I found out today that tomorrow, 5/27/09, is the very first World MS Day. You can check out the website at www.worldmsday.org and be sure to check out the video....pretty powerful!
I think that World MS Day will grow over the years and I will plan to get involved next year. I won't be doing anything this year since I just found out today that it will be the last Wednesday in May. However, the least we can do is register and show our support for the cause (even if we can't donate in this current economic time). While I was searching through the list of people that have registered on the website for World MS Day, I felt comforted by the fact that we truly are NOT alone in this fight!
I read that 2 million people world-wide have MS and I got to thinking about how many people are actually affected....because this illness does not affect just the person that has it. It affects those around the individual that have MS as well. For me, it directly affects my children. But then, it also affects my brother, some of my extended family (even though they aren't close), my friends and my co-workers so that would bring the count up to at least 15 people. I think if we found the number of people affected by MS and not just those that have it...that number would be astounding!
For now, I'm off to bed because I managed to get a cold over this last weekend and need as much sleep as I can muster up.
For the rest of this week, especially tomorrow, remember:
For without hope, there would be no goals and no desire to dream, believe or fight for a cure!
Until next time....
~Hope~
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Daily Challenges....
Today I was at work, it was busy and I realized just how challenging each day can be! I felt great first thing in the morning and as the day went on, I just started dragging. I couldn't help but realize that everyone with MS has some kind of daily challenge that they are faced with. I work as a customer service rep and it gets busy from about May to November. Last summer I made it through, but now that I have a more clear understanding of my MS...I wonder if I will make it through another summer and more to come...hmmm?!
Let me explain my job a bit more....I work for a fairly small company and therefore there are only 5 of us in customer service. This means that each person has a great deal of responsibility each day. Now that we are getting busy, it's no surprise that I enter almost 30 orders per day and answer about 50 phone calls (guestimating on that one). It means that each CS rep has to be ready to handle whatever the day throws at them....so what happens when you are already challenged just by waking up in the morning?! This is a question that frightens me because I know the logical response would be....it might be time to find something different that will better suit my needs, but the truth is that I love my job and am not ready to find something different (especially in the current state of the economy). This poses another few questions....what are my daily challenges and how can I ensure that I can handle my job during the busy season with my MS???
My daily challenges:
1. Chronic Dizziness and Vertigo Spells- I have lived with chronic dizziness since 2003 and so I'm no stranger to how it affects me and is easily triggered by stress. The more stress, the more frequent the vertigo spells....ugh. Over the years, I have learned many relaxation techniques and learned how to quickly let things go to reduce stress. However, I am certainly no expert and it's almost impossible to do these things when work can be chaotic.
2. Auditory Processing Disorder - My ENT doctor finally agreed that I have this issue. It would have been easier if I had just hearing loss so I could have a hearing aid and be fine. With APD, there is nothing to fix how my brain processes the things I hear. Therefore, I am constantly asking people to repeat what they say to ensure I have heard it correctly. This poses to be one of the most challenging issues in the busy season at my work.
3. MS Fatigue - I should be getting between 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night, but as a single mother of twins that has to work full time...that is impossible! So I'm left to make due with about 7 to 9 hours of sleep instead. I start the day out feeling decent, but then as the day goes on, I become tired and then exhausted. I have started taking a medication that seems to help this...but what I'm noticing is that it helps so I don't feel like I'm going to buckle from fatigue, but still leaves me feeling tired throughout the day. This is going to be a chronic daily challenge because I will most likely have to continue naps after work since I can't take one at lunch and there is no way to get off earlier in the afternoon to be able to take one sooner than about 6pm :(
4. Heat Sensitivity - This is not a problem in the cooler months, except when I try to exercise. Now that we are heading into summer, this will be a problem...especially without a/c in my car (it's broke and so am I...LOL). I try to stay indoors as much as I can when the sun is out, but that is impossible when you have to drive, go outside to smoke, etc. This will intensify the problems with MS Fatigue and Chronic Dizziness.
5. Memory/Cognitive issues - This one is the least clear as far as the impact to my daily life at the moment. I have noticed that I can be rolling along in a conversation and totally lose my thought process and have to just stop because it is gone. I know we all struggle with this one a little bit, but it has been worsened pretty severely since last summer and is seriously frustrating and embarrassing when in the middle of a conversation with a customer. I'm also noticing that I can't remember things that I should know and had no problem remembering last year.
