Never neglect date nights again

“I’m too tired, let just stay home tonight” I say this all too often. We become so wiped out with trying to have a good life and that we actually forget to have… a GOOD LIFE! It’s time to shape up, get up, dress up, and go out…

Keeping your date nights a necessity will keep your marriage strong. What do you think happens when the husband and wife work all day, spend their days apart, and even when they are home, they are on separate ends of the house busy doing different things? They forget who their spouse is, they can even forget who they are as themselves. Whether you have kids or don’t, you will always find something to distract you and take your time away from your spouse. This I promise.

Schedule.

Sit down with your husband and look at each other’s schedules. Put date night down in pen! Don’t let anything come up.There’s nothing more disappointing that receiving a phone call from your husband at work… “Hey, Bill needs my help doing something tonight so maybe we can schedule our date for another day” No! If you MUST reschedule, sit down right then and reschedule it. Your spouse should ALWAYS come before your friends.

Don’t resent your kids.

Make sure you have a baby sitter scheduled to watch your kids. Always have a back up sitter if they cancel. Otherwise you may spend your evening at home resenting your kids. How awful is that?! lol

Save Money.

Dates these days are expensive! Our local movie theatre is $10 a ticket. Then you have to add up all of the snacks and drinks (Pshhh… I don’t sneak in dollar store snacks…..I don’t know what you’re talking about…) Check your area for a dollar theatre. Try to find a restaurant that offers 2 entrées for $20. Apple Bee’s has awesome deals for date night! Don’t just say “Oh we don’t have the money” You have to put forth SOME effort! Look online for local deals and discounts! Here is the link to your local movie times, hope you find something good to go see 🙂  http://www.fandango.com/

Save up.

Like I said before, dates can be expensive. If you are wanting to do just a simple nice date or something more elaborate, then you might have to start saving for either plan. Never just plan on “having” the money. I want you to go get an envelope right now…go do it….NOW! lol. Now grab a marker. Write on the back, “Date Night”. Inside of this envelope you will put in $5 – $20 per paycheck. Let’s say you and your spouse get paid twice a month each. Even if you just put in $5 a pay check that comes out to $20 by the end of the month. Go have some drinks somewhere!

Date ideas. 

Pack a Picnic. Rent a paddle boat for the afternoon. Mini Golf. Bowling. Poker night. Roller skating. Spontaneously get in your car and drive nowhere in particular, and spend the day there. Take your spouse to test drive their dream car. Go for a Hike. Sunset picnic. Attend a concert. Play pool together or against another couple. Movie Marathon. Make your own fire pit together and roast marshmallow’s. Camp in your back yard. Board Games. Pick a series of movies and cuddle up with popcorn (Cheap, I like it….). Take your husband to a brewery (I know mine would LOVE that). Stroll through a farmers market.

Statistics.

The percentage of married individuals, over the age of 18, who respond that their marriages are “very happy” has gradually declined over the last four decades, though the numbers have leveled out in the past 20 years.  The most recent studies show that 63.1% of men and 60.7% of women classify their marriages as such. We have to remember to take our marriage seriously. Think about the reason you married them in the first place? Maybe you both have changed so much…even if that’s the case take that as an opportunity to rediscover each other.

“Always strive to give your spouse the very best of yourself; not what’s left over after you have given your best to everyone else”- Dave Willis

7 benefits you didn’t know about having Pets

You have heard the term “ An apple a day will keep the doctor away…” Is it true a pet a day will keep the doctor away?

I have ALWAYS been a huge animal lover. After my traumatic pregnancy with our son, that is when I really found that out about myself. I have a Dog named Jack, he is a black lab pit mix. Then we have our little kitty Wendy. There are so many benefits to having animals and most of those benefits people aren’t aware of. Take a look!

Immunity: Children who live with Dogs or Kitty’s from infancy or less likely to develop animal allergies later in life or asthma. Though it is not certain but researchers suspect that early exposure to pet allergens can actually help the immune system. It could help your child build up an immunity. How awesome is that! Better start that back yard Zoo you always dreamed of!

