Monthly Archives: August 2013

Aug11

Last summer guest post – by Logan’s AbbyGirl

Posted on August 11, 2013 by the crumb diaries

Growing up with a special needs brother was one of the best experiences I could have ever wished for. It’s not something that’s for everyone, definitely not for the weak willed or timid. But then again, maybe it is.

As an adult I am patient, determined, independent, accepting, observant, hard working, thankful, loving, understanding, compassionate, and strong willed. I was not always these things, I was shy and on the sensitive side, but Logan taught me time and time again through experience.

When Logan needs extra time going down three flights of stairs in a busy hospital. Taking one step at a time, while everyone is whizzing and whipping around him just rushing to rush some more. You learn patience.

When you have to entertain yourself during therapy sessions and doctor’s appointments in the city, and trips to see specialists, you learn independence.

When Logan stops you mid-stride on your walk so he can show you twin lady bugs next to each other that are, ” friends” you learn to be observant.

When your brother Is cleared at the doctor’s as healthy and nothing new as arisen to be treated, or you see children worse off than you at the hospital that don’t get to go home today or didn’t get good news, you learn to be thankful.

When Logan’s speech isn’t perfect and he needs to repeat himself a couple of times and you still aren’t quite sure of what he is trying to say to you, he will get frustrated with you. This is when you learn understanding.

When you take Logan out to IHOP with your guy friends for breakfast and he orders the crepes all by himself, even though you’re all there for $5.00 infinite pancakes, this is when you learn to be so proud of the little things. And that same day, when the teens at the table next to you are making fun of the way your brother is eating, that is when you learn to be strong willed. ( Kevin and the guys got them kicked out by the way. He was not pleased.)

Logan has shaped me into the adult I am, and I am beyond thankful. For anyone with a special needs child who is nervous of how it will affect their other children, I personally know that it improved my life. I also had a wonderful mother, father, family and friends.

XOXO Abby.

Aug11

Logan’s birthday trip

Posted on August 11, 2013 by the crumb diaries

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Sooo many people are contacting me asking me to share all of our info so they can contribute to Logan getting to take a trip to see his sister Abby. I just don’t feel comfortable in adding a ‘donate’ button to my Facebook page, or creating a donation page- but if you’d like to send him cards for his birthday in October (19) to be put toward his trip, our mailing address is : The Crumb Diaries. 100 Macy St. Suite F. #271. Amesbury MA 01913.

We are so appreciative of the love and generosity that has been shown to us. I’m not sure what Logan think of it exactly, but he definitely knows he has LOTS of friends and I love that.

Aug8

Summer Guest Post #5 by Heather of Wearing Some1 Else’s Shoes

Posted on August 8, 2013 by the crumb diaries

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Summer Guest Post #5 by Heather of Wearing Some1 Else’s Shoes

“Sometimes you just want to cry.” my 13 year old Mikayla said this to me this morning when I was doing my morning chores. I can’t imagine how she must feel. Hormones are surfacing for her. Plus Mikayla was diagnosed with the last year with bipolar and mild Asperger’s. Being a teenage girl is hard enough especially with body changes and your period starting and now she has to understand her moods aren’t the cause, but her bipolar and her awkwardness is her Asperger’s. We don’t use the word normal in this house since no one on this planet is. But most of all since my beautiful child is struggling to find normal I will not put a bar up for her to not be able to reach it. I couldn’t reach normalcy if I wanted, after all I am a mother of three kids. 13, 3, 7 months. Mikayla, My 13 year old is the brightest star in my sky. That is what I tell her and that is the truth. She lights my world up. After she was diagnosed it was as if someone turned a light switch on and I wasn’t in the dark anymore I now understood why she was the way she was as a child. She wouldn’t talk to anyone without me going up to them and making them her friend.

She had no imaginative play. She would not try to learn how to do things like ride a bike or roller-skate. She just learned how to ride a bike last year. She smiles at awkward moments and laughs inappropriately. She doesn’t understand jokes. She has hygiene issues. She would have outbursts that were extreme over something so small. I never really focused on all of these things till I had my middle child. They are very much different as children are but this is different.

My middle child, Emerald, has an extremely active imagination which makes me giggle when she is playing. Emerald is 3 and is fearless. Whereas Mikayla is afraid of everything and has to be forced to try new things. I am not comparing children only giving a reference so you can see how I started to notice a difference in her. I knew throughout her childhood that there was something going but could never put my finger on it. Until last year in October when she told me she had a plan to kill herself, this was after she had a screaming fit for hours. I immediately took this serious and called hospitals to get her accessed. I had to wait a few days and then she was accessed and put in inpatient. I did not like that hospital but I had no choice since other hospitals were full to capacity.

She was then evaluated and had testing to confirm their diagnosis of Bipolar and then she was put on medication. For a while it was good and things were back to the way they were before. (She has a counselor who comes to the house twice a week and does intensive therapy with her to make sure she doesn’t have suicidal tendencies, self-harm or homicidal thoughts).( I know I probably scared you with homicidal thoughts, but she was planning my death last year and had been extremely aggressive with me on a number of occasions.) Then June during counseling she tells her counselor and myself that she attempted suicide and trying choking herself. I was terrified. It was during the day when I was home doing my chores. We took that seriously and she was put into inpatient again. This time to a better hospital and they upped her medication, re-evaluated her and diagnosed her with Bipolar again plus mild Asperger’s. They helped her out so much in the two weeks she was there plus they did two weeks of outpatient to teach her skills like how to stop negative thoughts. I loved how much she was learning and how excited she was about it. It has been a hard time for her and our family but it is getting easier. And we have a great team working with us.

I am very happy that we found the light in the dark tunnel so that we could communicate better and understand her more. I am so grateful for her. She is a great artist and a loving child. It makes me sad that she is having a day where she wants to cry. But I know that is her bipolar and sometimes she just feels that way. After talking with her she feels better.