Thoughts on a late Saturday afternoon........

 

It has been a busy week as usual.  Lots of work, paperwork and things to do with this guy.  But first the patient I was worried about in my last post is still not back with her original medical foster mother.  I actually had to talk to the police officer that removed the baby to give my thoughts on this child's issues and how the mother was with her.  At least it gave me something to do to try and help.  After stating all that was asked of me I reminded this police officer, who was very nice by the way, that it is my legal and ethical obligation to report issues of neglect and abuse if I see this in any home I visit.  I told her I have done just that, never an easy thing to do, but I have done it so that she needs to remember that all of the licensed professionals in that home risk losing their license if those reports are not made.  And there was no way at all that I felt that child was anything but loved and well cared for.  She does not have an easy job, and I thanked her for all she does because most of the time they get it right.  On this occasion they absolutely had to remove this baby because it was a doctor reporting neglect, however that accusation was completely false. Now I worry that this child continues to not receive therapy, it has been three weeks and I have only seen her once.  I tried to see her yesterday and even this morning but the family did not have any available times that would work.

Little Buddy continues being a real pistol in school and at home.  Actually I thought he was having a great week at school until I went in for an IEP meeting to get more services situated for him, not his annual one.  Boy did I get an earful, he is not being nice to his new assistant and has called her some names, he has not been nice to some of his friends and stops the whole line when they are walking places by blocking his friends with his walker.  Sigh.................... 

So I explained him a bit more to all the professionals at the school.  Some of them heard me but I fear his teachers did not understand what I was trying to say.  I had to remind them all again about all of the diagnoses that help him not understand social situations and read social cues, or express sincerity, make eye contact, control impulses, etc.  I explained that he does not have the opportunity to try out things he hears with siblings or even friends like neurotypical kids do.  He has to try them out on adults and that just gets him in trouble.  I told them to not use his walker unless he is going to his physical education class, he does not need it for anything shorter, therefore eliminating that issue. Two hours later and with a heavy heart on my end, the meeting ended.  I did get speech therapy reinstated for 15 minutes a week, when it was down to a brief monthly consult.  And I did get counseling for him in social situations during school time to help him understand what he is feeling, what he is saying and how it affects others.  So it was a win for me and most assuredly for Little Buddy, but it was a tough day.  It is never easy to hear just how involved your child is when he has come so far.  I have to remind myself often he was born dead, 13 weeks early, had two horrible brain bleeds requiring two emergency surgeries, and when he was discharged after three months the neurosurgeon had no idea if he would ever be able to do anything because his brain was so damaged.  Look at him now!  I know, take a deep breath and move forward and be thankful he continues to grow and progress. There is just so much we still need to accomplish with this complex boy.  Oh, and we did make an apology video and sent it to his new assistant, I hope that makes her understand we are on top of things and that it is not okay for little one to say mean things. 

My cardigan knitting continues.  I had breaks in my work day this week due to several little ones being at appointments so I had time to knit in my car.  It was bliss.  And a big shout out to Vice President Kamala Harris visiting Fibre Space in Alexandria, Virginia.  Madame Vice President will you be my friend?  I love your zest for life, your intelligence, your laugh and thanks to fellow blogger Bridget I now know you like to crochet!

These two need face haircuts, I might have to put that on my schedule for tomorrow.  But still shaggy and all, they are adorable.

And to make you laugh this is me!  Made by a 7 year old girl I work with that was not to happy with me.  As you can see I was not to happy with her either.  It is a surprisingly correct likeness.  I have horrible thin hair, my eyebrows must go in this crazy position when I am mad and of course I had a mask on.  See now you know exactly what I look like.