My son's medical testing was today.
He did soooo well !
It was a Growth Hormone Stimulation test which involved getting an IV inserted and after some medications having several blood draws done through that IV.
They started to give him the IV but right as she started he said "Mom you know I have to sit on your lap for blood tests".
Awwwww sure buddy ! I know that won't happen for much longer but it's still nice to know he needs his Mom from time to time. :)
The one med made him sick to his stomach for a few minutes but that quickly passed and he was in heaven playing the Playstation in the Peds play room barely glancing at the nurse when she came to take the blood draws every 15 minutes.
About halfway through the test they had him take Clonindine, a med that lowers your blood pressure, but can also make you sleepy.
The med can stimulate the Growth Hormone to according to the nurse.
Within 20 minutes he was zonked and snoring and continued to do so after we got home til about 5 pm tonight.
I asked the nurse if she could possibly sneak me a few for my purse but she declined .. SIGH
That test from start to finish was 3 hrs long but he took it like a trooper.
Ya just never can predict how these kids are going to react to something but I dare you to try !!
He also had his bone age xray done today and I'm not sure what he said to them while he was in there but the Xray techs came out rofl but no one would share with me what he had said 0_0
The nurse said some of the blood work has to be sent away but they should have the results within a few days and if I don't hear anything from the Doc within a week to call her.
Overall ... a good day !!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Stop the madness ! My DH fixed the stove !
As I reported a few days ago my stove died.
I ordered the 150 dollar part and had it shipped here.
My DH will admit openly that he is NOT a handyman but offered to see if he could fix it before I called a repairman to come and install it.
They wanted 80 bucks to walk in the front door. I'm still in shock but ....
HE DID IT !
IT WORKS !
AMAZING !!
I ordered the 150 dollar part and had it shipped here.
My DH will admit openly that he is NOT a handyman but offered to see if he could fix it before I called a repairman to come and install it.
They wanted 80 bucks to walk in the front door. I'm still in shock but ....
HE DID IT !
IT WORKS !
AMAZING !!
Can't wait to get BIG !
Tomorrow morning we have to take our youngest son to the hospital for some short stay testing.
As if being granted Autism wasn't enough for this kid he has also been graced with Asthma , severe pet allergies , glasses and now .....
Short Stature.
Our Irish heritage doesn't exactly lend itself to "Tall" family members but now he has even fallen below the expected norm of an Irishman.
It is now starting to become apparant to him as well.
Which from the Autism point of view is great ... he is recognizing his "differences" more and more. Many times now he can also see outside his own little box and how is actions DO affect others.
Just this one time though it would be fine with me if it didn't bother him.
Alas the World of Autism is no exact science.
So bright and early on Jan 31st we go to the hospital for a Growth Hormone Stimulation Test.
What concerns me though is that he thinks he will "magically" be taller by the time he arrives back home.
While I have explained that he will need an IV to have medicine put into it to see if has enough Growing cells in his blood , I'm afraid he thinks they are putting something IN to make him shoot up 3 inches by the time we leave.
At 12 1/2 and 53 inches I get that he wants to be taller. All the kids in Middle School are now flying past him, and at times teasing him because he is so small.
So by the end of tomorrow I believe I will have A TON of explaining to do, if I can just find the right words to make him understand.
OHHH I know .. I need to channel my Mormon friend.
What would the Mormon do ???
As if being granted Autism wasn't enough for this kid he has also been graced with Asthma , severe pet allergies , glasses and now .....
Short Stature.
Our Irish heritage doesn't exactly lend itself to "Tall" family members but now he has even fallen below the expected norm of an Irishman.
It is now starting to become apparant to him as well.
Which from the Autism point of view is great ... he is recognizing his "differences" more and more. Many times now he can also see outside his own little box and how is actions DO affect others.
Just this one time though it would be fine with me if it didn't bother him.
Alas the World of Autism is no exact science.
