Summer is hard...

The next group of letters are written during the summer. Alex, like most Autistic children, struggles with the summer. His mother also struggles to keep his days scheduled in an order that would appease his need for structure. When he was first diagnosed it meant days of driving to and from the Neuological Rehabilitation Center in Piqua. When we got older, it meant camps and childcare where they went to the pool or on field trips. We have been blessed with wonderful caring childcare providers that have learned to love Alex.

To give you an idea of our daily life, Alex has asked ever since the weather got cold "Do you think Camp Wesley is cold?" "Can we go see it? I think it is closed". We have heard this over and over...needless to say he wants to go there again!

Dear Santa 1, 2 & 3

For those of you that have special needs children, Christmas can be a rough time. Traveling to see family members that don't understand your day-to-day struggles and think you can't get your child under control is hard. Alex, would see people getting things that he wants and often get upset if he didn't get it. Not to mention he wouldn't eat anything served at the gatherings (and still doesn't). So, as I was scanning in letters he has written of course I found letters written to Santa!

Letters

This is the first letter I am posting of Alex's...My dream would be to make these into a book but for now I'll just blog them.

Alex uses letters as a self-therapy tool. He writes letters to people or organizations that upset him or he thinks can help him. He started doing this all on his own and I enjoy reading them. He often puts them in the mail box with the name on it but no address or stamp :) I try to get them before the mailman comes but I've missed a few. The mailman now knows to save them for me but sometimes Alex can be talked into giving them to me to mail :)

This first letter was written in 2nd grade to Mr. G (Alex's principal). Mr G has quite a few letters written to him :) I think he wanted his class to get a prize at the art show!

Enjoy!

Update

Today is January 4th of a new year!!! Basically 2011 sucked so I am ready for a new year for sure! This year I want to blog regularly as well as posting letters written by Alex for all to see. Before I talk about the letter I want to bring everyone up to date on me, physically and emotionally.

Since having thyroid cancer diagnosed in November, 2010, I have undergone a complete thyroidectomy (December, 2010) then radiation (January, 2011). Those things were stressful but the year following was worse (all of 2011). My medications didn't seem to be working right and it seemed none of my doctors were listening.

In December, 2011 my sister and husband and I went to OSU to a new endocrinologist (Dr. Sipos) and it seemed that although she didn't necessarily agree with me being on T3 she would be willing to continue me on it. She made some changes and I have been feeling much, much better. In addition, I have taken myself to 1/2 a pill of my blood pressure medicine. These things together have helped greatly! I am able to exercise some (nothing too strenuous yet) and haven't felt overwhelmingly tired like I used to. I see a new general practitioner (recommended by my dentist who found my cancer) and I am hopeful that he will listen and help me ongoing. Emotionally, the holidays were hard :( It is very hard for me to see family who you don't see or hear from regularly (or at all) while you are sick. I guess I'm not that forgiving...

So, this year will be better - I just know it!