to stagger and I caught a glimpse of his face which was hideously contorted. Then, he started to shake. As she shook, he was falling. B'H I was able to grab him and lower him to the ground (just got a scrape on his chin and on both hands). He laid on the ground convulsing and I'm screaming. A woman stopped her car in the road and jumped out calling 911. I turned Marc over. He was blue, frothing at the mouth. I couldn't find his pulse (may have been none or may have been I was too panicd to find it) so I started chest compressions. People came out of the center to help. One man (who I later discovered is a doctor) asked me who I was. When I told him I was his wife, he told me I shouldn't have to do cpr and asked if he could take over for me. I allowed him to and after a few more compressions was able to find his pulse.
Now, dear friends, the thing that sucks the most out of this is that Dylan was right there for the entire thing. When Marc collapsed he walked over to him (when he was face down) and tried to look into his face. I shoo'd him away. I didn't want him to see his father like that. I didn't want him to see any of it but he did.
I called Marc's mother as soon as I knew what hospital we were (unfortunately) going to. I called my Mom. I checked on Dylan (who was brought back into the center) and made sure he was okay - I assured him everything would be okay and I ran to the ambulance. Once inside Marc started to awaken. He was out for a good 20 minutes. According to him, one minute he's walking with his family and the next he's being attacked by a group of men who are holding him down trying to get a needle in his hand. Scary. He fought them the whole way to the hospital. Once at the hospital he started to calm down. My Mom met us at the hospital and, because Marc was stable, his Mom was there, she ran me back to the center to Dylan and to my car. Dylan was so freaked out and rightfully so. I thought it would be good for him to see Marc before he went with my Mom so we brought him to the hospital. Bad idea - made things worse. He didn't want to go near Marc. My Mom took him to her house and he spent the night. He asked a million questions over and over and over again and my Mom patiently gave him simple answers over and over and over again.
He's still asking the questions....
Why did Daddy fall down?
Why did Daddy's legs shake?
Why did you take away Daddy's gum? It's not nice to throw gum in the street Mommy.
Why did yuo push on Daddy's tummy?
Why was Daddy in the big bed?
We had questions of our own. First they told us it was a heart attack. Then they said that seizures can raise cardiac enzymes and that it was "just" a seizure. The idiots, I mean hospital, said it was from his meds. His discharge consisted of a nurse removing his IV's and telling him not to take the meds any more. That's it, no discharge papers, no signing something nothing. Oh, and get this - the neurologist came in on Saturday - spoke to Marc for 5 minutes, stepped out to take a call, came back in for another few minutes and got another call and never came back. Virtua Hospital blows chunks.
Tuesday we went to a real hospital with real doctors. They did an EEG and came back later for the results. We fully expected to hear it was the meds and not to take them and buh bye. WRONG. Abnormal brain activity in the temporal lobe. Looks like he has a seizure disorder and the Wellbutrin he takes lowered his threshold for a seizure. Since he has been taking it (for 1.5 years) he has complained of strong smells/tastes that weren't there. Those were little seizures confined to his temporal lobe. The seizure 2 weeks ago spread past the temporal lobe throughout his brain causing a grand mal. Thank Gd he wasn't driving. Thank Gd he wasn't alone with Dylan. Thank Gd he wasn't alone. So now he's on anti-seizure meds but is still at risk for another one. He can't drive for 6 months. If he has another seizure -he won't be able to drive for a year.
Oh, did I tell you they found Dylan's has a genetic abnormality? Yeah, he has a deletion at 16p11.2. Explains a LOT and has put my mind at rest in many ways. You can read about it HERE. I now know that the seizures weren't caused by any type of abuse or lack of care which gives me a lot of peace. We meet w/the genetics folks at CHOP and they said we are doing all the right things and they can't predict his future. I told them that I don't care - whatever it is - he'll be awesome :)
Drama.
2 Fridays ago, we had some business to take care of so Marc and I took off work. It just so happened that Dylan was off school. Great timing. We sent him to day care for the morning and we went and took care of our junk. We went to pick him up at daycare. He was outside playing. We asked if he wanted to go to a different playground and fly his kite. That was met with an emphatic YES!
