We weren’t in just any waiting room this time. Not another blood draw for Mom or CT scan or a look at my insides. In fact, those appointments are easy these days.
But this wasn’t going to be easy.
In fact, after four hospital stays in four months, and a third surgery coming up in a few weeks…this was the hardest appointment to keep.
This time we needed to address the emotional state of our house. And put it in order.
I took the kids to a specialist yesterday. She’s a wiz in tics and anxiety and she’s been long overdue in our family.
It was hard to hear certain words from her- like Tourette and OCD. It was hard to hear certain words from the kids-like death and orphanage. But it was much needed.
We are getting answers. We are getting reassurance. We are getting tools we can use. We are ahead of the game, we are on top of it and we are plowing through all this with knowledge in hand.
We are also beaming with pride at our brave children, their brilliant and different minds, and the comfort we can give them.
🙁
.-= Susan´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday 7-28-10 =-.
I commend you for helping your family. You are super strong. Thanks for the realness.
Love you guys. I’m here for you no matter what you need.
You’ve got great kids – and they have great parents for recognizing the need to do this.
.-= Donna´s last blog ..Stonehenge! =-.
Your awesome clearly extends beyond Aaron’s pores. What strength. I wish upon you the kind of happiness that can match your courage.
.-= amanda´s last blog ..Break My Stride =-.
My son has health problems and my husband is on anti-depressants and I am on anti-anxiety meds, but I have never considered that my 11 year old daughter might need help. Thank you for this.
Wishing all of you well.
You are one of the bravest women I know. You are one of the warmest women I know. You are one of the funniest women I know. It’s an unbeatable combination. Ergo, EK-V CAN’T BE BEAT!
xoxoxox to your cuties. A little story–my youngest had a horrible year when he was 6. I was in a very bad taxi accident and continued to travel a lot for work–with no signs that that worried him. Then a few months after my accident he was on a cross-county trip with their dad and his newly moved in GF and her two kids (so blended family drama ahoy) and their SUV flipped half a country away (thankfully only cuts and bruises.) He developing a mouth tic. It ended up doing just what it was supposed to, relieve some of his tension and shout to the rest of us that he had worries and traumatic pain. Attention to those worries allieviated so much very quickly. Hard, hard stuff your–super brave– littles are feeling, and you too Erin. Love to you all.
*hugs*
.-= briya´s last blog ..File this under- Things I didnt know I had to tell people =-.
Hugs to all of you- and how right you are to be proud of everyone involved. Being brave is being scared but doing what you need to do anyway, as they say. Sounds like all of you are doing just that.
.-= Laura´s last blog ..Human Will =-.
Erin, I’ve spent years and years working with young children and getting your family and children help is so important long term. You made a great decision and you’re kids will be so grateful someday.
.-= Sommer´s last blog ..Do You Read Magazines =-.
*hugs* to all of you.
.-= mel´s last blog ..Doing Wordless Wednesday a little different this week Still =-.
So glad that you conquered this scary task and didn’t let things fester. FYI – in my study of how people communicate & perceive experiences, I’ve come across a couple of powerful stories on the T-word –
Oliver Sacks – the neurologist behind Awakenings – studies a surgeon w/ T in “Anthropologist on Mars” (the title story is about Temple Grandin).
Also, Primetime did a show on “Camp Tick-a-palooza” here in upstate NY – the kids they profile are pretty severe cases, though.
.-= Aprille´s last blog ..Art in the Community =-.
Ah, I remember the first time we had a dr. say “Tourette Syndrome,” immediately followed by OCD.
I remember thinking they should spread out diagnosis disclosures by at least a half hour … and a few cocktails. Too much for a momma.
Now another of my kids have obvious Tourette’s (my two bio kids!). Some good days. Some not so good days.
My 12-year-old daughter (who calls herself “Twitchy Mac”) loves, loves, loves the HBO movie, “I Have Tourette’s but Tourette’s Doesn’t Have Me.” It came along at just the right time when she was navigating her tics and obsessions along with peers.
Crazy about you, E! <3
Brava to you for staying ahead of the game. You know how, when you’re recovering from surgery, and you’re on pain medication, you have to take the meds on a schedule, BEFORE you feel the pain? Because if you let it start hurting, then it’s way more difficult to “catch up” to a level of relief again? Yeah. This is like that. Love you.
.-= Belinda´s last blog ..Just Peachy! Part Two- Quick Fresh Peach-Tomato-Cucumber Salsa =-.
I’m glad you and your husband are strong enough parents to make sure your children are taken care of in body, mind and soul. Clearly your fortitude passed down onto them; and their love for their mommy is beautiful.
As someone who wasn’t dxed with OCD until her 20s, THANK YOU! You are doing right by your babies, and they’ll thank you for it. OCD sucks.
PS Don’t forget to check for PANDAS. My brother had real issues with Tics and it was PANDAS, which is basically too many strep antibodies.
Love that Hala is reading Parenting magazine for the photo. Something just so odd and funny about that.
And therapy is good for everyone. It always confused me about you Gentiles not embracing it in the 70’s like us Jews. 😉
We don’t know everything and we can’t fix everything ourselves and you are all the more healthy for accepting that and going to the place or places, the person or people who do know what you don’t and can help fix whatever needs fixing. We go to specialists because they have special knowledge we don’t and they’ve worked with hundreds if not thousands of people how benefit from that special knowledge. Your love for your kids is never greater than when you are looking for answers to help them and help you.
My first look at this wonderful blog, recommended by a book on blogging.
This describes where my family was about fifteen years ago. The school principal made a point of having her secretaries program their phones to speed-dial my office when my son, who now has a Phi Beta Kappa key from one of the Ivies, crossed the social boundaries. In the fifteen years there were any number of wrong diagnoses, psychiatrists honest and patient enough to deal with uncertainties and any number of real heroes distributed within the public and Jewish school system to offset a fair number of rogues and Rabbis whose professional skill did not measure of to their titles of communal honor.
The path forward tends to resemble the direction of the stock market. Over time the trend progresses favorably with a few setbacks, maybe even a couple of crashes, thrown in.
Bracha v’Hatzlach: Blessing and Success to you and your family.
Good luck and sunshine your way. Let me know if you ever need chocolate. I’m not kidding. Chocolate has the much-needed magic of creating a smile on everyone’s face.
*smile*
you have a finger on the pulse of your family & know what you all need. love you your queendom.
.-= mommymae´s last blog ..go get yourself some freckletree =-.
Erin and husband (yeah I don’t know you),
Excellent job of keeping the kids in the loop and making sure they are not lost. So so many prayers and love coming your families way.
Tami
Good luck and kudos for getting help! We all need it sometimes.