The Journey We Are On.....

Ethan woke up on Friday morning with temperature of 102, but I was able to get it down and keep it down throughout the day with Tylenol and ibuprofen. Later during the day I found out that one of his little friends from STEPS was sick -- throwing up A LOT --- and I got worried, thinking that it would just be a matter of time before the puking started at our house. However, it never came. Yesterday morning Ethan woke up again with a temperature (101.8) and once again we treated it throughout the day with Tylenol and ibuprofen. He was a bit more quiet than usual and wouldn't drink or eat great (but that isn't very unusual for our little man) and he still has his cough and all the boogies (possibly from aspirating small amounts of fluid into his lungs -- which is why he is going to be getting a feeding tube) but since he didn't seem to be getting worse and we were able to manage the temp we thought it was going to be okay. Ethan is also working on two teeth --- both molars. ...

I feel like I have been on an emotional roller coaster for the past couple of weeks -- I've shed tears of thanksgiving, happiness, and joy as well as those of deep sorrow and dispair. Friday, March 1st I joined two other local moms of kiddos with special needs in a panel discussion about being a parent of a child with special needs at a local MOPS group. It was rough, but I think it went okay. When I am feeling up to it I will write out my answers to some of the questions that were asked. The journeys for myself and my two friends are all very different and unique to our child and their diagnosis but the feelings and emotions that go along with this journey are very similar. We spoke of our child's health issues and how it impacts our marriages, friendships, finances and every aspect of our lives. We also shared ideas for moms of typically developing children that might help them educate both themselves and their children about children with special needs and their families...