We were walking to the car when I hear Marc behind me say "OMG What is that smell?!" I turned and asked him what he was talking about - I couldn't smell a thing. He was pointing a the ground with his head twisted over his shoulder. I touched his should and asked again. He started to stagger and I caught a glimpse of his face which was hideously contorted. Then, he started to shake. As she shook, he was falling. B'H I was able to grab him and lower him to the ground (just got a scrape on his chin and on both hands). He laid on the ground convulsing and I'm screaming. A woman stopped her car in the road and jumped out calling 911. I turned Marc over. He was blue, frothing at the mouth. I couldn't find his pulse (may have been none or may have been I was too panicd to find it) so I started chest compressions. People came out of the center to help. One man (who I later discovered is a doctor) asked me who I was. When I told him I was his wife, he told me I shouldn't have to do cpr and asked if he could take over for me. I allowed him to and after a few more compressions was able to find his pulse.
Now, dear friends, the thing that sucks the most out of this is that Dylan was right there for the entire thing. When Marc collapsed he walked over to him (when he was face down) and tried to look into his face. I shoo'd him away. I didn't want him to see his father like that. I didn't want him to see any of it but he did.
I called Marc's mother as soon as I knew what hospital we were (unfortunately) going to. I called my Mom. I checked on Dylan (who was brought back into the center) and made sure he was okay - I assured him everything would be okay and I ran to the ambulance. Once inside Marc started to awaken. He was out for a good 20 minutes. According to him, one minute he's walking with his family and the next he's being attacked by a group of men who are holding him down trying to get a needle in his hand. Scary. He fought them the whole way to the hospital. Once at the hospital he started to calm down. My Mom met us at the hospital and, because Marc was stable, his Mom was there, she ran me back to the center to Dylan and to my car. Dylan was so freaked out and rightfully so. I thought it would be good for him to see Marc before he went with my Mom so we brought him to the hospital. Bad idea - made things worse. He didn't want to go near Marc. My Mom took him to her house and he spent the night. He asked a million questions over and over and over again and my Mom patiently gave him simple answers over and over and over again.
He's still asking the questions....
Why did Daddy fall down?
Why did Daddy's legs shake?
Why did you take away Daddy's gum? It's not nice to throw gum in the street Mommy.
Why did yuo push on Daddy's tummy?
Why was Daddy in the big bed?
We had questions of our own. First they told us it was a heart attack. Then they said that seizures can raise cardiac enzymes and that it was "just" a seizure. The idiots, I mean hospital, said it was from his meds. His discharge consisted of a nurse removing his IV's and telling him not to take the meds any more. That's it, no discharge papers, no signing something nothing. Oh, and get this - the neurologist came in on Saturday - spoke to Marc for 5 minutes, stepped out to take a call, came back in for another few minutes and got another call and never came back. Virtua Hospital blows chunks.
Tuesday we went to a real hospital with real doctors. They did an EEG and came back later for the results. We fully expected to hear it was the meds and not to take them and buh bye. WRONG. Abnormal brain activity in the temporal lobe. Looks like he has a seizure disorder and the Wellbutrin he takes lowered his threshold for a seizure. Since he has been taking it (for 1.5 years) he has complained of strong smells/tastes that weren't there. Those were little seizures confined to his temporal lobe. The seizure 2 weeks ago spread past the temporal lobe throughout his brain causing a grand mal. Thank Gd he wasn't driving. Thank Gd he wasn't alone with Dylan. Thank Gd he wasn't alone. So now he's on anti-seizure meds but is still at risk for another one. He can't drive for 6 months. If he has another seizure -he won't be able to drive for a year.
Oh, did I tell you they found Dylan's has a genetic abnormality? Yeah, he has a deletion at 16p11.2. Explains a LOT and has put my mind at rest in many ways. You can read about it HERE. I now know that the seizures weren't caused by any type of abuse or lack of care which gives me a lot of peace. We meet w/the genetics folks at CHOP and they said we are doing all the right things and they can't predict his future. I told them that I don't care - whatever it is - he'll be awesome :)
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
An Update and Observations
I called the caseworker at Dylan's school. I asked her where we stood on our request to get him a one on one. She said "well... this year isn't going to happen". I stopped her and explained, again, that we are not unreasonable and we understand that this year is shot where that is concerned. HOWEVER, I wanted to know if my request for a one on one will be in his IEP. The answer was yes. There are still some paperwork bullshit to get through but yes, it will be done. ~insert happy dance~
Observations....
1. Since pulling Dylan off food dyes (all), he no longer has uncontrolable meltdowns. When he does melt - it's for good reason and it's easily managed.
