Lol, how true is this?!

[lou33]

Just found this on another site. It's American, but I know what this person means!

You know you have a child with special needs when..........
You compare ER's instead of grocery stores.
You compare your child's oxygen saturations.
You view toys as "therapy.'
You don't take a new day for granted.
You teach your child HOW to pull things out of the cupboard, off
the bookcases, and that feeding the dog from the table is fun.
The clothes your infant wore last fall still fit her this fall.
Everything is an educational opportunity instead of just having
plain old fun.
You cheer instead of scold when they blow bubbles in their juice
while sitting at the dinner table (that's speech therapy), smear ketchup
all over their high chair (that's OT), or throw their toys (that's PT).
You also don't mind if your child goes thru the house tooting a
tin whistle.
You fired at least 3 pediatricians and can teach your family
doctor a thing or two.
You can name at least 3 genes on chromosome 21. (You really know
your toast if you can spell the full names correctly)
You have been told you are "in denial" by at least 3 medical or
therapy professionals. This makes you laugh!
You have that incredible sinking feeling that you've forgotten SOMETHING on those few days that you don't have some sort of appointment somewhere! You get irritated when friends with healthy kids complain about ONE sleepless night when they're child is ill!
Your vocabulary consists of all the letters OT, PT, SP, ASD, VSD, IFSP, etc.
You keep your appointment at the specialist even though a tropical storm is raging because you just want to get this one over with.....you
waited 8 months to get it.....and besides, no one else will be there!
Fighting and wrestling with siblings is PT.
Speech therapy occurs in the tub with a sibling.
When potty training is complete, you take out a full-page public notice in the Washington Post. When the Doctors/Specialist/Hospitals etc. all know you by your name without referring to your chart.
You keep a daily growth chart.
You calculate monthly statistics for the number of times your
child vomits, and did this for more then one year. You phone all your friends when your child sits up for the first time, at age two.
With a big smile on your face you tell a stranger that your four
year old just started walking last week. Her medical file is two inches and growing. You have a new belief.....that angels live with us on earth.

oh my god oh my god. I HATE that toys as therapy thing- and I can't help it!!! I've been told I'm "in denial" (or at least I heard from others that it has been said I'm in denial). And I would love ds1 to blow bubbles in his juice- I'd be dancing round the room (still can't blow- although ds2 has learned through our efforts to teach ds1!)

"You can teach your family
doctor a thing or two.
You have that incredible sinking feeling that you've forgotten SOMETHING on those few days that you don't have some sort of appointment somewhere! You get irritated when friends with healthy kids complain about ONE sleepless night when they're child is ill!
Your vocabulary consists of all the letters OT, PT, SP, ASD, VSD, IFSP, etc.
You keep your appointment at the specialist even though a tropical storm is raging because you just want to get this one over with.....you
waited 8 months to get it.....and besides, no one else will be there! With a big smile on your face you tell a stranger that your four
year old just started walking last week. Her medical file is two inches and growing."

This is all me, rofl! I haven't had the "in denial" thank goodness . I think I would have to be restrained if I was told that.

So much of this is me - although with dd having ds- I cannot - You can name at least 3 genes on chromosome 21. (You really know
your toast if you can spell the full names correctly)

I have had the denial and a lot of others... when dd blows raspberries brilliant - when she picks up little bits of spaghetti and puts them in her mouth - YEH hand to mouth co ordination.

Agree with the view of toys - how can it help dd. Dd's medical file - just from heart condition is HUGE - haven't seen her full paed. file.

'You get irritated when friends with healthy kids complain about ONE sleepless night when they're child is ill!

You calculate monthly statistics for the number of times your
child vomits'

can relate to those 2 but would like to add

'your worry about pets at other peoples houses'
'you cant go on holiday without a holdall full of lotion, creams, anti histimines and inholors. you can guarentee on this holiday u will see a doctor at least once.'
'you phone the doctor and tell them what treatment yout child needs and can they have a perscription ready for you up pick up later'
'you search everywhere to find sleepsuit that dont cost more than you would ever spend on one item of clothing for yourself'
'you get told swimming is good for asthma but u know it will cause problems for her skin, occasionally ending in an infection leading to antibiotics and steroid treatment, leaving stuck between a rock and a hard place'

i know its not as serious as some peoples problems, but its just me!!!

misdee 50:50 slapped on before and after swimming. It leaves a grease trail in the pool, but who cares if it saves the skin.

I made the big mistake. I cancelled a paed appointment as it clashed with a statementing appointment. I cancelled a month ago (the appointement would have been last week). Haven't heard a thing since. Should have braved that tropical storm

tried slapping on emulysifyers before swimming, doesnt help her really somehow she always gets to sore.

do u reakon a wetsuit would help? do they keep water out?

No- they hold a layer of water next to the skin. I found things like diprobase useless before swimming but 50:50 was a different matter. I did use it very liberally! Then showered immediately and a thick coating of 50:50 again and it seemed to work. Couldn't go when it was infected or anything though of course. DS1's eczema was a bit unusual though so maybe it wasn't as affected by chlorine as much as normal though.

How very true

mmmm dare I say it... Pub playgrounds are phsyio thats my excuse anyway

That is some list. Some of the things make my blood boil on your behalf.

I know I would just hate it if some professional dared to tell me I was 'in denial' and I know this has happened to you jimjams

It's just the sort of thing to make me be physically restrained Tigermoth, hope I never have to hear it!

They didn't tell me tigermoth- the "professional" who has never met me or my son told the school that I was "well known" for being unable to accept my son's autism. I only know because the school rang a friend of mine to ask whether I was loopy! I think they were worried they were about to get a nutter mother on thier hands.

So many rang a bell for me, that last one about angels is just so spookily true. I sometimes look dd in the eye and swear to her that 'they aren't getting her back'.

but need to add:

you dread the question..'how is she at the moment?'

cos you never know whether to take an hour and bore them with the medical info, or lie and say 'hey we're all fine'!!!!!

Lou - how very true so many of those comments are. In fact I emailed it to a couple of people, some of whom 'get it' and others who don't and bolded a the lines that ring very true for me, especially the last line!