A DISABILITIY WITH A DISABILITY

MY TITLE KINDA SAYS IT ALL

THE PAST WEEK HAS BEEN TO SAY THE LEAST ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING I HAVE GONE TRHOUGH SINCE THE BIRTH OF MY SON.                I REFLECT ON HOW LUCKY WE HAVE BEEN SINCE HIS BIRTH TO NOT HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH SITUATIONS LIKE THIS--TER WAS ALWAYS A DOCTOR APPOINTMENT OR A THERAPY  ;AN IEP  OR TEACHER CONFERENCE   EVEN A CALL TO COME GET DAKOTA WHEN HE GRABBED SOMETHINGMOF THE WALL IN THE CLASSROOM BUT NEVER  MY BABY BEING HAULED OFF IN AN AMBULANCE BECAUSE HE INJURED HIMSELF.

I AM ON A NEW LEARNING CURVE --- HANDLING A DISABILITY WITH A DISABILITY AND WHAT A CHALLENGE [ THAT SEEMS TO BE THE POPULAR WORD  RIGHT NOW] I MAY REPEAT MYSELF BUT THE ANXIETY DAKOTA HAS SUSTAINED AND I DO MEAN SUSTAINED IS THIS OVERWHELMING FEAR THAT HE WILL BREAK HIS OTHER LEG--HE HAS BEEN IMPOSSIBLE TO CONVINCE TO EVEN PUT ONE FOOT ON THE FLOOR TO TRANSFER OVER TO THE COMODE TO TAKE CARE OF PERSONAL BUSINESS AND BELIEVE ME THAT HAS BEEN A PRIMAL CONCERN. AMAZING HOW PRIORITIES ARE SET. EVERYTHING GOES OUT THE WINDOW AND YOU STRIP DOWN TOO BARE NECESSITIES.  YOU MANAGE HE PAIN AND THE FEAR OF THE INJURY AND YOU ASSUME THE ROLE OF THE NURSE ADMINISTERING MEDS AND CHANGING BEDDING  MAKING SURE YOUR "PATIENT" EATS BUT WHAT IF HE CONTINUES TO EAT AND THERE IS NO MOVEMENT ON THE OTHER END?????? WELL THATS WHERE THIS LAST WEEKS JOURNEY HAS LED ME!

REALITY TV HAS PLAYED A PART--- EVER HEARD OF FEAR FACTOR??? WELL OUR PORTABLE COMODE HAS BECOME THE FEAR FACTOR TOILET! DAKOTA IS A REAITY TV JUNKIE HE LOVES THEM ALL BUT FEAR FACTOR IS ONE OF HIS FAVORITES. SO WHEN I WAS BECOMING SO UNSUCESSFUL AT CONVINCING HIM TO STAND ON THE GOOD LEG AND TRANSFER I KNEW I HAD TO DO SOMETHING DRASTIC TO "GET THE BALL ROLLIN" I WHIPPED OUT THE WIDE MASKING TAPEND GRABBED A BLACK SHARPI PEN AND MADE A FEAR FACTOR LOGO TO TAPE ON THE LID.I TOLD HIM IF ALL THOSE GUYS HE WATCHED EATING BUGS AND CRASHING CARS COULD FACE THEIR FEARS THEN HE COULD FACE HIS OWN FEAR FACTOR---I EVEN THREATEND TO CALL JOE ROGAN THE HOST OF FEAR FACTOR AND TELL HIM THAT HE WOULDNT FACE HIS FEAR.       THE END RESULT HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT SUCCESSFUL. ALTHOUGH IT STILL TOOK ALOT O TALKING AND COAXINGWE HAVE ACHIEVED AT LEAST A DEGREE OF CALMNESS WITH THIS TASK. I CANT TELL YOU HOW HOORIFIED HE WAS --THERE HAS BEEN TERROR IN HIS EYES AND TEARS  HE IS SO FEARFUL IT BREAKS MY HEART THAT HE HAS HAD TO GO THRU THIS.  AFTER A WEEK  WE ARE JUST NOW SETTLING INTO A DEGREE OF ACCEPTANCE BUT WE STILL HAVE WORK AHEAD OF US--

THIS AFTERNOON IS THE FIRST VISIT BACK TO THE HOSPITAL AND WE HAVE TO GO BY MEDI-VAN SO I WILL BE THE FIRST TIME HE HAS TO ACTUALLY GET UP INTO A WHEEL CHAIR AND MOVE AROUND  --I AM SURE I WILL BE ADDING MORE  SO WISH US LUCK

THE ONLY REASON IM WRTING ABOUT THIS IS I HOPE THAT I MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY NEED SOME INSIGHT AS TO HOW HANDLE A SIMILAR SITUATION--THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS BEING CREATIVE  AND KNOWING WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR CHILD  A DISABILITY WITH AN ADDED DISABILITY IS COMPLICATED ESPECILLY WHEN OR "GUYS" CANT REASON LIKE A NEURO-TYPICAL PERSON   WE HAVE TO BE ON THEIR LEVEL TO HELP THEM COPE IN THEIR DIFFERENT WAY!

WELL DAKOTA IS CALLING ME  CANT LEAVE HIM ALONE   WILL WRITE MORE LATER THANK YOU TO ALL WHO HAVE LOGGED ON  HOPE I HELP SOMEONE .