Boo, Chelsea has to move…

We just got Chelsea settled in… I won’t say unpacked because the majority of her things are still in boxes stuffed in the closet but we did get most of her clothes washed, hung and put away. She got two jobs and has completed training for both. Still sorting out the scheduling I think, but it seems to be coming together nicely. She got her Jeep Cherokee and seems fairly set.

Well, yesterday James and I took Ethan to Overland Park, Kansas to visit a “D.A.N. doctor” (Defeat Autism Now). I’d heard about them before but Jenny McCarthy has done a lot to popularize them even more… Anyway, this one was recommended to us by Dr. James Neubrander in New Jersey. Dr. Neubrander is mostly responsible for developing the Methyl B-12 injection therapy and since we couldn’t afford to drive or fly to New York, he suggested Dr. Baptist since he’s located in the midwest and follows Dr. Neubrander’s protocol. Dr. Baptist is an allergy specialist so of course, he had to run tests of his own before recommending injection therapy. Poor Ethan had to have the skin tests done all down his back. It wasn’t pleasant for any of us… But according to this test, Ethan had a moderate reaction to nearly everything except for a few tree and grass pollens. The most extreme reactions were to oranges, oats and white potatoes. It makes sense to me because I break out in fever blisters and/or mouth sores when I eat too much citrus fruit or certain kinds of potatoes. I can’t recall ever having a reaction to oats.

Anyway, the doctor sent us home with all sorts of other, hair, blood and urine test kits. Some we will do ourselves, the others he will have to fast and then go to a lab to have blood drawn. It was a lot to take in… The doctor prescribed allergy shots. He had his first one at the doctor’s office. The nurse will mail us another month’s supply and we will have to find a local doctor or other medical personnel to administer them until he achieves his maintenance dose, whatever that means… Once the testing is complete and we have all the results back in about 6 weeks, we will determine what foods and environmental things he should avoid and what other treatments, including the Methyl B12 injections, he might prescribe.

So as we were leaving and trying to absorb all the new information I checked missed calls on my phone. The foster care agency called with two girls they thought we might be interested in. Turns out, they are the older siblings of the twin girls we had in 2006. Of course, I’m excited about the possibility of seeing the twins again for sibling visits. I hear they are in an adoptive home. I certainly hope they are happy and well cared for…

Unfortunately for Chelsea, this means she will need to find another place to stay. She spoke to a friend and will be moving in with her and her mother within the next two weeks. The girls will stay in their current foster home until school gets out June 5th. The nice thing is, her friend’s house is only a few miles from both of her new jobs. She will save a ton on gas and will also be much closer to her boyfriend’s apartment. She likes being home but I think she will enjoy being close to town and “humanity” even more. I’m happy for her as long as she promises to come and visit as often as she can. Of course, her not being here will also give me an excuse to meet up with her for dinner or a movie now and then when I need a break from “the kids”.

—————————

Have you moved a lot?  What do you miss the most when you have moved to a new home?

Guest Submitted Post

Join Autisable and Share Your Story!