update & thank you
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| Fri, 03-16-2007 - 9:10am |
Thank you all so much for all of the kind words, support, and prayers. I really appreciate it. I don't know where I'd be with out this board.
Kyle is having some side effects, I assume from the xanax. It’s a fast acting anti-anxiety. The prozac will have to build up in his system for at least 2 weeks. He is dizzy. He's told me that several times. Last night when he said it again I told him it was because of his new medicine. He said well I don't care because it’s made that awful feeling go away. So at least it’s working. He is also slurring his speech a little here and there. He's noticed that himself too. That is frustrating him some. He also had some muscle pain which could be from the medicine or could be just from jumping on the trampoline. I'm going to call the ped today and tell her about the side effects. Maybe he just needs a lower dose. He has also been slightly aggressive, not in a mean way, but more of a boy rough housing way, which isn't typical of him. The pharmacist said the xanax would make him sleepy but it hasn't at all. In fact I'd say it’s more the opposite. But when I give him a melatonin at bed time then he gets very sleepy and sleeps well. He is home from school until we get some of these sorted out.
We are going to take him to a child psychiatrist sometime in June to make sure this medicine is the appropriate stuff for him. We are still trying to get in to neurology too. They said they can't get us in till august. I've started a journal for his behaviors and symptoms.
He did give me some insight into what is going on in his head. He told me he hates his computer-his obsessive interest-because it makes him not do anything else. (Kind of an OCD type thing) I think he's realizing how his autism is affecting his life and making him different from other kids his age. I talked to him about the fact that computer isn't all he does but it’s been winter so he hasn't been able to do the other things he likes such as camping, biking, archery, & swimming. Yesterday it was warm enough to go outside so we played in the backyard for about an hour. Later I took him to the store and we bought a new card game and a kit to build a pirate ship. Its has cards with slots & you just slide the cards together so he can do it without much help. I'm trying to keep him happy and busy.
I don't know what to do, if anything, about school. We were hoping he could manage with his "office" set up until the end of the year. Then he'll have a self contained room next yr. Maybe he'll be ok with it now that's he's on medicine. But even though my mantra for the past month has been I can't home school 2 special needs kids, I'm considering it now. My worry is if I pull him from school I'll never get him back. I think he needs public school. He has friends there. And if he were home he'd just have that much more time to obsess about his computer.
Samantha

Samantha,
I am glad to hear he is feeling better but too bad about the side effects. Maybe they are the kind that go away as he adjusts to the new meds. He did start out with 2 and it was likely a bit of a shock to his system.
As for school, what about something like a shortened day? Send him for the most successful part of his day and then slowly work back up to a full day. Maybe that would be a better compromise than straight homeschool or having him stay all day when it is too stressful. You can supplement what he is missing at school at home.
Hope things continue to get better.
Renee
Samantha,
Thanks for the update. I have been thinking about you guys a lot. I'm glad the meds seem to be working to take the edge off a little.
Maybe once the side effects are ironed out, he can go back to his school to finish out the year?
Here's hoping.
-Paula
visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com