What A Day!!!! From despair to empowerment!

We are only just surviving right now, on many levels.  Jake's "I don't care attitude" is at an all time high, and as parents we are at an all time low! Today Jake made some poor choices this morning that led to him losing a privilege that is very important to him.  Details spared, we are dealing with aggression, anger, anxiety and manipulation.  However....I had quite the day and feel like I went from despair to empowerment.

I tried to get a referral from the Neurologist to the local Brain Injury Clinic at McMaster Children's Hospital in the past, but was told that Jake may not be a candidate for it.  Which I accepted, until recently when I have realized that Jake would benefit from wrap around care with a neuropsychologist, a social worker, an occupational therapist etc etc. After speaking with Kerry Goulet and Scott Haller from www.stopconcussions.com, Carla from Ontario Brain Injury Association and someone from Brain Injury Services over the last few days, I was advised to push for that referral.  And so I did!  When I called our neurologist, I was told that he is "too swamped" to do a referral, we would be best to get it from the pediatrician or family doctor.  Who am I to argue?  I drove the referral form to the pediatrician and she agreed to submit it for us.   

I also picked up the homeopathic remedy that we are going to try for the emotional outbursts, as we are not ready to try any more prescription drugs at this point.  Fingers crossed!

In my recent conversations I was also referred to a neuropsychologist at University of Toronto, and even though we cannot go private right now, we may be able to get some advice at the least.  I am just waiting for their return call.

I also dragged Jake to physiotherapy at MMTR even though he originally refused to go....and he was better for it, he is in a fairly good mood tonight! 

And I finally got the IEP from the school in writing, I just need to request a few details to be added...

So, an emotional day but I accomplished a lot. And I realized that while he is most likely using his PCS to avoid things he does not like, there is a reason Jake does not like these things. They are hard for him, challenge him, and make him anxious. Maybe I just needed a reminder and Jake needed a wee bit of tough love.