We take #vaccines VERY seriously but had to play catch-up today with our youngest and here’s why

I'm going to focus on the positive tonight. There was plenty of things that didn't go right, but the ones that did, matter more in this very moment. I mentioned earlier that Emmett had an appointment with his pediatrician today. It was a combination med check; well check and physical. We needed to touch base in regards to his ADHD and Depression medications before his care transfers to the behavioral health clinic at the main Akron Children's Hospital campus. He also needed his 11-year check-up and physical. Part of that included discussing vaccines. Emmett is the only one of our three kids who's technically behind on his vaccines. Emmett has a rare fever disorder and has had it since he was about a year old. His symptoms have evolved over…

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Are you interested in sharing your story on my #podcast?

I've been thinking about it lately and I wanted to share my plan for season 2 of The Autism Dad podcast. Season 1 consisted of 11 episodes and was my first solo venture into podcasting. It was far from perfect but was received well. I'm going to begin recording season 2 by the end of August, as soon as the kids are back in school. That's the best chance I have at a semi-quiet environment for recording. My goal is to record during the school year and then end the season when school lets out. As far as topics are concerned, this season I was to spend time giving parents a platform and a voice. I used to do this on the blog all the time but I'd love interview…

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Today’s Victory: We were able to pay for my wife’s medication

Today's victory is a bit unique but also something I think people can relate to in a general sense. Money is very tight this month and we're really struggling. We have a great many medical issues that we're contending with and most of them require medication. We're very lucky that most of our medications are covered but there's one in particular that isn't and it's pretty expensive. As many of you know, Lizze is dealing with severe chronic pain from fibromyalgia, Ehulers Danlos, and chronic daily migraines. She's also being treated for PTSD and has pretty severe social anxiety issues. For the last decade, we've tried every medication that was appropriate for her situation, as well as any therapies. Unfortunately, nothing has ever really helped. Her migraines haven't responded to…

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Review: The super cool ultra-thin, trackable smart wallet by @EksterWallets

Before I get into this weeks review, I want to say that I had intended this to be published before Father's Day, but unfortunately, life interfered with that timeline. Better late than never I suppose. One of the things that drive my wife absolutely crazy is my wallet. For me, and a lot of other guys, a trusty old wallet is like a favorite beat-up ball cap. You don't just get a new one because it's been around the block a few times. My wife and I have been together for almost 20 years. In all that time, I think I've only had two wallets. As I said, a trusty wallet is something you don't just get rid of because it's old and falling apart. My wife, however, doesn't feel…

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Remember not to forget the positive things in your life

I wanted to focus on the positives tonight. Life swings both ways, and the negative seems to overwhelm us at times, but it's essential to put the focus on the positive things as often as possible. It's not easy, but it helps to maintain perspective. Fair warning, my thoughts are a little scattered tonight, so I'll likely jump around a bit. 😉 While I didn't sleep well last night, I did sleep. My sleep cycle is out of whack, but I'm slowly making progress in the right direction. It took some deliberate action, but I did make it walking this morning. I got a later start, but I went. On a cool side note, I found two new ducks at the part today. I've talked about the Lonely Duck at…

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I’m at my wit’s end

Gavin is checking all the boxes today in regards to being challenging. We've had one issue after another leaving Lizze and I frustrated. After the issues with his IVIG infusion this morning, Gavin was washing some dishes he needed for lunch. All of a sudden, he begins freaking out. This isn't uncommon for him and therefore we don't always react. He came out of the kitchen and began complaining and telling us that his ankle was cramping up. First of all, ankles don't cramp. That means either something else is going on or he's using the wrong words to describe it. Either way makes it difficult to figure out what's going on. As we're trying to talk to him about it, he's getting more and more worked up. Keep in…

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He lacks commonsense and that’s why this happened

Gavin had a very rough morning. He was struggling and that was even more apparent when it came to his IVIG infusion. I'm not sure where his head was at but we had problems. Maybe he was distracted, preoccupied with thinking about one of his games or perhaps he had a pending mission on his mind. I don't know and I don't think he does either. After dropping the boys off at school, I went walking in the rain. It wasn't too bad but getting wet is getting wet. Anyway, while I was gone, Gavin was preparing his IVIG infusion. He does this every single Monday and Friday morning. Today however, something was different. It's like he was backwards in what he was doing. He opened the supplies, kept the…

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Meltdowns and mayhem led to an incrediblely touching gesture

This morning has been a total disaster. Mr. Emmett woke up in a mood that can only be described as unfortunate. He woke up at one point last night and wanted to crawl into our bed but we got him back into his instead. Maybe he had nightmares again and that's what had him in such a horrible, outwardly aggressive mood. Elliott and Gavin were both the targets of Emmett's verbal wrath at one point or another. Both seemed to understand that Emmett was having a rough time and didn't react in a retaliatory manner. Very proud of them for that. I intervened, correcting Emmett when he lashed out but as most Autism parents can relate to, it's a very fine line between correcting behavior and escalating an already volatile…

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