Category Archives: Family

Genetics again – How interesting!

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During the admission earlier this year, genetics were brought in again due to something seen on an MRI Patrick had done while in hospital.

 

As most already know, Patrick was diagnosed with Meckel Syndrome.  At the time of his birth, there were no tests for this syndrome.

About 3yrs ago when Patrick had his cranial vault expansion, genetics was brought in to see if they could shed some light on what was going on with Patrick.  Was there any more or new information regarding Meckel Syndrome?  Was there anything else they could think of that could possibly be the cause of what was happening with him?

We found out then, there were now tests available for Meckel Syndrome!  I signed papers to give permission to have his blood sent for testing.  It had to be sent to the states and would take up to 3 months approximately for results to come back.

Fast forward a few months to the results of those initial tests…

There are actually 7 different tests!  Meckel Syndrome can be found on 7 different genes now.  When the results came back negative for all 7, we were quite surprised!!  This wasn’t the end though!  The Genetist was shocked on some of the results and wondered how he was going to tell us.

Apparently, 2 other damaged genes were discovered in this process.  Guess what?? Neither of these had ever been seen or documented before! Ever! Anywhere!  So we were asked to sign forms to take more blood so they could store his DNA and send it for more in depth testing and that the government would cover the cost of any and all further genetic testing for Patrick.  (It will likely take years before anyone finds anything out about these 2 new damaged genes.  We’ll be lucky if it’s in our life time)

Done!

Fast forward again to earlier this year…

As I mentioned, after an MRI during this admission, something was noticed on the scan and genetics was brought in again.

In one of the pictures from the MRI, you can see something in Patrick’s brain that looks like the shape of a tooth.  A molar tooth!

 

The Molar Tooth Sign

It’s NOT an actual tooth!!  The easiest way to describe it, is type of malformation in the brain that just LOOKS like a molar tooth, hence its name.

The molar tooth sign is a classic sign/symptom for Joubert Syndrome.

Joubert Syndrome is another rare, recessive syndrome that hasn’t been around very long, and they are still doing research to find out more about it.

 

Meckel Syndrome vs Joubert Syndrome

Both of these syndromes, as mentioned, are rare.  They are recessive as well, which means they don’t appear very often.

There is no history in either myself or Dave’s family of anything like either of these syndromes, but the genes are carried in the families and can present themselves whenever nature decides to.

*Let me just interject here, that every one of us carries thousands of bad genes!  Every one of us has a 25% chance of having a child with any of those thousands of ‘bad’ genes.  It also takes BOTH the sperm and the egg to be carrying those same genes for the syndrome or whatever to make itself known.  In other words, both the sperm and egg that created Patrick carried these particular genes.  If only one of them carried them, Patrick would likely just be a carrier and not have any issues at all.*

Research and information show both Meckel Syndrome and Joubert Syndrome ‘share’ some common genes!  And while Meckel Syndrome usually has a not so good mortality rate, Joubert’s is good!

There is continued testing being carried out for both these syndromes, and over the years, more is expected to be learned and found out about each.

The shocker from blood work taken earlier this year for genetics?  Now positive for one of the genes for Meckel Syndrome and negative for Joubert!

So what does this mean?

Patrick has the Molar Tooth Sign!  That is classic symptom for Joubert!  What do we tell doctors and everyone else who asks about this now?

The Answer is…

Patrick DOES have Meckel Syndrome!  And while so far the tests for Joubert say negative, he DOES have the classic symptom for Joubert!

Patrick has Meckel Syndrome AND Joubert symptoms!

That’s what we tell people now!

Did you get all that?  Please feel free to ask questions if you like.  It’s not the easier thing to understand for sure.

Minimize admissions – maximize quality of life

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A quick update.  I’m sorry I won’t be going into it all right now, but I am just too tired and need to get to bed.  Patrick’s respite workers are finding it tiring when here as well.

Patrick is being admitted tomorrow morning to hospital.  A Shunt-o-gram is being done and the idea is that during this admission, the G-Tube and possibly the 24hr EEG will be done as well.  This admission will likely be approx 2 weeks, give or take a few days depending on how everything co-ordinates.