2. My son is smart. Like wicked smart. I explained to him once about how there are certain foods (like candy and ice pops) that have "ickies" in them and that is what makes him so angry sometimes. I have since found out that he will turn down candy because they have ickies or ask someone to check to see if something has ickies in it before he'll eat it. He understands what those nasty dyes do to him physically and emotionally and he just doesn't like it.
3. We paid over $10,000 in medical last year between me and Dylan (mostly Dylan). It was worth every.single.penny. His speech is coming along beautifully, we are parenting better, and he loves the therapeutic riding and just thinks it's fun.
4. We are so very blessed to have Dylan as our son. His smile lights up every room. He's so full of love and is able to share it with those he cares for. He's smart and incredibly funny (although I could live without his adoration of everything that is farting).
5. I'm getting better at filling his sensory needs with the strangest things. Last night, he was a bit overstimulated so I had him roll limes for me for juicing. I placed my hand over his and pushed down and rolled the lime around the table. He did it for as long as he needed and then went into the other room to play - calm as could be.
6. I need to work on not getting upset when his need for sensory input involves getting into dirty water after being told not to go near it. Gross! I have to realize if I don't catch the signs, he'll do it himself.
Oh that reminds me, his teacher told me that if he needs sensory input, he'll actually go into the corner, get the brush and start brushing himself. How cool is that?
Observations....
1. Since pulling Dylan off food dyes (all), he no longer has uncontrolable meltdowns. When he does melt - it's for good reason and it's easily managed.
2. My son is smart. Like wicked smart. I explained to him once about how there are certain foods (like candy and ice pops) that have "ickies" in them and that is what makes him so angry sometimes. I have since found out that he will turn down candy because they have ickies or ask someone to check to see if something has ickies in it before he'll eat it. He understands what those nasty dyes do to him physically and emotionally and he just doesn't like it.
3. We paid over $10,000 in medical last year between me and Dylan (mostly Dylan). It was worth every.single.penny. His speech is coming along beautifully, we are parenting better, and he loves the therapeutic riding and just thinks it's fun.
4. We are so very blessed to have Dylan as our son. His smile lights up every room. He's so full of love and is able to share it with those he cares for. He's smart and incredibly funny (although I could live without his adoration of everything that is farting).
5. I'm getting better at filling his sensory needs with the strangest things. Last night, he was a bit overstimulated so I had him roll limes for me for juicing. I placed my hand over his and pushed down and rolled the lime around the table. He did it for as long as he needed and then went into the other room to play - calm as could be.
6. I need to work on not getting upset when his need for sensory input involves getting into dirty water after being told not to go near it. Gross! I have to realize if I don't catch the signs, he'll do it himself.
Oh that reminds me, his teacher told me that if he needs sensory input, he'll actually go into the corner, get the brush and start brushing himself. How cool is that?
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
The "R" Word
March 2nd was National End The R Word day. It calls for an end to the word retarded used as slang. I remember growing up and slinging that word around thoughtlessly. I cringe at those memories now.
Many twitter folks were tweeting and retweeting about ending the R-Word. I just kinda passed those by. I had been uncomfortable playing word police. I don't know why. If someone used the "n" word in my presence, I'd have an aneurysm. Why was the "r" word any different? Especially now that I'm raising a child with special needs.
Yesterday a coworker was goofing around with another coworker. They were, well, to be honest, using the speech patterns you'd typically hear from a deaf person and just laughing and laughing. The more it went on, the angrier I got. Don't they realize they are doing this within 20 feet of a parent of a special needs child?
I had been feeling that polital correctness has been way out of hand. But then I realized what being PC boils down to, not policing what words people use but educating them about the words that hurt. I need to find a calm way to talk to these people about how their words are hurting me. However, one person involved is in charge of our IT department. I have to tread lightly. He has a child so I hope he'll understand.
Now, can someone please tell me where I left my balls? The big brass ones?
Many twitter folks were tweeting and retweeting about ending the R-Word. I just kinda passed those by. I had been uncomfortable playing word police. I don't know why. If someone used the "n" word in my presence, I'd have an aneurysm. Why was the "r" word any different? Especially now that I'm raising a child with special needs.
Yesterday a coworker was goofing around with another coworker. They were, well, to be honest, using the speech patterns you'd typically hear from a deaf person and just laughing and laughing. The more it went on, the angrier I got. Don't they realize they are doing this within 20 feet of a parent of a special needs child?
I had been feeling that polital correctness has been way out of hand. But then I realized what being PC boils down to, not policing what words people use but educating them about the words that hurt. I need to find a calm way to talk to these people about how their words are hurting me. However, one person involved is in charge of our IT department. I have to tread lightly. He has a child so I hope he'll understand.
