Catching Up : Autism Update

J had a neurology appointment early this morning and he had a psychiatry appointment on Monday evening. While the main psych wanted J hospitalized to find out the cause of the rages and to even out his meds, neither doctor deemed it necessary at this time. At the moment, I agree with them. 
   The psychiatrist he saw on Monday asked a lot of questions and the end result was a trial of a new behavior med. Not too happy with another pill to add to the mix, but he has been calmer so far. We're reserving judgement at this point because the current trend tends to be that a medicine works great for a month or so then fizzles out and we're back to square one.
     The doctor we saw today fully impressed me. Instead of rushing us in and out of the office in five minutes like the previous neurologist, there were two doctors (the first most likely a resident, as it's a teaching hospital) and both asked lots of questions. J was observed for a few minutes. Then the main doctor, an older, caring gentleman, talked with us. 
   Turns out, one of the anti seizure meds he's taking could possibly be the culprit. And he also thinks that the other anti seizure med may not be the correct one for J's particular seizures. The plan? Step down the dosage of the possible offender, monitor at home to see what happens, and in a little over a month J will have an EEG and a visit with the neurologist. We will go from there depending on the results. 
  Both the Hubs and I, as well as J, were well pleased. We didn't feel rushed at all, J was welcomed in with no problems at all. I love doctors who actually want to do their job instead of listening with half an ear and going with the plan from a previous doctor. 
    As for the plan of action here at the house, we will be going by the doctor's recommendations and I plan on keeping track of J's moods and any seizure activity we see due to the changes. In the meantime, the Hubs and I *just might* get to have a few hours of alone time tomorrow evening after a home visit. It has been entirely too long since we've had time for just the two of us. If it all works out, J will get to spend the evening with his Granny and Uncle. I do hope it works out. J needs a few hours away from us I think.
  Well, the future is looking a little brighter. I'm hanging on to hope and the faith in our Lord that this will all work out.It's not always easy, but I still believe that faith and determination pay off.

Doctor Visits, Broken Bike Locks, and Life in General

I'm not sure which is going to strike first, the urge to clean the house a bit or a quick nap if J decides sleep sounds good to him. That's the only way this mama is going to get a rest period today. Might as well clean house, right? Ehhhh.. not yet. I've got a headache going as well as a serious case of the blahs. Exactly why the blahs have hit I'm not sure, been trying to figure that out most of the day. 
 I woke up a little later than usual this morning and found that J had been awake and quite industrious. Hubby had put a lock on the fridge earlier in the week because J will not stay out of it. He does not understand the need to leave some food for later and at times he does not understand the meaning of being "full."  Bluntly, he has times where he eats till he gets sick. That is not good for him nor is it good for the pocketbook. So we tried a bike lock. That worked for about three days. J broke it and promptly threw it away, then helped himself to this afternoon's lunch.  The bike lock got replaced by a padlock. Being an intelligent lad, I'm wondering how long it takes him to figure out how to use a key.
  Just in case you're wondering, he's well fed. He gets access to snacks during the day, as he is very much happier  grazing through the day and keeping his metabolism up. 
   I went to see a new doctor yesterday. I adore my former doctor, I just couldn't afford to continue seeing him. Being forty years old, I now get to navigate new and interesting --ahem-- pokes and prods during some visits. He has not yet broached the subject of vaccines, but he has let me know in no uncertain terms that I need these procedures done and pronto. While I'm not looking forward to mammograms and other things, I want to be able to take care of my son and my family. That requires me to be healthy.
 Speaking of being healthy, on Friday I'll be heading to the pharmacy to pick up synthroid, iron pills, and a multivitamin. I'm actually looking forward to being back on those medications so that I can have my energy back. I don't like feeling tired and run down. But I'm also going to adjust my eating habits a bit and look into some more natural ways of dealing with hypothyroidism and anemia.