Trying to do as much as possible in an admission to prevent the back and forth between hospital and home.

A lot has gone on and been talked about and discussed yesterday and today and I will try to update when I have time while in hospital with Patrick.  I really need to go to bed now.  I still don’t have everything ready for tomorrow!

We welcome all thoughts, prayers, support and hugs and thank you for them as well.  Visitors are especially welcome to come see us.  Message/text/bbm or call to find out what room we are in.

Goodnight my friends, tomorrow is a long day, be in touch soon!

 

Are you ready to talk about it?

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The talk.

The talk no one likes to discuss or have.

The talk no one ever seems to be ready for.

How can you prepare for something that makes so many people uncomfortable?

Let me again say, no one is expecting Patrick to not make it through surgery.  We’ve been told it’s rare that children die on the table.  This is still a conversation many people must have at some point or another.  It’s particularly difficult when it’s your own child.

Patrick’s father was up for the weekend to see him (for those who don’t know, we are divorced, he sees him fairly often) and we had a couple conversations regarding what the other thought regarding resuscitation.  Not an easy conversation.

What do you do?  What do you say?  Many thoughts and questions come to mind.

Some will say he has been through enough.  Some will say he’s always come through.  Some will want the chance to say good bye.  Some will ask would he still be Patrick after?

Some family members have shared their thoughts with us already.

How many of you would be able to make that choice for your child? Do you think you would be able to tell if your child is suffering or not?

Could you make the decision selflessly?  It’s difficult as a parent, because that’s not the way it’s supposed to be!  Your child is going to outlive YOU right!?

We haven’t come to a decision yet.  I don’t think either of us are ready yet to do so.  I want to speak to the Doctors once they have the plan and get their thoughts on everything.  I want to have as much information as possible about this before making that decision.

What we do know is that since Patrick’s last cranial vault expansion, his health has not gone back to was it was prior to that.

We are NOT looking at this and expecting a negative outcome!  We are NOT planning on saying goodbye!

We DO have to be prepared and accept the reality of the situation and make decisions in the best interest of Patrick.

How do you think you would/will cope?  What things would/will come to your mind?  How difficult do you think it would/will be?

We’d love to hear your thoughts/experiences.

 

 

 

 

Improving Quality of Life

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Many of you are wondering how the meeting with supportive services went this morning.  Here is a bit of a run down of what the plan is and what’s happening.

 

Let me begin by telling you, it was decided this morning’s meeting would not cover any of the difficult palliative issues at this time.  Those talks will happen, but today the priority was pain management and quality of life concerns.

Patrick’s pain seems to be managed fairly well with the medication he’s on.  He’s taking Gabapentin and Valproic Acid.  He doesn’t complain of headaches as often as he had been, which is good.  Tylenol is being used when needed to help take the edge off at least.  It really doesn’t do much for him honestly and thankfully is not needed as often at the moment.

As for quality of life, fatigue is making Patrick’s not so good.  He is awake and alert for periods throughout the day, but they don’t last and he tires easily and quickly and falls asleep.

What is causing the fatigue?  We wish we knew.  The Doctors wish they knew.  Could it be the meds?  Possibly.  Could it be the increased pressure in his head? Sure.  Could it be the seizures?  Again, it’s a possibility.  The fact is, he has been like this before when seizures and medication weren’t in the picture.  Both the seizures and the meds won’t help it indeed.

It’s so difficult to write so much out and so that many will understand.  It’s easier to inform verbally, but I will do my best.  I have considered doing videos instead of writing for updates, I may still, we’ll see.

Fatigue is causing issue and concern with eating and drinking.  He’s so tired, that it’s taking 2-3 hours to get through meals and drinking.  Tiring, not only for him, but for the caregivers as well.  The decreased alertness and increased sleepiness while eating and drinking can become a serious health and safety issue for Patrick.  Not being awake enough to chew and swallow properly can cause him to cough and choke and potentially aspirate.  Chances of pneumonia increase with aspiration, something he can’t get.  We’ve been lucky thus far, but he does cough alot when trying to eat and stay awake enough.  He wants to eat, but it tires him so much.  It’s alot of work to co-ordinate chewing and swallowing, something many of us don’t realize or think about.

