alone…

Posted by TakingItAStepAtATime

It started this with the morning application of sunscreen and insect repellent. He does not like it but he puts up with it most days. Today is a camp day, but because he works in a greenhouse during the week, the sunscreen and insect repellent is a daily chore and it begins in the spring – every day. I know that he is quite sick of it at this point, but most days he can just put up with it.

This was just one of those mornings that he couldn’t. That is where it started.

I could see it coming. It looked like a Monday morning (Monday Meltdowns). I did not hear “gotta hurry, hurry, hurry” but I heard the way he went up the stairs to put his stuff away.

When he came down, the running back and forth began. I asked him if he wanted to go outside so he’d have more room to run. I figured he would run up and down the front sidewalk as he does on Mondays when he is having a problem.

We went outside where he had more room to get it all out.

I am not going to describe it, only to say that he had himself so worked up that I really was afraid that he would pass out. It scared me.

He finally sat down with me and hugged me – we sat there hugging for a few minutes while he got his breath back and then he was fine.

DC had meltdowns when he was young and in comparison, these may be the same except maybe they just look worse to me because he is so big now. Maybe they are worse. Maybe it is just that I haven’t seen what I would call a meltdown in such a long time until these started again. Maybe it is his seizure meds. He’s been on them 2 years this week (I will be talking to his doctor next week when he has his appointment) – I don’t know.

Doug is DC and Salli’s transport to camp on Thursdays and Fridays and by the time it was time for him to leave, he was fine. He left and that left just me, by myself to get a grip.

I texted Doug to see how drop off went and he said it was fine.

I am off on Fridays for the summer and today I really needed not to sit here and wallow about it by myself. But it is times like these when I realize just how alone I am. I needed someone to talk to, but I needed someone who would not panic or feel uncomfortable if I burst into tears in mid-sentence.

Doug is off as well, so in my text I asked if he wanted to go for coffee. He couldn’t.

There was really no one else I could call. It’s Friday, people work. If they are not working, they can not always just drop what they are doing to listen to me – although I have done just that plenty of times to listen to others.

I even thought about calling my mother, but I know that it is only other people that get to have problems, I do not; I am just “hysterical”.

So…. I got in my car and drove around and cried like an idiot. I did not want to drive too far because I was worried that even though he was fine when he left, he had himself so worked up that I was afraid that something might happen (like a seizure) and I did not want to be farther away from camp in case I had to go and pick him up. Really all I wanted to do was to go to camp and get him for some more hugs, but it is his last day and he was looking forward to “Awards Day” so I did not want to ruin that for him. So I drove and listened to music and it really did not help.

So now I am home, writing this – just to get it out.

Yes, I know this should be about him, not me and that this may read like I am having a pity-party for myself. Maybe I am. Maybe I needed to have my “moment” so I can just move on with today. We should all be allowed to have our moments. Hopefully when you all are having your moments, you have someone to talk to and help you through it….

Here’s hoping, anyway…

****

Thanks for “listening” and not judging my pity-party.

Welcome to “Monday Meltdowns”

Posted by TakingItAStepAtATime

Mondays are difficult for many of us. Mondays are especially difficult for DC. It does not matter if he had a busy weekend or just sat around. It does not matter if he went to sleep early or late.

It just does not seem to matter.

He wakes up relatively happy every morning – Monday included – and goes about his business. For some reason; and it usually happens right before he is ready to leave – his mood changes quickly and drastically.

He does nothing differently on Monday morning than he does any other morning and I try to be very conscious of what I might say or do. I try not look at him for too long or say anything that will set him off. You know, like when you have to try not to look when your child tries a new food because just the act of looking at him will make him stop eating it. That is how our Monday mornings go. Avert your eyes and don’t say anything.

Everything is done the same way and in the order that he likes to do it.

As careful as I am, if I hear…

“I got to hurry hurry hurry” I know it’s all over.

I never tell him to hurry. I am very careful about that, especially in the morning and even more-so on Mondays. We get up in enough time so that he does not have to rush. I do still have to remind him:

Time to brush your teeth

Time to get dressed …. but I do that every morning.

We always leave enough time for him to “Do the writing” (princess papers) while using his iPad.

When the “hurry, hurry, hurry” rears it’s ugly head as it did this morning, I tell him that he has plenty of time. There is no rush. I have to try but I know that by that time, there is no turning him back.

When his transportation came this morning, DC was in rare form and ran, full speed out to the van. I was willing him with my mind to get in, because if he stops and looks back at me – he will come charging back.

And that is what he did.

He came charging back so fast that I was sure he would not be able to stop; he did stop running before knocking me over but he was not happy.

And so it began…..

I won’t go into details but it was loud, very loud…

After what seemed like an eternity, he calmed himself and started walking slowly back to the van. “Slowly” was good and I was just thinking that this hadn’t been all that bad compared to some Mondays, when he started running full steam again…. to the van and right back to me again…. to fulfill his mission of spreading of autism awareness to the neighborhood.

The driver had gotten out and opened the door while he was waiting for all of this to end, in the hopes that if he did not have to stop to open it, he would get right in. It worked. He went back to the van again and GOT IN.

The van started backing out of the driveway, stopped and pulled back in. DC jumped out and ran full steam back to me again for just a touch more awareness spreading. Finally he started back to the van; walking this time, so I was hopeful. He got in the van – even more hopeful – and the van drove away. I stood there just in case but it did not pull back in.

I know I will never know what goes on in his mind all of the time but still, it bothers me because I can not figure out what triggers this. What sets him off all of a sudden? For now, I am going to have to go with the fact that NO ONE likes Mondays and this is just the way he reacts to them lately. Mondays were never an issue until the last year or so.

It could be that he is just tired, but then why is he all right most of the morning? I watch and watch but I just do not see what triggers it and why just over the last year or so. Nothing about his day is different.

Yes, I have been mother to my autistic son for 26 years and yes, I know that we sometimes cannot figure out what is going on. I know that….

Knowing that does not stop me from trying to figure it out… It never did and it never will.

****

I normally use my other blog for random face book statuses, but these fit the mood here today:

After a holiday weekend so Tuesday was our Monday:

Another Monday holiday, so Tuesday was again our Monday:

When Mondays go well, one begins to worry..

#NotSoBadMonday (a big chunk of ceiling came down in the kitchen right after this next status was posted, so the rule is; if DC doesn’t get me, something else will)