Results!

The doctor called with the results of Elijah's genetic testing. It seems that he does metabolize some of his meds differently than others. This means he needs a high dosage of these medicines, which he is already on. The doctor said that it explains why he needs these larger doses that other people don't need. She doesn't want to change any of his medications at this point, but we had already changed one of his ADHD medications by increasing it. We go back on Feb. 2nd to discuss how he is doing. I am not sure if she will want to make changes then or not. Overall, I am glad we did the testing. It helps explain why he needs these larger dosages of medicines. Hopefully we can continue to use this information to assist with future decisions.

Our Christmas Break

Elijah and I are off for two weeks for Christmas break and Jacob will be home for a whole month. My hone still has to work, but has the next three days off! We have actually gotten to sleep in a few mornings and we are enjoying the nice weather.

I completed my Master's Degree in Special Education from Texas Tech University this month. I am not a certified Educational Diagnostician. I am still waiting for my diploma to arrive in the mail! I can't wait to get it. I was able to print my certification out on the TEA website, and that definitely made it feel more real. I can't believe I have my master's degree! Jacob has only one more semester left in school and he will graduate with his associate's degree in May of next year!

Elijah is doing well. We went to see his doctor for his Tourette Syndrome, OCD and ADHD. She got to see a lot of his impulsivity at this visit. He was persistent at trying to get his way when she tried to talk to him. We are changing his medication a bit, and will go back in about six weeks. She mentioned a genetic test that might help pinpoint which medications would work best for him. The interesting thing, is this was mentioned at the Tourette Support Group meeting we attended back on Dec. 12th. I called the genetic company, and our insurance is not on their list yet, but I was assured the out of cost for me would not exceed an amount that I am willing to pay. I am going to take him next week for a cheek swab and then see what we can find out. The family at the support group meeting said that when they had the testing done, they learned a lot about the medications that would help their son and it has been very helpful. The doctor wants to possibly change his ADHD medication, but it is hard to know what to change him too, but hopefully this testing will help. I am excited about it, but don't want to get too excited

We are very excited about Christmas. Elijah got a new bed, which my hone, Jacob and I put together yesterday. Elijah helped some, but it was a small room and we needed all the room we could get to put the bed together. He did run some things back and forth for us and keep an eye on our progress. He was so excited to get his bed. Jacob's big gift is the car he is now driving. I have a few surprises for both boys. All of my other shopping is pretty much done. I have a few more things to pack. My honey and I want to go shopping and look at some jewelry. We just aren't sure if we want to fight the crowds tomorrow.

We have also been busy baking. I have been making snow ball cookies and will be making pralines later this week. We have also been making truffles! Jacob and Elijah love to help make truffles.

TRUFFLES

 My honey and I roll out the truffles and then put them in the sprinkles. The boys are in charge of making sure the truffles are covered in sprinkles.  They then put them in the mini muffin cups. Every 10th truffles requires a taste test for quality control and we each take our turn testing the truffles. We let them know what time we will be making truffles and the boys make sure they are there, or they know they miss out. We have fun as we make the truffles and it is a nice time to talk! We have made several batches of truffles.



Jacob and Elijah making truffles.

Today my nephew and niece came over and we made Christmas cookies. This is something else I enjoy doing this time of year. We had a lot of fun and the kids got to cut out cookies, bake them, and then decorate them. We use sprinkles on the cookies as well! My honey also has some Christmas favorites she likes to bake. We have been baking for several months. Elijah takes treats to all of his teachers and I hand treats out to my staff.


I am looking forward to 2016. I can't believe how much has happened this past year!! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!


Almost Halfway through Summer

I cannot believe we are approaching the middle of July! It has been a busy summer. My niece has been coming to stay with us on Mondays and Wednesdays. We have visited one museum, gone to one movie and been to the library several times. The library has a "TEEN ROOM" for kids in the 6th-12th grade, and this is the first year she could go into the room. She was SO excited! She and Elijah hang out there for about an hour or so and I read the paper or look for books. We plan on doing a few more things this summer!

