Special Needs Parent

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

Making Lemonade Out of Lemons

My husband is away right now studying to become a EMT for his work. Something that normally takes 6 months to do, his job is squeezing it into 2 months. That’s a lot of medical info to learn in a short time.

The night before his first test we were on the phone and we did a couple of his practice tests together.

I discovered something.

I knew most of the answers or could reason them out. I’m pretty sure I could have passed his first test without studying at all.

Earlier in the week I was out to lunch with friends and one of the woman’s sons has recently had to have an ultrasound on his thyroid. Another woman’s child had to have X-rays on her torso. We were talking over their children’s results, and I was explaining some of the things.

I’m no doctor or nurse. I don’t begin to claim to give any medical recommendations. However after so many years, and hours upon hours in doctor’s offices, therapist’s offices, and testing facilities I’ve found I have picked up quite a bit.

If your child has to undergo X-rays weekly, then biweekly, and then monthly for an extended period of time, you’re going to start knowing what to look for. Because my son had had so many X-rays as a small child of his trunk with his gastro intestinal problems, I knew what I was looking at when we xrayed him to see how bad his scoliosis was recent. I didn’t know what the percentage of curvature was, but I knew where to look and what was what on the x-ray.

So I’m going to call all of this hard-won knowledge “lemonade”. All those lemons of medical issues for myself, and my family, has brought knowledge I can put to good use. Both for myself and others. I really believe that all knowledge gained can be put to good use.

Being Held Emotionally Hostage

“I was recently talking with another mom who has a child with mental health issues. While talking she used the term “emotionally held hostage.” Those three words struck a cord with me because so often in the special needs, disability, and mental health worlds it can feel like we are being held hostage. By our children, spouses, parents, and even ourselves through our own illnesses.”
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Feeling like a fraud

Feeling like a fraud

“And so I sit here, trying to understand that because my life is not filled with trauma causing events, and has really calmed down in a lot of ways, that it makes me feel like a fraud. As mental health is my chosen field to study and eventually work in… This makes me want to dig into this further.”
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Seriously? One Day I Won’t Be Fighting A School District?

Seriously? One Day I Won’t Be Fighting A School District?

“For many years moms of older boys with special needs have told me it would get better. That things were going to change.
Full confession?
I absolutely positively did not believe them. In fact, I thought they were crazy and delusional.”
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Just In: My Child Still Has Special Needs

Just In: My Child Still Has Special Needs

“Big surprise, I know, but for some, it is. Children with special needs grow up to be adults with special needs. They aren’t as cute. The differences between them and other adults are sometimes more evident but they get less grace because they are considered “old enough to know better.”
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The Need For Advocating Never Dies

The Need For Advocating Never Dies

“Being in school, a worldwide pandemic, moving to a new state. All of these things I could use as an excuse for missing in action in the advocating arena for the past year or so. But we all know, that the need to advocate for our selves, our child, our family member, doesn’t go away in spite of life changes. It would be nice if it could hold off for a bit when things get crazy, but it doesn’t. In the midst of our latest struggle, a dear friend reminded me of my responsibility to raise awareness of how to find help and resources to help others. Something I have dedicated my life to over the past 10 years since our son’s autism diagnosis.”
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When Cookie Monster And Oscar The Grouch Want Food!

When Cookie Monster And Oscar The Grouch Want Food!

“I’m told by professionals that one of the hardest behaviors to curb is anything to do with eating. This makes sense because my professors have said that the hardest mental illnesses to treat are eating disorders.”
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Love Doesn’t End With Death

Love Doesn’t End With Death

“He may have been old and sometimes cantankerous when I knew him but these memories coming to mind, reminded me of the deep love he had for his family and how he was always there whenever we needed him.”
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Fear About Being Admitted to a Psych Unit

Fear About Being Admitted to a Psych Unit

“Mental health is a scary issue for many people. There is so much stigma attached to many of the diagnoses. Adults frequently are afraid that they will lose their jobs if anyone finds out. This leads to not getting help, and not being able to talk to anyone about their mental health isolating them from the world. Which in turn, can lead to more mental health issues like depression and anxiety. ”
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