Seasons Change

Hello again.
So much has changed since my last blog that I hardly know where to start.
After a very long & challenging summer with son#2, we were able to have prayers answered recently for his care.
He has struggled with some manic issues this summer and after trying FIVE different medicines, we ended up pretty bad violent outbursts for the whole month of August. It took the bad med two weeks to leave his system, but once we found the med that was "just right", it was smooth sailing.
However, it became glaringly obvious that son#2 needed some help with new habits. And his medicines dealt with in a controlled environment where we weren't left with six holes in the walls to repair & he didn't end up with two big black eyes. It was much more than we were sadly able to provide him with.

After much frustration at turning to people with supposed expert advise & resources, we met a brick wall. (When the local Autism Resource Center doesn't know where to point you, someone's not doing their job (RESOURCE center?)OR we have a truly unique individual that God has entrusted us with.
We believe God opens doors. And ours came in the form of a place ironically called Camelot.

At Camelot they didn't blink when I mentioned son#2's meds, his violent outbursts, his non-toileting issues, naked time or sensory affinity for poo. That's right, I said it. If that rankles your tail feathers you might as well stop reading now.
Camelot welcomed us, knew what to do with son#2, and had a plan of attack on all the above mentioned issues & more. Camelot even had an opening September 8th. That could only be God people!!!

So many questions. Camelot is a live in, residential treatment facility & so son#2 will have to live there 24/7 for anywhere from a few months, to a year or more.
I don't know that I could have been more scared & relieved all at the same time.
We went for an interview and then they got to know about son#2 and his issues.
They finally approved him and to boot, he gets one on one staff. That means wherever he goes he has one person that is his personal staff attendant.
Which it IS a full-time job keeping son#2's hands out of his pants. I'm sure he's not the only male with that problem...

I didn't have warm fuzzies about the place, but after checking around they seem to know their stuff & to be honest, the next closest place that takes non-verbal Autistic kids is Kansas.
Two hours to Oklahoma City doesn't look too bad.
Checking in took hours & hours. And we even had to inventory his stuff & put his name on all his clothes. Sounds like checking your parent into a nursing home doesn't it? You know they need the service & care they can provide. You know you've done all you can do, but still, to leave them there in someone else's care...
it's the hardest thing you've ever done. It is for me.

Son#2 is easily adjusting. He does love the Build-A-Bear bunny we got & recorded my voice on. He's sleeping with it & loves to push the mommy button over & over. His brothers helped "build" it. When it came to making a special wish for son#2, and kissing the heart, I found it so endearing son#1 was over to the side really talking to the little red heart. I hugged him & asked what he wished for his brother.
"To never come home so I can have my own room." *sigh!* That's a teenager for ya!
The brothers know he's away for a long time. To not let them think he was being sent away for bad behavior, we told them it was camp. And so they wouldn't want to go themselves, we said it was to learn potty training & how to keep his clothes on. The first day after he was gone, son#3 asked me as soon as he got off the bus, "Did you go get him yet?"

His workers & staff are literally arguing over who gets to be his one on one.
That's comforting. I pray daily no one abuses him, hurts him or looses their patience. That they keep him safe & healthy. And that he shows him on smart he is & learns some new habits.
He's taking lots of walks and keeps a tight schedule. The good news is they call almost every night. We get to be on speaker phone & hear him laugh and he looks intently at the phone when we talk. And sometimes hangs up on us or puts us on hold.

It's quite an adjustment. There's relief of the tension with which we're used to carrying in ourselves and there's also grief for me. Hubbo has a better time with the big picture. While MY head knows that & I'm a smart girl, my heart feels much differently about the situation.
I'm amazed by the workmanship God created in the human form! We can feel so many emotions that usually cancel one another out, yet all at the same time---andd my heart doesn't explode. At least not yet. Check back in with me next week.

In the meantime, if you pray, please say a little prayer for son#2 when you think of us. This is a challenge & while it is going to be a good thing for him & our family, they WILL be asking things of him he won't want to do---otherwise we would be doing them here.