After the whole 5 weeks of trying to get Isaac into a day treatment program, I had gotten all these other things set up. I found a medication manager, outpatient therapist, horse therapy we could afford because insurance doesn't cover it, but they will reimburse us with our own money, a veterinarian internship, and constructed a level system for our family to help with discipline. Just after I dotted the last i and crossed the last t, I got a phone call that Isaac had been approved for day therapy, we were awarded financial aid, and he started the following Wednesday.
Begin hair pulling now.
While I was initially upset about it, albeit glad that he got into day therapy because that is what he ultimately needed, I was still angry. Now I had to call and undo all these things I had just lined up.
Have I mentioned the torrent of emotions you have when you are stressed to the max?
I kept hearing a voice in my head say, "Everything happens for a reason. Be patient and see how this plays out."
So I took a deep breath and waited. Isaac had two major appointments the week he started day therapy. One was with the medication manager. The week before was with the therapist. These two people both told me I wouldn't be able to use them for Isaac's treatment because there would be people available at the treatment facility that would take that over for the duration of the therapy, however, (HOWEVER), I could come back to them after the treatment program ended. Essentially, before you let your blood boil over, it's ok, we will just take a 3 month break and you can come back. All that work wasn't for nothing! I was assured the day therapy people would be happy we already had our outpatient people lined up. And they were.
Wednesday we admitted Isaac to day therapy, and this was a 3 hour process. We met with a therapist, medication manager, teacher, and nurses. We told our story for the fourth time in 2 months (it's not a short story either). Isaac is supposed to be in the day therapy for 12 weeks. This is from 8-5 M-F. It's not far from Curtis' work and he will drop off and pick up.
Because Isaac was admitted in the last two weeks of school, he received an incomplete for 9th grade. We were supposed to enroll him in summer school, but because we were told he would be in day therapy and to not worry about it (they do school every day there), I didn't sign him up. Then the summer school enrollment date passed, and the day therapy looked like it was going to fall through, so I started to panic about what we were going to do for his grades and if he could go onto 10th grade. I called the school district special ed director, and he gave me some options.
1. Isaac could just make up the credits in future summers.
2. Isaac could have an elective slot through the year in which he worked on these packets for credit recovery.
As it turned out, the facility notified his last school, and they contacted me, and they will get it set up for Isaac to finish his missing assignments and not have to do credit recovery. He will be able to do his schoolwork at the facility, and in the fall, he will continue with them online, making a seamless transition to 10th grade. I panicked for nothing.
Another wonderful thing happened. Because Isaac has multiple diagnosis: cerebral palsy, 22q11.2 (22nd chromosome duplication), ADHD, possible Autism, and now a mood disorder (they told us they aren't sure if he is bipolar or if this is a mood regulation issue), they are going to have a diagnostician try to piece some stuff together for us and fill in the gaps in hopes of telling us what symptoms belong to what disorder. On top of this, we are testing for intellectual disability. Some of his previous testing was inconsistent and there were huge gaps between test scores and abilities.
Answers!!
All of this finally came together and Isaac is getting help he desperately needed. We are working with 10 different people in different places to get him the therapies and supports he needs. It's been a fight and an uphill battle to get this point. I feel like I finally got to the top of the mountain and I just want to camp up there awhile. I don't think Curtis realizes just how much relief I have that he is responsible for taking Isaac to and from therapy. I don't think I quite realize it.
Our past two days were easy. It helped that our van battery died and we have no where we can go, so no errands, no trips, no running to and from appointments. We just hung out at home, visited with my aunt that came to visit for one very short day, and made picnic food and took naps. Isaac had really good days at therapy, and the first night home was rough, but the next two nights were great. I need to focus on how to get my energy levels up again, but I still feel like I'm decompressing. Everything seems to be falling into place.
I have been reminded that my time schedule is not God's time schedule, even if I try to change it, or force it. I'm also reminded that this time of help and support came at the most important time. While it's been a struggle over Isaac's life to deal with these disabilities and behaviors, he is old enough and capable of learning how to deal with them and learn to care for himself, and I'm at a point that I can let him do it, as well as understand that I need more people to help him, that I can't do all this on my own. That has been a big lesson for me to learn.