Now, can someone please tell me where I left my balls? The big brass ones?
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
And the diagnosis is....
No clue. Basically, the doctor said that when a child exhibits the disorders that Dylan has, it will usually fall under a category of some sort (usually Autism). However, not my boy. He doesn't fit into any of their little cubbie holes. He is most definitely not autistic. He's way too social and makes eye contact and just doesn't have any of the markers they look for to put a child on the spectrum. They did offer us a test where he "plays" with a psychologist for an hour or so and they determine through that if he's autistic. I really don't see how that is going to make a difference. He's Dylan. Plain and simple. He's my sweet, wonderful boy who has some challenges. So the game plan is to do what we are doing and touch base as needed.
Before that appointment, we met with the school to go over the behaviorist's report. Throughout the entire report, she says how much better Dylan attends to his schoolwork when he's working one-on-one with an adult. However, the final conclusion is... he needs positive feedback every 3 minutes. I also had my panties in a twist about the fact that she starts her report with "Dylan is a 5 year old boy who lives with his adoptive parents". Since I was not in a good frame of mind where this person was concerned, I decided to just shut up and let her talk and then address the issues at the end (in the event that she addresses them in her explanation).
While she did help to make sense of things, she didn't answer the big questions. I wasn't the only one put off by her lack of suggestion for a one-on-one for him or the 3 minute thing. I finally said to her "are you really going to put that in his IEP?" She said that was her intention. I pointed out that the IEP is a legal document which means the school and the teachers, aids, etc are all responsible for making sure that his IEP is fulfilled. Who's going to track this? Who's going to make sure that he's getting his "atta boys" every 3 minutes? What happens if it happens every 4 or 6 minutes? What about if he's having a bad day? Are you going to expect the teacher to say "great left hook Dylan" when he's beating the shit out of a classmate? Seriously???
The caseworker said "what everyone is saying without saying is.... he needs a one-on-one". I told her yes and she started to tap dance. I need to redo the rubric which previously indicated he did NOT need a one-on-one (it's a form that you circle answers, add it up and viola! you have a magical answer), then I have to talk to my supervisor and then, if he qualifies, we have to hire and train... I stopped her.
I told her that I don't expect new services like that for him this school year. I understand that it's not as simple as pulling someone out of a pool of aids and saying - here's your kid. What I do expect is that they will do whatever they need to do to ensure Dylan has a one-on-one for first grade. That when I return to discuss his IEP, my expectations are that he will continue with the current path of services (speech 3x a week/OT 3x a week) and that he will have a one-on-one. I will not accept anything less so do whatever you have to do to make it happen.
This is a new caseworker. She doesn't know me. I told her to talk to our former caseworker from Dylan's preschool (she knows her). She'll explain who we are. We aren't the parents who sit by and expect the school district to do everything for our child. We do our part. We just want them to do theirs. He needs an aid who can manage his sensory needs, keep him engaged and on the right path so that he can learn. This child is smart. I'm afraid that if we don't do things the right way, he'll lose his love of learning. That's not acceptable to me. Not at all.
***EDITED TO ADD (thanks Liana!)
I did speak with her about the adoption thing. I asked her first what the relevance was in case I was missing something. She just kinda looked at me and said, what do you mean? I told her that he lives with his mother and father - how he came to be my son is not at all relevant to the case at hand. I told her that adoption is an event, not an ongoing thing. I asked her if she puts in other kids' reports that Jane Doe lives with her biological parents. She said of course not (everyone rolled their eyes at this point) and I told her to take it out. My son doesn't need yet another label. I have no problem with his adoption being discussed in his medical records, it's relevant. Unless she feels that his behavior issues were the cause of his behavior, she needs to take that out. She apologized and agreed.
Before that appointment, we met with the school to go over the behaviorist's report. Throughout the entire report, she says how much better Dylan attends to his schoolwork when he's working one-on-one with an adult. However, the final conclusion is... he needs positive feedback every 3 minutes. I also had my panties in a twist about the fact that she starts her report with "Dylan is a 5 year old boy who lives with his adoptive parents". Since I was not in a good frame of mind where this person was concerned, I decided to just shut up and let her talk and then address the issues at the end (in the event that she addresses them in her explanation).
