"Stryders Journey"

Tomorrow Stryder goes in for a genetic test. Today they called to ask questions about his history and the family history. The call was 52 minutes asking about every detail including birth marks and sleeping habits, all of it. The DR asked why he doesn't have an OT (Occupational Therapist) yet, and I mentioned that the EI didn't think it was necessary. Take into consideration, the EI is NOT a DR and has not even graduated college and yet she has the authority to make decisions on what is best for my child. Our SLP said that the Childrens Hospital will most likely recommend one, just wait and see. She knew all along. THe DR said that because of some of the signs I mentioned, he would definitely benefit from one, so she was ordering one for him. Even more therapy for my baby, but I am grateful for the help.

The DR also recommended MUSC (Childrens Hospital) based on the signs Stryder has. I told her that we were just accepted and he has his evaluation on June 9th. She was very happy to hear he was accepted since there are a lot of families trying to get into their program and still have not after 6 months or more. We applied April 26 and were pleasantly surprised to get the appointment so soon- but that also means that they have concerns too.

I am afraid what this will bring to us, but also confident to hopefully find an answer. They will be doing a screening, some tests for Maple Syrup urine, and other blood work tomorrow. Stryder goes through panic attacks when he goes to DR's so I am very nervous. The EI even said that we should expect them to bring up autism again because of his reactions on the initial visits and how he reacts to new situations. Of course, we don't want to go backwards, so I did mention this on the call today.

I am looking for an easy answer, although I know there is not one. I just hope that the testing will say "he has this..." but in my heart, I understand chances are that is not going to be the case. Everyone wants the best for their child, me included, and when things are not what you hope for, it can turn your world upside down. I often find myself trying to fight the worry, jsut wait until the results come in-but at the same time, I don't want to be blindsided. I know there are a lot of red flags, but I also know there are a lot of great things about Stryder which make me believe he will overcome these obstacles.