There are other issues that can challenge me, but they vary by day and not really worth mentioning right at the moment. The 5 listed above are the most frustrating and concerning, especially in relation to my job. Some days (like today)....I just want to give up and say....you know, I'm not cut out for this anymore and DONE! However, the fact that I have to support my twins and know that now is not the time to be quitting a job along with the fact that I should work as long as possible before giving into disability keeps pushing me forward.
But then, what the heck do I do about these issues?!
Honestly....I haven't figured that one out yet and really have not a clue as to where to start. I have thought of many different things and some are way out of the ballpark of possibilities and others are possible (I think). I have already started doing things like a "To Do" list and putting follow up reminders in my Outlook calendar at work.....so far those have helped with some of the memory/cognitive issues. I have thought about using an ear plug for the noise level at work so that I'm able to focus on my phone calls, but that could be a problem because I would have to put one in (only one because my headset is on the other ear) when I get a call and then take it out because there are things/conversations I have to have w/ my co-workers and then put it back in for a call and then take it back out....ugh! I have suggested over and over again, that the company do something about the noise level and after 2 years of asking, suggesting, begging and being so close to a resolution....we can't do anything due to the economic downturn. So, I may just be forced to try the earplug thing and hope that it helps/works. Now, for the problem with losing my thoughts mid-conversation, I'm sure I could get some good tips/suggestions from an occupational therapist, but if I can't make an appointment for a weekend....it will have to wait until slow season because it's just too busy to take time off work for that one. I guess I will just have to continue to stumble and hope that it doesn't have much of an impact. For the heat sensitivity, I am having my a/c in my car looked at tomorrow in hopes that it won't cost must to fix and maybe I can afford to do it soon. Otherwise, it will have to wait until beginning of next year. I've also considered purchasing a fan for my desk at work and plan to do that this weekend. For the MS Fatigue, I'm just going to have to try to get as much sleep at night and take naps after work as needed....plain and simple. For the chronic dizziness & vertigo spells, I will just have to try to keep calm and not allow things at work to stress me out as best I can and then practice relaxation techniques in the evenings and on weekends to try to help.
Any suggestions/comments are always welcome!
Until next time....
~Hope~
Let me explain my job a bit more....I work for a fairly small company and therefore there are only 5 of us in customer service. This means that each person has a great deal of responsibility each day. Now that we are getting busy, it's no surprise that I enter almost 30 orders per day and answer about 50 phone calls (guestimating on that one). It means that each CS rep has to be ready to handle whatever the day throws at them....so what happens when you are already challenged just by waking up in the morning?! This is a question that frightens me because I know the logical response would be....it might be time to find something different that will better suit my needs, but the truth is that I love my job and am not ready to find something different (especially in the current state of the economy). This poses another few questions....what are my daily challenges and how can I ensure that I can handle my job during the busy season with my MS???
My daily challenges:
1. Chronic Dizziness and Vertigo Spells- I have lived with chronic dizziness since 2003 and so I'm no stranger to how it affects me and is easily triggered by stress. The more stress, the more frequent the vertigo spells....ugh. Over the years, I have learned many relaxation techniques and learned how to quickly let things go to reduce stress. However, I am certainly no expert and it's almost impossible to do these things when work can be chaotic.
2. Auditory Processing Disorder - My ENT doctor finally agreed that I have this issue. It would have been easier if I had just hearing loss so I could have a hearing aid and be fine. With APD, there is nothing to fix how my brain processes the things I hear. Therefore, I am constantly asking people to repeat what they say to ensure I have heard it correctly. This poses to be one of the most challenging issues in the busy season at my work.
3. MS Fatigue - I should be getting between 10 to 12 hours of sleep per night, but as a single mother of twins that has to work full time...that is impossible! So I'm left to make due with about 7 to 9 hours of sleep instead. I start the day out feeling decent, but then as the day goes on, I become tired and then exhausted. I have started taking a medication that seems to help this...but what I'm noticing is that it helps so I don't feel like I'm going to buckle from fatigue, but still leaves me feeling tired throughout the day. This is going to be a chronic daily challenge because I will most likely have to continue naps after work since I can't take one at lunch and there is no way to get off earlier in the afternoon to be able to take one sooner than about 6pm :(
4. Heat Sensitivity - This is not a problem in the cooler months, except when I try to exercise. Now that we are heading into summer, this will be a problem...especially without a/c in my car (it's broke and so am I...LOL). I try to stay indoors as much as I can when the sun is out, but that is impossible when you have to drive, go outside to smoke, etc. This will intensify the problems with MS Fatigue and Chronic Dizziness.
