10 years ago today

[Guest guest]

Ten years ago right about now, I was in labor. I was running a high fever

from having my water broken but not progressing any further. I still think I

wanted to keep Karrie inside me...I thought life might just be easier that

way

The past 10 years have been filled with extremely high highs and totally

bottomed out lows. The medical issues of course have been most of our lows,

right up there with the behavioral stuff. Seems that they were linked.

Karrie has been correctly diagnosed (finally). She is off all of the

anti-psychotic meds and is only taking Lithium and Prilosec.

Karrie is once again writing and reading. Her verbal skills are wonderful.

Behavior for the most part is terrific. This afternoon at Wal-Mart, we saw

her old one-on-one. The woman started to hug Karrie. Karrie held up her hand

and said, " No, don't touch, please " . The lady said ok. Several minutes later

Karrie hugged her. This is how Karrie's autism presents, along with her

sensory issues.

Anyway, I had a very bittersweet moment today when I was picking her up from

Latchkey. The director was telling a worker that Karrie needed help tying

her shoes, that she hadn't mastered that yet. I remember telling Karrie's

dad when I had just gotten the prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome that we

would be lucky if she ever learned to tye her shoes. Funny how that just

doesn't really seem to matter anymore. How far we both have come.

Tuesday, Karrie had a visit with a different pulmonary doctor about her

sleep apnea. Karrie climbed on the exam table. The doctor sat on the table

next to her to check her ears. Karrie told him, " Please get off my bed now " .

Then she told me the doctor had said that she needed to go to " N's "

(Mc's) and eat a cheeseburger and ketchup!!

Ah yes, the highs sure are higher than I'd dreamed. Plus the love is deeper,

the joy is sweeter. My baby is going to be 10 tomorrow.

Sue mom to Kate 16 and Karrie 9 (until tomorrow) w/ds and mild autism