Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Still Alive & Kicking (litterally)

Well I'm still alive. Things are ok. I don't want this to be a negative post so I'm going to try my darndest to keep it somewhat positive.

The weekend went ok. Nothing major so that's a plus. Meltdown free? NOT! But not anything that we couldn't handle.

Monday - Em tried running away. I had to chase her down to catch her! :-( I have SEVERE exercise induced asthma that is made even worse by cold air. By the time I caught up to her (that little fart can run!) I was huffing and puffing BIG TIME! We made it back to the house and between gasping for air I was able to explain to her that Mommy's lungs don't work right and that I was VERY sick right then. She had a scared look on her face. I didn't care. Maybe telling her that wasn't good - maybe she'll run again cause she knows I can't chase her like that again or maybe it was good and scared the crap out of her and she won't do it again. Either way - I told her so who cares. STill today I'm having trouble getting a deep breath and coughing A LOT. Oh the fun of asthma!.....................JP well, he was JP getting ready for school. Or should I say NOT getting ready for school. I dressed him AGAIN. He cussed at me for not letting him dress himself and so on. Same old story, just a new day.

Tuesday - Em apologized for her behavior on Monday. Forgot her glasses at home and the school called. She got upset when I said I wouldn't go get them and take them to her (remember I work 30 miles North from home and her school is 10 miles W of our house) but soon got over it when I told the school that she had gone 3 days during vacation and did fine.....JP - same story...new day.....also bath night. Emilee took her own shower as she normally does. Listened when I told her there wasn't time to play because we needed to eat supper and got done quickly :-). JP - battle battle battle. He has recently begun HATING his showers/baths. He SCREAMS, CRIES, HITS, KICKS, you name it , he does it in the shower. He complains the water is hot even when we have the hot shut off and only have cold on to try and show him the difference between hot and cold. He also says he has to go potty. (He goes BEFORE he gets in the shower). The first time (last Wed night) I let him out to go. He never went. Sunday night Hubby let him out to go. He never went. So last night I told him he needed to stand up and cooperate so that we could finish washing his hair and then he could get out and go potty. He didn't cooperate. Eventually (20 minutes later) we finally finished his shower (Em's took her 8 minutes). He got dried off and sat on the toilet because he had to go Potty SOOOO BAD. 5 minutes later and no tinkling and I made him get off the toilet and get his jammies on (it's now approaching 8:15pm and he normally goes to bed at 7:30). He cried and screamed while I dressed him in his pj's and put him to bed still complaining that he had to go potty. He fell asleep and woke up this morning dry....Now am I wrong for not believing him that he had to go potty????

Wed - Emilee had a good morning (remembered her glasses!). Apologized again for Monday and asked me a few more questions about not being able to breathe. Jp - same story...new day. This time I set up my camcorder to see what it was he did in his room instead of getting dressed. After 25 minutes I went in and dressed him. Then watched the tape. He just stands there looking around. He didn't play with toys. He didn't lay back down in bed. He just stood in the middle of the floor looking around.


We started a new med for JP last Sat. It's a new patch for ADHD. Not sure what the drug name is right now. His mood has seemed worse to me. The school reports that he is doing better (still VERY pokey) but seems a little quicker and is more verbal. He was able to sit at the table and do his homework alone last night. I didn't have to sit and walk him thru it step by step. That is an improvement. So is the mood just a coincidence or is it a side effect? I'm waiting for the clinic to call me back.

Em has to have her liver checked today due to her meds. That should be fun! NOT! She's such a drama queen. Maybe I'll make a deal with her....not exaggerate at the clinic and we can have a treat between that appt and her therapy? We'll see if she'll bite on my deal! :-)

So that's my life in a nutshell for the past 5 days. I'm here. I'm worn out. I'm stressed. Just a normal week in the Hubby and Jody household.

6 comments:

Mary said...

Glad to hear you're alive and kicking!

Great idea on the camcorder with JP! I wonder if the whole "dressing himself" thing is too broad for him? Maybe just if he was responsible for putting on one item each day and you'd help with the rest; then each week, add an item for him. It just seems with the video, there's more to him not dressing than just not doing it.

The shower thing I've been thinking about.... Our almost-son had an issue with showers because they had been used as a punishment previously. I also know our 10-year-old used to have a lot of difficulty with hot and cold a few years back. Everything was always too hot; now he takes scalding showers and loves it!

If JP has any therapy, talk to his therapist about those two things -- bring the video in for him/her to see his behavior when he's supposed to be getting dressed.

Hope you (literally) catch your breath soon!

Yondalla said...

I too am glad to hear you are alive and kicking.

And I wish I had something helpful to say...

Julie said...

glad your back too- I hate that asthma thing! I had it bad as a child- I am fortunate as an adult not to deal with it but I remember and it is scary! I think it is fine to tell Em- she needed to have some explination to why you couldn't breath- makes sense to be honest with her. The JP dressing thing I agree with Mary- try one thing at a time. The meds might be "zoning" him out. He may need some time to get use to them- am curious to hear what the clinic says about that. Hang in there- one day at a time! it is all you can do!

Anonymous said...

Oh. My. Goodness. I can't imagine life in your household, sounds like quite the circus! I so admire you for being able to do this--you're an amazingly strong woman!

Angel The Alien said...

I have asthma too, and I had a kid who I was providing respite care for take off on his bike! Nearly died chasing him, and then had to go back and get my car and drive around the neighborhood to find him. Good times, good times. They sell those locking things you can put on a kid's wrist or leg as a tracking device... I think the boy I worked with eventually had to have one because he kept running away. Maybe you could tell her that if she continues to run away she'll have to get one of those things... They just look like wristwatches I think!

Angela :-) said...

I think you're totally justified in not believing he needs to potty. Besides, what's it gonna hurt if he pees in the shower? LOL

Angela :-)