I agree with Sarah Palin... OMG... Did I really SAY THAT?!?

Yes, I believe that for the first (and probably LAST) I agree with her opinion regarding her stance on 'The Family Guy' cartoon show. I don't watch it (because it's dumb), but I saw the bit where they made fun of a kid who was a 'Down's kid', and the daughter of the ex-governor of Alaska. Here is my thought:

Pick on Sarah-she deserves it. I have a pretty poor memory, but I don't write on my hands. I don't believe that because I can drive to Mexico means I have international experience in foreign policy. I don't believe that because I believe in the powers of chocolate, means that everyone everywhere must share my infatuation with chocolate, and that you are WRONG if you don't worship chocolate, as all good people do. I have room in my mind to allow others their own opinions.

Pick on her eldest daughter who volunteered herself to be poster child of the abstinence programs. She clearly was 'letting the horses out of the barn' ALL of the horses, were ALL the way out. Those horses were so far out, infact, that they were in the next county...and...not getting back into the barn anytime soon. She can be picked on for the ridiculousness of that endorsement.

Pick on any other person who either deserves it, or can defend themselves-but hands off kids with special needs. It is inappropriate to make fun of this subset of people under any circumstances, anywhere, ever.

Never, ever, ever....

Autism Links to Vaccinations

Autism and the proposed link to MMR vaccines among others was a straw that many parents pinned their hopes on answering the 'WHY?' question. I found myself included in that group to a lesser degree. My children were/are vaccinated, but my son has a very mild form of autism-and has ALWAYS had it. From an infant-in hind sight of course-it was always there in very mild symptoms. So, it wasn't my 'WHY?' question that was being answered, but if it gave a reason for even some of the autism cases, that would have been success.

So, back to square one? hmmm... I'm still thinking that SOME kids COULD react to vaccinations. Is it a reason to gamble with the potential disease? It's a tough call that only the parent and the child's doctors should decide. I do believe a teeny bit in the conspiracy theory that when doctors make mistakes, they don't readily jump up to say 'I made a mistake'. My own PERSONAL experience is that doctors are 'wrong' ALOT, and are quick to diagnose-and even quicker to brush off doubts. The parent that pushes the envelope (me) can only get the doctor to say that a diagnosis is incorrect if that parent has already done enough research to actually BECOME a doctor themselves, and can point out every discrepency. MAYBE then, the doctor will tap dance around the possibility that the diagnosis is incorrect. Many have to be pushed to this admission, and EVEN then, most don't seem to feel the need to take responsibility because they 'acted in good faith'. GIMME A BREAK! The good faith thing should be a legitimate butt cover for doctors who try to save someone's life-or some other heroic measure-NOT a major misdiagnosis.

OK, that is my rant and rave about this topic...:)

How it all starts...

In the beginning, parents may have had a niggling worry in the back of their mind for awhile, until one day those parents find themselves sitting in a doctors office awaiting 'results'. Anxieties run high, and nerves begin to frazzle. In an instant, their lives change.
They hear the doctor give their 'diagnosis' and upon hearing the words, brain freeze sets in. Bizarre random thoughts flash through...'he'll never get married' or 'she'll not go to college'.
Random thoughts that pop to mind unbidden without a way to stop them. Nothing has changed, and everything has changed at the very same instant. It is then that they notice , the doctors' lips are still moving, and they are are not hearing. With great effort they force their brain to return to their body...to try to absorb what the doctor (who is still speaking as if they had not just been a million miles away) is telling them. Many parents have an eerily similar story. The diagnosis may differ, the age of the child may vary, but the 'instant of confirmation' that those niggling worries were not inconsequential... changes the course of the family forever.

They are off on a journey, like it or not, ready or not. There seem to be two paths the majority of parents take. There are the parents who fall into the quiet category. They keep personal information private while sorting things out. They quietly seek referrals, and begin the process of educating themselves about their childs' newly discovered needs, and they quietly begin to seek treatment. There are others who immediately are vocal about their problems, who seek public support and company. They gather their information from the network of parents and agencies that they must contact to begin to receive 'services' (help) for their children.

whether public or private, all wind up at the same agencies, at the same place, at the same time. There is no 'right' way, or 'wrong' way to begin the journey. One of the hardest parts in the whole journey is that first part where you go from having a seemingly normal life (with unfounded worries on the side), to a frenzied life full of uncertainty, and sometimes sadness.

Ride it out- it gets better- I promise!


After~
After the 'why me's are over and done,
and the long road ahead has just barely begun

The day to day tasks may seem much too large
and you think to yourself who is really in charge?

Who's going to help us my child and I?
Who'll guide me as I muddle through all the things to decide?

The answer is simple, the answer is true-
The answers have all along been right there with you

Stop the worries, set aside the fear,
Right beside you on this journey is someone quite dear

Let them help you- just as you struggle to help them
Watch them, and they'll teach you how not to give in

The strength that you'll find comes from within
It's a strength that gives us the courage to begin

It is there in the courage it takes to be strong
The strength that it takes to not fit in or belong

If your child can face the world day after day,
With bravery and grace, let them show you the way

Written by:
Tracy Lynn Cook