MIL not doing well. It's probably a matter of days or weeks now.

Cured

Today was the IEP meeting. This is the one where they do the 3 year evaluation. The IEP team has decided that Nathan is no longer autistic.

Imagine that.

Apparently, he is cured of autism. Some of the tests do show signs of Aspergers, but their main diagnostic tests indicate that Nathan does not, indeed fall within the autism spectrum. At all.

Yes, he still qualifies for an IEP. They now classify him as having OHI/ADHD.

So now the Autism Team is no longer involved with him. And besides, the Autism Team indicates that they think his issues are "behavioral" anyway, according to the IEP team.

Wow, I must be amazing, to be able to come up with a cure for autism, huh?

Change of Plans??

The school called and left a message on my cell. They want to change the plans for the days of the field trip. The principal had a nice chat with DS, and they agreed that he would come to school for those three days, and he would work at his own pace, he could do computer work, and he could make his own schedule. Even decide when he would go to lunch. Supposedly, DS was all excited about this. (Yeah, sure. The kid would be more excited to go to school, than to not go to school. Yeah... that makes sense. Not.) This sent up all kinds of red flags. I couldn't imagine my son wanting this.

I was upset. I called DH and left him a message about it. I wanted to consult with him before calling them back. Hey, we arrange for him not to be in school those days because THEY advised us not to send him. Now suddenly they want him there and working? What changed?? Ah yes. Before it was because they didn't want to deal with him on the field trip. Now that he's had too many meltdowns, and this is his punishment to not go, they want to be absolutely sure he is miserable and punished. Missing the trip isn't punishment enough. Let's really sock it to him.

Before I could talk to DH, the teacher called. DS was having a meltdown. (No kidding? Wow, what a surprise. Like I didn't see that coming...) They wanted me to call him on his cell and talk him down. Oh for crying out loud!

I can't believe this. Why can't they just back off and let us handle this? WHY do they have to push and push and push?? Are they completely blind to the fact that he can't handle it? Even when he self destructs right in front of their faces??

I called back and his Case Manager answered his cell phone. She told me she had no idea why he melted down. DUH!! I told her I know why! He's all freaked out about the load of homework they're sending home, and his beloved grandmother is in the hospital again - We spent Friday in the emergency room. And now they're throwing more work at him. And they're making him go to school and work when we told him he can't handle this. Can't they just back off?

I don't know what to tell them. They aren't listening to us. They don't believe us. They are going to push for what they want and to hell with a poor little kid that gets caught in the middle.

We had to go get him from school. He would not calm down. So we keep missing more and more work. And I'm going to be in big trouble if these phone calls (I was on the phone for so long today!) don't stop. I could lose my job. Again. I lost a job a while back because the daycare couldn't handle him. Now it will be because the school can't.

Oh! And I just heard that when DH went to pick up DS from school, he said to DS's aide, "Do you know he spent nine hours doing homework this weekend?" She replied, "Good! Maybe it will make up for the six hours of schoolwork he didn't do on Friday!"

F*** you, you bitch! He wouldn't have missed all that school on Friday if you hadn't sent that shitload of homework home for him and caused him to melt down again!

The end of the school year can't come fast enough.

Not Good News

MIL is not doing so well. They found clots in both her legs. They will be putting in some sort of screening filter so the clots can't travel. They have called in a whole team of specialists. I got a chance to ask one of them some questions.

They are going to run numerous scans on her, including a cat scan and some kind of radio isotope (don't laugh at me if I spell this stuff wrong). They are going to change her meds. Apparently, they are completely baffled why she would be getting clots when on the meds. There is also fluid around her abdomen, and they have no idea why. She has pain in the center of her chest, and they have no idea why. Hm. They say the clots in her legs won't be life threatening (or at least not after they put in the screen?), so she would be able to continue physical therapy. They say it wouldn't prevent her from walking.

They are starting to suspect cancer may be at play. That just freaks me out. (My mom had cancer.) They don't have any proof at this point, only suspicion. I guess some cancers can cause blood clots. yikes.

So right now everything is up in the air as all the tests are organized. Forgive me if I've just repeated previous posts here. I'm a bit fuzzy on what I've told you. If you have read it before, then nothing much has been found out yet.

I don't think things are looking too good. And her spirits are way down. I think she's really bummed that there is no release from the hospital in sight. And she's bummed she was in there for mother's day. And we're all tired of the hospital, so I can only imagine how she must feel as a patient. She's got the worst end of this deal.

It's kinda weird, walking into the hospital, and a nurse you haven't seen since January looks at you and says, "I remember you!" In spite of the long line of faces and names that pass before them week after week, we are memorable enough to stick in their heads. Yikes. But like they told us, you don't often see someone spend six weeks in intensive care, and survive. It's quite rare. And we were there ALL the time. (Often all night.) Also pretty unusual from what I understand.

DH and I are getting worried. We both sense that this is not going well. I'm hoping for some good news to prove us wrong.

More Melts

DS has been having more melts. Poor kid hasn't been like this in ages. We had to do his homework from yesterday, and it was too much for him. I've drawn the line. No more homework through the weekend. There's a report he's supposed to continue working on, but it's not due until Wed. It can wait. He needs a break BADLY.

Every time I see that look in his eyes, that one he gets as he's withdrawing, I just want to scream at that school. Don't we have enough struggles? Do you have to pile on top of that, more and more and more? What do you achieve by doing this? It just makes everyone miserable. Can't you just back off, and let us get on as best we can? Can't you see we're trying? We're not out to make your life more difficult - why do you have work to make ours so rough?

And Back at the Hospital...

MIL does have a bladder infection. We expected that. She's dehydrated again. Not a big surprise since she couldn't keep anything down. But she also now has blood clots in her legs - odd, since she's been on meds to address the blood clot she had in her arm (months ago). The meds should have prevented more clots. Perhaps the meds couldn't work if she wasn't keeping them down? I don't know what else could explain it.

Now they are talking about doing tests on her heart. No one is completely certain what this is about. They also want to do a colonoscopy, but they are holding off on that because they don't feel they can do that cleansing thing. I'm thinking she's had so little solid food going through her system that a cleansing would be a moot point, but what do I know. I assume there must be a medical reason they can't do it right now.

Geez, I'm tired of hospitals. I can't even imagine how MIL must feel. And now she'll be there through Mothers Day. Bummer.

MIL is back in the hospital again. Looks like the bladder infection is back (or never left).