5. Memory/Cognitive issues - This one is the least clear as far as the impact to my daily life at the moment. I have noticed that I can be rolling along in a conversation and totally lose my thought process and have to just stop because it is gone. I know we all struggle with this one a little bit, but it has been worsened pretty severely since last summer and is seriously frustrating and embarrassing when in the middle of a conversation with a customer. I'm also noticing that I can't remember things that I should know and had no problem remembering last year.
There are other issues that can challenge me, but they vary by day and not really worth mentioning right at the moment. The 5 listed above are the most frustrating and concerning, especially in relation to my job. Some days (like today)....I just want to give up and say....you know, I'm not cut out for this anymore and DONE! However, the fact that I have to support my twins and know that now is not the time to be quitting a job along with the fact that I should work as long as possible before giving into disability keeps pushing me forward.
But then, what the heck do I do about these issues?!
Honestly....I haven't figured that one out yet and really have not a clue as to where to start. I have thought of many different things and some are way out of the ballpark of possibilities and others are possible (I think). I have already started doing things like a "To Do" list and putting follow up reminders in my Outlook calendar at work.....so far those have helped with some of the memory/cognitive issues. I have thought about using an ear plug for the noise level at work so that I'm able to focus on my phone calls, but that could be a problem because I would have to put one in (only one because my headset is on the other ear) when I get a call and then take it out because there are things/conversations I have to have w/ my co-workers and then put it back in for a call and then take it back out....ugh! I have suggested over and over again, that the company do something about the noise level and after 2 years of asking, suggesting, begging and being so close to a resolution....we can't do anything due to the economic downturn. So, I may just be forced to try the earplug thing and hope that it helps/works. Now, for the problem with losing my thoughts mid-conversation, I'm sure I could get some good tips/suggestions from an occupational therapist, but if I can't make an appointment for a weekend....it will have to wait until slow season because it's just too busy to take time off work for that one. I guess I will just have to continue to stumble and hope that it doesn't have much of an impact. For the heat sensitivity, I am having my a/c in my car looked at tomorrow in hopes that it won't cost must to fix and maybe I can afford to do it soon. Otherwise, it will have to wait until beginning of next year. I've also considered purchasing a fan for my desk at work and plan to do that this weekend. For the MS Fatigue, I'm just going to have to try to get as much sleep at night and take naps after work as needed....plain and simple. For the chronic dizziness & vertigo spells, I will just have to try to keep calm and not allow things at work to stress me out as best I can and then practice relaxation techniques in the evenings and on weekends to try to help.
Any suggestions/comments are always welcome!
Until next time....
~Hope~
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Everyone has an MS story....what's yours?
Almost everyone knows someone that has MS. Those that have MS have a story to tell and it's not going to be the same as anyone else.....so, if interested, post your story right here as a response to this blog.
Here is my story:
At the beginning of June 2008, I had a severe headache and wound up in the emergency room the first night. The second headache caused the left side of my face to go numb and was a bit scary. The headaches continued for the entire week and ended on June 7th (my birthday). My doctor and neurologist were concerned about internal bleeding in the brain, stroke or something more serious. I had a CT scan on June 6th and luckily that ruled out anything immediately life-threatening. I met with my neurologist on June 25th and he saw a “white spot” on my CT scan and wanted me to go have an MRI done to further investigate what was going on. Unfortunately the headaches had triggered a whole bunch of problems including increasing my chronic dizziness (that I have had since 2003), blurry vision, etc. which made doing anything challenging, but I had to work and attempt to take care of my children with little help. I went in for the MRI scan on July 1st and awaited the results. My neurologist called the next afternoon and told me that it looked like Multiple Sclerosis and was in shock that I was walking, hearing and seeing due to the size of the damage (called demylination) to my brain stem. I met with my neurologist again on July 10th and we looked at the MRI scan images and decided it was best to get a lumbar puncture (also called spinal tap) to help confirm MS. I had the lumbar puncture on July 14th and again awaited the results. On July 22nd, my neurologist called and told me that there was not much doubt that it was in fact MS. I won’t go into too much more detail (or else this will end up being a long book), but I started medication in August, a daily injection of Copaxone. This medication doesn’t treat the problems that I’m left with, but is supposed to reduce the frequency of attacks and delay the disabling impact of the disease. We won’t really know it is working until my next MRI, which will happen later this year. I have spent the last nine months learning how to live with this chronic illness and increased medical bills, etc. The good news that comes out of all this….is that I’m not completely disabled nor am I dying. I am still able to work, walk, see & hear.
