A New Year, A New Reality

It's become a struggle for me to keep up this blog. Google Adsense disabling my account for reasons I don't fathom was a big blow. Granted, I only made $50 a month, but at least I was getting paid somewhat. Oh well. Maybe if I'll start writing again and re-generate interest in the blog, donations to the Dovi Educational Fund will pick up again. If only I can stop playing Coasterville for long enough! I hate being addicted. ADHD stinks!

So, back to our  narrative. Where were we? Oh yeah. September 2011. We came home from the country. And all hell broke loose.

The same story repeats itself, year after year. We arrive home at night, exhausted, nauseous, with tons of boxes. We prepare the kids' beds, eat supper my mother so sweetly provides, put the kids to bed, and halfheartedly take a stab at a few boxes. The next morning, the house is a mess; we can't find anything. Finally, Chaim is dressed and ready for cheder. I shlep to cheder with both boys to register Chaim for the remaining week(s) of the summer. Then I shlep back home with Dovi and try to unpack.

And of course, I can't, for Dovi is everywhere and into everything. I can't begin to make heads or tails of the overwhelming job of unpacking the boxes and putting everything back into their places when I also have to keep an eye on Dovi, keep him occupied, and keep him out of trouble - and from destroying the house. By the time night falls, I'm in tears.

Don't worry, I'll Be Back

My apologies for neglecting the blog, Now that I am no longer getting paid by Google Adsense, I lost a lot of the drive to keep the blog going. But there is still so much story left to tell, and I'm still very dependent on your kind $$$$$ donations to keep building up Dovi's Educational and Legal funds, so I hope to resume next week. That is, if I can stop playing Coasterville for long enough to actually write! :)

have a good Shabbos, everyone.

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Risperdal and Autism?

We went to see Dr. Cartwright again today. He's such an incredible gentleman, and such a wonderful doctor! He pulled out the big guns with Dovi.... the stimulants make him aggressive and overly sensory. The Clonidine family of drugs makes him depressed and sleepy. So he pulled out the big guns... Risperdal.

GAH!!!

Anyone else here have a kid on Risperdal? any side effects to look out for besides weight gain? Funnily, half an hour after I gave it to him tonight, he began to cry miserably and nothing would calm him down. It may have been coincidental; I hope so. I have no energy to the whole 'getting used to meds' phase again. The school isn't happy when he's on meds, and by the time he comes home, it's not effective anymore... so there's almost no point.

In any case, I'd like to hear from anyone who has used Risperdal on a child, especially on a child with autism.

THANKS!

Medicaid Waiver slots available in Brooklyn

Medicaid Waiver slots are hard to come by. When I tried to get it for Dovi, I was told there are no Res Hab hours available. It took me almost six months to get it all set up and approved. I found this message posted on a message board for Jewish mothers:

Hi, we are an agency in Brooklyn, and still have some slots available, so I'm re-posting to see if anyone needs. Please share this with anyone you think needs this: 


Medicaid waiver slots in Brooklyn available immediately . For information please call 718-252-3365 x 105. 



2) Services for Special Needs Children 


Attention Parents of Special Needs Children 
If you need to know what special programs are available for your child and how to access them, 
If you’re you finding it difficult to apply for Medicaid Waiver, 
If you need to know what services are provided under the Medicaid Waiver program, 
If you need direction in finding the appropriate individualized supports and services, 
There are experienced professionals with updated information who can guide you through this difficult process.

call 347-401-1527 or email perachimprograms@gmail.com

If the above can be of help to anyone, I'm only glad to help.

Summertime and the Livin' Ain't Easy -- Take 2

Life with Dovi is a constant learning process. I keep learning things about him I didn't know, and things about myself I didn't know. I keep finding out just how much I can take, and just how little I truly manage. I learn about my strengths, and also about my limitations.

I knew that going to the country for three weeks without any pre-set help for Dovi was going to be hard. But I had absolutely no inkling just how draining and exhausting it would be; how I would fall apart after only two weeks and have no idea how I would survive another week. But I did. And I still don't know how.

Those of you who have a really, really active toddler can maybe imagine what it's like. Imagine being in charge of that really, really active toddler (who does not nap) 24 hours a day, 5 days a week, with no break. And still keeping the house together and having laundry done and food on the table.

I knew all about Dovi's hyperactivity first hand, of course. I had just finished a grueling year of EI, in which I was always shuttling Dovi from place to place. We had just gotten over moving apartments and all that it entails. But I had so gotten used to having Dovi out of the house from 9:30 am til 6 pm every day, that I was sure that managing him for 3 weeks would be doable.

HA.