This new medication has been knocking me on my ass. Not only is it causing a ruckus in my stomach (which is flippin unheard of as I live on meds and coffee all day long, no problem), I have been experiencing sleeping issues due to the side effects. I guess the headaches aren’t helping either. Anyway. I woke up with a dog on my head, and my kid forcing an Origami space ship in my face. hahah. I think there might have been a ladybug involved, too. Yeah, there was. At several different times there were several different Monsters in my facial region. hahah. I think he was checking for life. lol.

I am so proud of my kid. We took Medical Transport to our appointments annnnnd of course the first thing you see is a stretcher. “That brings back bad memories, but it’s ok.” He said, sitting there looking at it. And he really was. I thought for sure it was going to set the tone for an already stressful appointment. He took it well, noted that life is less stressful without my Cat, but that he still has so much love, and still considers Cat his parent. “Cat is just sick. Cat may not get better, I know that. But that doesn’t change my feelings.”  I’m so sad for, and proud of him -being able to break it down like this, despite it all.

So I walked him into his appointment bracing myself; knowing I would be holding down/ carrying/ putting in a hold my child that is my EXACT weight, very soon. I was dreading this friggen appointment. We walked in and he was so enthralled by the architecture of the building that he forgot it was an eye appointment, Hahah. My kid doesn’t allow anyone to put anything near his eyes, except me, and even then I have to really work at it. I was floored that he allowed the tech to HOLD his eye lid open. He expressed EXTREME dislike, but allowed it. I was impressed. Then eye drop time came. This is the time I usually have to put him in a hold, ending in my having to carry him out of the building in a meltdown. Sooooo I stood up, smiled at him and said “Now you know what we are going to do now. Do you need me to put you in a hold now, or can we try it on your own first? (I always give him a choice, he knows himself, and I always want him to try/ have a choice). He simply said “I think I will try”. “Good job bud.” I said as I mentally braced myself to intervene because I am the only one that can…..I reminded him that the Tech was a professional – does this everyday…. I stepped forward again still smiling, found all the strength I could feeling like I was about to wrestle a gator (because trust me, that’s what this is, my son does the Death Roll, I swear) and then, just like that, he allowed the guy to put drops in his eyes. WHAT!? HOLY CATS BATMAN. Not once but twice. WHAT?! Who’s kid is this?? Not mine! Mine would have been in a hold by now as I use both of our weights to keep him pinned in the chair, like our specialists taught me, to keep him from hurting himself, or someone else accidentally. Mine kid would be screaming and crying because his Sensory Processing Disorder had already taken over the situation. By this time I would have pulled him from the chair, carried him through the lobby, from the building, braced myself up against the outside of the building, while still holding on to him, all the while talking him down. Instead, I was staring at my kid holding a tissue to his eye telling me how much that “was not pleasant”, glaring at the Tech and simply sitting there. HE WAS JUST SITTING THERE! I could have fallen over. This appointment is the one I thank the Gods every year for only being once a year. This is the only time of year I KNOW I am going to be sore the day after. Autistic kids and Eye Exams just are not friends. Going room to room, machine to machine. Nope. But this year, we hit another Mile Stone. I’m over the moon. I can’t tell you what this means.

I was still in shock and SURE that I would be dealing with a meltdown later since it didn’t happen while in the chair, but I was wrong. The only thing I had to do was pin him up against the outside of the building, not in a hold, but because he said “My eyes are wonky, things are doing stuff”. He needed to feel secure. haha. He tripped twice over his own feet, and laughed that he thought someone must have drugged him.

My son picked out maroon glasses by the way. lol. He unfortunately has his momma’s eyes. He will now have to wear glasses constantly, not just for reading, just like me. The Doctor looked over at me and made a comment about how blind I was, and to watch for that with my son. “What the hell, these are the thin lenses!” I laughed. He smiled real big and told me could tell by how my lenses were refracting light. WELL I NEVER! I AM A LADY! DON’T BE LOOKIN’ AT HOW I’M REFRACTING! He laughed so hard I thought he was going to pop an eye ball.

My son later noted that the Eye Doctor’s mannerisms reminded him of Doctor Who. Just so you know. 

So there you go. Origami and Autism Mile Stones, and Doctor Who.

Also, did you know this month is Autism Awareness Month? Well you do now. lol 

OXOXOX

Catriona