Until next time....
~Hope~
Here is my story:
At the beginning of June 2008, I had a severe headache and wound up in the emergency room the first night. The second headache caused the left side of my face to go numb and was a bit scary. The headaches continued for the entire week and ended on June 7th (my birthday). My doctor and neurologist were concerned about internal bleeding in the brain, stroke or something more serious. I had a CT scan on June 6th and luckily that ruled out anything immediately life-threatening. I met with my neurologist on June 25th and he saw a “white spot” on my CT scan and wanted me to go have an MRI done to further investigate what was going on. Unfortunately the headaches had triggered a whole bunch of problems including increasing my chronic dizziness (that I have had since 2003), blurry vision, etc. which made doing anything challenging, but I had to work and attempt to take care of my children with little help. I went in for the MRI scan on July 1st and awaited the results. My neurologist called the next afternoon and told me that it looked like Multiple Sclerosis and was in shock that I was walking, hearing and seeing due to the size of the damage (called demylination) to my brain stem. I met with my neurologist again on July 10th and we looked at the MRI scan images and decided it was best to get a lumbar puncture (also called spinal tap) to help confirm MS. I had the lumbar puncture on July 14th and again awaited the results. On July 22nd, my neurologist called and told me that there was not much doubt that it was in fact MS. I won’t go into too much more detail (or else this will end up being a long book), but I started medication in August, a daily injection of Copaxone. This medication doesn’t treat the problems that I’m left with, but is supposed to reduce the frequency of attacks and delay the disabling impact of the disease. We won’t really know it is working until my next MRI, which will happen later this year. I have spent the last nine months learning how to live with this chronic illness and increased medical bills, etc. The good news that comes out of all this….is that I’m not completely disabled nor am I dying. I am still able to work, walk, see & hear.
Until next time....
~Hope~
Saturday, April 25, 2009
A journey with MS...
I have spent the last 9 months learning how to cope with a chronic illness....Multiple Sclerosis. I have decided that in order to share with others that I am going to start blogging about it. I have blogged a little bit about it, but not enough. I have always believed that being able to write about things is healthy, but then I get too busy and don't make time to do it....that stops now :)
To be on the safe side, I will state this disclosure...
I want to let anyone reading this know that I have no medical background and am only speaking from my own personal experiences and therefore anything I write cannot be claimed as fact.
Here we go...
When I was officially diagnosed on 7/22/08 with Multiple Sclerosis, there were so many emotions that ran through my body that I almost fell over. The first two that hit me were relief and fear. I was relieved that I wasn't dying, but was in fear of what was going to happen to me and my children. Then shock set in....and the question, is this real?! One would think that 3 emotions would be enough for anyone to handle, but this kind of diagnosis actually floods any number of emotions through you. Next was sadness and the ultimate question, why me?! Next came anger....and that one is ugly!
As I look back, I was basically numb for several months until I was able to start dealing with all of the emotions that flooded my system. I would just get up and go to work, get through the day and come home. When I got home, I would just zone out in games on the computer, not really dealing with anything. I think this is a natural human response when one is flooded with emotions. We have a tendency to just shut down at first. And then at some point something clicks (whatever the trigger may be) and we turn back on the emotion switch and actually start dealing with them. For me personally, I have been through a lot of traumatic situations and events in my young life (as many call it....and rightfully so since I'm only 28) and these events have helped me to know how to quickly move past the emotions and just get down to business. The first business to address was whether to start treatment right away or not. I made the decision to start medication right away because in general starting treatment early was necessary to hopefully reduce exacerbations (also called attacks) and to prevent further damage to my CNS (Central Nervous System). There are a bunch of medications out there for MS so I had to sit down and really look at them and talk to others about them to decide which one was best for me. Since MS is so very different for each person that has it, each person with it will have to do their own research and some may even decide medication isn't right for them at that moment. However, there is a lot of information out there to support the idea that starting treatment early gives you the best possible outcome to prevent or delay the disabling impact of the disease.