Therapy: What is pet therapy? The use of trained animals and handlers to achieve specific physical, social, cognitive, and emotional goals with patients; also called animal-assisted therapy or AAT. Pet therapy has been known to lessen depression, anxiety and fatigue. My son Conner and our dog Jack are best pals. When Conner began having a seizure one day we laid him next to Jack. The fur and emotion for Jack helped Conner come out of his seizure quicker. I have seen firsthand what the power of animal connection can do.

Blood Pressure: Did you know that just by petting your cat or dog, you can lower your blood pressure Cholesterol? Researchers looked at nearly 4,500 adults and found that cat ownership was related to a 40 percent lower risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.

Love Connection: Forget dating sites just take your dog for a walk! Dogs are great conversation starters. This can really help ease people out of social isolation or shyness, The conversation can stay grounded at the dog or it can turn into “I do” who knows…lol. Hasn’t anyone seen 101 Dalmatians???

Weight watcher: A research was done with 2,000 adults. The adults who owned a dog were much less likely to become obese because they felt more motivated to walk their dog. We all could you a little motivation right?

Mental Security: Just knowing that you have a dog that barks is enough to help you fall into a good deep sleep. I have found myself scared and nervous when my dog isn’t with me at night for one reason or another.

Service: For the disabled, or mentally challenged, having an animal to help guide them or service them in some way is just amazing. Dogs can be trained to sense seizures, sense an autistic melt down, help an elderly person who has fallen or is lost. There are so many things animals are capable of doing. It is just incredible.

Such a large majority or animals are killed everyday because of animal shelters being over crowded. How sad it is to think about what great benefits these animals can bring, and they are being killed because nobody wants them. I am a huge advocate for rescue animals!

I think its time you head down to your local animal shelter and adopt, dont you?

5 seizure triggers you haven’t thought of…

5 seizure triggers you haven’t thought of…

Seizure: “A seizure is the physical findings or changes in behavior that occur after an episode of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The term “seizure” is often used interchangeably with “convulsion.” Convulsions are when a person’s body shakes rapidly and uncontrollably.”

One in 26 people in the United States will develop epilepsy at some point in their lifetime.

Are there things that you can avoid for yourself or a loved one who suffers from seizures? YES!

1. Sounds.I have found that a lot of people complain of sudden, or loud sounds triggering a seizure. I know this is true because if things get too loud around my son he becomes overwhelmed and ends up having seizures. I resorted to buying my son headphone to block out sound. Here is the link to buy a pair for a child. This is the same pair Conner has that he wears every day. http://funandfunction.com/noise-reduction-ear-muff.html
2. Extreme temperatures have been made known to actually make seizures come on. We live in a valley and during the Summer it can become extremely hot. Some people have noticed that either very hot or very cold atmosphere can trigger seizures. Have you found this relatable? Maybe try to stay out of that crazy weather silly! J
3. Light Fixtures. Obviously the most common trigger you have heard or noticed is flashing lights, but did you know fluorescent lighting flashes so fast you can’t realize it but your eyes see it! You will find fluorescent lighting in a lot of stores and businesses. Obviously this is hard to avoid. We got our son special tinted glasses. The effectiveness of wearing a tinted lens depends on both the color of the lens as well as the intensity of the hue of the lens (and therefore the light transmission).  Several studies show that blue-tinted lenses may help reduce the photoparoxysmal response…thereby reducing the number of seizures.  Some patients and their doctors may not realize that this tint can be worn in a contact lens instead of in spectacle lenses. Have your ophthalmologist test your pupils with different shaded colors. Conner’s most effective color is brown/red.
4. Over Stimulation. Putting more stress on a person with epilepsy can cause seizures for sure. My son will most likely have autism, so he hates water. Whenever I give him a bath he gets stressed and seizes. He is G-tube fed, so whenever I try to feed him by mouth he gets nervous. I try to do everything calmly and slowly ease him into it. The key is to keep track of what triggers the seizures. Everyone is different.
5. Strong Scents. A year ago my son was relaxing and my daughter came into the living room and sprayed an air freshener. He instantly went into a grand mal seizure. From that point on we have been very careful to never have anything smelly around him. Sometimes it is unavoidable. People wear perfume, or you go into people’s homes and they have plug in’s on every wall…If you seem this may be I have found that if you MUST have smell good things around try essential oils. I have found that these all natural scent’s don’t affect our son! http://www.doterra.com/#/en/ourProducts/essentialOils/singleOils

Please share with me your thoughts and triggers you have found!