Elijah, my mom and I all went to Alabama to see our family there. My grandmother just turned 89 years old and I really wanted to see her. I also got to see several aunts and uncles as well as cousins. It was a long drive, but we had a good time!

My grad school class started on July 7th and boy is there a LOT of work to do. I am not doing many shops for my mystery shops ( I think have three shops scheduled for the rest of the month), so I have plenty of time to do the work. I am driving and seeing two hearing impaired babies this month as part of their early intervention program. Extra pay for me and it is fun to play with the babies, even if it is work. I have also driven into work for a few meetings, but nothing too serious and I also get paid for those. I start my internship in the Fall and that will be VERY interesting. I did get a $7,000 scholarship for the summer class and for the fall, so I really don't need to mystery shop. I got a small grant too. Jacob even got a scholarship for school!! I will be graduating in December!

Jacob has been home a few times this summer. He is taking a FULL summer semester, meaning 15 weeks of school. He will be graduating in May of 2016! He likes his classes and is doing well living on his own. He does listen and take my advice most of the time!

We have had NO 100 degree days so far this summer but that may change next week. Elijah has a few more doctor's appointments and he will be seeing the ophthalmologist next week. HE MAY NEED GLASSES! Just one more thing!!

My honey is doing well and working hard. She hopes to have a day off in a few weeks and maybe we will go shopping. I almost forgot, we have gotten the guest bathroom redone. We are still waiting on the vanity, but everything else is done! I am so excited!! I think that is all for now! How is everyone else doing?

SUMMER!

We started our summer on June 6th this year! We haven't done too much so far. I am keeping my niece two days a week and had hoped to do some fun things, but the weather is not cooperating. We were going to go to a local outdoor museum that has nature trails, but it rained the day we were to go. We have had a LOT of rain recently, so when I called I was told that the trails were REALLY MUDDY. We went to the movies instead and then out to Steak 'N Shake for lunch. I was going to try the museum again tomorrow, but we woke up to RAIN again. We haven't even been swimming yet!

Overall though, the summer is going well. I am taking fewer mystery shops so I have time to do things. We renewed our membership at the local recreation center so we try to go daily and walk. I have taken my niece and Elijah to the teen room at the library and they really enjoy that. My niece is now old enough to go to the teen room and she thinks it is SO COOL.

Elijah and I are going out of town for a few days and my honey will be here at home. We are going to go and visit my grandmother in Alabama and my mom is going too. Jacob is in Waco all summer attending school, but is home this weekend! He brought two weeks worth of laundry home! My grad school class starts on July 7th, but it is only ONE class so I think I can handle it. I will stop all mystery shopping by that date. Elijah has three doctor's appointments coming up in July. The newest doctor he has added to his list is the ophthalmologist. He didn't do very well with his eye exam at his check up a few weeks ago. He is also going to the pulmonologist and the audiologist. 

I also have two babies through ECI that I will be seeing all summer. One baby is only twice a month so that is no biggie, but the other one is weekly! I enjoy the babies though. We don't have any other big plans for the summer. I just want to try and relax and bit and sleep in!

Follow Up on the Cough

I took a half a day and took Elijah to the pulmonologist on Wednesday of last week. His breathing test was not as good as the one he had back in March. The doctor decided to put him on steroids for five days and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic as well. He also increased his inhalers to 4 puffs 4 times a day for a week of albuterol. Then for another week it would be three times a day and then back to two times a day and only two puffs.

I kept him home on Thursday, because he didn't sleep well and I wanted to get in breathing treatments over just using the inhalers. I also knew he would be wound up on steroids and he was. By Saturday, the cough was about the same so I filled the antibiotic prescription. Today was the first day that I haven't really heard him cough much. He it using his inhaler at school with the nurse watching him to be sure he is doing it correctly. I am glad he is over this hump. He has not had issues like this in a long time.