I also began learning everything I possibly could about MS because I feel that education is very important so that you know what you are dealing with. Actually it was funny, I went to the local library and probably brought home about 20 books about MS. Once I got the books home, I started going through them and realized that many of them were outdated and a few were too technical and boring. I ended up returning most of them to the library and only keeping 2 to read. The two that I read were "Multiple Sclerosis: The Ultimate User-Friendly Guide (2nd Edition)" from The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center Guild and "Multiple Sclerosis" New Hope and Practical Advice for people with MS and their families" by Louis J Rosner, M.D. and Shelley Ross. I have also picked up another book called "Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies" that has been extremely helpful. In my opinion, these are probably the best books to start with for anyone with MS and family/friends that are supporting someone with MS.
For now, I will end this blog session.
Until next time.....stay positive! :)
~Hope~
To be on the safe side, I will state this disclosure...
I want to let anyone reading this know that I have no medical background and am only speaking from my own personal experiences and therefore anything I write cannot be claimed as fact.
Here we go...
When I was officially diagnosed on 7/22/08 with Multiple Sclerosis, there were so many emotions that ran through my body that I almost fell over. The first two that hit me were relief and fear. I was relieved that I wasn't dying, but was in fear of what was going to happen to me and my children. Then shock set in....and the question, is this real?! One would think that 3 emotions would be enough for anyone to handle, but this kind of diagnosis actually floods any number of emotions through you. Next was sadness and the ultimate question, why me?! Next came anger....and that one is ugly!
As I look back, I was basically numb for several months until I was able to start dealing with all of the emotions that flooded my system. I would just get up and go to work, get through the day and come home. When I got home, I would just zone out in games on the computer, not really dealing with anything. I think this is a natural human response when one is flooded with emotions. We have a tendency to just shut down at first. And then at some point something clicks (whatever the trigger may be) and we turn back on the emotion switch and actually start dealing with them. For me personally, I have been through a lot of traumatic situations and events in my young life (as many call it....and rightfully so since I'm only 28) and these events have helped me to know how to quickly move past the emotions and just get down to business. The first business to address was whether to start treatment right away or not. I made the decision to start medication right away because in general starting treatment early was necessary to hopefully reduce exacerbations (also called attacks) and to prevent further damage to my CNS (Central Nervous System). There are a bunch of medications out there for MS so I had to sit down and really look at them and talk to others about them to decide which one was best for me. Since MS is so very different for each person that has it, each person with it will have to do their own research and some may even decide medication isn't right for them at that moment. However, there is a lot of information out there to support the idea that starting treatment early gives you the best possible outcome to prevent or delay the disabling impact of the disease.
I also began learning everything I possibly could about MS because I feel that education is very important so that you know what you are dealing with. Actually it was funny, I went to the local library and probably brought home about 20 books about MS. Once I got the books home, I started going through them and realized that many of them were outdated and a few were too technical and boring. I ended up returning most of them to the library and only keeping 2 to read. The two that I read were "Multiple Sclerosis: The Ultimate User-Friendly Guide (2nd Edition)" from The Rocky Mountain Multiple Sclerosis Center Guild and "Multiple Sclerosis" New Hope and Practical Advice for people with MS and their families" by Louis J Rosner, M.D. and Shelley Ross. I have also picked up another book called "Multiple Sclerosis for Dummies" that has been extremely helpful. In my opinion, these are probably the best books to start with for anyone with MS and family/friends that are supporting someone with MS.
For now, I will end this blog session.
Until next time.....stay positive! :)
~Hope~
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Flower child...
Aha! I was looking for a term this weekend to describe how I've been feeling lately. I love songs that have a peace n love feel such as my latest fave "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz and one of my long running faves "If Everyone Cared" by Nickelback. I was looking at terms like tree hugger, environmentalist and they just weren't right! Then I was talking with a friend tonight and she mentioned it.....FLOWER CHILD! Ah yes.....I was always told for years (in my teens) that I had been born in the wrong decade because I'm the classic definition of a flower child....and it has come back to me....and it is true! I love peace n harmony....I hate fighting of any kind! Although, disagreement is necessary for change to happen....it doesn't have to be a drag out fight as many of us make them these days. What a sense of calm and enlightenment came upon me when this familiar term returned to me via my friend.....ahhhh I feel home with it! Plus, I know that my purpose on this earth is to help others (although I'm still in process of discovering just the right avenue to do so) and part of that has got to be with helping people de-stress, appreciate each day and inspire them to look within for such peace that comes with such concepts. Now, I will admit I have not perfected these concepts, but each day that I'm given to practice is another opportunity to get better and better at doing so. I think that this inner desire for constant peace n love is the reason it bothers me so much when my children fight....even though I know that is precisely what siblings do....I still don't like it LOL
Hmmm....opens up a whole level of pondering and of course at the wrong time.....will have to incorporate it into dreams as it is now time to drift off to bed.