A consult for a feeding assessment is being done as well as a recommendation that Patrick have a G Tube put in.  The G Tube will not be to replace his eating, but to help.  He will still eat what he wants and can, but in a 20-30min time period.  Anything after that will be done by the G Tube.

By doing this, the hope is to improve his quality of life, even if just a bit more and hope that it preserves some of his energy and that maybe his awake/alert periods could possibly start to become longer.

A social worker is going to be asked to become involved as well.  As I am usually the one who looks for information and resources for most things I need to know, I’m so tired, I’ve not had the energy to do a whole lot.  As Lisa (support services person) told me this morning, she has no doubt how tired I am (you just have to look at me) and that I am doing a great job and being a great advocate, but it will be nice to have someone else involved who can advocate for me/us and do that extra stuff for me.  Looking for information and resources.  A little reluctantly, I agreed.  Social work is apparently going to get me more information on Kids Country Club (their website is down), a respite for children who are technology dependent and medically fragile.

I hope to hear from Neurology next week regarding the 24hr EEG.  My thought is now that with them deciding to put a G Tube in, it would make sense to co-ordinate the two since he will be in hospital 4-5 days with the G Tube.   Hopefully this will be done sooner than later, so this surgery can get done and he can start recovery and get better.

Lisa did make a point of saying that no one is thinking he will not make it.  The reality of it is though, this a very big, complex and complicated surgery and the risks are great.  Everyone needs to be prepared for ALL the possible outcomes.

I’m tired and can’t think of the rest at the moment, so I will sign off and update again later.

I did get a call this afternoon though from Neurosurgery Clinic saying they wanted a CT today/tonight or tomorrow for Patrick.  He’s having it 730am tomorrow morning.  I’m off to bed to get some sleep.

Goodnight my friends, thank you again everyone for your kind thoughts and prayers! HUGS!

 

Supportive Services = Palliative Care Team

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I had posted a bit of an update the other day on my FB status.  It was in response to a family member asking for the latest update on Patrick. Based on reactions to my status tonight, it is quite clear, not everyone saw/read it.

I apologize.  I should have posted the update IN my actual status or here on my blog.  I’ve been so tired to do any length of updating, it’s just much easier to talk to someone in person or on the phone.

Here is the update I posted the other day…

Waiting to hear from Neurology to see when the 24hr EEG will be. They have told Neurosurgery to hold off on the surgery till the seizures are managed. I left a message for Neurology this morning. Supportive Services (Palliative) called this morning and are coming to the house on Thurs to go over things etc…

Patrick is doing ok. He has bouts of animation, but still tires easily. Dietition has been in and he is needing to have 2 supplements/Ensures a day to make his caloric intake. OT is coming out this week to discuss energy conservation for him.

As the day goes on, he tires more. A nurse comes to the house 2x a week. He will get his stitches out today and will need a port flush in the next couple weeks.  (stitches came out yesterday, port flush next week)

CCAC has given me information on services I can hire to come in at night if I decide to use a PSW or Nurse to keep an eye on him through the night. If I go this route at some point, it will be a nurse coming in, not a psw.

The money I have for respite can be used to pay for that service as well. It will just take those ‘hours’ away from the girls. Im going to call VON and see if there is additional funding somewhere so I don’t have to use those funds if I decide it’s necessary to have someone come in at night.

 

I used the term most are familiar with, perhaps that was a mistake, but it has also made people realized how serious this surgery will be.  Supportive services will be supporting us leading up to, during and after the surgery.  They will also be preparing us for things in case the outcome of the surgery is not what everyone is hoping for.  No one wants to think negatively, but we do have to deal with the reality of the situation as well.  Neurosurgery thought having them involved was a good idea for this.

In all the surgeries Patrick has had, I have never once thought he would never come out.  I will maintain that thought through this one, but as I mentioned, I have to look realistically and be prepared for this one.  This is a complicated and very long surgery and one that no one, even the Doctors are looking forward to.

I have my moments with things.  I’m tired.  I miss seeing friends and family, but very much appreciate when they stop by for a visit here to see us.  It makes me feel like I’m still connected to the outside world and provides a nice distraction, even if only for a little while.

