Cam Update

I have just been dealing day to day with Cam and his outbursts. We went a few weeks after school got out, of just awesome days, and for a minute I thought "Huh? Maybe he is ok?" I still filled out the paperwork for the Occupational Therapists and got it in to 2 different ones just in case.

Thankfully, because last week I was reminded of WHY I was doing all that. It was meltdown, after meltdown, after meltdown. I was washing one outfit every night so he could wear it the next day and drying his 1, yes we are back down to 1 pair of shoes he'll wear again, pair of Velcro sneakers so he could wear them the next day as well (Remember it's been raining for like 5 weeks and I send my kids out in it:) He didn't want to eat what I made and he didn't want to go where I wanted him to go. He went to his cousin's birthday party and when he didn't get the first place in line, meltdown. When he didn't win the race, meltdown. When he didn't get the blue hula hoop...well you can guess. It was school all over again and I just thought "Oh No! This is not who you are, please let them see the funny, cute charming you. PLEASE!"

The first Occupational Therapist Office emailed me back a few weeks after they received our info and the 7 page intake questionnaire I filled out and told me that they had received everything, there was some people ahead of Cam on the list and I "should feel free to contact the office every 4-6 weeks" until they had a place for him. Seriously every 4-6 weeks?!?! I don't have that kind of time. I need him to be getting help like...yesterday....Really?! like a MONTH ago. I next called my doctor's office and asked for another referral. They gave me one and I immediately placed the call. I waited and waited and finally called back when I realized it had been over 10 days since I left a message there. When I spoke to the gal in charge of new patients, she was SO nice and SO apologetic about not getting back to me. She explained that the summer was really busy when it came to getting a million referrals, she also told me they had just hired a new therapist and if I got the paperwork in ASAP they could probably get him in really soon. I actually drove straight to the hospital right then and picked up the paperwork, then had Joe take it and turn it in the next day. No waiting for the mail man in this case. I was on a mission. I wanted them to know we were serious and ready to do whatever it takes to get him in and coping :)

Yesterday I got a call at 11:15am. They had just had a cancellation. They called my home and cell phone until they got a hold of me, and she said (same kind gal:) that as soon as she got the opening, she thought of us. She realized how much we wanted to get in. Could we get in by 1pm? Um YES! I wasn't sure what I was doing with the other 3 little people but I would make it happen. Somehow! I worked it out quickly thanks to good friends and family. We were there 15 minutes early and ready to go.

When we got into the room for the evaluation the Occupational Therapist was a very cute, nice, energetic lady. Cam seemed really shy, especially for him, but polite. I could tell right then that he was not going to being showing THAT side of him. They sat him down to test his fine motor skills. Every time they asked him to do something he'd say " Oh yeah. I am really good at that." And do it. Then she'd ask him to do something else and he'd say " I'm great at that." He was being his cute, funny, charming self! of freaking course he was! I could see some looks of "hmm, what is she talking about?" But they stayed on task. I think I may have been seeing too much into that, because I was so wanting him to get help. I am glad on one hand that she got to see that side of him. I was happy after the last week to know it still existed myself :) This may sound awful but part of me wanted to run over and untuck his shirt, or color out of the lines on his picture, just so she could see that I wasn't crazy.

Though there was the evidence on his shoes, the Velcro being pulled So So tight. He did also start to get frustrated towards the end, as his star she wanted him to draw wasn't turning out the way he wanted. And after a short interview from me and a look at the email from his teacher, she let me know that yes they would in fact like to take him on as a patient! Thank the Lord!
He will have a weekly running appointment and they will start I believe ASAP.

I have a new found sense of hope. I am fully aware that this is not an instant fix. I am ready to put the hard work in alongside with Cam. I see a future of less, not no meltdowns, and that is great! I am visualizing him coping with things in a healthy way. I really feel so thankful that we were able to get in. Hope is a beautiful thing! I will continue to keep you posted as to how he is progressing. I am grateful for the support so many have showed us.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.



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