Until next time....peace n love :)~
~Hope~
Hmmm....opens up a whole level of pondering and of course at the wrong time.....will have to incorporate it into dreams as it is now time to drift off to bed.
Until next time....peace n love :)~
~Hope~
Monday, April 6, 2009
Tomorrow was never promised...
Tomorrow is never promised...
This thought as been passing through my head for the last week and there must be a reason. I frequently look to this world and am constantly amazed by how easy it is for each of us to get caught up in the hum drum of daily life and the drama and challenges that arise. Today I was crabby and realized how selfish being crabby is. Who am I to to snap at another human being that is doing their very best while they have the pleasure of being on this earth too?! I've pondered all day and still have no answer as to why I was crabby, but thankfully this co-worker pointed it out because I was able to change attitude course pretty quickly and better the rest of my day. This brought me back to thinking about how life is so precious and we truly should enjoy each and every day we are given....it is a gift!! Think....if we all made an effort to smile at someone each day or take a moment to help someone at the grocery store....what a difference we would feel?! I am an observer....I enjoy watching others interact with each other. There are so many opportunities available to us each day.....to remind each other that life is a gift and share love with one another.
I'm giggling because I'm tired enough right now that this may sound like rambling....I shall revisit this post tomorrow....LOL :)
For now....I will leave you with.....be kind to others, remember those that were kind to you and forget those that weren't.
Until next time...
~Hope~
This thought as been passing through my head for the last week and there must be a reason. I frequently look to this world and am constantly amazed by how easy it is for each of us to get caught up in the hum drum of daily life and the drama and challenges that arise. Today I was crabby and realized how selfish being crabby is. Who am I to to snap at another human being that is doing their very best while they have the pleasure of being on this earth too?! I've pondered all day and still have no answer as to why I was crabby, but thankfully this co-worker pointed it out because I was able to change attitude course pretty quickly and better the rest of my day. This brought me back to thinking about how life is so precious and we truly should enjoy each and every day we are given....it is a gift!! Think....if we all made an effort to smile at someone each day or take a moment to help someone at the grocery store....what a difference we would feel?! I am an observer....I enjoy watching others interact with each other. There are so many opportunities available to us each day.....to remind each other that life is a gift and share love with one another.
I'm giggling because I'm tired enough right now that this may sound like rambling....I shall revisit this post tomorrow....LOL :)
For now....I will leave you with.....be kind to others, remember those that were kind to you and forget those that weren't.
Until next time...
~Hope~
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Ah parenting...
Being a parent is probably the most challenging part of my life. I have been a mother for 9 years now and my two beautiful children never cease to amaze me. Today is Tuesday and I'm already exhausted....and there are still 3 more weekdays left...ugh!
My son has AD/HD and ODD. I have been trying so hard to do the very best to give him the tools to help him live a less challenging life. We have gotten medication and therapy in place, but now we are faced with the difficult piece....self control. He was doing so well the last 3 weeks and then all of the sudden...yesterday and today happened. He had great days during school and I can only think that he held in his behavior and it sort of exploded. He had a major problem during after school care yesterday that continued through the evening until he was asleep. Today he had a great day at school and after school care, but was out of control again at home. We have a tally system in place and yesterday he lost 7 tallies in a matter of 4 hours. Today, he lost the rest of the tallies and I was forced to ground him tomorrow and Thursday, which takes away his den meeting for cub scouts. I sat him down tonight and asked what is going on because something had to have happened or changed for him to have such a dramatic change in his behavior. At first he said he didn't know and told me nothing has happened. Then he explained to me that some of the 5th grade kids in the after school care have been picking on him and being mean. I told him he needs to tell the staff and his response was that he does, but they say they will handle it and then do nothing. I told him I will talk to the staff about that part, but he also needs to toughen up and learn to just ignore these kids and/or blowing off what they have to say instead of reacting and escalating the situation.