Get your doctor to listen to you!

How to make your child’s doctor listen to you!

1^st : VIDEO TAPE (If possible) what your child is doing.

For example, if you suspect any of the following, try your best to capture it on video.

Autistic features, seizure activity, pain, loss of coordination, or anything that is visual.

Bringing only your words to the table when the doctor asks, “What going on?” You might as well be walking into a courtroom without evidence! Keep a recording device on you at all times so it’s ready to go when you notice the change.

This is based on personal experience. When my son began having Infantile Spam’s. I brought him to his pediatrician, I told him what I was seeing. He said “Kids do funny things sometimes”. I knew he was wrong. So very wise advice was given to me by another TSC mom. “Video your son having his spasms” she said, and so I did. Doing this made the world of difference. We drove our son to the city and showed every doctor that came in to see him, the videos. As I thought, Conner was then admitted and diagnosed with Infantile Spasms. TRUST YOUR GUT!

2^nd : JOURNAL your heart out. Keeping a log of your child’s activity is important. When the doctor asks you “When did that begin?” “How often?” “How long does it last?” Questions like these can be referred back to your journal which makes it a whole lot easier. Instead of just sitting there and saying “Oh I don’t remember…” It is amazing how much they appreciate your seriousness of your child’s care. They respect your efforts so they know that you will be expecting the same effort from them!

3^rd : MEDICAL BINDER’s are very helpful. You can make your own or ask your resource center if there are programs that provide you one for free. Conner’s binder consists of Medication lists, dates of surgery, clinic notes, MRI and CT scan disks, and lots of other important information. I don’t know about you, but I hate being asked the same question a million times. My son’s binder has become my best friend. The first thing I do is hand them his binder. I hand it to his pediatrician, the ER nurses etc…All they have to do is make copies of what information they need to obtain.

4^th : RESEARCH. I know the internet can be scary and some of you may disagree with me, but I have found researching my son’s symptoms, extremely helpful. The stories you find of other parents could possibly save your child’s life. When Conner was on ACTH (Steroid for Infantile Spasms) it began making his tumors in his heart grow! Thought the big city hospital never heard of such a thing. I printed out what I found and brought it to their attention. They quickly ordered an ECHO, long and behold, I was right. They immediately stopped his medication. Who knows what would have happened if they didn’t believe me.

I hope you have found this helpful. Please contact me if you are having difficulties communicating with your doctor. Remember that the doctor will only be as polite as you are to them. So only be stern when you feel the need to be. Again…trust your gut, you are usually right. Yes some of us may be looked at as “Paranoid”, but my motto is, ”It’s better to be safe than sorry!”

Here is a link to a video I took of Conner’s weird symptoms. I already knew they were Infantile Spasms, the beginning diagnosis was Multifocal seizures but they transformed into IS a month later.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=457172697667480&set=vb.431526783565405&type=3&theater#

What’s in my Special bag?

What’s in my Special bag?

– Stethoscope ( Conner has heart block and arrhythmia )
– Pulse ox ( not accurate enough but check oxygen level )
– 1 feeding bag ( Conner is G-tube fed )
– 1 formula box
– Thermometer
– Emergency meds ( For prolonged seizure )
– Extra syringe
– Wipes and diapers
– Feeding Extender
– Eye drops ( Conner get dry eye often )
– Glasses
– Head phone to block sound ( Sensory over stimulation )
– Emergency tube ( Incase Mic-key button comes out )
– Diaper sacks ( I am sure everyone loves the smell of their poo )
– Otoscope ( I use this all the time because Conner gets ear infections )
– 2×2 IV sponges for Mickey button ( To soak up tummy boogies, yuck )
– Orajel ( For teething, I love when my kids cry non stop, don’t you? )
– Drainage protector and catheter plug ( If Mic-key comes out it clogs emergency tube so stomach contents don’t leak out )

How to set up your kangaroo Joey junior feeding pump

Hey there care givers! I just happened to come across one of my old videos and I received over 12,000 views! Unfortunately I do not remember how to log in to that account, but I am going to post the link below and I hope you all find it helpful! Please comment if you have any questions or would like to add something I left out. http://youtu.be/qFsoYoSyNv8

Conner’s Journey part 2

“Karissa…….Karissa….Wake up….” I slowly opened my blurry eyes. Focusing on the blonde woman in my face, I tried to make sense of where I was. “ Your son is doing well. He didn’t need any help. “ Then she disappeared. I felt like she was lying to me or I was dreaming. In walks my husband with our camera. I see for myself, a video of my son lying on a table, kicking his legs out and crying. He looked like a healthy normal baby. How could this be? Was it possible he didn’t need any help? I cried but still felt numb.