We appreciate all the thoughts and prayers everyone has been sending.  Those who have dropped meals off because there are days I’m too tired to think about cooking or remembering to take something out to cook, it’s truly appreciated! Thank you!  Our schedules have been off because of Patrick’s tiredness, so meals are not always at meal times.

Thank you everyone, I will try to keep things updated, but please don’t hesitate to call or message or come by for a visit if you’re wondering how things are and have not seen a recent update.  I am tired.

HUGS to those who need them and thanks for those sent back! :)

 

Passports for Children with Special Needs

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So…as I mentioned previously, we had passport photos taken the other day.  With the strict guidelines Passport Canada has regarding photos, I knew it would interesting.

Passport Canada has a page with general information for persons with disabilities.  You can take a look at it here. (Note:  I was quite surprised to see the address/URL for the page uses the word handicap in it.)

I’d like to know what YOU had to do, if anything, for your child(ren) with special needs to get their passport.

I called Passport Canada ahead of time to inquire what I would have/need to do if we couldn’t get a photo with his mouth completely closed.  They informed me I would have to get a letter from a Doctor explaining why.  Okay, I got on the phone with the Ped. Dentist and asked if they would help and provide a letter.  I explained the circumstances and situation and today I got a call back telling me the letter was being sent off in the mail today! THANK YOU Dr. Weinberger!! :)

During the photo taking, the photographer had asked me to remove Patrick’s glasses for the glare.  No problem, I took mine off for my photo as well.  She kept asking him to look at her or the camera, and he was, but it doesn’t look like he’s looking at you.  I told her he was and also asked if that would be an issue for their guidelines as well.  She wasn’t sure.  I called Passport Canada (PC) again and asked if there would be an issue with his eyes.  She informed me it would be up to the discretion of the individual office.  Needless to say, I’m looking at getting a letter NOW instead of later, just in case!  It also dawned on me that all children over the age of 11 have to sign their own passports, so I inquired about that as well.  Again, another letter from a Doctor is needed stating why he is not able to sign his own passport.  Patrick can write PAT, but not his full name, nor could he do it in the small space requested by them.

All of this will be worth it to know and see how much he will enjoy the trip! :)

Have you had to do anything in particular to get a passport for your child(ren) with special needs.  What do you think about the process?  Do you think they ask too much information?  Do you think all the letters are necessary?  Do you or did you have to pay for these letters?

Please share your experiences, I’d love to hear them.

Have a great evening!

Impressive Disney Planning – Cont’d

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For all the changes that we’ve had to make in the past week, our travel agent has been wonderful!  She has been quick with information, bookings, reservations and insurance stuff and more.  The girls are excited and Patrick is waiting for me to make up a countdown calendar to put on his wall.

4 of our sit down meals are reserved, one for each park, including two character lunches!  One with Winnie the Pooh Gang (whoever of them can make it) and another with one or more of Mickey’s Gang!   The other two reserved meals are suppers, one being a Chinese cuisine and the other Italian.  With the Dining Plan we have, (we have the dining plus plan for free), we get one table seated meal, one quick serve meal and one snack each day we are there.  Heather, our travel agent, called me today with some great news!!  All the restaurants we have our reserved meals with, will accommodate Patrick’s diet as well!  How awesome is that!! :)   They will chop/puree up Patrick’s meal for him/us! How great is that?!  That will make some of our meal-times easier! :)   We’ve been informed to inquire at any others we attend for meals, as they may accommodate him, but those are not guaranteed!  Regardless, those 4 meals still help.

We’ve been given information about accessing many of the attractions at the parks with regards to accessibility and their alternate entrances for persons using mobility devices.  These entrances also allow a maximum of 6 people from the party including Patrick to stay together.  Since we are now 5 again, we can stay together and enjoy the attractions together!

A couple of the attractions we are looking at, are Kilimanjaro Safaris and the Jungle Cruise, both I know Patrick will love as it will give him opportunities to see many different types of animals.  He is also excited about going on any attractions that are train rides.