My son is soooo extremely smart, but at the same time, he has a very hard time understanding the dynamics of social interaction with others and how his behavior truly impacts others. I watch him and wish so badly that I can make him understand....but all I can do is continue working with him and hope that it will click in his brain. It's rather challenging to keep up with it for me because the more energy I have to exhert with his behavior, the more fatigued I become. I am currently researching a few books I can buy to hopefully get a better understanding of the dynamics of his conditions and some tools that I can utilize at home to help him. I truly want this wonderful boy to succeed and conquer this!
As for my daughter....she unfortunately doesn't get as much attention becuase of her brother's behavior. I have been trying to make sure that she gets some special attention as well so she doesn't feel so left out. She also has been challenging me a bit more...not wanting to do her cleaning and throwing attitude here and there about certain things. She also has been taking advantage of bedtime and not going to bed when she is told to. However, the difference with her is that it only takes the loss of 1 tally before she steps back in line and does what she is supposed to. I do praise her for her good behavior and am working with her to let me deal with her brother and some of the things he does to drive her nuts (like take her juices that he knows are hers). She is having some challenges with her reading. She enjoys reading, but just like her mom, can find so many other things more interesting to do so she doesn't meet the goals she has set for herself. I'm hoping this will change so she can continue advancing her reading level. I also wish I could afford to get her into an art program outside of school because I want her to develop her talents.
For now, it's getting late and my head is less clogged now that I got some of my thoughts about parenting out of my head so tired & fatigue is setting in.....I bid you farewell for now.
Until next time...
My son has AD/HD and ODD. I have been trying so hard to do the very best to give him the tools to help him live a less challenging life. We have gotten medication and therapy in place, but now we are faced with the difficult piece....self control. He was doing so well the last 3 weeks and then all of the sudden...yesterday and today happened. He had great days during school and I can only think that he held in his behavior and it sort of exploded. He had a major problem during after school care yesterday that continued through the evening until he was asleep. Today he had a great day at school and after school care, but was out of control again at home. We have a tally system in place and yesterday he lost 7 tallies in a matter of 4 hours. Today, he lost the rest of the tallies and I was forced to ground him tomorrow and Thursday, which takes away his den meeting for cub scouts. I sat him down tonight and asked what is going on because something had to have happened or changed for him to have such a dramatic change in his behavior. At first he said he didn't know and told me nothing has happened. Then he explained to me that some of the 5th grade kids in the after school care have been picking on him and being mean. I told him he needs to tell the staff and his response was that he does, but they say they will handle it and then do nothing. I told him I will talk to the staff about that part, but he also needs to toughen up and learn to just ignore these kids and/or blowing off what they have to say instead of reacting and escalating the situation.
My son is soooo extremely smart, but at the same time, he has a very hard time understanding the dynamics of social interaction with others and how his behavior truly impacts others. I watch him and wish so badly that I can make him understand....but all I can do is continue working with him and hope that it will click in his brain. It's rather challenging to keep up with it for me because the more energy I have to exhert with his behavior, the more fatigued I become. I am currently researching a few books I can buy to hopefully get a better understanding of the dynamics of his conditions and some tools that I can utilize at home to help him. I truly want this wonderful boy to succeed and conquer this!
As for my daughter....she unfortunately doesn't get as much attention becuase of her brother's behavior. I have been trying to make sure that she gets some special attention as well so she doesn't feel so left out. She also has been challenging me a bit more...not wanting to do her cleaning and throwing attitude here and there about certain things. She also has been taking advantage of bedtime and not going to bed when she is told to. However, the difference with her is that it only takes the loss of 1 tally before she steps back in line and does what she is supposed to. I do praise her for her good behavior and am working with her to let me deal with her brother and some of the things he does to drive her nuts (like take her juices that he knows are hers). She is having some challenges with her reading. She enjoys reading, but just like her mom, can find so many other things more interesting to do so she doesn't meet the goals she has set for herself. I'm hoping this will change so she can continue advancing her reading level. I also wish I could afford to get her into an art program outside of school because I want her to develop her talents.
For now, it's getting late and my head is less clogged now that I got some of my thoughts about parenting out of my head so tired & fatigue is setting in.....I bid you farewell for now.
Until next time...
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