Posts Tagged ‘severe autism’
When No One Says Hi Back
I just encountered a handicapped gentlemen in the skyway outside of my office. I would say he was in his fifties. I heard him coming. He was saying the most cheerful ‘hi’ to every person he passed. I noticed he was being ignored. Which I guess isn’t all that uncommon. When a stranger says hi it’s probably normal to ignore. When he said hi to me I gave him the most cheerful hi I could give. He stopped walking and asked if I was going to have a baby. I…
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 MoreAfter the Diagnosis
It has taken me almost a year to write this. On February 16, 2017 my life changed. Keegan got his diagnosis of severe (level 3) autism. I had known in my heart for over six months that it was autism, but prayed that it wouldn’t be, and that the early intervention would start working. I had prayed that his symptoms would go away, but when they didn’t…I had hoped for a diagnosis of mild. Looking at his symptoms I knew it would be more than mild, but I kept telling…
Read MoreLetting Out The Breath You’ve Been Holding For So Long
‘The best feeling is watching things finally fall into place after watching them fall apart for so long.’ The beginning was so hard. Before the autism diagnosis. The unknown. The hating myself for suspecting something was wrong. The watching all of his peers and even younger kids pass him by. The exhaustion. Never sleeping. Wondering why my baby was different. The fighting with my husband because I saw something he refused to see. The hoping it was anything but autism. Late bloomer. Boys will be boys. Holding my breath. Waiting.…
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 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 MoreWhen Autism Makes People Uncomfortable
A time will come on this journey when your autistic child will make someone uncomfortable. Like really visibly uncomfortable. Maybe you are in line at the grocery store. Or in a waiting room at a doctor’s office. Or at a park. And your child will be flapping, running, grunting and loving life, just being happy, and you will see people move away from them. You will see stares. You will see looks. I want to tell you that how you react in that very moment is a really big deal.…
Read MoreWhat if you Didn’t Need Me Anymore?
My son, So many changes are happening at our house right now. Your brother is starting kindergarten in three days. You are getting a new brother in five weeks. We are still settling into our new house. And yet, with you and I, nothing has changed. We are still inseparable. I am still your person. I’ve spent time today thinking about my role as your mama. And your brothers. Sawyer is five going on fifteen. He is social. He has so many friends. Many whom ring our doorbell daily. I…
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