I was in complete shock. I made myself a video blog when my medication wore off a little. I spoke about how I was feeling and how Conner survived! I just kept thinking how much I wanted to hold my son. Because Conner was in the NICU and I was recovering from my emergency c section, which by far is more painful than a regular c section, we had to be apart. I was loaded with medication for the severe pain so everything is pretty foggy.

The next day my husband called my moms phone as she sat beside my bed. She let me know that I had a surprise coming. I had a feeling I knew what it was. I put on makeup incase there would be pictures. My husband walked around the curtain of my bed holding…what I thought was impossible…my son. The one who continued to kick every now and then reminding me “ Hi mommy, I’m still hanging on!”. He was so tiny, I had never been so scared to break something as I was then. I held him gently in my arms. Still numb to it all, I cried. I rocked him side to side regardless of the pain. He looked just like his big sister.

The nurses had made exceptions for Conner to leave the NICU since he was a miracle baby! That was the best surprise ever…I didn’t want them to take him away. He could only stay for a little bit. It had been sixteen hours since he was born. I hadn’t soaked him in enough…I needed more of my Conner. His sister Lacie got to meet him while he was in my arms. She didn’t know what to think. We didn’t prepare her for having a baby brother. We didn’t talk about him in front of her. I could tell she was a little put off.

We were asking to meet with the doctors in the NICU to discuss Conners MRI and genetic testing. They explained to us that Conner had numerous tumor’s through out his brain. They told us he had Tuberous Sclerosis Complex type 2. It didn’t come from either of us. He developed it totally on his own. Apparently it was just a freak thing. The doctor also mentioned that Conner would likely would have learning disabilities and seizures later in life.

As I held him in my arms, I starred down at his little head and couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that there were these awful little tumors inside of his brain! But for now, he was perfect in every way, and I decided I was going to enjoy every moment without the fear of his future.

Only four days later, we were ready to go home. I never imagined this moment would come. Hence, why I was totally unprepared. I didn’t bring a car seat, or anything. The hospital donated one to us! We were so grateful. Boy, did I have some shopping to do! We strapped Conners little body into that huge car seat. Joel was so scared to drive with Conner in the car. It was actually really cute.

Walking into our home with our son was surreal. I wanted to stay up forever and enjoy it all, but I was so tired, so we went straight to bed and Conner slept with me. The next day my mom brought a bassinet, clothes, diapers, and everything else we needed. I had a few things hidden away like a breast pump, a few outfits, and a bouncer. I placed the crib and swing out in the garage before his birth. I didn’t want to see anything that would make me sad when we came home without Conner.

I was so in love with my son, I felt on the clouds for weeks! Our friends from our Kingdom Hall came every night to drop off dinner, and friends would come clean my house and get groceries for us. We felt so loved and taken care of. My mom put together a last minute baby shower, which didn’t at all seem like a last minute thing. It was beautiful! We had about 80 people come. It was overwhelming how many came. We received everything we needed of course. Conner was 1 month old at the time. People came up to him and cried while he wrapped his little hand around their fingers. It was a very special day.

One month later EVERYTHING changed. Joel and Lacie went to meeting ( or as you would call it, a church service) Click here to find out what “Meeting” is http://www.jw.org/en/video-kingdom-hall/ I was home by myself with Conner. We were laying on my bed and all of a sudden a face changed and looked scared. His arms went up and his eyes began to roll. His whole body shivered. It lasted 15 seconds. I sat there crying trying to call Joel, he didn’t answer so my mom rushed over.

I knew he would have seizures but not so young! From that point on he had grand mal seizures every hour and the longest lasted almost 3 minutes. I was terrified. The doctor started him on a seizure medication called Keppra. It helped but it took a few weeks to figure out how much he would need to control them. Finally he only had 5 a day which was reasonable considering how many he was having before.