So bright and early on Jan 31st we go to the hospital for a Growth Hormone Stimulation Test.
What concerns me though is that he thinks he will "magically" be taller by the time he arrives back home.
While I have explained that he will need an IV to have medicine put into it to see if has enough Growing cells in his blood , I'm afraid he thinks they are putting something IN to make him shoot up 3 inches by the time we leave.
At 12 1/2 and 53 inches I get that he wants to be taller. All the kids in Middle School are now flying past him, and at times teasing him because he is so small.
So by the end of tomorrow I believe I will have A TON of explaining to do, if I can just find the right words to make him understand.
OHHH I know .. I need to channel my Mormon friend.
What would the Mormon do ???
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Happy Birthday Sista !!
Happy Birthday !!!!!!!
After yesterday's events I hope you have a great day and after last years event a much better year !!
(that was her kids collarbone, she had her car hit and the family pet hamster was belly up in the cage yesterday)
After yesterday's events I hope you have a great day and after last years event a much better year !!
(that was her kids collarbone, she had her car hit and the family pet hamster was belly up in the cage yesterday)
Don't Call us, We'll call you ........
My Nephew fell while snowboarding last week, and my sister suspected he had broken his collarbone.
After hours in an ER the nurses came in and said the Doctor didn’t see anything but the radiologist would call within 24 hrs if he saw anything.
Days later and still in pain my sister requested a copy of the Xrays.
I know you may not be a Doctor, afterall that takes YEARS of training … but can you see anything ????
Yeah it REALLY happened !
After hours in an ER the nurses came in and said the Doctor didn’t see anything but the radiologist would call within 24 hrs if he saw anything.
Days later and still in pain my sister requested a copy of the Xrays.
I know you may not be a Doctor, afterall that takes YEARS of training … but can you see anything ????
Yeah it REALLY happened !
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Free Day !
Tomorrow I get the house to MYSELF 6.5 hours !
Both kids should make it to school .. hubby off to work and I have the day off !!
This has not happened since before the holidays and then every spare day was spent shopping or wrapping or doing some other holiday madness.
It's sad when you get excited about staying home to catch up on laundry.
Maybe there will be more drama posting time then :)
Both kids should make it to school .. hubby off to work and I have the day off !!
This has not happened since before the holidays and then every spare day was spent shopping or wrapping or doing some other holiday madness.
It's sad when you get excited about staying home to catch up on laundry.
Maybe there will be more drama posting time then :)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Skillet Living
My oven died today.
Not the oven itself but the control panel that turns it on so yes my oven died today.
Most days this wouldn't upset me too much because unlike many of my friends and family I'm not a huge fan of cooking in the first place, but the other people in my house do enjoy food.
SIGH
After a quick google session I call the local Maytag parts store only to find out that this control panel costs $131.00.
Great ... with tax and shipping it is now $150.00.
Perfect that is just the amount I thought I gained back from the IRS for dependent care expenses for Summer Camp when doing a guesstimate on my taxes today.
They will have it shipped to me and it will arrive on Tuesday.
The tricky part is who will INSTALL it.
For those that know my DH this will come as no surprise but he is NOT the handyman around the house.
He said he will attempt it .. see how difficult it looks ... then decide if he will do it.
I however have bookmarked the Maytag repairmans site.
Not the oven itself but the control panel that turns it on so yes my oven died today.
Most days this wouldn't upset me too much because unlike many of my friends and family I'm not a huge fan of cooking in the first place, but the other people in my house do enjoy food.
SIGH
After a quick google session I call the local Maytag parts store only to find out that this control panel costs $131.00.
Great ... with tax and shipping it is now $150.00.
Perfect that is just the amount I thought I gained back from the IRS for dependent care expenses for Summer Camp when doing a guesstimate on my taxes today.
They will have it shipped to me and it will arrive on Tuesday.
The tricky part is who will INSTALL it.