Today, we went for passport photos.  I had already called Passport Canada and inquired about what would happen or need to be done if we couldn’t get a photo of Patrick not smiling and without his teeth showing.  They said I would need to get a letter from a Doctor explaining why.  So in the meantime, I’ve put a call in to the Ped. Dentist for a letter with an explanation and why I’m requesting one.

Everything about the trip is booked now.  Plane tickets, Insurance, Resort, Transportation to and from the airport, Park tickets and some of our meals…everything is booked and paid for.  The reality of it is starting to hit me!  All the little pieces of information that we’ve been given and all the answers to all the questions we’ve asked have been answered and answered quickly as well.

I’m a little extra tired tonight, so I’m going to end here for now.  I will post more updates soon.

Thanks for stopping by and keeping up to date with us.  We love to hear from you too!

Have a wonderful evening! :)

 

Disney Planning Cont’d

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Well our numbers have decreased, but we are still going!  Flights are booked and the rest will be finalized next week, just waiting for confirmation invoices and info.

I must say I’m a little impressed with some of the information that is available on the Disney site regarding accessibility and information for multiple disability types.  I will also say, it involves ALOT of clicking to go through everything!  I’ve printed out over 60 pages of information to go over rather than having to click around and find my way back to it all.  Here are some of the pages on their site:

More clicking throughout these pages to get more detailed information is required, but these pages are a place to start.  They have printable guides for each of the parks, which when printed out, is quite small in font size.

You will read quite a bit about how you should plan ahead as much as possible, and I completely agree.  For myself, I like to be as prepared as possible, know exactly what we’re getting into and how to best organize things to make things as relaxing and enjoyable as possible for everyone.

We are fortunate enough to have both respite workers coming with us to help out.  It’s amazing how much arranging and planning you have to think about to pull a trip like this off.  I’ve been doing the bulk of it thus far with laying the ground work and making sure we will be in accomodations that will work for everyone, especially Patrick.  Mom has appreciated this very much.  It’s a little more stressful, for me anyway, having someone else do it when they don’t ‘live it’ like you do every day.  I’m sure many will agree, when it comes to things like this, you feel better knowing that the necessary things are in place to ensure a good time when you have had input.

We have a great travel agent!  Heather has contacts and has worked with the people who arrange the Sunshine Trips for the kids.  She has used those contacts to help plan our trip as well.

I would suggest, as would Heather, to make sure you double check your booking and explanations of what type of accommodations you need and are getting.  We have found Disney really needs to update their website and look at some of their terminology.  They also need to better train their agents.  Twice Heather has called to double check bookings and been given mis-information.  We had to change our accommodations this morning as the accessible room we were given at one resort was not what they told her yesterday and it didn’t work for us.  We are thankful she has been diligent and making sure everything we need is in place for us.

Medical insurance is another thing we needed to look at.  Patrick had done so well for about 6 years, but in the past year, his health has not improved back to what he was previously.  For those who don’t have coverage with other companys or through work, there are some fairly strict guidelines to go with the coverage.  It is wise to check into exactly what you are/will be covered for to make sure there are no surprises.  One of the girls has medical insurance through her work, but still needed to have the coverage added for this trip.  Basically for us, as long as Patrick doesn’t end up in the hospital or have any change in medication between now and the trip, AND it isn’t for the same reason’s he was just in for, he will be covered.  Keep your fingers crossed, because if there were to be issues, they would likely be for the same issues.  Send a few prayers up for him :)

Heather has also looked into extra luggage for us for some of the extra stuff needed to bring for Patrick, and also found out I’m able to bring the Chopper with us as long as it’s in the checked luggage.  With Patrick’s medication needing to be refridgerated and such, they are supplying a small fridge for us at no cost because it’s for medical needs.  They have arranged accessible transporation for us from the airport right to our resort and back again when we leave.

We are working on some other details while waiting for the final confirmation numbers, but things are moving along fairly well at this point.  Aside from the ‘hiccup’ with the accommodation (which has been sorted) and the particulars of the medical insurance (didn’t surprise me), we are quite happy with things so far.

Our travel time falls during a week that offers a free Dining Meal Plan, which is great, and as recommended MANY times about reserving your sit down meal as far ahead as possible as they fill up quickly, Heather will do that for us next week.