Conner began having infantile spasms at 7 months old. I was extremely depressed because Conner had forgotten how to laugh, smile, and babble. He even forgot how to eat. He would have over 200 individual infantile spasms a day and if he wasn’t seizing he was sleeping. He was never awake to eat, and he eventually became so weak to eat and forgot how, that he had to have G-tube surgery so he could eat. Infantile spasms have been his hardest challenge. Here is the link to his news video of that time. http://m.krcrtv.com/With-a-Total-of-19-Tumors-Everyday-is-a-Battle-for-Baby-Connor/18147000

From age 0-5 is when children develop the most. Conner has had so many seizures that obviously effected his milestones. He gained back smiling, and laughing after trying a bunch of different medications. Only some of them showed a slight improvement. He went 3 months without any seizures and he began to babble again! The seizure break happened completely on his own.

I thought this is it, he’s better! Then while shopping in Target one day, he was laying in the cart and had a cluster of 20 spasms. I called my mom and cried on the phone. Since then I knew things would never be stable. He would have small breaks and then begin having them again and again.

Conner is globally delayed. He is 2 ½ now and crawls a little, babbles, and laughs. He still has close to 100 spasms a day. Conner gets medicine 3 times a day. He recently had a pace maker put in because he developed 3rd degree heart block. He has healed up good, and it’s amazing to hear his heart so regular. He continued to have ECHO’s and halter monitors done after birth. He always had a crazy arrhythmia.

Our life has been so different since Conner came into our lives. I have flown with Conner too many times to count. The town we live in offers nothing to Conner. Anytime he is having problems he is airlifted to the city. Conner has made us a closer family. Of course we come across hard ships, but we always make it through. California offers so many great things to kids who have disabilities. Conner sees 5 different therapists! It really had made a huge difference.

I love my son exactly the way he is. I wish he didn’t have to suffer the way he does, but he is the bravest kid I have ever known. I know he will be my baby for life, but I’m okay with that! I’m glad I get to have my baby forever rather than not at all. He has humbled all of us including his sister. Lacie loves to take care of her brother. Of course, we have a hard time juggling attention between the two but we make it work. She is good at communicating and letting us know she needs us.

If you others are going through this or think you might be, I know this sounds cliché’, but you really are not alone. You have a huge group of parents to help you through. Including myself, please contact me if you have questions or need help. I will do my best… Things won’t be this way forever.

Conner’s Journey Part 1

I sat there on my bed waiting…I walked over to my bathroom and starred down and the two blue lines in front of me.

This was my second time around finding a positive pregnancy test! We became pregnant with our second child. We were thrilled! The weeks went by slowly of course. We were so anxious to see if we were going to have another girl, or if we would be having a little boy!

I laid on the table while the technician moved around my belly with their Ultrasound. I sat there thinking “ I wonder why they are taking so long this time. It wasn’t this long with Lacie”. “ I’m going go get some assistance.” I instantly knew something was wrong. Both technicians begin moving around the wand and looking close at the screen. They kept looking at his heart for some odd reason. “Well you’re having a boy!” We were so excited! Of course we called everyone right away to tell them the news.

My mom and I had a cleaning business together at the time. I sat there at their bar listening to a voice mail on my phone. “ We found a large mass inside of your sons heart. We need to send you to a better hospital for more testing”. Sheer panic of course overcame me. Obviously my husbands response was “I’m sure they are just wanting to be extra cautious.” I knew they weren’t. How could you see a huge tumor? It would be more likely to see something missing, not an extra part! Of course I’m no brainiac.

We arrived to our appointment in the big city and nervously waited to be called by a genetic specialist. We gave them all of our family health history. Next was an ECHO which is an ultrasound of the baby’s heart to check blood flow and growth of the mass (tumor/tuber). The tech sat there quietly but answered my question. “Is there really a tumor in there?” “Yes, there definitely is a mass there.” As Dina pointed to the tumor which looked like a heart beating. Nope! The tumor was so big it looked like the heart.

