Friday, October 11, 2013

7 Quick Takes Friday: Mae Update Edition




If you're reading this post this morning and you have a moment to pray for Mae and me I would appreciate it so very much.  At 9 am eastern we will be going to Mae's first dentist appointment.

It's something I've dreaded and avoided scheduling because honestly I. can't. even. imagine. what this is going to be like.

Because... you know... she cried until she was sick over that iron test and even brushing her teeth is a struggle...

The dentist is a pediatric specialist who specializes in special needs kids... and everyone from Patrick's pediatrician to Sadie's dentist to Mae's pediatrician has recommended her so... that's something.  But still.  Nervous.  Very nervous.


I also have some awesome news.  Mae and I have four appointments at the local university's autism lab and as long as their tests confirm that she's autistic we'll be part of their new study.  The new study is testing out a program of teaching parents how to communicate and work with their child.  It will last 12 weeks and is the same program they used to teach the mental health workers here so I'm pretty excited to start learning.


Life has most definitely changed.  I was staring at my calendar yesterday.

Since all this started just last month we've had the initial doctor's appointment, blood work at the hospital, the initial assessment at mental health, the ADOS testing at mental health, the first home appointment in our home, and the first ABA therapy evaluation at the therapy center.

Going forward from here we have another evaluation at the center on Tuesday, four two hour sessions scheduled at the university before Halloween and a meeting with our case worker and the owner of the therapy center to discuss the testing and therapy and the plan for Mae.  And all this will be followed by another meeting with her pediatrician.

And the center isn't even open to begin occupational therapy of speech therapy yet.

I am amazed at how much has happened since our pediatrician first said the words:  "I am 100% certain that she is on the autism spectrum."

This is gone along faster than I'd ever imagined.


The university will be re-running the ADOS (the test that diagnosed Mae) and I'm kind of excited to see the results, not because I think they'll say she's not autistic, but because I'm wondering if there will be even the slightest bit of improvement in the scores since undertaking the new diet.  I'm seeing some pretty big changes in her behavior and I'm wondering if they'll be reflected in the scores as well!


I was up last night for hours making a meal plan for the week.  Or maybe I was just staring at the GAPS cookbook dreaming of eating junk food.  But it's done... so... on to food shopping today.


A while back our sensory box with all the rice and beans in it, moved outside, because someone thinks that raw rice and beans taste great.  We got some sand to turn it into a sand box and last week while Paul was mowing the lawn he dumped the sand in.  At some point it rained and rain leaked into the box.

Would anyone like to guess what happened next?

We now have a little sand box sized bean green house because the beans have sprouted!

Yay, science lesson!  But also... It's kind of gross.  I see a major clean up in my future.


Now on to the dentist... and thank you guys for the prayers!  I hope this whole thing goes amazingly, surprisingly well, and I'm completely shocked by how she does.  I hope, I hope, I hope...

And I promise that soon I will be able to write about something else.  It's like when we found out about Patrick's allergy and that was all that was on my mind all the time and it was all that I could think of to write about and then one day, it was just another part of life that comes up now and then, but isn't the only thing I can think of constantly when I go to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

5 comments:

  1. I know it's 9:30 now, but I'm praying that the appointment is going well and that Mae surprises you!

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  2. I hope the appointment went well!

    Also, please don't apologize for writing about Mae so frequently. I think frequently about her and wonder how she is doing and am always happy to see an update.

    Have a good weekend!

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  3. I'm honestly looking forward to hearing the update that comes from this update.

    Hope everything went well with the dentist and curious to know the results of the test, too, to see if there have been any changes. I haven't made huge alterations to Vince's diet yet, but it was recommended by the pediatrician. So much to process, so I'm impressed you're handling it all so well!

    Out here in Jersey, it's at least 3 weeks before we can even get in with any psychologist to start the process along. SO. FRUSTRATING.

    So glad, however, that things are moving along so well for you guys! <3 You're doing great!

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  4. I hope it went well at the dentist and I really hope that the diet changes are helping her focus and concentration!

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  5. I so hear you on how busy things get with therapies!

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