While she did help to make sense of things, she didn't answer the big questions. I wasn't the only one put off by her lack of suggestion for a one-on-one for him or the 3 minute thing. I finally said to her "are you really going to put that in his IEP?" She said that was her intention. I pointed out that the IEP is a legal document which means the school and the teachers, aids, etc are all responsible for making sure that his IEP is fulfilled. Who's going to track this? Who's going to make sure that he's getting his "atta boys" every 3 minutes? What happens if it happens every 4 or 6 minutes? What about if he's having a bad day? Are you going to expect the teacher to say "great left hook Dylan" when he's beating the shit out of a classmate? Seriously???
The caseworker said "what everyone is saying without saying is.... he needs a one-on-one". I told her yes and she started to tap dance. I need to redo the rubric which previously indicated he did NOT need a one-on-one (it's a form that you circle answers, add it up and viola! you have a magical answer), then I have to talk to my supervisor and then, if he qualifies, we have to hire and train... I stopped her.
I told her that I don't expect new services like that for him this school year. I understand that it's not as simple as pulling someone out of a pool of aids and saying - here's your kid. What I do expect is that they will do whatever they need to do to ensure Dylan has a one-on-one for first grade. That when I return to discuss his IEP, my expectations are that he will continue with the current path of services (speech 3x a week/OT 3x a week) and that he will have a one-on-one. I will not accept anything less so do whatever you have to do to make it happen.
This is a new caseworker. She doesn't know me. I told her to talk to our former caseworker from Dylan's preschool (she knows her). She'll explain who we are. We aren't the parents who sit by and expect the school district to do everything for our child. We do our part. We just want them to do theirs. He needs an aid who can manage his sensory needs, keep him engaged and on the right path so that he can learn. This child is smart. I'm afraid that if we don't do things the right way, he'll lose his love of learning. That's not acceptable to me. Not at all.
***EDITED TO ADD (thanks Liana!)
I did speak with her about the adoption thing. I asked her first what the relevance was in case I was missing something. She just kinda looked at me and said, what do you mean? I told her that he lives with his mother and father - how he came to be my son is not at all relevant to the case at hand. I told her that adoption is an event, not an ongoing thing. I asked her if she puts in other kids' reports that Jane Doe lives with her biological parents. She said of course not (everyone rolled their eyes at this point) and I told her to take it out. My son doesn't need yet another label. I have no problem with his adoption being discussed in his medical records, it's relevant. Unless she feels that his behavior issues were the cause of his behavior, she needs to take that out. She apologized and agreed.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Anticipation and anxiety
When I was a kid, report card time was a terrifying time for me. I never did well (thanks to an undiagnosed learning disability) and the results of the report card always ended up in having my ass whooped, being told I'm stupid and lazy and other uplifting things like that. I'd be a mess and the teachers would always tell me that it's never as bad as I imagine it to be. What they didn't get was... it was that bad. It wasn't always physical. My parents eventually gave up on me (and reminded me of that often) so all I had to suffer were the verbal affronts.
It took a long time for me to learn that in most situations, the anticipation of the event is always more stressful than the actual event. I had to learn the "short term pain/long term gain" concept because I kept putting things off in anticipation of how horrible they may be when I had to actually deal with them. I've gotten it down fairly well.
However, right now, I sit in anticipation of Dylan's developmental pediatrician appointment. It's just shy of 1 week away. Originally, we were going to see a doctor at a satellite office so we wouldn't have to pull Dylan out of school early or take off too much time but the doctor we originally saw at the main office changed gears on me after he received Dylan's teacher's assessment forms. He felt that it would better to see him and the new doctor together because it may be hard to accept a diagnosis from a doctor we just met.
What does that mean? I know what it means. I also know I shouldn't care. I know I should just continue with my mantra - "Dylan is Dylan and you can stick any labels on him that you want but it won't change the fact that he's Dylan". This doctor wants to tell us that Dylan has autism. He's be put on and pulled off the spectrum so many times it's silly. I know it doesn't change anything but still, there is this part of me that is scared.
It took a long time for me to learn that in most situations, the anticipation of the event is always more stressful than the actual event. I had to learn the "short term pain/long term gain" concept because I kept putting things off in anticipation of how horrible they may be when I had to actually deal with them. I've gotten it down fairly well.
However, right now, I sit in anticipation of Dylan's developmental pediatrician appointment. It's just shy of 1 week away. Originally, we were going to see a doctor at a satellite office so we wouldn't have to pull Dylan out of school early or take off too much time but the doctor we originally saw at the main office changed gears on me after he received Dylan's teacher's assessment forms. He felt that it would better to see him and the new doctor together because it may be hard to accept a diagnosis from a doctor we just met.