After the ECHO, we sat in a cold room with little space. Now that a tumor was confirmed, I became numb. I didn’t know how to feel. The doctor came in and explained that the tumor was called a Rhabdomyoma Tumor. Our son would likely have Tuberous Sclerosis. The tumor would continue to grow until birth. Little did I know how fast it would grow. Tuberous sclerosis became my last thought of the day. Our daily horror was “I wonder how big the tumor has gotten today”. We had to travel 3 hours every 2 weeks for regular ECHO’s.

At 27 weeks, I noticed Conner started moving less and less. I came to my appointment and was told his tumor was so big that his heart would soon stop beating. And then he would die. I sat at the end of the patient table. Starring at the floor, while the doctor explained everything to my husband and mom. I don’t remember much of what he said. He said “Keep track of the baby’s kicks”. That is all I remember. I couldn’t open my mouth. My teeth were clenched together. I avoided eye contact with my family.

We pulled into a gas station. I sat there watching my mom walking in to pay. I just completely melted into a puddle of tears. I was so numb. I felt like I was living a nightmare. I knew I would be waking up soon. Most of my pregnancy was in my bed. I didn’t want to be with my friends. The sadness overwhelmed me. I forgot who I really was. How could I ever be happy again? His movement became rare.

At 30 weeks, I noticed no movement at all. I called the on call nurse. She advised me to quickly head to the ER. My OB met me there. She told me his heart rate was so slow that it was at the point of brain damage. She contacted the flight team, and they came to fly me to the city. I was put on a stretcher and strapped to a fixed wing plane. My husband sat in the front with the pilot.

I laid on my side for 45 minutes while the flight nurses checked Conners rate every 5 minutes. We finally arrived safely and was immediately admitted. A million people came into my room and ran tests. They told me they would most likely take him out that night. We were terrified. His chance of survival was so slim already being premature but having an enlarged heart with hardly any blood flow. We prayed and prayed…

The doctor finally came and decided that Conners chance at survival was the same if they took him out or left him in. It was decided they would leave him in. They scheduled an induce date at 39 weeks but told me that he would pass away in the next couple of days. I was given info on funeral arrangements. I wrote out my plan. I forced myself to a few gatherings to distract myself but suffered silently.

 

Somehow he survived until 39 weeks. We came in, and everyone was surprised. They began inducing me. I was somewhat anxious to meet my son, even if it would be only a few moments. I smiled for pictures. I kept quiet most of the time. I didn’t know how to feel.

They rushed and called on their emergency pager for an emergency c-section. His heart was dropping too low. They rushed me out before I could say bye to my family. They ran me down the hall, and pushed my bed through double doors. They laid me on a table with a huge light above me. I shook so much I could hear metal hitting metal. I was scared out of my mind. They put me to sleep and that was it…everything went black.

 

How to get the best out of your massage

How to get the best out of your massage…

1. Don’t eat right before a massage.

Why? Laying on your front side can upset your stomach. Avoid eating just before so you are as comfortable as possible.

2. Take valerian root 1 hour prior to massage (Dosing is different for every individual)

Why? Valerian Root is a calming herb that promotes relaxation. It’s my favorite calming remedy.

3. Do not have anything scheduled prior to your massage or after.

Why? Rushing to your massage appointment can induce stress, and leaving from a relaxing massage into running errands and driving in traffic can take away the calming affects from your massage. Let it last, and go home!

4. Relax your muscles and your mind

Why? Tightening up is counterproductive. So try your best to relax your mind and body.

5. Communicate with your massage therapist when you are in discomfort

Why? You want to be comfortable enough with your therapist to feel okay with letting them know how you are feeling. If you just suffer through the pain, your massage will be a waste of time because you will feel stressed the entire time. YOU are paying them. Let them know “it hurts!”

6. Drink extra water after your massage.

Why? “Deep tissue massage releases toxins from the muscles and into the blood stream. They assert that the water helps the kidneys and pancreas to process those toxins. “ –Huffington Post

7. Lay on the massage table for a couple of minutes after the session is over.

Why? Sometimes you may experience light headedness. It’s best to lay open on the table and take in the aroma of the spa and adjust to how you feel.

8. Stay on schedule with your massages.

Why? Staying on schedule with your massages whether it be once a week, every other week, or once a month. Massage is very beneficial to detox. For you other special needs parents out there, make sure you make this a priority. Take care of yourself, don’t forget!

