possible discharge next week.

[crazymama30]

So I spoke with Residential Treatment Center (RTC) psychiatrist. difficult child is doing really well. He is now going to be tapered off seroquel and if all goes well he will come home next week. If it does not go well, he will stay and trial a different medication. I have family therapy via phone this afternoon with difficult child and therapist.

I am torn, I am unable to go up there this week as easy child had her tonsillectomy Monday, and I just cannot leave her here alone. It is so much easier to see how difficult child is doing when I can be there.

We are getting a new therapist, I think I know which one I want to go with, she has experience with kiddos on the spectrum and with trauma, lord knows s2bx has caused us all enough of that. easy child's therapist is going to do family therapy. I will eventually have difficult child do some speech work, but that will most likely be over the summer.

It is so hard to imagine him home and better. I want to make sure that things get better, I don't want things to be like they used to be, and I know part of that is changing my own behavior and allowing difficult child to be more independent. My wrap services will not pay for respite or in home help, so I am going to have to figure that out all on my own. His skills builder will be spending time at school with him to help with the transition there. I am leery of her too, she was the only one available to work with him at school, but she is also the one I fired before. We will see how this time around goes.

I so hope he is able to finish the year at his current school. That would mean so much to him.

Right now I am a tangled mess of nerves.

 

[buddy]

I BET! It must really be a mixed bag. Yipee he is doing well. And then again, what will happen when he gets back? Is there any way to stretch this out a week to see if you can have a weekend at home first? For transition and to make sure things are going ok? Is he going to go to school full time right away or are you going to ease him into it or??? since he has this amazing (ahem) help to transition back maybe you dont need to go slow and there is something to be said to get into a routine especially now that you are sure about the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stuff. Where are you all on that at school? Will they pull in their autism teachers now or do you already have that at school? Does he have Occupational Therapist (OT) for relaxation and sensory integration or is that not so much an issue for him?

Lots to do while needing to care for a child who will have surgery. What are you going to do for YOU? I hope you can do something nice for yourself to build up for the big week ahead. Really happy he is doing so much better. I hope the medications are stable for now and going off the seroquel will help with the tics, etc. Keep us updated on easy child. Hope she does well Monday.

 

[crazymama30]

Buddy, easy child had her tonsillectomy this last Monday. She is doing well, pretty painful, but that is to be expected. Right now she is happy as a clam as her boyfriend is over and they are watching movies (in the living room of course, lol).

Really cannot do a weekend home for a transition thing due to insurance reasons. He will go to school full time, with a skills builder from wrap services with him for 2 or 3 hrs a day to help him with social skills/interaction with his peers. Not sure if it will work out, but it is what I have to work with.

We have a wrap meeting at the school next week, and I the Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) stuff will be brought up. I don't think they have any special teachers at the school, but there may be specialists within the school district who can be brought in. I am going to ask about that.

He has no Occupational Therapist (OT), for right now we are going to do individual and family therapy, and when we see where he does the best at, we will back off there and add either Occupational Therapist (OT) or Speech. I really think he needs speech for communication issues more than Occupational Therapist (OT) right now, but we will see.

Do something for me??? Surely you jest. I wish. I hope to get there, but who knows.

 

[Wiped Out]

CM-I can understand being a tangled mess of nerves. Although our difficult child has never been to an Residential Treatment Center (RTC) he has been hospitalized many times and we always were glad when they said he could be discharged but also worried wondering if things would really change. Sending gentle hugs your way.

 

[crazymama30]

Sharon, you just summed it up. I want him home, I miss him and am so tired of the driving back and forth to see him, but I want things to be better. I am really nervous, he will be completely off his seroquel in 3 days (I thought he was off of it already). He is doing so well right now, he is happier than I have heard him in ages. I just hope it stays that way. I know difficult child will always have issues, but I want things to be better, and I think they can be.

 

[pepperidge]

I hear you. He's in a controlled environment and not facing some of the peer issues he will be facing when he comes home. Maybe they have straightened out his medications which will be a big help, easy child sounds in a better place, and you are getting the S2bex situation under control. So lots of things will be better--but the whole school social issue thing is still a big challenge at this point. But you know what , you all survived it, it in some form or other is probably likely to be an option if you need it again, the good thing is that you've gotten to see what difficult child can be like in a environment which supports him. So you have gained a lot. unfortunately progress is not straightforward. You've also probably made an impression on difficult child that if he gets involved with drugs or whatever you will move heaven and earth to get him help. He may have learned a few things too....

 

[buddy]

OH, sorry....I thought it was coming up... Itotally missed that...oh gosh... BUT that is great news that it is over and she is doing ok for now...esp with boyfriend there. So, no way to do the transition thing... bummer. I hope the wrap person does better than you felt she did last time. It is so interesting to me that people can get help in a place where the child already has staff around but you can't get services at home or to take him out for some community interaction??? I am sorry for that but glad you got help with the school transition at least.

You have been thru quite a ride... and it sounds like difficult child is really doing well. Seems like you were right all along with the seroquel, since that went down you have posted he is doing so much better. Mommy gut is right again! I hear you about doing something for your self.... the other day I realized I had just enough time to order a movie on cable and I did it... .I had not yet seen the last Harry Potter. It was really nice... the couch to myself, I turned the fireplace on and got close to 2 hours just to have the house to myself! That is about as good as it gets around here, lol.

 

[crazymama30]

P, I think difficult child has learned a lot. I think he has seen how important his family is, he has seen many kiddos without a familiy. He has commented on that many times to me. I hope it all goes well, I can help but be nervous.

 

[crazymama30]

So I figured out why I am so anxious about difficult child coming home. Wr have a new care coordinator who had never met difficult child, same thing with the therapist, and the skills builder is one I don't care for but I was told it was her our no one. Right now I an wondering why keep them? The answer is that I don't want to stop something that might help, and our was helpful once I got to know the other coordinator.


I an just a bundle of nerves today, second guessing everything.

 

[buddy]

that makes a ton of sense to me.... not that THAT matters, lol.

I think I would feel the same.

HUGS... it will be better, I just really believe that from what you have shared.

 

[pepperidge]

of course you are nervous, who knows whether any of these services will help etc, what will happen when he gets back home....one thing that is important to think about is whether you are going to react in a different way when he does something from the past and just to be clear from the outset how you are going to react. Its a great chance to start over, but it is totally human nature and even more difficult child nature to try old patterns of behavior to see if they still get you what you want.

It sounds lame, but really you have no choice, one day at a time, etc see who is worth keeping on the team who you need to discard. Unfortunately the battle just goes on, but you are in so much better of a place now. you know that something can work!

good luck

 

[crazymama30]

Pepper, I keep trying to do one day at a time and these wrap people keep pushing for more. I also have to find difficult child a pediatrician to manage his anemia and hypothyroidism (that is new) as our family doctor does not want to manage that.

Right now? I an not returning any more calls from wrap people untill monday. I want to hear from the school monday to see if they want the skill builder on the school. If they do I will put up with wrap services. If not? I am not so sure.