We already had an appointment for June 9th and we are keeping that one as a follow up for this cough as well as a typical check up. I am fortunate to have a doctor who is very pro-active when it comes to asthma! Some people wonder why I keep using a pulmonologist, and not just my pediatrician and this is why!

The Flu!

Elijah has the flu! He told me he didn't feel good last night and even wanted me to feel his forehead. He didn't feel warm, but boy he sure acted like he didn't feel good. He has had a cough for a few days, but it didn't seem serious. Well, he woke up feeling warm this morning and still not looking good. I did the web check in with CareNow and we got in around 9:30. The flu test came back positive and they did a lung X-ray based on his respirations and heart rate. There is one spot on one of his lungs that is questionable and could be pneumonia. I'll get up tomorrow morning and call his pediatrician and get him in to see her. The clinic wanted to see him again, but said we could follow up with his regular doctor if we wanted, so that is what we will do. He has also had several breathing treatments today.

Poor kid took off his processors two different times to nap. The doctor put him on Tamiflu, an antibiotic and a cough syrup. He is now asleep in his bed, but I'll be listening for him tonight!

TV Show--Parenthood IEPs

I watched last nights Parenthood episode tonight on my DVR. The subject of IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meetings was the story line for the family with Max, who has Aspergers. The writers did a decent job of portraying an IEP meeting and how overwhelming it can be for a family. I really wanted to jump in there and advocate for the two families involved. Max's mom went to an IEP meeting to assist another mom, and felt that she could have done more to help. Max's mom then finds out that Max is being sent to the library to do independent work because his teacher can't teach when Max is in the room. Max's parents are frustrated and don't know what to do or how to advocate for him. I think this part was something the writer's got correct.

Parents do have to educate themselves on the law and what the school needs to provide under IDEA (Individual's with Disabilities Education Act). I am a deaf education teacher I was used to being in an IEP meetings(ARD meeting here in Texas) in that role. As a parent, I find it difficult to know how to handle all of the situations I find myself in with him. I have learned to use the acronym FAPE(Free and Appropriate Education) as well as LRE (Least Restrictive Environment) to my advantage. I have also learned to say things like, "You are making my son fit into a program instead of making the program fit him." This phrase been a good one.

Elijah's next ARD meeting is in April! He is being re-evaluated this year and we will discuss those scores as well as the plan for next year. He has had a good year so far, but has just recently been having some issues. Of course, we just went to the doctor on Monday and NOW he is having problems with touching others. ARGH....I know this is probably a tic, but how to handle it. I am going to email his teacher again and ask for the behavior specialist to come in and see what is going on.

I am glad to see a TV program take on real life issues of families of children with special needs.

Update on Tics!

Elijah's new tic is still around! He seems to be experiencing a LOT of tics lately, both vocal and motor. He has also been more argumentative with me at home and teachers at school. He has had more issues at school too! We had already increased one of his medications by 0.5 mg in the morning, but I went ahead and called the doctor after another phone call from the school. He is now taking 1.5 mg of this same medication three times a day. Overall, this is an increase of only 1 mg per day. Overall this seems to have helped with his behavior and with tics.

We go back to see this doctor around the middle of January. I am hoping things stay stable between then and now. It is amazing to me how his behavior is tied to his tics, but I know his tics get on his nerves and drive him a little crazy. I know when I have the hiccups for a long period of time, that I am a little snappy with people, so imagine having tics constantly. I also think his tics tend to increase around the holidays, because he is excited about them. He is also out of his routine, which is  never good.

I took him to the movies today and he had several loud tics during the movie. Thankfully, they were spread apart and didn't all happen at once. He does pretty good and I tap his leg so he knows he is being a little loud. Here's hoping these tics calm down for him when we get back into our routine after the holidays!

