Author: criscollrj

college, health

Thank you!

criscollrj

Several of you wrote posts tome lately – I really appreciate it! I may not answer for a few days. Chris has a topical skin infection so he’s home from school. Please pray for him – he’s had this several times (5-6 times since 2003) and 2 times he’s been hospitalized with it. It doesn’t look like it this time but we’re still nervous….

And Colleen has been sick with the same cold that caused Chris this cold and infection – she still doesn’t feel great, but doing okay. She also fell down off our office chair and fractured a small part in her wrist – she goes to the bone dr. tomorrow.

My mom is coming over any minute – she’s spending the night and helping me. I am so thankful for her, and my inlaws (my MIL helped me yesterday) and my husband!

but of course it’s times like these I wonder – how the HECK do I go to school?

I’ll update more soon…. dori

 

college, health

birth date (thanks,Angela!)

criscollrj
Your Birthdate: February 22
While sometimes employing unorthodox approaches, you are capable of handling large scale undertakings.You assume great responsibility and work long and hard toward completion.

Often, especially in the early part of life, there is rigidity or stubbornness, and a tendency to repress feelings.

Idealistic, you work for the greater good with a good deal of inner strength and charisma.

An extremely capable organizer, but likely to paint with broad strokes rather than detail.

You are very aware and intuitive.

You are subject to a good deal of nervous tension.

Cool. That’s pretty much me.

I did my financial aid form today. It looks initially like our income is too high for a full coverage. This is a problem! I’m going to wait and do a special conditions appeal once the college receives it (because last year, I was on unemployment, and had to put that on the form, but there was no space to say that I no longer receive it). Maybe that will be enough to qualify me. I can also apply for some scholarships.

I have a cold – we all do. Blach

dori

 

college

back to school?

criscollrj

I just joined a new community here on Live Journal called backtocollege. I’m so glad it exists, as I have to make a decision that I have been considering for years.

I will copy this entry there as well…

I know I’ve typed here about school before, but can’t remember if I ever tried to work out the decision making here before.

more

colleen, Ryan, weight

spring

criscollrj

I am feeling ready to change my background soon — I may dabble in it yet today.

I did update my weight site (weighdownagain is my user name for that) – http://www.livejournal.com/users/weighdownagain/ — I am on the road again – 3rd day of foodmover (richard simmons). I hope for success!!!

We kept colleen in her regular school, didn’t move her. She is doing tremendous in her trumpet and very well in school.

We don’t have word yet on next step for Ryan – I do believe it’s hearing aids but his appt with ENT is April 20.

That’s about it for now…

 

weight

A new start!

criscollrj

Post from the Weight journal —

 

I am finally back on track (I HOPE!). I started Foodmover for sure on Friday (after 2-3 half-starts and also trying to figure out WHICH diet to do). It is Richard Simmons’ plan and one I have done before, and I have done Richard’s plans often dating back to Deal-A-Meal and the Never-Say-Diet plan of the early 80’s. I have begun walking again too, and hope to add in strength training and aerobic tapes too.

After South Beach last year (a very good plan too, but one I just can’t focus on right now due to all that’s going on my life) on which I lost 18 pounds, I have gained back 13 pounds. Thank goodness the whole amount isn’t back on. I’ve been in denial about why my 16’s don’t fit (this is a SMALL 16, oh, and THIS one is a small 16, okay, how can they ALL be now SMALL 16’S?) UGH, you get the picture. I have ballooned back up into 18’s, trying to wear 16s, and resorting to sweat pants. So, give me a month, hopefully I can be back in 16’s again. I hope… I can’t afford to buy new clothes!

184.5-182-125.

(old progress had been last summer — 187-169-125.)

I’ll get there….

autism, autism Ryan, deafness

Ryan autism?

criscollrj

 

2020 – so with Chris first mention of autism from a doctor was around summer/fall of 1994 until January of 1995.  He was 4.  Ryan’s first mention is at barely 3, in 2005.  I suppose with it being 10 years later they could spot it faster.  I also, remember, however, when Ryan was maybe a year younger that his pediatrician said there was NO WAY he had autism.  It’s strange how things work out.  With Chris, the first mention of autism was from my cousin, when she came to visit us from New York.  With Ryan, it was a note on a drs. report.  Never did we actually see ourselves and say, this person may have autism.  I guess parents are the last to know or see it….

