First Appointment

Okay...so horrible blurry picture - but I needed one of my *subject.* I just wanted to give a quick update about Brady's appointment today as I know that ecspecially our family is anxious to hear the news.

Basically, the three of us (Brady, zac, and myself) sat down with Dr. McGee...a Christian child specialist....and started out the appointment us basically telling him what has been going on in Brady's life for the past three years. Gosh - talk about making you think. I mean, there are some things that are super *different* about Brady that I don't normally even think about anymore - I've just kind of accepted them and have learned to basically deal and to "cope" with them - so actually thinking about everything was a little overwhelming for me...and a bit relieving.

After telling the Dr. about his high sensitivity to noises, smells, movement...his extreme frustration...his high IQ and his obsessiveness we then filled out a paper where we had to check off things that would be relavent to Brady. You know what I mean....like "which ones of these things are true for your child"...anyways, Zac and I checked EVERYTHING. ALL of the things were relevant and all of them were things that stimulate Brady and usually cause meltdowns and behavior craziness. The Dr. had folded down the top of the paper so that we couldn't see what it was he was kind of "testing" for but in the end he showed us that it was for Asperger's Syndrome.

This wasn't a big surprise for us since we have kind of guessed for the last couple of years that Brady might fall in that category...and then lately we have been more and more sure of it but not wanting to put our child in a box or self diagnose. Dr. McGee was very quick to tell us that he would NOT diagnose Brady after just a 40 minute session....so he is scheduled over the next 5 weeks to have 5 hours of testing. Brady was a good boy and displayed his total self while we were there....solving puzzles, whisteling constantly, obsessed with which number was on the door...all that good stuff that makes him Brady. :)

I think in the end I feel a sense of hope that we will be receiving answers soon and will know how to better help our child function in his world. I've realized that even if we don't want to put him in a box...the truth is...some people are. I mean, no one wants to admit that they are bi polar or depressed...or that they have cancer - but this is just the simple truth of living in a fallen world where sin exists. There are so many behaviors that he displays that if you deal with them in a *normal* manner it is very frustrating for him and in the end produces no positive results. My prayer is that we would learn how to help him to be productive and to learn how to calm down some of his frustrations, how to help our family be more *peaceful.*

So, I guess what I would ask is that everyone that reads my blog who is an active member in our lives or would like to pray for us - for you to just look up Asbergers sometime so that you can get a better idea of what is going on with our little dude. Even if in the end evaluation this isn't what they are 100% sure that he has....it is VERY VERY close. I want Brady to be understood...and I know that just the person walking on the street or in the grocery store isn't going to understand him...but I would like our friends and family to. This will also help ME out in that I am usually very nervous about other's being around Brady...that they will unknowingly talk to him in a way that he doesn't understand or is hurtful to him...or that they will expect things from him that just aren't realistic.

So, there you have it in a nutshell. We have paperwork to fill out this week and then I take him back for his first one on one with Dr. McGee next week. Thank you for your love and support...

Alyssa