Out of control child at Doctors office today

[Guest guest]

I took my non verbal son to the Dr today since the school nurse sent home a note that his ear needed checking. He was scratching the lobe and behiind it and there was crusty stuff there. It is similar to eczema - seborrheic dermatitis

Anyway from the moment we got out of the taxi at the corner Matt was on a rampage. He pushed me several times and then in the waiting room, it was about 9:30 am he was attacking me. Pinching me all over my body and slamming into me and screeching. There were not many people in the waiting room, but the ones there were staring and even some of the workers behind the glass enclosure. The guy there knows us well and I called as I always do to prep them that we are coming.

In the fastest time ever his name was called and the nurse was kind enough to give us some privacy in a waiting room and told me the Dr had gone over to the Hospital to see two patients.

For 45 minutes was out of control. He was hyperventilating, pinching me all over, pulling at my bodyparts, pushing me off the chair and into the corner. I started crying and was feeling dizzy.

I brought in the backpack water for me, a juice box for him and his bottle with the straw we are working on. Then also a bean pag square and a package of Goldfish crackers. Nothing was working and then from his fits he started drooling out of his mouth and then his nose was runing so he literally was wiping it all over me. Then he got mad and went to the paper towels and tore some out and tried to do it himself, but that would not work.

The nurse did not even want to look in his ears or do anything but wait for the dr. I went out of the room and asked if there was a shot they could give him, she said no but some nurse practicioner was there and then decided not to see him but let the Dr.

Then I asked for them to call our OT at the clinic who we saw yesterday. The OT, Family therapist and Developmental Pediatrician were unavailable. The OT was on a home visit and I told the receptionist it was an emergency I needed to speak to her to see if she knew how to calm him down. Later when we got home her message was that we were at emergency room at hospital. I tell you it makes no sense to spend time speaking to someone and from now on leaving my own message is the best bet.

I gave the girl the number and extension to have someone call us, nope they never did, well much later when we were home already.

So my son is acting in a way that is not unusual for kids with autism, but to the extreme I had never seen and for a very long time. I thought for sure that if the Dr showed up and he was like that they would committ him or something. I was really shaken up in light of many things going on in our lives and then something snapped and he looked at me and I saw a connection and it was like oh there's my Mom. Just like that.

He had some crackers and some soymilk and was on my lap while I rubbed his back when Dr showed up. We have had her for six years, she even wrote a letter for Court and we had a rough start long ago where I walked out once after a long wait and two meltdowns with my kids - but nothing like todays.

So she asks me about what is wrong and I start to tell her and she says let him tell me. I thought that was kind of strange and she is asking him questions and then how many stickers does he want. This is a kid who is oblivious to stickers.

Then I said but he cannot talk. Then a light when on in the Drs head. She thought this was ! She goes on about how he looks like but the chart says and on and on about how he has grown so much and blah blah. We were just there for annuals in Nov, but both kids so maybe that is why since in Dec I brought Nick there.

She says well how about we do a hemoglobin to see how his numbers are. I reminded her that he was even higher last time than Nick and was at 13, used to be a low 7 for a year or more. I did not want him to get pricked after the battle I ensued before her arrival.

She tried to look inside his ears and it was impossible, he moved and she said it was dangerous to keep putting that in his ear in case he got hurt, so she filled out the form and gave Rx for antibiotics and said come in two more weeks and just quickly come in so I can see his earlobe.

We took a taxi to Rite aid and then ate at mc donalds while waiting for Rx and then walked a few blocks to take a bus home. He was very happy and his usual self.

At home I tried to cut his hair, Dr had said that would be good to do, if possible, and then his nails since he scratched me so much. Then the OT called and she said not to bother with the hair since he went through so much and not to worry about what school says if his nails are a bit uneven or his hair.

I know for a long time he could not handle when I turned left on Sunset Blvd since that is the way to the Hospital and office building. He would flip out and fling himself around in his car seat. But it was over quickly and nothing like what happened today.