Filed the Claim

The rechargeable batteries for Elijah's Freedom Processors arrived on Friday. I went online and found my invoice and filed the claim by fax to be reimbursed. The insurance company said it would take about 30 days for them to pay on it, and just hoping they do. I have decided that I will probably keep the batteries even if they don't pay on them. I will just have to suck it up and pay for them out of my own pocket. At least I can write it off on my income taxes, and YES, I have enough to write medical off on my income taxes. Between both boys, they have MANY prescriptions and Elijah has several doctors he sees each year. I keep it all in an EXCEL document and keep it updated!

We are still waiting on the Nammu hat to arrive to use for swimming. The aLoksak bags arrived yesterday! We use his backup Freedom processors when he swims!

I'll let y'all know when insurance pays on his batteries. This is ME being optimistic.

Elijah is GROWING!

I took Elijah to see the endocrinologist yesterday and it was a GREAT visit. He has grown two inches since December and is definitely in puberty! The doctor said this was exactly what he had hoped to see when we came in. He said that we don't need to come back in for any more visits. Finally, one less specialist to see! The doctor also said he expected Elijah to reach the height of 5 feet 8 inches to 5 feet 9 inches! That is as tall as Jacob!

Elijah is also has the appetite of a teenager. He is eating hamburgers, ham, cheese, pork, and many other things that he has NEVER eaten before! He helped mow the yard last weekend and acting more mature, at least some of the time.

The visit to the doctor was a quick and Elijah was very happy that he didn't have to get any SHOTS! That is all he was worried about!

What a Weekend!

Elijah and I left on Friday around lunch time to drive to Austin to participate in the Family Weekend Retreat at the Texas School for the Deaf(TSD). Jacob had to work over the weekend so he stayed with my partner, who also had to work! We arrived around 4:00 and got checked in. We went to our dorm room and settled in. Dinner was at 5:30, so we left a little early to walk down to the cafeteria. I have learned from past experience, it is good to get to the cafeteria early when attending something like this!

We had about ten minutes to wait and there was another family there waiting also. Elijah and their daughter played and ran around a bit. The mother and grandmother chatted with me. I then hear a scream and someone crying.  I look over and Elijah is getting up and holding his nose. He had fallen while running up the stairs. He comes running to me and when he moves his hand all I see is BLOOD. The other mom handed me tissues and when I wiped away the blood, I saw this huge gash! It was deep. I knew it needed stitches.

He and I started our walk back to the check in area, because our car was there and I needed to find out where the closest hospital was. I was a nervous wreck. This would be my second trip to an ER in two weeks and this was in another town! The nurse looked at Elijah's nose and agreed it needed stitches. Someone offered to drive us, because by this time I was in tears and my hands were shaking. Elijah was crying and all I wanted to do was take care of him.

We arrived at the ER and they got us back pretty quick. The woman who took us waited in the waiting area. She was the first of many angels that night. They took X-Rays and he had also broken his nose. He got five stitches. Elijah was not very happy about stitches and threw a fit. I told him they would have to give him medicine to calm him and he would get sleepy. There would be no ice cream social at TSD if he was sleepy. He calmed down and after two huge shots he got his five stitches. We then got his prescription for antibiotics and left. It was now around 7:45. We found a CVS and arrived right around 8:00. The pharmacist then tells me they closed at 8:00. I explained the situation and she filled the prescription. Our second angel of the night.

We arrived back at TSD and they had saved us dinner. TSD is a huge campus. It reminds me of a small junior college and there are lots of stairs! Another staff member then drove us over to the ice cream social in a golf cart, because the walk was SO long. This was Elijah's favorite part!!! We ate our dinner, had our ice cream and Elijah got to play with other kids. He was a real trooper!

The rest of the weekend was awesome. I went to workshops on Saturday and Elijah went to a day care where he got to play with other kids. He swam, but did not submerge his head due to the stitches. He had an awesome time and he behaved! I arrived back and we hung at the dorm until our group got to eat dinner. We then went and watched them shoot off rockets at the football field and then hung out with some other families. Let's just say we crashed hard that night and were in bed by 9:30.