On Ryan he has what’s called “a flat moderate sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally.” I got his report today and shared with some of the professionals that need it. I need to fax to more people tomorrow. In addition to following upon the hearing loss the final instruction was “continue with psychological/neurologic workup and monitoring for early identification of possible autism.” That kind of gave me the chills. I don’t know if they think he has autism or if it’s just family history — ugh.

dori

eloping, hamsters, health, life

A little runaway

criscollrj

2020 – March of 2005 – Ryan was just over 3.  I hadn’t remembered when this happened but remember often that it DID happen.  Ryan had elopement as a severe symptom of Autism/ADHD, or whatever caused it, for many years.  He did not outgrow it until about Age 11.  Thank God he did outgrow it.  It was very very scary.

Good morning! I hope you all had a good Easter if you celebrate. We had a wonderful dinner, then had some interesting moments in the evening! I’ll describe them in a minute.

We made a delicious glazed ham with pineapple and brown sugar, scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits, and peach pie. Devilled eggs too. We also drank a whole bottle of sprite. And we ate plenty of candy!

We also had 3 fun easter egg hunts. Ryan even found an egg!

So we stayed home all day. About 6 I had Colleen go outside and play with Ryan for a while. He did have a cough still all day but seemed to be feeling all right. They were playing ball and stuff.

Next thing I knew, almost simultaneously, Rog said, look at that little kid running down the sidewalk – wait, it’s Ryan! And I heard Colleen shouting RYAN! So I went running out and down the street and as soon as he saw me he laughed and started running into the street! Luckily there were no cars coming and I got the little stinker. I went home and saw that the gate was open. Colleen swore she tied it after she put her bike away like 5 hours earlier. I also think it was locked because Chris had been outside walking around and I kept checking from the window. So my hypothesis is that she didn’t tie it tight enough, and he just pushed on it enough to loosen the rope and get out. But I’ll never know…. Thank God he wasn’t hit by a car – gives me chills.

Then I just held him and after a while he felt like he was running a fever again. He fell asleep on my lap at 7:30 and I put him to bed (tried to give him Motrin but he wouldn’t take it — his temp was 101.5 so not horrible). This morning at 5:15 he got up and seemed warm still – I didn’t take the temp but just gave him the Motrin and we got up and went in the living room 45 minutes later and the temp was about 101 or so. So obviously it was higher before but I don’t know how much. He’s still coughing a lot. I called the dr. and he’s going in at 10:20 today. No one else is sick at this point.

So the next interesting thing to happen is when we were playing with spice and I was attaching her old wheel back in the new cage (it’s bigger and more suited to a Syrian hamster) I noticed a loose wire from the cage at the bottom. So Colleen and I taped it and put toilet paper all along the tape on the inside, but I think we may have to replace it again or maybe if possible solder the wire back in place? I was so glad she didn’t escape last night – I think she was too excited about having her old big blue wheel back!

 

autism, deafness

Ryan

criscollrj

posted from my other group…..

We got important news today. Ryan had an ABR plus another sensitive hearing test under sedation. Surprisingly, to all of us, he does have hearing loss in both ears. She said his hearing loss I believe is about 50 which seems to be described on the internet as Moderate — 40-68 dBHL (decibels hearing level). I am curious what that means he hears – Colleen had the list of what sounds are at what decibels in her science notes a few months ago coincidentally but they’re not in our house now, but at her school in her desk….

We’ll get the report next week and need to follow up immediately with ENT on further guidance. She believed hearing aides will be necessary, along with further therapy aside from the speech therapy he gets – another kind of therapy will be necessary that relates to hearing loss itself. Anyone else going through this? She also said the ENT may be able to help us see what caused it. I was concerned it was his ear tubes – she said no. Then we saw the chiropractor today and he said, yes, it could be. Then I looked online and I see that “rarely” the tubes can cause further hearing loss and possibly perforation, and further problems when the tubes come out (they are still in). The chiropractor thought perhaps we should get them out now to avoid problems – I’m not sure. I need to see what the ENT says.

l’ll let you know how things progress!

Additionally, don’t know if I told you, we got a grant for Christopher to get further therapies for his autism. I need to call and schedule that – we’re so grateful, just have to figure out when to fit it in around what will be Ryan’s new therapies, and Colleen’s and Chris’s present activities. I had already cut out the Y entirely but had hoped to phase it back in next session, since it’s so good for the kids, and paid for by our community program for disabled kids (kind of wasteful not to use it!) But I needed a break for one session. Hope I can do all this — thank goodness I still have my aide 14 hours a week!