Next week is passport photos for Patrick and I, and going through the information I found and printed to see what attractions and rides are accessible, which require transfers and which one’s Patrick would be more interested in seeing.  We already know he’s very interested in Animal Kingdom, so that’s a given. :)

One more note before signing off for the night.  My sister’s SIL (sister-in-law), gave me a site to take a look at also.  They also have some great information and more photos of rooms and attractions and accessibility (Disney has very few accessible room photos, and I’ve not seen any accessible ride/attraction photos at all so far).   allears.net

It just so happens, when I shared this site with our travel agent, her contact with Sunshine Foundation, gave her the same site :)

Feel free to email any comments, suggestions/feedback.  I’ll be happy to reply.

Till next time…. :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Disney, here we come! Start – End!

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So this is going to be a journey in itself.  A trip from which to learn and grow from.

Patrick and I have travelled before, but only to Nova Scotia.  This trip will be much different!  A farther distance, another country, a busier place, no comforts of home so to speak.  Not having all the things that make life more accessible and easier will be interesting.

This is a family trip.  8-11 of us are going.  My mother has felt very strongly the past while about doing a family trip.  The time has come to do it and now the organizing and planning has begun.  We’ve been researching for a while, but time is flying by and things need to be put into place now.

We’ve been lucky enough to have been referred to a local travel agent who has experience with booking with the Sunshine Foundation, so we are confident she will be able to provide us with the information we need and to help us book the most accessible trip possible for us.

Already there are so many things to think about.  Accessible rooms (what’s accessible for one, isn’t necessarily for another), washroom facilities (showers etc), meals preparation, laundry facilities, extra luggage for the extra necessities needed for Patrick and also looking at what type of things Patrick will be interested in seeing and how accessible they are.  This is just a start.

It’s not just Patrick that needs to be taken into consideration as I mentioned earlier, there is a fair size group of us.  For me though, making sure we have access to the things that will make this trip more enjoyable for Patrick and I and in turn everyone else as well.

I’m thankful I will have some help, not just from family, but Mom has told me we will be bringing one of Patrick’s respite workers with us to help me/us out as well.  That gives me some relief as well.

I will be blogging about our experience(s) and how things are going with our travel plans and the actual trip as well.

If you have been to Disney World in FL and have first hand experience with travelling with a child(ren) with disabilities, I’d love to hear from you.  Perhaps we can all learn from each other on a variety of things trip and travel related.  :)

If you have any tips, suggestions or comments on anything you’ve experienced or think I should know or take into consideration, please share.  I’d love to hear from you.

For now, this is the beginning.  Passports need to be gotten for Patrick and I.  That’s another thing in itself, and the bookings will be done within the next week.  For those wondering when we are looking to travel, it’s mid to late January or early February.

Hope you enjoy following our journey, we look forward to sharing with you! :)

Heroes in the home

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What is your definition of a Hero?  Do you know any Heroes?  Do you consider anyone a Hero?

Have YOU ever been called a hero?

What a way to start off this post asking so many questions.  Wait, I have more!

Are you a caregiver?  A Mom?  Do you look after a family member or friend?  If so, YOU are a Hero!

There are different definitions of a Caregiver.  Wikipedia has an interesting definition of Caregiver:

Carer (UK, NZ, Australian usage) and caregiver (US, Canadian usage) are words normally used to refer to unpaid relatives or friends of a disabled individual who help that individual with his or her activities of daily living.

The words may be prefixed with “family” “spousal”, “child” to distinguish between different care situations, and also to distinguish them definitively from the paid version of a caregiver, a Personal Care Assistant or Personal Care Attendant (PCA). Around half of all carers are effectively excluded from other, paid employment through the heavy demands and responsibilities of caring for a vulnerable relative or friend. The term “carer” may also be used to refer to a paid, employed, contracted PCA.

The general term dependant care (i.e., care of a dependant) is also used for the provided help.[1] Terms such as “voluntary caregiver” and “informal carer” are also used occasionally, but these terms have been criticized by carers as misnomers because they are perceived as belittling the huge impact that caring may have on an individual’s life, the lack of realistic alternatives, and the degree of perceived duty of care felt by many relatives.

