(Originally posted on Dinglefest blog in November 2012.) I didn't want to be discharged from the hospital a week ago. As long as we were in the hospital, I had someone with more training than me there to respond if my boy had another seizure. Out of the hospital, I had butt valium. (Okay, so it's called diazepam, but it's valium administered rectally so...) We left the hospital knowing that … [Read more...]
Max’s Go2 Team!
I’m letting you in on the start of a God-inspired project. I don’t know how it’s going to play out, but I do know one thing: life with special needs requires a team. So that’s exactly what we’re doing – building a team around our family. A few weeks ago I bravely sent a letter to 9 people in Max’s life inviting them to be a part of this team – teachers, buddies from church, family. I’ve … [Read more...]
I’ll Get You Home
"Seizure- full blown- I’m on it.” I texted those words to my wife with one hand, as I ripped my seatbelt off with the other hand. Earlier this morning at breakfast, my wife had noticed our son was especially restless and agitated. “He’s out of sorts this morning,” she had said. We had attended church together, and on the way home, we stopped at the grocery store for the weekly shopping. … [Read more...]
Victory in the Seeming Loss of Special Needs Advocacy
It was a verbal game of chess. Winner takes all. If my son won the argument, we would return home. If I won, we would get out of the car and walk into the church. When John added a new reason why he didn’t want to go inside, I was sure he’d made a fatal mistake. He said he felt “stood up,” as he attended church each week. I countered with a correction, “’Stood up’ means showing up and no one is … [Read more...]
Power In The Body of Christ
Have you ever had one of those days (weeks, months) where you just felt like giving up? Yup. I thought so. We all have days, weeks or months like that. Especially those of us who live with children or adults with significant disabilities. Our son Joel, who has autism, has been having a rough time lately. A hospitalization for depression last fall. A 6 week manic spurt this spring that … [Read more...]
It’s Great Having the PERFECT Child!
I’d say most of us with a child who has special needs have NEVER said that. I know I haven’t. I do remember one spunky, lively, young first year teacher Joey had who’d previously worked with severely disabled children…much more challenged than the group she had that included our son...had called his classroom of students “brilliant”! Oh how that blessed my heart and made me chuckle all at the same … [Read more...]