Just cutting and pasting and running on with my day—-
User: dori
Comments: going back 30 days to answer posts to me —
XX – thanks for the posts about looking for ideas for Chris’s placement, etc. Chris is on a wait list for placement in our area, and every so often they call, and we check out the place. So far they have not had a place that to us is a suitable placement for him. I also am not sure that we are ready to have him live away from us yet. We are probably closer than we were 3-4-5 years ago, but we still may wait until he’s 18. This is if he has the proper supports in the home for us to function. We are attempting now to arrange from the most relevant place to have more help in the home that should be paid for by grants. We have 2-3 places now that will send ABA, etc., specialists into the home to set up the picture/icon schedules for the boys and help us establish the correct protocol and scheduling to go by these. We all agree that if this order and protocol were present that the boys would be functioning better at home than they do now. We also need more locks on the doors inside the house – and one more for another outside door that Chris has been known to try and get out of – so that things are safe in the house – Ryan is the one that will go into forbidden item and mess with them – the other week he plugged a waffle iron in the living room and left it on heating on the floor. These items all need to be locked and we’re working on getting the proper locks (these boys can unlock normal locks).
We have some specialists also lined up as to deciding whether Chris should switch meds or not. Our concerns on switching are, will the new one really be better or could it be worse, or Will the switch cause tardive diskenesia reactions (which he had in ’94) – these are like seizure-like reactions and they obviously caused him a lot of discomfort as he jumped and screamed and ran through the house during them. Or do we leave the meds as they are, but Geodon is known to eventually have at times some bad effects on the heart, AND he is up to 208 pounds (was about 140 when he went on it almost 3 years ago). He is only 5’6″. I’m trying to get him on the South Beach Diet with me but that’s easier said than done. I have also heard that getting the sugar and “bad” carbs and stuff can also help ADHD – I’m hoping we all see good results with that as I improve our diets.
XX – Chris is 16. He is eligible for some adult kind of services that should be starting soon – I just signed the paperwork with the county but am not sure yet what the services are. There is also a county program with summer jobs/other jobs that some people with disabilities can do – I’m in the process of signing Chris up for that.
XX – THANKS for praying before Ryan’s appt. several days ago.
ANON, you stated why does it matter if he’s permanently tracked autistic – well, I don’t want him to be permanently tracked autistic if he’s not autistic. We’re not absolutely sure how much of this is autism and how much is from the hearing loss, but as he grows we’ll know more. At first we thought Colleen also didn’t have any form of autism, being diagnosed with the Asperger’s, but now as she’s grown I still see touches of it, so have become more accepting of the diagnoses, as hard as it is to hear. That same process will have to occur with Ryan.
XX – yes, Ryan is learning sign language. He also does have A LOT of speech (thank God!) at least 3-400 words I think. He also works with picture/icon schedule at school. His meds do seem to be helping – the school is pleased. On the other hand, the school doesn’t think the doubling of Colleen’s meds has helped at all. She has been totally out of focus at school and has had some problems there. I hope she’s doing a little better now.
XX – no, I don’t usually (ever?) catch Ryan smearing the p. I just find it later or he comes out with it on him. I know half the problem is I’m not on top of him at that time when I should be because I’m doing something else. Usually if it gets too quiet though I know I have to run check on him.
K – sorry about the gross post. It is on my list to get him into our local counseling center. I know there’s some groups there for ADHD/Asperger’s kids.
XX – exactly, I know I leave him alone too long and that’s when he gets into trouble. I’m trying to check on him every 5 minutes or just have him with. me. He’s OFTEN with me anyway – like right now he’s sitting on my back. But then he wanders off and if I’m doing dishes or laundry or something I have to keep checking on him.
I do think he needs more OT, and the shaving cream, etc, idea is good.
Thanks XX, yes, he loves finger painting – I need to buy more. XX – interesting on the lack of zinc making the smell function not work well for our kids — I’ll have to check that out – he has a VERY limited diet (self-imposed) so maybe that’s part of it.
SO YEAH XX – is this baby coming on OUR birthday? (the 22nd)
BY THE WAY happy birthday to all you Februarys!!!
XX – thanks for thoughts for Ryan – he got better with that cough, then it came back again, then he got better again. I’m keeping an eye on him. Now CHRIS has an ear infection.
DID ANYONE have any thoughts on the question I posted about DSL/CABLE and which is better?
Lost 4 pounds so far – weigh in is tomorrow.
XX – thanks for thoughts for Colleen – Yes, a purse is a GREAT idea! She needs one. I haven’t be able to get to the store- maybe I’ll just go to Kohl’s.com or something and get her one. She’d love that!
Otherwise I’m doing okay – house is still out of control but I’m trying to do SOME typing work. I am still testing for the new place and hope it goes well. My mom has been talking that maybe she’ll try coming over like 4 days a week so I can work more, and that is a nice offer! I know she gets really tired here though with the kids. more in a minute…
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Time: Friday, 2/16/2007 1:43:04 PM (#88567)
User: dori
Comments: I meant the tardive disk. reactions were in 2004, not 1994!
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Time: Friday, 2/16/2007 1:53:16 PM (#88568)
User: dori
Comments: more on my day and what’s going on here – Kind of a frazzled Friday again actually. I wrote a lot of this earlier and sent to my friend.
Colleen missed her bus and I had no way to get her to school. Rog’s windshield had a rock hit it and it developed into a huge crack all the way across so he took the van. Rog’s dad has Rog’s car keys because he’s coming with Gayle to pick up the Nissan and take it to the glass repair dealer. So I have no keys or vehicle. So she’s home – I just told them she’s sick because she’s still not feeling great with her monthly I don’t think, but she could have gone to school. We’re going to sit down together and make a new schedule for school mornings. Everyone has to get up earlier, including me. We’re starting Tuesday, getting up at 5:30 .
