I constantly worry if I'm doing the parenting thing right. Having a child with autism compounds that worry. Today we had to go back to the doctor to see about trying medication (again) to help with the mood swings and the ADHD. We've been down this road before and quite honestly, it was HELL so my worry is kicked into over drive right now.
Last school year we tried two medications. One made Joshua fall asleep in class everyday and the other didn't help the mood swings, it made them 100 times worse. He would go from a sweet, lovable little guy to a raging beast in a second. He cried all the time that he hated the way the meds made him feel and we decided that it didn't matter to us if he got called down everyday in school for being fidgety or talking, we would not make him live miserable all the time. We agreed that if his grades began to suffer we would revisit the idea. Unfortunately, that is where we are right now.
The doctor assured me this medication is not a stimulant and the side effects would be minimal. I was scared to death to tell Joshua that we were going to try a new medicine. I just knew a massive meltdown was headed our way and I was prepared. I calmly explained that this new medicine wouldn't be at all like the other ones; it wouldn't make him sleepy, angry, sad, etc.
My son looked at me with those big brown eyes and said very seriously " will it make me poop rainbows? sprout wings and fly away?" And then he turned around and went back to building his tower.
My first thought was "what a little smartass!" then I was insanely proud of his quick wit. ( he totally gets that from me;) ) Overall I felt relief. With a sense of humor like that, nothing will get my boy down.
Sometimes I feel like I'm doing the parenting thing right.
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