For those that know my DH this will come as no surprise but he is NOT the handyman around the house.
He said he will attempt it .. see how difficult it looks ... then decide if he will do it.
I however have bookmarked the Maytag repairmans site.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Family Drama
It is taking me some time to figure out where to start on the Family drama stories.
Do I start out by telling you about some of the dramas in our childhood ?
Like the time my youngest brother stuck his foot down a drainpipe and the fire department had to be called to get his foot out.
This wouldn't have been as hard to do if my Mother wasn't in the background going .. I just got him those shoes TODAY ! Do you really have to cut it off ??
Heck 5 kids in the 60's with a father still working his way up the ladder this was a BIG deal.
Or do I recall the time we left the same brother at age 4, on the sidewalk as we all drove away to go visit my grandmother a few hours away ?
Returning to find him in the same spot we left him on the sidewalk SCREAMING his head off with the neighbors surrounding him because he refused to move.
Look the rest of us TRIED to tell our parents he was AWOL but they just told us to "shut up back there" as they crammed us all (along with a few tagalong friends) in the way back of a station wagon. Seat belts and car seats are you KIDDING ?? If they could shut the back gate without slamming a leg in the gate we were good to go.
Finally we get the attention of one of our parents and we returned for him.
Maybe this is how we develop "issues" in adulthood.
Like I said earlier I'm still trying to figure out the order of dramas .. because believe me adulthood brings some doozies !
Do I start out by telling you about some of the dramas in our childhood ?
Like the time my youngest brother stuck his foot down a drainpipe and the fire department had to be called to get his foot out.
This wouldn't have been as hard to do if my Mother wasn't in the background going .. I just got him those shoes TODAY ! Do you really have to cut it off ??
Heck 5 kids in the 60's with a father still working his way up the ladder this was a BIG deal.
Or do I recall the time we left the same brother at age 4, on the sidewalk as we all drove away to go visit my grandmother a few hours away ?
Returning to find him in the same spot we left him on the sidewalk SCREAMING his head off with the neighbors surrounding him because he refused to move.
Look the rest of us TRIED to tell our parents he was AWOL but they just told us to "shut up back there" as they crammed us all (along with a few tagalong friends) in the way back of a station wagon. Seat belts and car seats are you KIDDING ?? If they could shut the back gate without slamming a leg in the gate we were good to go.
Finally we get the attention of one of our parents and we returned for him.
Maybe this is how we develop "issues" in adulthood.
Like I said earlier I'm still trying to figure out the order of dramas .. because believe me adulthood brings some doozies !
Teenage Drama
My older son is now old enough to get his permit.
He has been actually for a few months now.
Because of his "couldn't give a shat attitude" that hit when his hormones took off I made a proclamation that he will not get desired permit until his grades improve.
I also removed the part time job from his schedule .. after MUCHO warnings about the grades improving.( Yes his MOM made him QUIT)
So .... halfway through a new school year and I'm still not seeing much improvement.
This leads me to think that maybe I have approached this all wrong.
Should I allow him to get that golden permit .. ya know let him get all cozy and comfy behind the wheel. Allow him to think he has won the battle only to snatch it away if the grades still don't improve ?
I have been thinking it's hard to miss something that you never had in the first place, but a 16 yr old that has had his foot on an accelerator and then loses that ...
Hmmmmm points to ponder.
He has been actually for a few months now.
Because of his "couldn't give a shat attitude" that hit when his hormones took off I made a proclamation that he will not get desired permit until his grades improve.
I also removed the part time job from his schedule .. after MUCHO warnings about the grades improving.( Yes his MOM made him QUIT)
So .... halfway through a new school year and I'm still not seeing much improvement.
This leads me to think that maybe I have approached this all wrong.
Should I allow him to get that golden permit .. ya know let him get all cozy and comfy behind the wheel. Allow him to think he has won the battle only to snatch it away if the grades still don't improve ?
