I remember this fear. I still get comments from outsiders who say my daughter plays so well with other kids that she couldn’t possibly be autistic. But the good news is that they take many factors into play and don’t just look at one piece and go, boom, not autistic (usually). And you already know this. Since you have done your research and aren’t at some back alley place, I think you are going to be OK. You are going to get your son the help he needs.
As for my rant, work is REALLY STRESSFUL right now. And I am afraid I can’t hack it. I’ve been in stressful situations before. I’ve worked in plants that were literally on fire. But this feels worse than that. And I don’t know why it feels like I can’t handle it.
I go every Friday morning at 6am when my local Kroger opens. I’m generally home and have everything put away by 7am. I’m a Boost member and they’ve been doing 5x fuel points on Friday (4x for non members). I’m all about those fuel points!
Yayyyy we decided I don’t have to write this one! Started the meeting today and the director “forgot her notes at home,” they clearly had very little thought through with regard to the questions I sent last week, I said, “Look, it’s okay if this is early in development, we definitely want to pursue finding funding for this project, but this grant may not be the right fit for the project we want to do.” I laid out all the reasons I think it’s a poor fit and also the things we would have to complete in the short amount of time we have left, and thank the heavens they listened. All agreed to go ahead and answer the narrative questions so we can build a general Case for Support but no need to break our necks getting in an application that is unlikely to be funded. This makes my April so much better. Now I can just focus on what’s going on with my son.
My favorite thing is when people who aren’t qualified to provide a diagnosis tell me my son seems okay to them. And my cousin made a really weird comment, “He seems like he’s mimicking a confident only child!” People really think being an only child will make you a social disaster, for some reason, and will attribute virtually any behavior to my child’s lamentable only child status. For the record, being an only child gives you about three or four less people in the world to interact with, out of billions. Somehow, against all odds, most of us manage to figure it out.
(Yes, I am an only child and yes, I have social anxiety. Didn’t start until I was MUCH older though.)
Thursday (THIS Thursday) is the school evaluation. Based on things I’ve heard, I’m not expecting much from the school. If they’re willing to help, it will be a pleasant surprise. I’m also looking forward to getting more information about what the school district can or can’t do because that’s been a big question mark for a long time. It’s the ADOS I’m most stressed about. That’s the one that makes or breaks whether the insurance company will pay for his therapies. I just gotta white knuckle it through the end of April and believe that equanimity waits on the other side.
Oh man, that’s another rant. The gas station near us that takes the Kroger fuel points got new pumps a year or so ago, and they still don’t have them configured yet to accept the fuel points. If you want to use your points, you have to go inside and pre-pay. BUT - you can’t just tell them you want to fill up, you have to give them an exact dollar amount.
I usually just wait to fill up when I’m across town at work - the gas station there has pumps that work right!
Bah! Today seems to be the week to have Medical Care™ inflicted on me. For months now I’ve been putting off getting something done about a broken molar. Then I get a call today about an ultrasound that my doctor insisted I get. Which reminded me that I have a blood test requisition and some prescriptions to fill that I better get done before they both expire. I don’t need this shit. I just want to sit at home and mind my own business and wish for the rest of the world to do the same.
Spent 3 hours on the phone today with various aspects of the medical system’s billing hell. The “medical episode” from early March is going to cost me close to $4,000 out of my pocket. Yes, that’s my share. For all that I managed to get a $75 refund out of one “provider” so… yay me? $360 is going out the door tomorrow which leaves only one “provider”. The ambulance.
Did you know that not one ambulance service in my county is in-network with anyone? I mean, thank goodness this wasn’t as serious as it initially appeared but this totally sucks. Definitely going to work out some sort of payment plan for that.
I’ll just mention that this episode was related to neither skin infection or allergy problems, which have been my prior medical issues. I will eventually speak of this, just don’t feel like it right now. DO feel like bitching about medical bills. Bitch Bitch Bitch. Bitch Bitch Bitch. Bitch Bitch Bitch.
I decided to get myself a treat tonight as this was the last day of classes. I bought some frozen onion rings, which I’ve not had in months. I burnt them. I haz a sad.
Oh, @Broomstick I am so sorry. Medical billing is the worst. In 2015 I had emergency gallbladder surgery and they tried to foot me with the bill because the anesthesiologist wasn’t in network. Oh, I’m so sorry I didn’t check to make sure he was in network at the IN-NETWORK HOSPITAL where I was rushed with a life-threatening emergency you stupid greedy fucks.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks for me. What I remember of them.
Remember that early last month I went through multiple diagnoses including pancreatic cancer? I was supposed to have my first infusion…uhm I forget the date.
I didn’t have the infusion because my blood sugar was far too high (bad miscommunication on meds). And that appointment is literally the last thing I remember for several days. Luckily for me, a friend was staying over and found me unresponsive 4 hours later.
Three days of diabetic coma later, and they take me off intubation. Since then they got me stable enough to go to rehab. My friend has restarted breathing. And neither the hospital nor the rehab seem capable of cooking eggs or low carb meals.
I need pepper or something. SOME thing should be addable to the food for flavor!
Anyhow, the last few weeks have been a bit much and I’ll propably be lurking mostly.
I think that kind of blows the mini-rants theme out of the water. That’s a maxi-rant for sure.
Ouch! With my late first wife I dealt with some vaguely similar medical follies where they painted her/us into a corner of mistreatment / non-treatment then severe consequences predictably ensued.
I’m glad you’re alive enough to complain about their damnable eggs. There’s a lot of ways this could have gotten a LOT worse. {{hugs}}
I have been there with blackouts and blood sugar–mine because the glucose levels were too low. But not nearly as dangerous as yours. (Except for the time I blacked out behind the wheel of a car) Three days of coma sounds appallingly bad and shouldn’t be allowed.
Thanks for checking in. Guess you were pretty far for the stairlift, but if you think you would benefit from one let me know and we can see if we can come up with something (assuming mine would fit your place). Sending good thoughts your way.
It never rains but it pours, eh? That’s wildly unfair all around. I hope they’re coordinating a new infusion appointment among all the rest of it. Oncologists can be really good at getting the other specialties to cooperate.
Maybe your friend could bring you some packets of pepper? Also, there’s a sodium-free, sugar-free Mrs. Dash chipotle blend that spices things up without too much heat, assuming your stomach lining’s okay.
(((Morgyn))) - I hope you get the treatment you need and things go much better soon.
And thank you Spice_Weasel.
As for a new rant - Glasses are expensive. And I really not mad at my husband. He had a fall last night. He was really sleepy when he got up to go to the bathroom last night and fell coming back to bed and broke his glasses against his face. There was blood and, luckily, his face is OK but… his glasses are not so much. Replacing his glasses are very much not in the budget. I know we will shop around and very luckily he has safety glasses to wear as back ups but this was not what we needed right now.
You know what the weirdest part of all this is? I’m not angry. No bouts of hysteria or even crying. Mostly I’m reacting with, “okay, that happened. What’s my next step?”
I’m lucky both my job and my friends are incredibly supportive. And I never realized how many love me. A couple are making sure someone will be with me 24x7, and they’re looking for more volunteers. You get a bed, food, access to a lovebug kitty, and access to my library.
That attitude kept my late wife alive many years past when all the experts would have bet at the outset.
Good on ya’.
Supportive friends, family, & job are also a key to success, no matter which unhappy medical adventure you’re embarked on or how severe it is or might later become.