More recently, Carers UK has defined carers as people who “provide unpaid care by looking after an ill, frail or disabled family member, friend or partner”. Adults who act as carers for both their children and their parents are frequently called the Sandwich generation.

A general definition of a carer/caregiver is someone who is responsible for the care of someone who is mentally ill, mentally handicapped, physically disabled or whose health is impaired by sickness or old age. To help caregivers understand the role they have taken on, “Next Step in Care”[2] outlines the following:

You are a caregiver if you:

  • Take care of someone who has a chronic illness or disease.
  • Manage medications or talk to doctors and nurses on someone’s behalf.
  • Help bathe or dress someone who is frail or disabled.
  • Take care of household chores, meals, or bills for someone who cannot do these things alone.[3]
It’s my Duty Isn’t it?

With an increasingly aging population in all developed societies, the role of carer has been increasingly recognized as an important one, both functionally and economically. Many organizations which provide support for persons with disabilities have developed various forms of support for carers as well.

What is YOUR description of a Caregiver?

As caregivers, I don’t think we give much thought to what we do.  We just do it.  It’s natural, it’s what we do.  We become masters of multi-tasking, juggling appointments, preparing lunches and making meals, transportation, cleaning, laundry and more.  We are teachers, doctors, nurses, chefs, handyperson’s, therapists, advocates/speakers, to name a few, all wrapped into one.

When was the last time someone complimented you on everything you do?  When was the last time someone thanked you for all you do?

When was the last time someone called YOU a Hero?

It’s not always easy or comfortable to hear those words, because to us it’s what we do all the time.  It’s our life!   It’s still feels good to hear them though, when we do.

Often people ask me; ‘How do you do it?’  My response of course is, ‘Do what?’  They reply;  ‘Do everything you do with/for your son, and all the things you are involved in.’  What is our usual reply to a scenario like this?  This is my life, I just do it.  Just like you do everything you do in your life and for those around you.

Being Mom to a child with disabilities, we face challenges that many others don’t have.  We all have different challenges in life we go through, but some are more specific, I’m sure you understandwhat I mean.  I hope you do.  We don’t look for pity.  We don’t want you feeling sorry for us and all we go through.  We are proud, just like you!   It’s difficult for many of us to ask for help and/or support for whatever it is we might need.  Although there are days we think we must be superman, we know we aren’t.  It’s tough for us to take time for ourselves, but we learn, slowly and it’s something I don’t think any of us perfect.

A week or two ago, one of my son’s workers asked my permission to nominate me for an award through CCAC (Community Care Access Centre).  I wasn’t sure what it was about or for, but she needed my permission to submit my name.  Since things have been so busy with Patrick the past month, all I got was that it had something to do with being a caregiver.  I gave my permission and honestly didn’t think about it again, till this past Friday when I received a letter in the mail from CCAC.

An initiative of South West CCAC and the healthline.ca

Congratultions!

We are pleased to inform you that Michelle S. has nominated you for a

HEROES IN THE HOME Caregiver Recognition Award!

There is a special celebration  on October 20th to receive this award.

WOW!  How sweet of Michelle to think so much about me to feel I would give justice to and deserve this recognition.   I really am blessed!  The girls who come work here, love working for/with Patrick and I.  We become like family and care for and about each other.

How amazing someone thinks of me as a Hero!  It’s an indescribeable feeling.  I’m just me after all, always am, have been and always will be.

I am very grateful for everyone in our life who loves and supports us.  I am grateful for all the things, whether big or small that anyone does with and for us. I often wonder how I could ever repay everyone for all the kindness, love, support etc that they have shown us.  It truly is overwhelming some days and I don’t think I could find enough words to express it.

For tonight though, I will say thank you!  Thank you to all of you!  May you know you are loved and thought of fondly often.

For tonight, I will check on Patrick before I crawl into my bed, and fall asleep knowing that someone thinks I’m a Hero.  And I will let myself have warm fuzzy feelings, even if it’s for a short time because tomorrow I will wake up and do it all over again.

Let me leave you with one more thought…

YOU are a Hero too!!