My last post I focused on the positive changes and improvements that we’ve seen in Eli, but there are setbacks as well. Some are related to the medicine he’s on (and some of that will be addressed Dec 1st at his first psychiatry visit since his discharge). We are hoping to cut down the amount of one of the meds due to the side effects that we’ve noticed.
What he’s on currently is Lithium, Intuniv (a non-stimulant ADHD med), and Zyprexa. The Zyprexa is what’s causing the most (and only, actually) side effects. He has gained weight…which he needed to gain some, but he’s gained more than he’s needed, so we are very conscious of his diet, cutting out all sweets, and making sure he is physically active as much as possible. He is also very tired on this medication. He has to go to bed at 7pm in order to stay awake all day during school, but by the time he gets home he is absolutely exhausted. He is pretty even mannered, so the meds are working to keep him stable, and for that we are very thankful.
He is having an issue having to pee ALLLLLLLL the time. It’s insane. Every 5 minutes. No joke. So that is the main issue that is affecting things and the reason that we want to cut down the Zyprexa. The school is fabulous in accommodating him and letting him go whenever he needs to go, so there are no issues there. His teacher asked me when I picked him up a week ago if I would like to have a meeting to see where he was at and to talk about my feelings about the care he was receiving, and I jumped at the chance. His teacher went over some testing results, and to her surprise he scored very high in many areas. Not that she expected him to fail, but he just exceeded her expectations in his reading and comprehension, and we were thrilled. His math seems to be improving, and his attention span is also improving, and he is able to sit for longer periods of time and focus on the task at hand.
The issues are VERRRRRY minor compared to the problems we were having before. San Antonio has been worth every struggle and tear and letter and Congressional complaint to get here. The military failed us. They failed my family, but ultimately it is the parent’s responsibility to provide the support and resources for their children, and that is the reason we fought so hard.
I honestly am still very bitter toward the military for how we were treated during the entire ordeal, and anytime I have to go on base I nearly have anxiety attacks. Barksdale AFB had wanted to send people into our home to watch us parent to find fault with US for Eli’s problems, and that is something that I still am angry about. The military wasn’t concerned about helping us; they were concerned about placing blame on us so that they didn’t have to help us. I am happy to not live on base and frankly I would be happy to never set foot on another military base again. I have a serious distrust of the “advocates” they have, and I want nothing to do with it. Bottom line is that they did not help us, and my child suffered. The idea that the military is a great support for families is a lie – in our case especially. But for EFMP families it is a huge reality that the military has simply failed. I am not sure that is something that I will ever be able to reconcile.
I want to be supportive of Norman, and I am supportive of him. I am extremely proud of his accomplishments, and the fact that he will be promoted to Lt. Colonel after the first of the year just boggles my mind. When we met he was a Captain, and I thought THAT was impressive! I am so proud of him, so it makes it especially difficult to balance the pride I have in him serving our country and the fact that he has sacrificed so much and the military has treated our family so poorly. Prayer is the only thing that will help resolve that, so I just need to focus on doing more of that to help come to a peace with it in my heart.
And now, after that heavy post, here is the lighthearted ending to the post. After 6 years of wanting a Chinese Crested Hairless (or hairy hairless), Norman got me one for my Christmas present yesterday!!!
I will explain his name….Since the puppy is my Christmas present, and my ALL TIME favorite movie is National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, and I adore Clark Griswold :) - he is just the greatest! So the little guy’s name is Clark Griswold, but we call him Gris.
So welcome to the family Gris! We adore you already…all two pounds of you!!!!
What a cute puppy!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things are turning around for you, and it sounds like he is in a much better school.
Have a great Thanksgiving!