We've had a lot of problems with him since the viruses that took his weight down from 127 to 98 pounds earlier this year. He simply cannot get the weight back on, despite having grown upward an inch.
At first, we all thought it was leukemia, but those tests came back negative. We discovered a liver enzyme quirk which is hereditary. Now, he's battling a suicidal depression, and I'm clutching at straws as to what to do. He can't focus in school, and if we increase his Adderall, there's a good chance of doing away with any appetite whatsoever. He hasn't been sleeping, despite Lunesta, but now he's on Rozerem, and is doing better. His dr thought perhaps an anti-depressant would be in order, along with psychotherapy. Seems the state of the world has bogged him down, and school is overwhelming.
His father kept insisting on his keeping up with the news, but I've put an end to that. The boy will live a sheltered life. Since he's having such problems with school, I, at least, am entertaining the thought of homeschooling, again. Our school added four portable classrooms this year, if that tells you anything about how crowded the hallways have become.
His neurotypical brother said he dealt with his teenage depression by sleeping (I thought as much), then revealed that he had had something to do with attempted suicide twice. He simply made the decision to get over it. That's not so easy for the Aspie, though. It's easier to find a needle in a haystack than to find someone who knows how to deal with autism around here.
At least I can rest assured that my mom and MIL are both covered by LifeAlert. My BIL who had the esophageal cancer surgery at Duke is home and recovering. He has a cough, and fluid in his lungs, so that needs prayer.
But, most of all, please pray we can get to the root of my son's problems.
Blessings,
Gemma
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
God Spared Us
Okay, so my "neurotypical" (NT) son has his driver's permit. So does the Aspie, but he's not driving until his meds get worked out. (Another story for another time).
We didn't pick up our rider as usual--a young man who has had some coping problems with family and school, but he seems to have warmed up to us. He was at home sick. Perhaps it was intuition on his part.
We were at a crossroads which, if one arrives at just the right time during morning rush hour, has no traffic. We were at an "off" moment, when traffic was coming. My BlackBerry buzzed, and I looked down to take care of it. My NT son had not done anything stupid, so far, while driving, but, unfortunately, this morning was different.
Something made me look up after he started the turn onto the highway, and I saw BUS in my peripheral vision. Bus too close, that is. "WHAT THE #$^*ARE YOU DOING!?" I screamed (please keep in mind that I am not a cussing woman). I kept screaming this as the bus bore down on our bumper. "PULL OVER UP THERE!" I commanded as my son was about to break down into tears.
I don't know how long we sat in the neighbor's driveway. I had to calm down before starting to drive. Some kind soul let us back out, but I had to wait for the other direction to clear out, too. Remembering that detail was like a shock to my brain. On the way to school, I told them that if we had been killed, my Aspie son would have had a lovely birthday present, waking up in Heaven. The NT son, OTOH, could have lost his soul because of stupidity like that. No telling where I would have ended up.
When we got to school, I ordered a group hug before everyone got out. Once home, I emailed the principal, assistant principal, and my Aspie son's case worker/advocate, and let them know what happened just in case the boys were "unsettled" today.
I have never in my life been that close to sudden death, and I pray I'm not taken suddenly in the future. I've had a couple of near death experiences due to health issues, but never anything like this. I now understand the meaning of the word "discombobulated." And I still am to a certain extent. When hubby came home for lunch today, I didn't have the nerve to tell him what had happened. I'm going to wait and see what happened at school before I tell him. Even then, God will have to give me the words. I still haven't reconciled myself to what happened.
We didn't pick up our rider as usual--a young man who has had some coping problems with family and school, but he seems to have warmed up to us. He was at home sick. Perhaps it was intuition on his part.
We were at a crossroads which, if one arrives at just the right time during morning rush hour, has no traffic. We were at an "off" moment, when traffic was coming. My BlackBerry buzzed, and I looked down to take care of it. My NT son had not done anything stupid, so far, while driving, but, unfortunately, this morning was different.
Something made me look up after he started the turn onto the highway, and I saw BUS in my peripheral vision. Bus too close, that is. "WHAT THE #$^*ARE YOU DOING!?" I screamed (please keep in mind that I am not a cussing woman). I kept screaming this as the bus bore down on our bumper. "PULL OVER UP THERE!" I commanded as my son was about to break down into tears.
I don't know how long we sat in the neighbor's driveway. I had to calm down before starting to drive. Some kind soul let us back out, but I had to wait for the other direction to clear out, too. Remembering that detail was like a shock to my brain. On the way to school, I told them that if we had been killed, my Aspie son would have had a lovely birthday present, waking up in Heaven. The NT son, OTOH, could have lost his soul because of stupidity like that. No telling where I would have ended up.
When we got to school, I ordered a group hug before everyone got out. Once home, I emailed the principal, assistant principal, and my Aspie son's case worker/advocate, and let them know what happened just in case the boys were "unsettled" today.
I have never in my life been that close to sudden death, and I pray I'm not taken suddenly in the future. I've had a couple of near death experiences due to health issues, but never anything like this. I now understand the meaning of the word "discombobulated." And I still am to a certain extent. When hubby came home for lunch today, I didn't have the nerve to tell him what had happened. I'm going to wait and see what happened at school before I tell him. Even then, God will have to give me the words. I still haven't reconciled myself to what happened.
Whether I live or die, all is for Jesus. He makes the decisions around here.
Blessings, Gemma
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