Confessions of a special needs parent

Confessions of a special needs parent

Health issues of my own. Severe stress and lack of self-love can bring on a whole lot of health issues! I happen to be one of them! I was diagnosed with Conversion Disorder January 2014. It took two years to find a diagnosis. The bottom line is, we all forget to take care of ourselves when we are so busy with our special kiddos. In order to take care of them, you have to remember, YOU NEED TO BE PRESENT. There were numerous times were my body just shut down and it killed me inside not being able to take care of my son. So take those vitamins, eat healthy, and have quiet time to yourself…I better practice what I preach!

Therapy. You should never feel guilty for seeking out professional help. If you are embarrassed, then just keep it to yourself. Nobody needs to know. It’s only your business! Talk to a resource center and ask about programs for parents of special needs children.

Medication. Do you know there are over 70% American’s who rely on medication? Just because you need medication to get through this rough life doesn’t mean you’re a quack! Most of the people you know are probably on something themselves. I myself take an anti-depressant. I am not ashamed of it! And you shouldn’t be either! Medication isn’t for everyone, those of you who have gotten along without it, more power to you. I’m just saying, don’t feel ashamed. And again YOUR BUSINESS!

Forgetfulness. If you say you have never forgotten to give your child their medicine, or missed their doctor’s appointments, then I would say you are full of… POO POO! It happens to the best of us, over and over and over again. Hey thanks Adam & Eve for our inherited forgetfulness! (NOT!) Don’t feel guilty. I find that setting an alarm in my cell phone is a great reminder, but don’t do what I do and click the “dismiss alarm” and then forget! Get up and do it the second the alarm rings.

Jealousy. Every parent is different on how they handle their situation with their children. Here is what I felt in the beginning when my son came into the world. Any time I saw a magazine cover that said anything about milestones, or pamphlets given at the doctor’s offices. I began to feel a little monster called “Jealousy” attacking my heart. It used to happen every time. After a while I began to accept that my son is going to do things when he does them. Every child hits their milestones at different times, and yes maybe my son will wear diapers his whole life, but I sure am lucky to have such a wonderful, loving son, and THAT is the most important thing to remember. Jealousy never really goes away. It’s okay to feel jealous, having kids with disabilities, and special needs is apart of our world now more than ever. Kids were not meant to be sick like this. It’s only natural we have strong feelings inside eating us up. That is why belonging to some sort of group to talk about how you are feeling is so important! Thank goodness for Facebook!

Excuses. You may not agree with me, or pretend, not to agree with me, but I have found that having a special needs child can pretty much get you out of every sticky situation. “Hey do you want to come to my Tubberware party?” I’m thinking “I would rather stay home, and mop my kitchen”, but instead you use your child as an excuse! HEY, we have every right! I don’t see it as lying because no matter what… going to social functions is always going to be difficult with a special needs child. Don’t say you have never done it!

Proud. Every parent’s deals with talking about their kids differently. Some parents don’t like to talk about their child’s disability. I, on the other hand, am opposite. I LOVE to share with people about my sons disability, not to receive pity from people, but because I am so stinking proud of my son. He has defied all odds, and did the opposite of what doctors thought he would do. So yes, MY son has over 100 seizures some days. MY son doesn’t get to taste food because he is fed through a tube. MY son is globally delayed because of all of his seizures. MY son crawls, he tries to sign, and he loves…

Siblings. Sibling ALWAYS suffer from a lack of attention from their parents. It is good to recognize this and try your best to give them attention at every opportunity possible. Of course, our patience is stretched so thin, but I always remember that my little girl won’t be my little girl forever. I try to take her shopping with me to the grocery store, and running errands. I don’t do this often enough, but I find that she really enjoys mommy-daughter dates, and daddy-daughter dates. Even if I have plans to be somewhere Friday night, my husband and my daughter stay home. They watch kid’s movies and eat goodies. Usually our son is already asleep. So they have one on one time easier.

Asking for help. If your pride is in the way, GET OVER IT ALREADY! There is no way you will survive being a special needs parents without asking for help. There’s just no way. We are Jehovah’s Witnesses and our friends bend over backwards to help us with whatever we need. Having a great group of friend who are reliable is crucial.

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