I have been thinking it's hard to miss something that you never had in the first place, but a 16 yr old that has had his foot on an accelerator and then loses that ...
Hmmmmm points to ponder.
Square head
I go to pick my son with Autism up from school yesterday and he has that visibly upset look on his face.
Me: What happened ?
Son: I hit a kid with my folder .. .but only on his back.
Me: Why would you do that ? You know we don't hit.
Son: He called me a square head and he was making fun of you too Mom.
Me: Carry On.
(ok before anyone thinks I really said that I did not but SOOOO wanted too, ya just don't diss someones Mama !)
Me: What happened ?
Son: I hit a kid with my folder .. .but only on his back.
Me: Why would you do that ? You know we don't hit.
Son: He called me a square head and he was making fun of you too Mom.
Me: Carry On.
(ok before anyone thinks I really said that I did not but SOOOO wanted too, ya just don't diss someones Mama !)
Autism
The word Autism is Drama.
I don't mean it's all bad Drama but if you know or care for someone with Autism you can relate.
Searching for Doctors to help you help your child.
Finding the "Right" programs and therapists.
Running through the maze or better put by a fellow Auttie friend Mom of mine "Jumping through the hoops" to secure services for your child in the school and community setting.
These are just some of the daily issues that come along with Autism.
For me it's just plain frustrating.
There are constant roadblocks for Autistic children and their parents.
Autism is a lifelong disability.
I can't change that fact .. nor can anyone else at this time.
It is what it is.
This is where the "hoops" come in.
The Drama of late has not come from my Autistic child it has come from the very agencys which claim to be "helping" him and providing those services.
Mention lifelong disability to any state agency and the first reaction they will have is "How can we dump this kid off on somebody else".
Autism costs money. LOTS of money.
Services and therapies are not cheap.
That said I am a firm believer in pay now or pay later.
If the state agencies holding the purse strings would realize that supporting these kids and their parents now would actually save them money later, one would think they would embrace the spending.
Many Autistic kids have the ability to be job holding, tax paying, independent members of society if given the skills to be. Some supports may always be needed, there is no magic bullet here, but they could be minimal in comparison to full time support.
If not given the chance or the skills to be independent the state and government agencys will support that child for the rest of his life through SSI.
This is not to say that it is possible for every Autistic child, there is a wide spectrum out there, but I do believe many kids are going to be forced into those situations later in life on the principal of saving a few bucks now.
Many of my Drama blogs will deal with the frustrations that Autistic parents and their children deal with on a daily basis, but it will also deal with the accomplishments and the fun things about Autism that you rarely get to hear about.
In the meantime we will just keep Jumping !
(ps .. I reserve the right to include typo's in all of my posts ! )
I don't mean it's all bad Drama but if you know or care for someone with Autism you can relate.
Searching for Doctors to help you help your child.
Finding the "Right" programs and therapists.
Running through the maze or better put by a fellow Auttie friend Mom of mine "Jumping through the hoops" to secure services for your child in the school and community setting.
These are just some of the daily issues that come along with Autism.
For me it's just plain frustrating.
There are constant roadblocks for Autistic children and their parents.
Autism is a lifelong disability.
I can't change that fact .. nor can anyone else at this time.
It is what it is.
This is where the "hoops" come in.
The Drama of late has not come from my Autistic child it has come from the very agencys which claim to be "helping" him and providing those services.
Mention lifelong disability to any state agency and the first reaction they will have is "How can we dump this kid off on somebody else".
Autism costs money. LOTS of money.
Services and therapies are not cheap.
That said I am a firm believer in pay now or pay later.
If the state agencies holding the purse strings would realize that supporting these kids and their parents now would actually save them money later, one would think they would embrace the spending.
Many Autistic kids have the ability to be job holding, tax paying, independent members of society if given the skills to be. Some supports may always be needed, there is no magic bullet here, but they could be minimal in comparison to full time support.
