Re: You Miss a Week, I Guess You Miss a Lot!

[Guest guest]

Hi Suzanne,

I meant to write back to you - see, it's only 1 am, so I am good!

Thanks for your comments and update on your family and son's

situation in particular. I hope all goes well with the tests and

that you can find a way to treat his problems. I am happy for you

that you decided to do the autism scholarship - battling the

district just sounded extremely exhausting over the last year for

you.... I hope thigs will change now!

Hope to hear from you soon again!

Take care,

>

> Hi, all!

>

> Wow...I had been recovering from surgery and missed the entire

> brouhaha that erupted last week. I hate to oversimplify, but I

have

> to ask: Can't we all just get along?

>

> Barb -- I've been here for a little more than a year, and I can

tell

> you that this is the second summer that a big 'ol brawl has

> erupted...around the same time too. But you know what...I don't

even

> remember what everyone was fighting about last year. And I likely

> won't remember this next year. There really are a lot of great

> people on this board -- many who feel very passionately about

things,

> which is great. But passion by its very nature can get a little

> sticky sometimes. I hope you don't let it scare you off. Hey,

just

> like in life, sometimes we get a bit, shall we say, " spirited " in

our

> discussions. I respect everyone's right to feel the way they

feel,

> to advocate on behalf of their particular child or children they

way

> they see fit, and to try whatever methods they choose in an effort

to

> help their child. I have tried many different types...some worked

> for my kids, some didn't. I'm not going to tell anyone who

suggested

> a method that didn't work for my kid(s) that they must be wrong

> because every child is different. I have two completely different

> ends of the Autism Spectrum right here in my very own house. What

> works for one does not necessarily work for the other. If every

> child with Autism presented exactly the same way with exactly the

> same symptoms, then they might very well respond to exactly the

same

> treatment. But, we all know that isn't the case. So, keep

working

> to find what is the right treatment for your particular child.

>

> Off the soapbox before I pop a stitch...

>

> Anyway, Barb, I would agree with what many of the folks on the

board

> have said in response to your problem. We use the first, then

method

> too. I can't say my guy is always happy about that, but I can

repeat

> things just as much as he can! Eventually, he gets it. It may

not

> be an overnight fix, but not many things are.

>

> Sandee -- I'm starting to get my amalgam fillings replaced too. I

> find it interesting that the dentist's office told me that most

> insurance plans still only cover the amalgam fillings, which no

one

> really does anymore. They warned me that I'd likely have to pay

> possibly even 50% of the replacement cost! Yikes....

>

> That is a great story about Kiernan and the amusement park! That

is

> awesome that things worked so well! I'm glad to hear that many

parks

> are understanding the trouble our kiddos have with waiting. I'm

glad

> to hear he's made up so much of his regression too!

>

> As for us...well, for those of you who know our saga, we have

decided

> to jump off the Titanic and into one of the available

> lifeboats...we've applied for the Autism Scholarship for our

boys.

> The fighting with the school became more than too much for me. I

> have learned that the system is quite broken....at least for us it

> is. Rather than spend the money litigating, I'd rather spend the

> money on something that will directly help my children. That's

just

> my opinion -- that's just how my husband and I feel about it.

Bless

> all of you who have the fortitude to affect change through the

legal

> system.

>

> Our ideas on the above issue are colored by our youngest son's

> situation. Something was just not right. He had not been

himself.

> He became intensely agitated all the time, began slapping and

banging

> his head (even dragging it on the floor at school), and had two

> episodes of complete and unexplained exhaustion. We called a

> neurologist and she got us in right away after hearing his

symptoms.

> After a really not fun EEG, he was found to be having seizures.

He

> seems to be doing a little better now, but he must go for further

not

> so fun tests. I've already warned the nurse in radiology that he

is

> extremely frightened and will not want us coming near him with an

IV

> needle. I suggested full-body armor and/or riot gear (just

> kidding...she laughed). He may also have a genetic disorder that

is

> not helping his situation...so we have to get genetic testing done

> too.

>

> With all this going on, I haven't been around much. I might not

be

> around too much, depending on what happens. I'll still pop in as

I

> can, and I wish you and your children all the best.

>

> We all want what is best for our children. And what is best for

our

> children may be different. We are all trying in our own way. I

> respect you all for that -- even if our ways are different.

>

> Be kind to each other!

>

> --Suzanne

>