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Happy Holidays! Care for your kid your way

It’s four days before Christmas. My mom broke her hip, so we’re not doing the holidays at her house this year. Instead, we’ll have our normal Christmas Eve tradition here, as well as a few merry surprises for the kids, which I’ll share later.

Stink’s tics remain reasonable. They were up a bit the other day. Apparently, macaroni and cheese along with fried breaded chicken sticks aren’t a good combo for our gluten free/dairy free wonder child. But it’s the holidays. I’m over thinking there is a cure out there for TS. I’m going for the bucket theory: Joy, balance and discipline. Shake it all up and do your best.

On a doctor’s note, the good doc at UCLA of months past continued to irritate me last week as I went for a prescription of Intuniv and found he did not fill it. He had never returned my phone calls or e-mails either. This is an all-too-familiar pattern from last year, when he wouldn’t return my calls for an initial appointment, then once we had an appointment (enter me kicking and screaming) he did not follow up a month later as promised.

Three months later, plus a ridiculous dog and pony show for some trial for Asperger’s — which we still don’t know if Stink has or has not — and we have no official diagnosis. What do we have? Some Intuniv that I could have received through a regular physician.

The takeaway from this? You need to be a pitbull with your kid’s medical care. There is no easy 1-2-3, so don’t waste time being frustrated over lack of follow-through from doctors. YOU be the follow through. This is no time to throw a hissy fit.

Another takeaway? Most labels are crap. I don’t know if my kid is an Aspie. If he is, he’s super high-functioning with great grades and friends. What I do know is that he is hilarious, smart, creative and has the soul of a preacher/conman. He’s OK in my book.

Treat the condition, but don’t neglect the spirit of the child. The second will take him much farther in life.

How are you all doing? What are your Christmas plans?

Read my more at my Happily Ticked Off blog.

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