Posts Tagged ‘autism’
Bringing a New Baby into a Special Needs Household
Making the decision to have another baby is a huge decision no matter what your situation. When you find out you are expecting a baby, you are flooded with excitement, joy, concerns, fear and so many other emotions! It can be a time of great worry for some people, but when you are a parent of a child with additional needs, it brings a whole new level of worry to it. It wasn’t long before the birth of our second son that most of the problems Master W was experiencing,…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis Update-Week Three
I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 21 days in! In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2018. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started. Want to know if medical cannabis is legal for autism in your state? Click HERE. After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible.…
Read MoreThe People You Meet Along the Way
When I first received the news that my son had autism over three years ago, my mind instantly started making a list of the potential challenges that awaited us in the future. Will he ever talk? Will he ever be potty-trained? Will he need to be in a special classroom with other disabled children? Negative or difficult scenarios would keep me up at night, and I’d toss and turn thinking about how I was going to help him face each one. Fast-forward three years later, and ironically, many of those…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis Update-Week Two
I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 14 days in! In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2018. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started. Want to know if medical cannabis is legal for autism in your state? Click HERE. After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible.…
Read MoreThe Land of Grief
I’ve scoured so many posts, blogs, and advice columns looking for moms like me. The moms who still struggle with the diagnosis. Moms who still wake up in the middle of the night unable to breathe, and moms who doubt everything they thought they knew. I look for moms like me, who have been crushed by the weight of autism. It’s been ten long years. Nothing has soothed these wounds. I’ve tried. I’ve tried different therapies. Antidepressants. Christianity. Wine. Way too much wine. No one seems to understand what this…
Read MoreLove Will Always Conquer the Grief
I had a dream a few weeks ago that I’ve never had, and have thought about ever since. You woke up and sat at the end of the kitchen table with me while I was drinking my coffee. I asked you how you slept and you answered me. You asked me to make you breakfast, and we sat and talked without an iPad screen between us. You told me about your friends at school and how you think the little blonde girl in your class from last year likes you…
Read MoreWhen Grief Affects Every Aspect of your Life
I was swallowed into the autism pit and it almost destroyed every relationship in my life. I became so caught up in my grief that I began to become bitter towards my friends and their children’s growth. Seeing their accomplishments devastated me. I would become resentful listening to them ‘complain’ about running their kids around or how many activities they were in., etc. I would snap at them saying, ‘at least you aren’t spending your Saturday’s in therapy.’ I stopped answering the phone and they eventually stopped calling. It drove…
Read MoreMedical Cannabis Update-Week One
I promised I would give a weekly update on our journey with medical cannabis for our severely autistic son. We are 9 days in! In Minnesota, medical cannabis was legalized for autism in July 2019. The program is regulated by the state of Minnesota. You can read more HERE about how we got started. After getting a prescription from his doctor and jumping through all the hoops, we started him on the lowest dose possible. Our dispensary offers three blends of medical cannabis. Think of it as three strengths. We…
Read MoreLearning a Very Important Lesson
Someday, when your autistic child is three or four or five, you will learn a very important lesson. You will learn that it isn’t about you. Or what you are missing out on. It’s a very hard lesson to learn. At least it was for me. Because it didn’t make it any easier for my heart. By that age, you will have went through many birthday parties with a child who doesn’t care. You will plan the party, invite the guests, buy the presents, and your child will be oblivious…
Read MoreAutism From a Grandparent’s Perspective
My youngest granddaughter is visiting this weekend. I have six of these treasures ranging from ages 10 to 18. I adore them. I drive 3 ½ hours one way to go to a 30-minute concert, only to turn right around and drive back to be at work the next day. I probably have ten thousand pictures on my computer of zoo trips and vacations and holidays and amusement parks and ordinary days. I LOVE being their “Grangie”. However, a visit from my youngest, Grandgirl #4, (GG 4) requires strategic planning.…
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