R's got SOUL!!! (as In a Patch)

This was going to be a #WordlessWednesday post but I realized this pic needed a bit more of an explanation.  

It was a beautiful, sunny day yesterday and as we were driving home (as usual R was riding shotgun; G was in the back) I did a double-take at R's profile. There was something sticking out just below his bottom lip! WTH!?!

Of course when we got home I tried to take a pic. R was having nothing to do with that. So instead I found this pic of R's Movember Moustache (look how much it filled in) and did a little photoshopping of my own. It is the part in the yellow circle in case you couldn't tell.  :) 

I am SO not ready for this!

Going for an EEG (the Sequel)

Did you know about 1 in 4 autistic individuals may begin to have seizures during puberty? Riley was almost 15 when he was diagnosed as having Complex Partial seizures. He has been on medication since diagnosis and has been seizure free to date.

This Wednesday at 1:00pm Riley will be going in for another diagnostic EEG to see if he is still having seizures as we have noticed some behaviours lately that are similar to previous symptoms. An EEG is the only way to monitor seizure activity before making any adjustments to his medication. 

The first time Riley had a diagnostic EEG it was inconclusive so a 24 hour ambulatory EEG was required (an entire blog post in itself which I will save for another time). In preparation for the EEG, it is best if Riley is sleep deprived as they would prefer it if he falls asleep during the test (something that did NOT happen the last time). This means keeping him up until midnight on Tuesday night and waking him up at 5am. Since his appointment is not until after lunch that means he can go to school in the morning. Lucky them. I have my reasons. No need to judge too harshly here.

We are 2 days away from the test. Time to let Riley know this is going to happen. How do I go about preparing R you might be wondering? Well since this is not his first time; R is 3-1/2 years older and much more cooperative than when he was younger, I am going to start at the most logical point. I go to his visual schedule and add “Lunch at Home” on Wednesday. Yup you read that right. Seeing Lunch at Home on a school day is THE best thing EVER in Riley World. I later added doctor and hospital to his schedule and had a brief chat about it with R who, by the way, was more interested in adding McDonald’s after the hospital to his schedule.

So for tonight we are done talking. The hospital has a great on-line photo book explaining the procedure that I will go over with Riley tomorrow.

I will be sure to let you know how it all goes.  Wish us luck!  

Why CAN'T He Keep his Wisdom Teeth???

A week today Riley is scheduled to have his wisdom teeth extracted! YIKES! Actually that is putting it mildly.  I am starting to panic. Thankfully the procedure will be done under general anaesthetic. I am hoping there will be some type of sedation for me as well.  ;P

Now over the years Riley has come a long way since his first visit to the dentist. We had a consultation with the dental surgeon a month or so ago and R sat in the chair looking almost comfortable. Pretty sure after our next appointment he won’t be looking forward to any future visits there!

It is not so much the procedure that I am getting nervous about at this point. Riley has been put under for dental work before. Oh I just want to mention the last time R was sedated for a medical procedure about a year ago, when he came out of it...uhhhh...let’s just say there were a number of "colourful" words spewing from his mouth in, of course, his "outside" voice.  Oish.  It is the post-op/recovery days that are freaking me out. It is the part where he has to ice his face, gargle and rinse to prevent infection and hoping…no...praying he won’t gnaw at the stitches in his mouth. I need to stop now as I am starting to hyperventilate. 

So in preparation I will be phoning ahead to our local “beverage” store to place my order for certain necessities to get me through next weekend. Until then…I will be in my cave cowering in the corner. 

Wish us luck!  D 

First Times...Steps Towards Independence

Riley is 17 years old and in grade 11. Scary thought I know. One of R's main IEP (Individual Education Plan/Program) goals has been to work towards his independence.  In less than 2 years he will be considered an adult. Yikes! Soooo…what comes next??? 

In an effort to push Riley to “be all he can be” (incidentally, he has risen to the occasion) sometimes things fall through the cracks. It usually isn’t until something out of the ordinary happens before we realize there’s an issue.

For the third time in a couple of months, Riley went to the wrong class at school. This is very unlike R as he has always used a visual schedule so knows exactly what is going to happen and when. Now we are always "tweaking" R’s supports (this time his visual schedule) in order to try and stay one step ahead of him and keep things challenging. Most times it is successful without any repercussions. Unfortunately…this was not one of them.

I got a call from the school this past Tuesday that they couldn’t find Riley was not where he was supposed to be. After going to all his classes, they did a class by class search, checked all the washrooms, and made an announcement over the PA system. Still no Riley. Now I’m 99.9% sure that R would never leave the school. Riley has never been a bolter. Yet as the time passed, I wasn’t quite as comfortable with that .1% …what if??? By the time the second call came that R was still unaccounted for, G was in the car retracing the route to school. Forty-five minutes after the first call, they located Riley in the gym. He was sitting in the bleachers amongst a class being taught first aid. One of the reasons he hadn’t been noticed when they were looking for him was that he had changed into his PE strip (like he normally would for PE) and they had been looking for him in his street clothes.

You may be thinking to yourselves…what kind of parents are you to sit there and not do anything? Did you not consider calling the police if he was missing for so long? How could the school not know where he was? All valid questions especially if your child is younger.  However, Riley is 17 years old and one of the hardest things we’ve had to learn is to try and let go of control (ever so slowly mind you) that “we” need. All the first times are definitely the hardest. The first time he walked into high school on his own, the first time he walked to class on his own, the first time he walked out of high school on his own, the first time he rode the bus by himself…I get stressed just thinking about it. Yet each and every time (with a lot of coaching and practice) Riley has been able to do it and seeing how proud he is of himself is all the incentive and motivation we need to keep at it.

I have to admit after a “first time” event, there is generally a martini and wine involved on my part. After 17 years…it’s no wonder I have grey hair and G doesn't have any.

Trying to hang in there…D

Puberty

What happened to that cute little boy with the chubby cheeks, button nose and skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom?  HE TURNED 16, that’s what! 

It started slowly and suddenly overnight…BAM!  Zits…and not just the kind that you can cover up with Clearasil.  Noooooooooo.  They’re the ones that appear like you have a growth on the side of your face that when you touch, a sharp shooting pain goes through your entire body like 1000V of electricity and the roots grow right out through your toes.  You know the ones I mean.  “They” tell you to leave them alone and not to “pop” them.  Oh sure…let’s just have R go to school with a third head which of course he would since it doesn’t bother him. 

What most of us did in private as a teen becomes a family affair at our house.  No, I don’t mean THAT, I’m talking about the zits.  Geeez.  R is extremely intuitive, almost like he has a sixth sense.  You could tell by his body language he knew something was up.  I’m pretty sure it had nothing to do with the hazmat suit that I was wearing but you never know?!?!? 

We’re in the bathroom and “the” scene from Kindergarten Cop (see posting “Age Appropriate Movies”) is being re-enacted over and over and loud enough that I’m pretty sure I’ve lost most of the hearing in my left ear.  G is being totally ineffective trying to console R.  *sigh*  Still…I persevere.  Ready…set…squeeeeeeeeze!  Ahhh at last…the right side of his face is beginning to reappear.  Good enough.  I think we’ll leave the blackheads for another day.  Grooaaaan….

Isn’t growing up fun?!?!?

Think about it…D