Andy's current state has been pretty good. He loves going to school. He shows affection towards his classmates, teacher and all school staff. He seems to enjoy being there. He is happy there. I spent the first several weeks with him, and then slowly stepped away.
I feel Andy's quality of life is better with school in it. There is only so much I can do to keep him happy and occupied. Meeting new people and having new experiences has been good for Andy.
Andy continues to take Risperdal, and needs it daily. He is a mess without it. It helps him to be cheerful, and not irritable all the time.
We are a family with a special needs child, and this is not easy. I still have very negative patches, but I keep trying to find ways to go on with my life. My daughter needs me too. She often falls by the wayside, when I get swept up with all of Andy's needs.
Having Andy and discovering all his limitations swallowed me whole. I can still become engulfed in it, but I have to still be a functioning wife and mother to my 5 year old daughter. I still have to try to enjoy my own life, and it's tough. I feel guilty when I focus on myself or my daughter. I'm trying to find a balance, so I won't be miserable. I am what holds this family together, and I have to be positive, upbeat and refreshed.
Andy is happy, and I should be happy for him. He does not know of his limitations or things he is missing out on. My goal now is to just try to make sure that my whole family's quality of life is good. I am ready to do what I need to in order to make sure my family has what they need.
We can still have great quality experiences, even if it is a challenge to do so.
Take care,
Amy
Hi Amy, just found and joined your blog. I have a ten month old son born with severe to profound hearing loss due to vestibular issues and malformed cochleas that he was born with. I completely understand how stressful and downright depressing things can be. He is scheduled for cochlear implant surgery early next year so on top of his speech and physical therapies, I am also trying to handle insurance and other paperwork and the list goes on. There are days when I feel as if I am not going to be able to handle anything and the uncertainty of the future is all I can think about. Thank you for being honest in your blog, and Andy is the cutest little guy!
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