Trying Something New

I don't talk a whole lot about CJ's issues outside of his hearing loss. He does so incredibly well that I often just sort of push the other "stuff" aside to focus on the positive. He has so many amazing things going for him, and has come significantly further than anyone ever imagined he would.

He's preparing to get his left ear implanted, and part of that is getting some shots to prevent meningitis. His CT scan shows a lack of bone around the cochlea, which will cause a gusher of spinal fluid when the doctor goes in for the cochlear implant. The doctor is prepared for it, but the exposed fluid dramatically increases his risk of contracting the disease. In order to get the vaccine, he needed a well visit since it's been nearly two years since he last saw a doctor (which demonstrates just how healthy that kid is!!).

I really like our new doctor, and I felt like it was time to bring up some issues with her that we've seen in CJ. The issues I brought up were:
-unable to sleep through the night if he sleeps at all
-still wets the bed
-can't stay on task. Even sitting at the table to complete a meal is hard for him. Completing assignments at school is very trying for him.
-incredibly impulsive, sometimes putting himself in danger
-still sleeps in his closet frequently
-can't tie his shoes, zip his pants, or button his trousers
-can't ride a bike with training wheels
-unable to correctly form his letters when writing
-relates very well to adults, but struggles a bit in playing with his peers
-lots of avoidant behavior, especially with assignments or things that are hard

Many of these issues are things that an OT has been working on with him all year long. The behavioral issues are things that the schools and we have been working on literally since he was three years old. They're holding him back from feeling successful and making friends at school.

For the first time in his life, I finally agreed to allow him to try out some medication. I won't pretend to not be nervous about it because I am really unsure of what to expect. It's not something I have wanted to do, but I felt like it was time to put my own preferences aside for what we think (and so desperately hope) is best for CJ. We're trying it out, revisiting the doctor in a week, and going from there. It's not a standard ADD/ADHD medication because neither the doctor nor I think that's quite what he has. We're hoping it'll help him sleep more regularly, control his impulses a little bit, and focus on tasks better. For the bed wetting, we got another medicine for him.

The doctor has mentioned the same for Liam a few times, but I'm pretty adamantly against it for him right now. He's just so young, hasn't gotten a real communication method yet, and well...it just doesn't feel right. The truth is that so much of what I do in parenting is based on what "feels right". Some call it Mother's intuition. I like to think of it as allowing myself to allow God to guide me in the right choices.

So, that's the latest CJ update. We're one step closer to getting that ear implanted, and hopefully one step closer to helping him feel more successful and happy about school.