Sunday morning was our last to be there. Elijah went to day care after breakfast and I went to two more presentations. We left around 11:15 and met my sister and nephew for lunch. We are now at their house!

Once we get home, I will post some pictures that I took. I really enjoy connecting with other families at this retreat. This is also a time when Elijah gets to be around other deaf kids his age. There was a good mix of families there with kids who signed, talked or did both! If you live in Texas, I encourage you to take your family if you have a deaf child. It is only $75 for the weekend. You stay in the dorms and they feed you while you are there! You can't beat this deal. Just be careful on those stairs, or you will spend some time in the ER. OH and I am ever so glad to have that accident insurance, WHO knew I would need it again so soon!

State Testing and Summer is Coming

Here in Texas we have the TAKS and STAAR testing for our state testing. Such fun acronyms. Jacob took the TAKS test this year and his Junior class is the last group to take the TAKS. He passes his English/Language Arts, Science, Social Studies and Math tests. He got commended on the English/Language Arts and the Social Studies test and even got a perfect score on the Social Studies test.

A few years ago the state decided to change the TAKS to the STAAR test and make it even more rigorous. Elijah took the STAAR Modified test, since he is in resource classes. The modified test is on grade level, but has fewer answer choices and the reading passages are broken into smaller passages. Elijah passed his math test and almost passed his reading test. I think he has the skills needed to pass the reading test, but he rushes and doesn't put much effort into the test.

With all of that being said, Elijah has many more years of STAAR testing and Jacob is thankfully all done. He is on track for graduation next year!

We don't have too much going on this summer. Elijah and I are going to Austin in two weeks for a Family Weekend Retreat at the Texas School for the Deaf. We will then go and see my sister for a few days. Jacob is staying home, because he is no employed at a grocery store and will hopefully be working while I am gone. My partner is staying in town too, so he won't be home alone. Jacob and I will make a trip to Waxahachie in July to the Texas State Technical Institute to see what they have to offer. He wants to go to school there after graduation. We will be swimming and going to movies this summer too. There are a few doctor's appointments each month, but nothing too horrible! I will also be doing my mystery shopping to make some extra money. I am blocking out two days a week though, so I make sure to spend time with the boys and RELAX!

Phoebe in Wonderland

Phoebe in Wonderland is a movie that depicts a family dealing with a child with Tourette Syndrome. The family does not know this is what they are dealing with at first. The daughter acts strangely, makes sounds, spits, has OCD tendencies and overall is just not acting "normal". It was a hard movie for to me to watch, because I had gone through the range of emotions that the mother in the movie goes through. I had thought there was NO way that Elijah had Tourette Syndrome. Even when we suspected it, I didn't grasp the full effect of this condition.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of Tourette Syndrome and its co morbid disorders. There is a point in the movie when the family is eating dinner. There are the two girls(Phoebe and her younger sister) and the parents. I don't remember exactly how it all starts, but the girls tease their parents about having a baby. They keeping being silly and saying the mom should have another baby. The parents are extremely stressed with everything that has been going on with Phoebe and the father looks at her and says(and I paraphrase) "Do you think your mom can handle another one like you?" Of course, he regrets it as soon as he says it. The daughter is hurt and the mother is upset. Later the parents talk and the father tells his wife that he has apologized to Phoebe, but the mother is still very upset with her husband. She finally says(and paraphrasing again) "You said exactly what I was thinking. You are right, I can't handle another one like her." I cried through this entire part of this movie. It was at a time, when I felt the same way about Elijah. I just didn't know what to do with him or how to best help him.

Elijah is doing very well now and I am thankful for that. We have had some very rough years, and we may have some rough times again, but I am better equipped to handle it. He has good doctors and a great staff at his school. We just take it day by day!

My Day Off and Doctor Visits

I took the day off from work today to take the boys to the doctor. I had originally planned on only taking half a day and taking the boys to the pulmanoligist(asthma doc), but then Elijah needed a check up with the psych, so I made it a whole day!

