spectrumom

I've been reading some BS on the webs about how some parents of kids with autism have some butt-hurt because they don't have the kids they wanted. And from the way it's worded, it sounds like it's most of us. So I wanted to put it out there what I'm butt-hurt about. I'm hurt that my kid hurts himself. I'm hurt that he hurts others. I'm hurt that other people, both peers and adults (HELLOOOOO asshole teachers) bully my child and think he is less than respect-able. I'm hurt that people assume my kids are not able because they have a difference. I'm hurt that their lives will be limited by that, in some way. And already have been (like not invited to their class parties, hmmm?) I'm hurt that my kids are not always able to speak for themselves. I'm hurt that my kids cannot choose for themselves. And, I'll admit to some butt-hurt that my life is often difficult because I put my kids' needs ahead of my own (I really,...

Nathan is in the middle of starting a new med that we hope will break down some of the barriers that keep him from talking.  His receptive (heard) language is rapid, faster even than his two brothers-ask him to do something and he does it.  His expressive (spoken) language varies from 2-3 words to none at all.  So we started memantine in an effort to help. However, irritability can be a side effect. We were also trying to wean his Risperdal.  To off, if possible.  And Risperdal helps with irritability. He has 1-2 days a week it seems that he just wakes up and doesn't go back to sleep. But when he woke up at 3, then 2:30am, then just didn't bother going to sleep All.  Night.  Long.  we gave up and restarted the twice a day 0.5mg risperdal Then when he started cycling up and down with irritability we increased back to where we had been - 0.5 in the morning and 1 mg at night.  He started sleeping again. He's getting a cold. Yesterd...

The other day a friends was telling me a story and finished with "How could it get any worse than that?" Right away I rattled off a half a dozen gory ways it could indeed be worse. Horrified, she stopped my listing. While I was indeed trying to get a rise out of her, I also truly believe that it could be worse. It can always be worse. There are myriad ways it could be worse. Today I was talking to a patient with fibromyalgia. In the middle of her recitation of her aches and pains she said "and I know you said it will just get worse." There I halted her. I told her that while she will have exacerbations, she will also have remissions. This is a stable disease. While it tends not to get better, it also does not tend to get worse over the long run. But her self-talk had led her to believe that she would just keep getting worse. I told her "On bad days tell yourself 'it has been this bad before. I have made it through days as bad as this. Tomorrow...