I'm happy to find out that horrible PETA ad was taken down. They truly are a dispicable organization. Saying milk causes autism based off of a study that was done in 1995. That's stretching it and just desperate.
Other issues are on my mind this night, though. J has had tics of and on for several years. They come and then are gone in about a 2-3 week period. He tells me they happen when he's really stressed out and why wouldn't I believe him? He knows himself and his body better than anybody. But there's also the fact that I was once told, several years ago, that J shows signs of Tourettes. He was in for a medication change and the doctor treating him noticed characteristics that he said were typical of the condition. One of them being tics he developed while coming off one set of meds to go on another. And as soon as the change was complete the tics and any other signs were gone. The doctor told me the meds were keeping everything under control but I should consider getting him evaluated in the future should the tics reemerge. Because the ones that did appear quickly went away again I decided to leave the evaluation for later.
Well later is here. He developed a tic late spring that got really bad over the summer months. J and I contributed it to the fact he was so busy and though he was having fun he was still stressed out. Myself, J's psychologist and psychatrist kept an eye on it. It seemed to go away right before school; only showing itself when he was really stressed about something.
Well, J has developed two new tics over the last week, and one interferes with his breathing. Let me just say he was put on an inhaler today so he can finish out the CC season.
I know school has been stressing him out a lot lately. Aside from not following what's in his IEP regarding grades, he's also not getting any breaks. This is something he really needs and his Spec. Ed. teacher from last year made sure it was in his IEP. They help him calm down, regroup and find his focus again. I'm not happy at all that he's being denied these moments to center himself. I'm now fighting about that too. He's also not enjoying being in 5th grade math and reading. More is expected from him and while he can do the work it stresses him out so much and as a result he doesn't want to do any of it. Add in there no breaks and I'm pretty sure he's feeling completely overwhelmed right now. So, I think all of this is coming out in the form of these tics. He says it is.
But I also have to look at the fact that he's edging into puberty and as he begins that great hormonal and body change the meds he's on may not be effective anymore, or they could actually be causing the tics. He's been on the same ones for several years now and though his psychatrist never attributed his tics to his meds, maybe it's something to look at now. He may need a change. Ultimately, as J learns coping strategies and self-regulation skills there's the possibility he'll be able to go off most if not all of the meds. But that's something for the future; not now.
Then there's also the fact that as he goes into adolescence, if he does have Tourettes, I have to consider getting him evaluated for it. I've been told the symptoms can begin to manifest more once the person goes into puberty. So I figure I had better get that taken care of too.
The first thing we're doing is seeing his psychatrist on Wednesday. I'm going to talk to her about the tics and his medications. Then I'm going to see who she recommends for getting J evaluated.
None of this is freaking me out. I never have over the years when J went through difficult and stressful times. I always just saw it as part of how our lives were supposed to be and went with it, took it all in stride. It's the same thing with this.
Wednesday may be the beginning of a whole new journey for us. Or it could be a short straying off the path. We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, it's just another part of what makes J, J.
Other issues are on my mind this night, though. J has had tics of and on for several years. They come and then are gone in about a 2-3 week period. He tells me they happen when he's really stressed out and why wouldn't I believe him? He knows himself and his body better than anybody. But there's also the fact that I was once told, several years ago, that J shows signs of Tourettes. He was in for a medication change and the doctor treating him noticed characteristics that he said were typical of the condition. One of them being tics he developed while coming off one set of meds to go on another. And as soon as the change was complete the tics and any other signs were gone. The doctor told me the meds were keeping everything under control but I should consider getting him evaluated in the future should the tics reemerge. Because the ones that did appear quickly went away again I decided to leave the evaluation for later.
Well later is here. He developed a tic late spring that got really bad over the summer months. J and I contributed it to the fact he was so busy and though he was having fun he was still stressed out. Myself, J's psychologist and psychatrist kept an eye on it. It seemed to go away right before school; only showing itself when he was really stressed about something.
Well, J has developed two new tics over the last week, and one interferes with his breathing. Let me just say he was put on an inhaler today so he can finish out the CC season.
I know school has been stressing him out a lot lately. Aside from not following what's in his IEP regarding grades, he's also not getting any breaks. This is something he really needs and his Spec. Ed. teacher from last year made sure it was in his IEP. They help him calm down, regroup and find his focus again. I'm not happy at all that he's being denied these moments to center himself. I'm now fighting about that too. He's also not enjoying being in 5th grade math and reading. More is expected from him and while he can do the work it stresses him out so much and as a result he doesn't want to do any of it. Add in there no breaks and I'm pretty sure he's feeling completely overwhelmed right now. So, I think all of this is coming out in the form of these tics. He says it is.
But I also have to look at the fact that he's edging into puberty and as he begins that great hormonal and body change the meds he's on may not be effective anymore, or they could actually be causing the tics. He's been on the same ones for several years now and though his psychatrist never attributed his tics to his meds, maybe it's something to look at now. He may need a change. Ultimately, as J learns coping strategies and self-regulation skills there's the possibility he'll be able to go off most if not all of the meds. But that's something for the future; not now.
Then there's also the fact that as he goes into adolescence, if he does have Tourettes, I have to consider getting him evaluated for it. I've been told the symptoms can begin to manifest more once the person goes into puberty. So I figure I had better get that taken care of too.
The first thing we're doing is seeing his psychatrist on Wednesday. I'm going to talk to her about the tics and his medications. Then I'm going to see who she recommends for getting J evaluated.
None of this is freaking me out. I never have over the years when J went through difficult and stressful times. I always just saw it as part of how our lives were supposed to be and went with it, took it all in stride. It's the same thing with this.
Wednesday may be the beginning of a whole new journey for us. Or it could be a short straying off the path. We'll just have to wait and see. Regardless, it's just another part of what makes J, J.