How many appointments...

[Arabica]

do you have to attend this week? We have:

Ed psych (doing an assessment on DD at her nursery, but I am attending meeting with him afterwards)
Hospital outpatients (to extract blood for a genetic test DD needs)
OT (review/assessment)
portage (tea, sympathy and play)
SALT (to discuss feeding and communication)
family psychotherapy (to help DS mainly, but we all go)

Of course, four of these appointments are at the same venue, but on different days.

We're doing well this week, we only have 2
SALT (for DS2)
Opticians (for DD and DS1)

Makes up for the week last month when we had 6 in one week, one of which was an hour and a halfs drive away and lasted all day. I nearly fell out with one of the Mums at school last week. She was ranting and saying that if you don't go out to work you are lazy, I asked her when I was supposed to fit work around all the appointments the kids have to which she replied "well my DD has got to go to the dentist next week and I still manage to go to work". I very calmly turned my back on her and walked away, I felt like smacking her one to be honest.

chiro today, OT and physio on weds (she is spending the day at her new school, so LSAs and OT/PT are getting in on the act together to do some training before sept). SLT thurs.
think tues and fri are free, but i'm notoriously bad for not looking at the calendar...

hence i'm waiting for the new orthoptist appt as we missed the last one - bad bad mummy.

We also have EP assesment this week
portage on Tues
Theraplay on Fri (SALT and OT during session)

A quiet week here.

Arabica, thats a busy week. I hope it is all useful - We often find we just keep covering the same ground with differnt medics/agencies, and nothing ever actually changes.

We average 2 a week for DS1. Last week it was 3, but, this week we are all clear . DS1 actually now asks to go to the hospital as if its a fun day out

DS2 actually gets to go on some play dates this week for a change.

We're busy too:

Monday: Just back from seeing neuro-muscular dr at GOSH

Tuesday: Bobath

Wednesday: SALT / OT

Thursday: Portage, but going to cancel.

Friday: possible immunisation as DS is very behind but life has got in the way...

Next week is the same:

Monday: Physio
Tuesday: Speech
Wednesday: appt with ENT surgeon re DS's ongoing ear infection
Thursday: Portage but need to cancel again
Friday: Boabth.

It's my normality (un)fortunately! I don't know what to do with my(our)selves on days off!

ive got a really quiet week this week, only got LEA (DS1 home-educated due to his inattention at school). last week was bad (3/5 days) and the week before horrendous (all 5 days), and next week only 2 (podiatrist and SALT).

But what's even stranger is August - only one appt for the whole month so far, but it's a big not-nice one, with the CDT.

Not too bad here

Monday am hearing test, pm meeting with area SENCo
Tuesday SALT
Wednesday, immunolgy
Thursday, nothing
Friday, HOLIDAY!!! THANK GOODNESS!
Going for one week and when we return he has an overnight hospital stay two days later. Whoever would have thought that one week would be such bliss for these reasons.

I'm a lightweight - one SALT visit today, one trip to SALT class for parents on Thursday. Got 5 SALT group appointments for August. 2 of which clash with my pre=booked holiday in Scotland

oh that's cack about the pcahms referral, did they give a reason?

oh FFS that's ridiculous, he's not exactly overloaded with NHS help is he?

Doctors today
Hearing test tomorrow
Endocrine clinic thurs with blood tests,nasty measuring etc yuck hate that one.
Surgeon friday.
Hate it! Last week she had a kidney scan and next week week after we'll have to go in for early morning bloodsHave to say though, it isn't this bad all the time it just seems to come at once then nothing for a bit providing she is well.

Tomorrow: DS2, speech
Wednesday: DS2 Portage
Thursday: DS2 blood draw (and DH needs to take family time off work to take him to that one)

Next Wednesday: DS2 Portage AND DS1 OT in some village I can't get to by public transport, so DH needs more time off.

And sometime in the next 2 weeks I need to respond to the LEA about the proposed statement for DS1 (particularly the bit where they say he needs 50-100% support. Come on folks, either he needs support half the time, or he needs it all the time. There's no point saying 50-100% when you mean you'll see to funding for 50% and his tiny school has to find the rest if they want full time support.) and since the school are as keen for this statement as I am, I'll probably need a meeting or two to clarify my concerns before I respond.

I love my little Palm. I'd be lost in a sea of paper and biro without it.

I remember being told that you're busiest with appointments in the first year. We seem to be acquiring more! We've just got a new clinic too, for DD's eating problems. It's at GOSH where, despite (or perhaps because of) its wonderful reputation, the out-patient clinics keep you waiting for HOURS.

Oh we are acquiring them too Arabica. Although the first year was hectic as we needed so much more involvement with the hospital re dd's actual condition, we now have less frequent hospital trips/stays for theat but have new things to be dealt with like dermatology appointments and todays hearing test. Which I am not looking forward to. Anyone know if we'll be given an instant answer if she has glue ear or any hearing problem?

Its the parking that gets me. So expensive! And like you we never get seen on time so can't predict how long we'll be especially if its blood tests. And our hospital never has any spaces so its always stressful. I'll stop moaning now

Hi usedtobethin. Yes they can tell pretty quickly if your DD has glue ear, by performing a tympanometry test--just like putting an ear thermometer in her ear. They may also run some hearing tests, if you suspect she may have some loss of hearing. If the child has some degree of deafness you will probably get referred to an ENT clinic for grommets. DD's grommets were fitted on 23 April and I am sure she can hear almost normally now!

ooh arabica! thats good news! thats got to be helpful to her, hows she going with that?

It's hard to tell because she can't speak or sign yet, but she seems to be understanding more things I sayfor example, she will turn when I call her nameand she is making more noises herself, like mamamama, which she wasn't doing before. Her SALT thinks she is making good progress, but it's very slow going!

Thank you Arabica, just saw your posts. She had hearing and glue ear tests and everything was as it should be which is great but leaves the mystery of why her speech development has slowed/stopped. The other appointments were related to her condition and were not as great outcome wise. Will probably start a thread soon about it still trying to pretend everything is fine atm!