You know, when you have a child, you don’t think you’re signing up for some things.
and today is one of those days I just don’t feel like I knew what I was signing up for.
Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade Isaac for anything, and I love the Monkey with every inch of my being,a nd the house would be too quiet without his singing, laughing and attempting to attack the cats. Some days, it’s just a very, very lonely place to be as a parent of a special needs preschooler.
I spent this morning carting Isaac to the pediatric surgeon for the follow up from his most recent foray into Albany Medical Center Children’s hospital. We got there, and waited..and waited…and waited…
Torture for most 3 year olds, but for Isaac, this was cruel and unusual punishment.
Our app’t was 10:30. We didn’t get seen until almost 11:35. We left the office at 11:45.
yeah. that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Then, there are the people who don’t understand, even when you explain, that he needs adaptations to make his world WORK for him.
Case and point:
I had someone ask me if his AFO’s were so that I could punish him for running away from me. Whatever. Even after explanation, they didn’t seem convinced. I waited for days for CPS to find me and play 20 questions and all of that.
And I didn’t sign up for the days where I feel like I need to apologize for my child and his “oddities.”
Like to the surgeon that he’s not potty trained yet, because he’s hyposensitive.
Like to some people when he has a hissy fit, because he’s just overtired and he doesn’t know when to shut down
Like to other people who don’t understand his need to MOVE and GO and be a tactile child.
I also didn’t sign up for the fights I would have with doctors…
Threats if we didn’t get the referral to the ENT, because their incompetent office lost the records
fights over this last procedure…isn’t there another way??
and I didn’t sign up for stupid people who think that their child is more “special” than mine because of their gender.
Let’s discuss that one. Cousin of mine (who the longer I am a mom, the more I want to backhand slap her for what she’s doing to that poor child with a horrible name…) was going on and on and on about how traumatic it was for the Badly named social retard to get tubes put in her ears. This was a week..yes, a week…after Isaac’s 2nd testicular pulldown. Yeah..that was surgery #4.
I laughed at her. It was all I could do…I didn’t want to backhand her at a family function.
I also didn’t sign up for the people who really drive me insane by questioning my choice of program for Isaac to get him the services he needs.
Like the people who think I’m a horrid mom for sending him on the bus every morning.
If they saw what I saw…Isaac RUNS to the bus, tells me goodbye, and will not let me walk him any further than halfway downt he driveway anymore…they’d see a child who ENJOYS his bus ride and feels like a “big kid” getting on a bus all by himself.
And again, don’t get me wrong. I’m blessed on so many counts…a loving, sweet, hilarious child who tells me EVERY morning that he’s glad I’m here, and it’s good to see me along with a hug and a smooch…a SUPERB program that meets Isaac where he is and pushes him to the absolute next level on every playing field…a program that will NOT take any of his whiney fits, but still shows enough love that he talks about teachers…(Yes, we’re STILL hearing about playing with Mary Jo!!)…the knowledge that he’s made so much progress….and he will in all likelyhood go to kindergarten mainstreamed…
BUT, there are the things that get me down…
and being a parent of a child who isn’t “mainstream” right now is one of them.
having a “medical mess” is another…
But, now, I was just asked to go watch “Cars..”
“are you coming, Mommy? Come in! “
I think I will.