Read more about the article Could this be a medical crisis? 
Gavin / General Update / My thoughts

Could this be a medical crisis? 

I wanted to update you on what I learned from Gavin's prescribing psychiatrist. They are going to get the refill pushed through to address the immediate issues of Gavin falling off the Clozapine and never again being able to use it again.  They want his labs redrawn and rerun first thing in the morning.  Before we know what to do next, we need to rule out a lab error. This is why we're continuing with the Clozapine at this point. If we stop the Clozapine and it turns out to be a lab error, Gavin will likely love life as an unmedicated schizophrenic. There aren't any other antipsychotics that would be considered safe for him, at least as of right now.  If the numbers prove to be correct and his…

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August 2, 2017
Read more about the article We need your thoughts and prayers
Gavin / Thoughts and Prayers

We need your thoughts and prayers

I received a call from the pharmacy this afternoon, in regards to Gavin's Clozapine refill. Apparently, there are problems with his lab work from this morning, and he may not be able get his meds refilled. The reason Gavin gets blood work so frequently, is because we must ensure his white blood cells count before they will release another refill of his Clozapine. One of the big concerns with Clozapine is its impact on white blood cells. For the first time in close to five years, his white blood cells count has taken a significant hit. Neutrophil count is what they are looking for, and they range from 1.5 - 8.0, at least from what I can find. Gavin's Neutrophil has dropped down to 2.0. This is alarming and we…

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August 1, 2017
Read more about the article We have a new diagnosis and you won’t believe what it is
Blessings / Cat / Cats / Cleo / Family Pets

We have a new diagnosis and you won’t believe what it is

It's been a stressful morning for all of us. We had two appointments this morning before having to get our cat Cleo to the vet again. We were worried that she may need to be put down and that wasn't something we were prepared for.  We spoke with the kids and explained that she's most likely going to be fine, but there's a chance that she won't be. That went about as well as you'd expect, but it was necessary.  I was able to get ahold of my Mom, and she took the boys at the last minute, so they wouldn't have to go with us.  Long story short, Cleo has lost one pound since her last appointment aboht two months ago. When the vet was checking her out, he…

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August 1, 2017
Read more about the article I’m not coping so well this morning
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

I’m not coping so well this morning

The boys are obsessed with Pokémon Go. I normally don't mind because it gets them outside and moving around. This morning however, I'm not coping with life as well as I could be, and Pokémon Go is driving me crazy. It's all the boys are talking about and I can't escape it. We're currently waiting for Gavin to get his bloodwork done, so we're all locked in the car together. I wish I could just tune it out like I normally do, but I'm unable to this morning. The boys aren't doing anything wrong, they're just being themselves. Don't get me wrong, I love who they are, but I don't have to love Pokémon Go. Does you child with Autism obsessively talk about one subject? Does it drive you crazy?…

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August 1, 2017
Read more about the article Is it real or is it drama? 
Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / My thoughts

Is it real or is it drama? 

Gavin's been having a rough couple of days, especially at night. In many ways, he's his own worst enemy. He gets himself all worked up and then he can't settle down.  Friday night we had the medication ordeal. In all the rush to get to calling hours, I want thinking and forgot to physically put his meds in his backpack. When it came to bedtime, he worked himself into a tizzy because he convinced himself that he would never fall asleep until he had his meds.  Missing his meds is not a good thing, however, one dose wouldn't be the end of the world. He would simply pick back up in the morning when he got home.  Lizze's Mom ended up bringing him home around 10 pm (if I recall…

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July 31, 2017
Read more about the article Unfortunately, our cat has to go back to the vet
Family Pets / My thoughts

Unfortunately, our cat has to go back to the vet

I haven't mentioned this to anyone because I'm not sure what's going to happen. We have to take our cat Cleo back into the vet again, on Tuesday. She was having some problems a few months back with diarrhea and we thought it was because she was being bullied by Elliott's cat Greysha.  After several trips to the vet, it was decided that Greysha just never really adjusted to humans after being rescued as a feral kitten. She lived in our house but we rarely saw her, except for when she was attacking Cleo.  I talked about how we were taking her a relatives old farm. Plenty of shelter, lots of food, and most importantly, not many humans.  Since then, Cleo's other behavioral issues have resolved but she still shits…

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July 31, 2017