Overall, it was a good day. We slept in to 7:30, which was really nice. We had a lazy morning and then Elijah and I left around 9:15 to go and see the psych. It was an awesome visit. We talked about how well he was doing and she noticed a significant decrease in his tics, just from the time we were in the office. I left her the paperwork to complete for camp. It has to be dated for next week, so I couldn't get it today. Elijah and I left there to run a few errands and then dropped off his prescription at CVS. We also stopped and grabbed a pizza for lunch and brought it home.

Our original pulmanoligist appointment was for 2:10, but due to a scheduling problem on their end they called and we moved it to 4:00. We spent the afternoon at home and just hung out. I paid a few bills and just enjoyed the time at home. I started some chicken in the crock pot and cooked some rice! We got to the doctor's office around 4:00 and left around 5:15. This was actually a quick visit and now we just had to fight traffic home. We arrived home around 6:00 and dinner was basically done, so we warmed things up and ate.

I think all of us needed an easy day today. Just a day to not have to do a lot of chores and to relax. The next doctor's appointment is on March 4th to see the neurologist!

Two Days of Doctor's Appointments

Having a week off of work usually means a few doctor's appointments for the boys. I don't like using my stocked up "leave" at work for doctor's appointments. I usually need them for sick days for me or the boys or for the random appointments we just can't get scheduled during a break!

It started yesterday with a visit to the pulmanologist for both boys. They both got a clean bill of health and we were done in about 90 minutes. This is pretty good for this doctor. We have been there for three hours before, for a scheduled visit...not a sick visit.

We came home and then Elijah and I went off for a visit to the audiologist in the afternoon. We made sure his back up processors were programmed and then did a hearing test. Here is how he did:

Right ear:
250 Hz    10 db
500 Hz    10 db
1000 Hz   10 db
2000 Hz   5 db
3000 Hz   10 db
4000 Hz   10 db

Left ear:
250 Hz 15 db
500 Hz 15 db
1000 Hz 10 db
2000 Hz 5 db
3000 Hz   5 db
4000 Hz   5 db

We were all pleased with the results. She asked if he had a favorite "ear" and I told her that he prefers his right ear over his left. She says that is pretty common for kids who had their implants done with years in between surgeries. I mentioned that he still has to wear his left "ear" because I know he gets benefit from it. When I have him wear only his left ear it NEVER falls off. He uses it just fine and hears excellently with it. I guess he just gets tired of all of the noise!

Today we went to see the psychiatrist. It was a quick visit and for now we are leaving all of his medications the same. She thinks he is doing well and that we just have to keep up with the behavior management.

The next round of doctor's appointments start with in January with a trip back to the psychiatrist and one to the endocronologist. We go back to the pulmanologist in February!

I have a lot to be thankful for:  Elijah's cochlear implants, medications for both boys that help with their asthma and for Elijah's Tourettes, OCD and ADHD, my sweetheart and for my extended family.

I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!

Endocrinology visit today!

Elijah makes a trip to the endocrinologist every six months. The last time we were there, he had not grown much and didn't seem to be entering puberty yet. Today's visit was a little better. He had grown an inch in the last month and according to the doctor he should hit puberty pretty soon. The doctor said that his boy parts had grown so that means there is testosterone, so that is good. Elijah wasn't too happy to have these parts checked out, but it was painless and quick. We go back in January and I hope we see more growth! This kid just doesn't seem to catch a break in any area it seems. He is done with doctor appointments for the summer at least. Tics are about the same, maybe a little better. I noticed today that he doesn't tic much when he plays the Wii!! I wonder if he is just concentrating on playing and this keeps him from making tics. Who knows!

Tics Are Still Here!

