Personal notes, updates and wherefores
By Jerry • Oct 11th, 2008 • Category: Personal RamblingsYou’ve probably noticed that I haven’t been posting as much as usual lately and when I do manage to get a post up, it isn’t with the same enthusiasm I’ve had in the past. I’ve also been slow to answer comments or to leave comments on my friends blogs. It’s not a good place for a blogger to be, but there are reasons for my being mostly absent and I thought I’d fill everyone in on the details.
Life has been busy in the Russell household as of late.. Most of our time has revolved around our son, Lil’ B, who just turned 2 this past August. It’s been obvious for some time that he wasn’t developing at quite the same rate as “normal” kids his age. He’s only spoken a few times in his short life. He has no interest in other children or in most activities that most two year-olds are happy to participate in. It’s been worrying his mother and I for quite some time.
This past week we received an assessment result that points to Autism. While this is a disturbing piece of news, it’s not the end of our, or his life. Lil’ B isn’t completely withdrawn and he’s trying, at his own pace and in his own way, to communicate and do things that most kids do. In a very real sense having the diagnosis will be a blessing more than a curse, since as a Military Family, we have the resources at our disposal to give him the best care available.
This is not yet an official diagnosis. At this point we know that he falls under five of the six warning signs. It will be about a month before we can see a specialist on the matter. Until that time we’re trying to pull that part of our lives back into something like a regular holding pattern.
Then of course there are the stresses brought on by more normal issues. There are pressures from work on both sides of the table, pressure from family, financial pressures and a sundry of other little things that serve to distract from what’s really important.
And what’s that, you ask?
When things go badly it’s easy to forget the simple truths in life. Thant even though there are pieces of our day that are out of our control, as long as we are in good health, surrounded by people who care about us and whom we care about and have the capacity for hope, then there really isn’t anything more that we, as human beings, can ask for. Bad things happen to everyone, no matter how good a person they are. If we dwell on those things, life isn’t really worth living, is it.
So, dear readers and good friends, I’m doing my level best to get the distractions of “what could go wrong” out of my fuzzy middle-aged brain and get backt o the things that mattter. Family, friends, food and of course, to this blog and my other projects.
I have things I’ve started and then been distracted from, and they will be coming in rapid-fire succession over the nest few days. I also have a huge stack of ideas I need to star wading through over the course of the next few weeks. Then we have the holidays coming, which ads another metric ton of things that I’ll be focusing on. It’s going to be a very busy three months.
I hope you’ll share the ride with me.
Jerry is the epitome of cooking without a plan. As a matter of fact, he secretly wishes he could participate in an Iron Chef America episode, simply because it is one place where he wouldn't feel at all out of place. Not knowing the ingredients beforehand doesn't make him nervous at all. Of course, the reality is that he'd probably lose and look entirely foolish, but hey, it would still be fun!
Email this author | All posts by Jerry
GoDaddy.com
I have my seatbelt buckled, Jerry. No worries there. But I’m here when you need me to be and will always be willing to listen. Take care of your family, and feed them well. Food has a magic all of its own and memories are made and woven into lives with the time that is spent in kitchens and dinner tables. Best wishes to you all…
I’m sorry to hear that Jerry. I wondered where you had got to. Your words are very true. Concentrate on your family and work out the best course of action. My thoughts and prayers are with you…
Everything will be fine. Little B has two loving parents who will ensure he gets the best attention required. It’s a f-ed up world but I’m also amazed at medicinal and pediatric advancements.
Jerry, my prayers are with you, your wife, and L’il B. Rest assured, your readers will be here for you!
Ready for the ride. You are so fortunate to have gotten the “unofficial diagnosis” on your son so early. So much can be done and your outlook is wonderful for his success. He is a very lucky little boy…best of wishes to you all and you will be in my prayers!
Jerry, you will be in my thoughts as you deal with the health issues with your son. After a discussion with a friend, she enlightened me that my son may have Asperger’s syndrome (an autism spectrum disorder) . I read a book she gave me and he certainly fit the description and symptoms. He is 32 now and does fine but how great it would have been if I’d have known about it while he was a baby.
If the diagnosis is accurate, I encourage you to read Jenny McCarthy’s book about her son who suffered from Autism but has recovered from its effects. She made a statement that as parents, we need to become warriors on our children’s behalf.
You can do it, you can face it and help him if he needs it. We will be here to help support you while you go through it and get him better. Don’t give up and don’t necessarily just listen to what the doctors say (I am a military wife and they are not always right…). I’ll be praying for you! :)
I think you hit the nail on the head with this one. You still have your health, your hearth (family) and your hope. Life is good. Fuzzy, but good.
I also have a son in the spectrum, and understand what you are going through. Take care of yourselves and Lil B and don’t let it get you down. Therapy works. We’ve seen a huge difference in our son with behavioral and speech therapies.
I was a special ed teacher prior to having kids….I can’t stress early intervention enough. I taught a K-3 program. The children who were identified early on made so much more progress at simply daily things.
I wish you the best in this new part of your life. It may be a bumpy ride, but it all smoothes out eventually.