Soon I have to get the van in for service – it’s 3,000 miles overdue for an oil change. I also need new tires.
Did you ever hear of a Dvorak keyboard? I heard of people typing on it over 150 wpm. I may try it, someday (but the learning curve) — the keys are actually in different places.
Attempting to now answering all emails! Yes, Rog gets a lot of travel time- we need to gather all his gas receipts for the taxes. We have some but not all of them (missing a lot from the beginning). And his mileage — he needs to get me all that so I can assemble it for Chuck. I’m going to draft everything on the tax cut and then he’ll review as a double check.
I’m still having trouble getting Chris on the bus. Maybe I’ll start giving his meds earlier at night. Like 6:45 or so. He just wants to sleep in the morning.
(night of blizzard, about my husband) He also stopped the store that night and got emergency food items to tide us over. He also got my Valentine card and a pink bear – sweetie!! He also got me 4 dark chocolates I could have on the diet. He got everyone else heart cookies. It was so sweet!!! I really appreciated it because I never got to the store to shop for Valentine’s day. I was planning to go Wed. morning.
I did go shopping for my diet Monday morning first thing in the morning – needed a bunch of diet foods. Did that at Giant Eagle. Was going to do the Valentine shopping + other household items we needed like bleach, etc. at Walmart where all that is cheaper, on Wed. morning.
Chuck & Gayle just came to get Rog’s car to take to the glass dealer and lo and behold the key Rog gave them was the van key and not the Nissan key. I Had no key even after I searched the house again, thinking maybe there was one somewhere. So instead of taking the car they took Colleen to school – so that was a good thing, I know. But here the broken windshield sits….
Yes it was good for Chris to rest Wed He went yesterday and today and is on his antibiotics. 4 chewable twice a day that I put in his applesauce. He’s taking them well. They gave him some sudafed at school yesterday.
I wonder if we’re going to have any weeks before school is out that they actually go to school 5 days in one week?
(friend was talking about her son being more independent – he’s disabled too…) Oh what great words that Nick could be independent! Those are my goals for Ryan, and Colleen too. I don’t doubt it for Colleen (though she needs to get better at goals and organizing). Ryan I’m not sure – he has far to go but has a lot of good things in place. Chris is getting so old – it’s scary how much he’d still need to learn.
WE rented movies too – cheaper by the dozen 2 and another one I can’t remember. Also got free popcorn and 2 diet cokes with my coupon I got from Coke.com. I need to enter more codes from the new boxes and lids!
I think we got the movies Sunday so could watch Saturday.
Colleen is going with friend L to look at monster trucks tomorrow. That’s her friend from school – they also took her to historical museum last year, and she went to her birthday party at the gymnastics center, and she slept over her house once. I hope to have her over sometime! She’s a sweet girl. She is a very beautiful girl! Her other friends that are in the “clique” are S and A. They are both cute blondes with glasses – one looks like (A, friend’s daughter) a little bit though kind of shorter and smaller and the other one is tall and lanky. There was another girl in the group last year but she moved. She was Colleen’s first new friend at XX. I like these girls – they’re just original, simple, not all full of themselves or stuck up or into trouble. They like the same cartoons a lot that Colleen does and the drawing. I guess one is like the best artist in the grade and got a scholarship or something.
I went to the meeting at XXX High last night where Colleen will go next year. It’s BIG. She’s going to have the normal math, science, English, social studies, then half year gym, half year health, half year foreign language or reading, half year computer. Then there’s a choice of electives – band, music, sewing, tech and art. She wanted to take choir and art but that will eliminate a study hall for half the year and I don’t think she can do that. So she said last night she might take art and tech. Then she’d have one study all all year. I think she needs that for her homework, etc. Then she can take choir in 9th grade where they explained that there is more “room” in the schedule.
They have math 8, algebra, AND an advanced honors algebra -can’t believe that! I never did any algebra until 9th grade.
Ryan is doing good with his meds. Actually I didn’t give them to him yet today. I put in his waffle under the butter. It’s little beads that let go of the meds in his system in a timed manner. It’s cool.
10:40 a.m. Chris’s teacher just called to have us pick him up and I had to tell her I have no vehicle. Gayle’s just going to be fit to be tied when they call her. Sigh. He must not be feeling well again.
Oh, yes, I’m eating LOTS of protein and veggies. Nuts, cheese, tomatoes, v-8 juice, cottage cheese, etc. those are for snacks. I’m getting used to it. The occasional dark chocolate helps…
I was doing what you did though before the diet – just filled up on cookies, chips, lots of coke – right before I started the diet there was one day I had like 2 1/2 cans of classic coke – pure sugar.
Gayle just called and said she’s picking up Chris. Bless her heart and Chuck’s too (he’s driving)
Ryan is wearing underwear, a bike helmet, and the knee pads ON HIS FEET.
I don’t know for sure if I’m going to plan to work 40 hours for sw or not. If things are this hectic like now I don’t know if I can swing it. But we’ll see! (this is an offer made by the new company that I told my friend about – $50 bonus if we work 40 hours in 2 weeks by mid March)
I did find my purse – it was sitting right in the office in plain view! I don’t know where my eyes were that morning. But no keys or hearing aids yet. (yes, FINDING vibes requested for this items!! Roger’s keys (his work keys for Sunday are on it) and Ryan’s hearing aides))
My mom is planning to come Tuesday for a few days.
YAY I answered all your emails!
So a busy hectic time here as usual. I have so much housework to do. I’m going to start the office now and I also want to work on taxes.
I’ll let you go for now — love, d