Elijah's tics have lessened a very small bit in the morning, but are still pretty intense in the afternoons and evenings. I called his doctor today and she decided to add 1/2 a milligram of his tic medication to the mornings. We will see if that helps. One of his new tics is to BLOW out of his nostril as hard as he can. He sounds like he is blowing his nose, but has no Kleenex. I know he can't help it, but it is sort of gross. The licking tic is also still here. He licks his hand or fingers and touches his face. He will do this over and over again. He also makes his noises! They don't seem to bother him much and they really don't bother me, but I know it is hard for people who don't get it. Its not like you can tell he has tourettes when you look at him. Hopefully adding this medication back to his morning will at least lessen the intensity of these tics. I am also hoping the blowing the nose tic runs it course and goes away before school starts. We may have to get him some tissues to carry so at least when he feels the urge he can put a tissue near his nose.

Friday Night is Pill Night!

Once a week, I sit at the kitchen table and get Elijah's medications ready for the week. He has this exact pill dispenser that you see pictured above. It really does help to have this organizer.Jacob takes two medications a day and I take three, so I get those ready two. However, Elijah's medications are the real work. He takes four pills each night and seven pills each morning for a total of eight different medications. There is one pill I have to cut in half! That makes life even more fun. He never complains and takes his pills each morning and each night. He even goes and gets them out of the weekly dispenser each night when I remind him to take them.

I so wish he didn't need all of these medications. There is one pill for his asthma and the rest are for his ADHD, OCD and tics. He also takes two inhalers in the morning and the same two in the evening! Some pills are yellow, others are green or white, but they all help him. His tics are about the same and throat clearing has been added to his list of vocal tics. I hate to say, but they wore me down today and so I know they must wear him down at times. If they continue, then I will call his doctor by Tuesday and see what she has to say. I have tried to catch him on video again, but if he hears me turn on the flip camera he just stops. Now some would say he can control his tics. Well, he can for a while, and then watch out...he explodes with tics. I just can't seem to catch them on video.

I am thankful there are medications that can help him. However, there is no blood test that can show which ones really help and HOW they help OR if we need to change something. It is all a big of a guessing game, and sometimes doctors make very good decisions and sometime we try something and it just doesn't work. I'll keep y'all posted on how it goes!

More Tics!

I took another video of Elijah, actually two videos, and figured out how to splice them together. I am technically challenged when it comes to videos. You hear more of his noises on this one and see the licking again. He is making a LOT more noise than is what on the video, but I can't seem to catch him in the act.

You may wonder why I video him, well, he doesn't tic on command and there are some(teachers, principals and some doctors) who have never really seen him TIC like this before! I want to have evidence for the doctor when I call tomorrow. I'll be more than happy to email her a copy of the video or send her a link to the website. I know she believes me, but I want her to see it. This video is just a small example of what he is going through right now.

Here it is!

Tics are Back!

Elijah and I visited the doctor about two weeks ago and he decided to take Elijah off one of his medicaitons for his tics. He stated that another medication Elijah was on SHOULD control the tics and this one we were removing, let's call it medication R, was a duplicate of medication S, so he didn't need R any more. Well, here were are a little less than two weeks later and TICS are back in full force. He also isn't going to sleep at night like he used to, so last night I gave him 1 mg of medication R. He slept almost 11 hours and has been much better today. He isn't as moody and I am seeing fewer tics. Now really, tics don't bother me, but one of them is him licking his hands and rubbing his face. After a while, his face gets really chapped. He has two sores around his nose already and I don't want more. I tried to get a video of his tics to show the doctor, and got this short video. He noticed me recording him and controlled his tics. He is also making LOTS of noises, which aren't an issue, but can get on your nerves after a while. I know it can be very physically exhausting for him as well which affects his mood!

We actually saw the doctor last time we went in. He usually sees the nurse practioner and I will call HER tomorrow to get her opinion. He had been on 3 mg of medication R and I just gave him 1 mg yesterday. I would rather he NOT have to take medication, but I would also rather he not harm himself. Also, licking your hands all the time can spread germs(there is my OCD at work!)

Here is a very short video of his tics from last night.