What does that mean? I know what it means. I also know I shouldn't care. I know I should just continue with my mantra - "Dylan is Dylan and you can stick any labels on him that you want but it won't change the fact that he's Dylan". This doctor wants to tell us that Dylan has autism. He's be put on and pulled off the spectrum so many times it's silly. I know it doesn't change anything but still, there is this part of me that is scared.
Monday, February 14, 2011
A chance to win a really cool book....
For those of you with sensory seeking/avoiding kids, you'll know that there isn't much out there in the way of books for them to read to understand themselves. Well, a new one was just published and all you have to do is go here to the SPD blogging network to enter for your chance to win.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Adoption Relevance
Of course, adoption is very relevant. My question is more towards people's insistence to constantly point out that Dylan is adopted. I understand it's relevance in his medical reports. A lack of a medical background is very relevant. What I don't understand is it's relevance in a behavioral specialists report. "Dylan lives with his adopted family". Does she write "Jane lives with her biological family" on other children's reports? How is his being adopted relevant to the fact that he can't sit still, gets into his classmates personal space and has a tendency to hit other kids in order to gain sensory input? Yes, I'm pissed at the overall report. Her recommendation of positive reinforcement every 3 minutes is laughable (although I'm told that this is common with how behaviorists write reports). It gives no real life answers to his educational challenges. But I'm more pissed about the inclusion of how he became part of his family as being relevant to her task at hand which was to observe him and make recommendations on how to better manage his behavior in the classroom.
So... adoption friends... tell me.... am I off base here? Is it relevant? Am I the only one who gets pissed at this kind of thing.
I still remember correcting a teacher who referred to my Mom as my step Mom. I told her not to call her that and she challenged me because "that's what she is". I proceeded to tell her about my birth mother and the abuses I suffered at her hands. I told her that my Mom is my Mom and that she is not to label my family.
Dylan is saddled with enough labels. How he became part of a family shouldn't be one of them.
*EDIT - Marc thinks I'm way off base. That maybe the fact that Dylan is adopted is at the roof of his issues or a lack of medical background is the reason for the mention. He thinks I just don't like the report (true) and maybe looking for things. I'm standing my ground for now - I'm open to the fact that I could be wrong but for now, I think I'm in the right.
So... adoption friends... tell me.... am I off base here? Is it relevant? Am I the only one who gets pissed at this kind of thing.
I still remember correcting a teacher who referred to my Mom as my step Mom. I told her not to call her that and she challenged me because "that's what she is". I proceeded to tell her about my birth mother and the abuses I suffered at her hands. I told her that my Mom is my Mom and that she is not to label my family.
Dylan is saddled with enough labels. How he became part of a family shouldn't be one of them.
*EDIT - Marc thinks I'm way off base. That maybe the fact that Dylan is adopted is at the roof of his issues or a lack of medical background is the reason for the mention. He thinks I just don't like the report (true) and maybe looking for things. I'm standing my ground for now - I'm open to the fact that I could be wrong but for now, I think I'm in the right.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
My boy just can't catch a break... or a ball
I got to day care yesterday to find that Dylan was in the gymnasium. I went to pick him up and usually, I can spot him as soon as I open door. I didn't see him and saw one of the other teachers with an ice pack on a kid's head. I asked where Dylan was and a teacher, who's back was to me, turned and there was Dylan, hysterical crying with blood just gushing out of his nose. He took an errant basketball to the face.
I rushed him into the woman's locker room (ignoring the sign that says that children over 3 of the opposite sex are prohibited), put him up on the sink and set about getting the bleeding stopped. It was swollen. It hurt this a.m. but thankfully no bruising.
Initially, I wanted to take him to the ER but I called his pediatrician's office and they said not to bother, it's not like they can do anything for him if it is broken. Today they just told me to bring him in if he has trouble breathing through his nose or if it looks crooked.
Poor Monkey.
I rushed him into the woman's locker room (ignoring the sign that says that children over 3 of the opposite sex are prohibited), put him up on the sink and set about getting the bleeding stopped. It was swollen. It hurt this a.m. but thankfully no bruising.
Initially, I wanted to take him to the ER but I called his pediatrician's office and they said not to bother, it's not like they can do anything for him if it is broken. Today they just told me to bring him in if he has trouble breathing through his nose or if it looks crooked.
Poor Monkey.
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