Could this be a result of all that is going on at school with the toileting, eating and drinking and toothbrushing and taking him to the nurse and whatever else? He has been in the Hospital in the past three times and two times they sent over a wheelchair from the Hospital to the Drs office to admit the same time.

Maybe he was upset since they took him yesterday to see the nurse and in order to see his ear they had to have held him down. Then today I am taking him to the Dr.

I want to be prepared for a next time if there is and might be when we go back in two weeks. We have also been in a heat wave so I was in shorts and tank top with my arms exposed and getting pinched and cut, he opened up a sore I scratched of my eczema and drew blood.

My biggest worry was that he would not stop the hyperventilating and I did not know how to help him.

Any ideas, hints, tips - been there done that???

Bonnie

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[Guest guest]

Bonie, for a minute or two I wondered if he was having a manic attack like some of the bipolar kids have. None of our boys have had one that severe--yet--but plenty of other kids on our bipolar lists have had similar behaviors. It seems that some of the kids seem to go into a trance or something and do not even remember attacking anyone later. And with a nonverbal child how are you suppose to know if he remembers his behavior?

My guess is that he was reacting to where he was going and thinking of the unpleasant things that had happened to him there. Evan fussed a few times after having an appointment that he did not appreciate but he seems to not hold a grudge any more except that he will NOT let them look down his throat. Finally, after several years, he let the doctor look down his throat and she decided to swab his throat. Bad move on her part. That was a couple of years ago and she has not been able to see down his throat since. And the throat culture came back negative. I finally was able to get him to take small pills a couple of months ago and then he got a sore throat and would not swallow them. We are now back to crushing the pills and putting them in liquid to get him to take them. It seems that they have a good memory for bad things that have happened to them.

What helped Evan to getting over being upset at the doctor's was to take him in when nothing was going to be done that would hurt him but Evan never had the reaction that your son did so I am not sure if that would help you at all. It is too bad that he connects the office with bad things being done to him. I wish I could offer you some good advice on how to deal with this. ly, I do not see how you managed as well as you did. I would have left the office if I found out that the doctor was not even in and no one else would see my child. So far everyone at the clinic we go to has been extra careful of upsetting Evan and trying extra hard not to upset him. If they know little of autism, at least they are considerate of him.

BETTY ANN-62 yo, possibly undx'd Bipolar grandma and guardian to

ANDREW - 12 yo-- Bipolar/ADHD, HomeschooledEVAN - 10 yo-- nonverbal autismDAVID 7 yo Bipolar/ADHD

and mother to ANDREA -33 yo, their mom -Bipolar/ADHD

wife to BOB - 72 yo, a very tired grandpa

[Guest guest]

Bonnie, does like music? How about an inexpensive tape player? Karac likes the Wiggles tapes. How long has been on the Geodon? How much is he taking? Karac is on the Geodon too. Karac takes 60mg's at night and 20mg's in the morning. I'm hoping his mother will cut him back to 40mg's at night. How much does weigh? We switched from Risperdal to Geodon because the Risperdal caused Karac to gain 30 lbs!! Karac is 11 and weighs 112. Is the Geodon doing what you had hoped? Pat K

[Guest guest]

Pat - is seven and on Geodon. He has a dose in the morning and I do not have a cd or dvd player and nothing portable. I bet that would be useful but out of our price range.

Bonnie

=============pkuenstler@... wrote:

Bonnie, how old is ? Yes, I'm sure we have all had that experience. It has gotten easier as Karac has gotten older. I take a bag of things for him as well as food snacks; also, I take a CD and DVD player; so he can listen to music or watch a favorite movie. I was given one for Christmas and it has been very helpful. Is on any medication? When Karac is really having a serious meltdown, I can give him .05 mg's of Clonidine and that calms him down. One good thing about it; they always take Karac in as quickly as possible. Pat K

[Guest guest]

Bonnie, it sounds like the Geodon is working and has less side effects than the Risperdal. 20 mg's twice a day doesn't sound like too much. Yes, the Geodon really improved karac's sleeping. Blessings, Pat K