Read more about the article Sometimes it’s really hard to remain positive
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

Sometimes it’s really hard to remain positive

This has been a rough week for us. Actually, it's been a rough recent history for us. We really, really, really need to chalk up some victories here because moral is getting low. There are some very positive things that have happened recently. The mass in Gavin's arm turned out to be nothing and Lizze's appointment with the Neurological Center for Pain at the Cleveland Clinic went amazingly well (more on that later). Those are big wins but the losses are big as well and they often outnumber the wins. Here's just a few examples of what I'm currently trying to cope with. It looks like we're going to get buried by this homeowners claim for the storm damage. At this point, I can't see how this will work out…

2 Comments
October 19, 2018
Read more about the article At the @clevelandclinic Neurological Center for Pain hoping for a miracle
Cleveland Clinic / Lizze / Migraines / My thoughts / Neurological Center for Pain

At the @clevelandclinic Neurological Center for Pain hoping for a miracle

Lizze and I have safely arrived at the Cleveland Clinic's, Neurological Center for Pain. She really scared that they won't be able to help her. She hasn't been in - nor does she want to go on pain medication. She want the pain to stop, not just be masked. We are hoping that she can try a medication called Aimovig. It came out earlier this year and is the very first medication designed specifically for migraines. It's not a medication for something else that used offlable to treat migraines. It's supposed to be a big deal and we're hoping she can try it. She's had the same migraine for close to 7 years now. It never goes away and it only slightly lessens or gets worse. She's desperate for relief…

6 Comments
October 18, 2018
Read more about the article My wife is visiting the @clevelandclinic today, desperate for relief from her constant migraines
Cleveland Clinic / Lizze / Migraines / My thoughts / Neurology

My wife is visiting the @clevelandclinic today, desperate for relief from her constant migraines

It's a huge day for Lizze. She's finally getting in to see her new headache specialist at the Cleveland Clinic. Lizze has had the same migraine for roughly the last 6 plus years and it never stops or goes away. She's never responded to medication and they've tried everything, including Botox injections in her forehead, face and back of the neck. It's been years since there's been any new options for the her to try but there are currently new treatments that hold promise for relief. Part of the issue that makes Lizze's case so complicated is that she has Ehlers-Danlos and mild autonomic disfunction. Ehlers-Danlos is a connective tissue disorder and can also effect the cardiovascular system as well. It's believed that her migraines may be related to a…

2 Comments
October 18, 2018
Read more about the article It’s been an okay-ish day
My thoughts

It’s been an okay-ish day

It's been a relatively okay afternoon. The boys had a good day at school and that's awesome because we don't have a good start to the day. When they got home, I had them put their things away and grab a snack. There wasn't too much fighting or bickering and it was actually kinda quiet. That's almoat never a bad thing. ☺ The boys have therapy again tonight and we'll have to see how that goes. Lizze is sleeping and I'll explain that later..

0 Comments
October 17, 2018
Read more about the article Gavin had a massive emotional breakdown last night
Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My thoughts

Gavin had a massive emotional breakdown last night

Gavin had a complete emotional breakdown while at therapy last night, it came out of nowhere and it a big one. He was playing basketball with Emmett and while he wasn't doing anything wrong, he also wasn't recognizing that he was playing with someone half his size. I pulled him aside so Dr. Pattie and I could talk to him about it. All we wanted to do was help him understand why Emmett was getting frustrated. That seemed to be the catalyst that broke the flood gates and had him on the floor in the fetal position, borderline hysterical. It appears that Gavin's been carrying a great deal of pain and regret around with him. For whatever reason, he never told us about this and we only learned about it…

2 Comments
October 17, 2018
Read more about the article The current estimate arrived and it’s not good at all
Link / My thoughts

The current estimate arrived and it’s not good at all

I heard from our adjuster last night and also received the current estimate via email. I say current estimate because until the tree is gone, he can't tally the rest of the damage. Basically, at this point we're not looking good at all, not even a little. At this point in time, I'm dealing with a total payout of about $1,000, and plus I get the chance to bless a random contractor and whoever did the marketing for construction companies near me. It's important to understand that this is supposed to cover everything that has been currently inspected. That $1,000 has to cover the cut up and removal of the enormous branch in the yard, damaged siding, about 80 feet of gutter and broken cedar fence. The damage to the…

6 Comments
October 17, 2018
Read more about the article I don’t think this is going to work out well for us
My thoughts

I don’t think this is going to work out well for us

Yesterday I met with the claims adjuster, in regards to the storm damage to our house and yard. The guy was really nice but some of the information that he provided, contradicted what I had been told over the phone by desk adjuster (I think that's what the person was called). There is one enormous area of concern for me, that falls smack dab in the middle of this contradiction and that's the damaged tree that still remains standing. Before I get to that, let me explain where we stand with everything else. First of all, if you're unfamiliar with that happened during the freak storm, you can catch up here. There's tons of pictures and background. The damage to the house should be covered without a problem. We can't…

5 Comments
October 17, 2018
Read more about the article Lighting the way for parents facing similar struggles
Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Lighting the way for parents facing similar struggles

I'm really trying to keep up with writing. When I first started, almost 10 years ago, you could literally follow us along our journey because I wrote constantly. I don't do that so much anymore but I'm trying to find a middle ground between exhaustion, helping others, my need to write and my readers desire to follow our journey.. Yesterday, I published an article about what my family experienced during the seperation, why it happened and what we learned along the way. That got me thinking about a lot of things. Perhaps I don't need to provide a play by play anymore. Instead, I can help just as many people by sharing stories and/or experiences on a regular basis, in a somewhat coherent manner. 😉 At the end of the…

2 Comments
October 16, 2018