If not given the chance or the skills to be independent the state and government agencys will support that child for the rest of his life through SSI.
This is not to say that it is possible for every Autistic child, there is a wide spectrum out there, but I do believe many kids are going to be forced into those situations later in life on the principal of saving a few bucks now.
Many of my Drama blogs will deal with the frustrations that Autistic parents and their children deal with on a daily basis, but it will also deal with the accomplishments and the fun things about Autism that you rarely get to hear about.
In the meantime we will just keep Jumping !
(ps .. I reserve the right to include typo's in all of my posts ! )
What the heck ?
The drama blogging will begin as soon as I figure out how to operate this page so it appears the way I want it too.
When did I become so old that I need to recruit the help of my teenager ??
When did I become so old that I need to recruit the help of my teenager ??
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Drama ... never underrated
Ahhh Drama
Embrace it .. live it .. be it ..
I am guilty of all of the above.
Perhaps that is why I love to type in BOLD font, afterall it's dramatic itself.
(Not to mention suddenly it's just sooo much easier to read)
For those of you reading along, I hope it makes it easier for you to read as well because I will be using it all the time.
(so much easier to just state things than to ask for opinions don't ya think? )
Ok back to the Drama.
I decided to open this blog for 2 reasons ..
1. Mamamormon and Marksmom have one.
2. I've been told that the Drama in my family's life could not even be depicted in a really GOOD Lifetime movie.
When I say "My Family" I am not just limiting this to the ones who share the use of my washing machine, but my extended family as well.
Actually my extended family is the source of most of the drama.
Good Times .. Good Times.
Coming from an Irish Catholic background with 4 siblings, most of us born in the 60's, should in itself explain some of the drama.
That aside even though we are all adults now it continues to be there .. a constant that seems to follow not just one of us but all of us at one time or another.
For whatever reason that is I have come to the conclusion that it's better to embrace it. After all we have THEEEE best stories to retell time and time again when we gather for the holidays.
Some of the Dramas have been outright hysterical.
Most are a comedy of errors.
Some are embarassing to a member of the family. (those we especially like to retell !)
More recently the Dramas have become deeper, more intense and life changing.
Look ,I make no claims to be a "writer". I will proudly give that title to my oldest brother because he has actually earned it.
Instead .. I am considering blogging some of the "Drama O's" to preserve them so we can not only tell the stories again, but in some cases learn from them too.
Embrace it .. live it .. be it ..
I am guilty of all of the above.
Perhaps that is why I love to type in BOLD font, afterall it's dramatic itself.
(Not to mention suddenly it's just sooo much easier to read)
For those of you reading along, I hope it makes it easier for you to read as well because I will be using it all the time.
(so much easier to just state things than to ask for opinions don't ya think? )
Ok back to the Drama.
I decided to open this blog for 2 reasons ..
1. Mamamormon and Marksmom have one.
2. I've been told that the Drama in my family's life could not even be depicted in a really GOOD Lifetime movie.
When I say "My Family" I am not just limiting this to the ones who share the use of my washing machine, but my extended family as well.
Actually my extended family is the source of most of the drama.
Good Times .. Good Times.
Coming from an Irish Catholic background with 4 siblings, most of us born in the 60's, should in itself explain some of the drama.
That aside even though we are all adults now it continues to be there .. a constant that seems to follow not just one of us but all of us at one time or another.
For whatever reason that is I have come to the conclusion that it's better to embrace it. After all we have THEEEE best stories to retell time and time again when we gather for the holidays.
Some of the Dramas have been outright hysterical.
Most are a comedy of errors.
Some are embarassing to a member of the family. (those we especially like to retell !)
More recently the Dramas have become deeper, more intense and life changing.
Look ,I make no claims to be a "writer". I will proudly give that title to my oldest brother because he has actually earned it.
Instead .. I am considering blogging some of the "Drama O's" to preserve them so we can not only tell the stories again, but in some cases learn from them too.
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