As a caregiver, whether it be for someone with Autism or perhaps an elderly loved one, fostering or even preserving a maximum level of independence is really important. We recently went through this with my grandparents and it wasn't easy. One of the big challenges with my grandparents was often medication management.
I'm holding it together pretty well today. I'm currently sleep deprived, exhausted, depressed, overwhelmed, and anxious, but I'm holding my own. 😊 I think that I need to keep myself busy and avoid dead time. When I have unoccupied time on my hands, my thoughts can wander, and I begin to focus on the things that are causing me the most stress. Most of these things are well outside of my control, so fretting about them serves no purpose. I've already been to the grocery store today and spent more than I wanted to, but we got to eat. The rest of the afternoon will be relatively quiet, and I'm going to try and knock out two projects that I need to finish up. I know I'll feel much better…
I have such a hard time sleeping at night lately. My brain is running continually trying to solve the problems in my life, and I can't seem to shut down. That's definitely a problem, but it's workable and could worse. I was too tired to go walking this morning, and while it's important to push myself, it's also important I don't push myself too far. Today I'm going to focus on grocery shopping and finishing up two projects that should really be done by today. I'm so far behind on this stuff, and I need to get out from underneath the pile-up. The plan for today is to hit the grocery store, spend as little as possible to get everything we need, and assuming the weather holds out, light a…
I've not spoken about this in a while because I have been so caught up in the struggle; it hadn't occurred to me. During therapy tonight with the kids, our therapist mentioned that I'm in survival mode. I'm very familiar with survival mode but hadn't actually thought about it in a long time. I think many fulltime caregivers experience survival mode, but it can happen to anyone. Survival mode is a state in which a persons functionality is temporarily but significantly reduced to preserve what little physical and emotional resources they have left. This is not to be confused with laziness because it's not at all the same thing. Someone enters survival mode when they are physically and emotionally bankrupt. This is common for caregivers and parents of special needs…
I was supposed to do an interview or a pre-interview interview for a show I was invited on. Yesterday was supposed to be very informal and just a meet and greet kinda thing. I had it planned out that I would jump into the Google Hangout while I was helping my Mom after her knee surgery. The interview came and went without me joining because I forgot about it. It's totally my fault, and I never do that. I always do my best to make myself available when someone wants to talk to me. I figure it's nice to connect with new people, learn about their story, support their efforts, and help raise awareness for mine. I've apologized, and if you're reading this, I truly am sorry that I missed…
It's been a long ass day, and I know this will come as a surprise to you, but I'm exhausted. The boys had therapy tonight, and for the most part, it went okay. Several teachable moments arose during the session, but I'm not sure much was learned. Emmett's like a raw nerve. His new meds aren't really helping yet cause it's too soon and he's having a rough time with life. Elliott is dealing with lots of teen angst, and Gavin's is just significantly struggling in general. Add some frustration to the mix, and you have an explosive combination.. Elliott and Emmett are mostly manageable. I mean, it's a long of work, and it's exhausting, but it's manageable. Gavin is incredibly confused at times throughout the day and making decisions…
I'm really struggling with Gavin lately. He's a great kid, and while there's some debate over his motives, I personally don't feel like he's doing anything on purpose. Yes, he's making choices that drive me fucking crazy, but I don't think he's trying to do so. Frankly, Lizze and I agree that there is an element of choice involved in at least some of the things he does, we just don't really know for sure where that line is. I'm supposed to call the Cleveland Clinic later this week and find out the results of his neuropsych testing from a few weeks ago. That's going to provide more insight into how his brain is operating and more importantly, at what level he's functioning on. Lizze, Dr. Pattie and I all…
I didn't sleep for very long, but I managed to get at least a few hours. That being said, I feel pretty good this morning. I was up and at the park today by 6:30 AM. My walk went well and I'm feeling pretty good about starting the day like this. Last night was pretty rough for me, but I think that there's a chance today will be better. ☺