A New Chapter

Four weeks ago we began a new chapter, one we are not foreign to but one I wish my brave little boy didn't have to endure. Dawson has Type 1 Diabetes. I personally have had a difficult time with this new diagnosis. Jeff's two oldest daughters both have Type 1 so I know full well that everything will be ok and this can be managed but I just felt so defeated by this. My little guy has already been through so much. So many seizures, so many tests, so many procedures...enough! He has been through enough! But he has faced this head on, checking his own blood sugar within the first week and giving himself his own shots within the second. Such courage, such fearlessness! I am beyond proud of him, I am in awe of him, I am inspired by him. The first week was really hard for me, I was kinda depressed and like I said...defeated. I still am not in full acceptance yet, I'll get there, He will get me there, but right now I'm just not. I talked with God about it, He knows Im still angry and a little bitter. I know it doesn't do anyone, including Dawson, any good for me to be feeling this way but I do. I'm working on it, I am. Seeing my little boy persevere helps. He truly is amazing. He has adjusted to this like it was nothing and I guess to him it wasn't too big a deal because he has known about diabetes his whole life. Because his older sisters have Type 1, he knew all about it to begin with, nothing was a huge surprise other than him having to get a shot with each meal and at bedtime himself. The first couple of days were a challenge to get him to get his shot, it would take 20 minutes or more to calm him down enough to get him to let us administer the shot. But now he does it himself like its nothing. He has accepted it, this is life, he eats...he needs insulin, thats it. I just wish my brave little boy didn't have to see what his blood sugar is, count how many carbs he has eaten, figure out how much insulin he needs, get a shot at least four times a day...ITS NOT FAIR!!!!!! He doesn't say that though, thats all me. He only said something like that once and that was on like day two, he was crying and said "mom, I wish it could back to the way it used to be"... me too baby, me too!

Good news!!

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! We certainly did. Saw family, ate too much and kids opened lots of gifts...good times!! Last Thurs Jan 3rd, Dawson had yet another MRI performed at UAB Children's Hospital. I am thrilled to report that all findings were normal!! Other than a little snot in his sinus, everything else looked great!!! God is good! So the next step, in my opinion, is to see about maybe weaning him off his meds since we have a clean EEG and MRI. We will see Dr. Bebin again in March, so I will bring it up then. Dawson is doing fantastic! He is doing great in school. All his teachers have such great things to say about him and are so impressed with how well he is doing and how far he has come. He still has some behavioral issues at home but I think most of that is just being a boy :) He was picking on his sister Ashlyn one day and I told her Aren't we thankful that he can do that, you know at one point we weren't sure of what he would be able to do, didn't know if he would be able to talk and now sometimes we cant get him to be quiet...I'll take it! Much love to you all and God Bless! ~Allison

Sept 25 2012--Oh Happy Day!

I posted these yesterday on my FB and meant to do it here for those who don't have that access. What a wonderful day! We are so grateful to the Lord for what He has done in our lives through this whole ordeal. Our God is an awesome God! Much love and appreciation to all of you who have lifted our little boy up in prayer. Also, much love to my husband, my best friend....9 years since we said our "I do"and we are Blessed beyond measure. I love you Jeff!

2 Years Seizure Free

We have been absent for a while.... So in case anybody noticed I thought I would write a few lines in hopes that you will celebrate with us tomorrow.. 2 years seizure free!!! The words just roll right off the tongue.... 2 years seizure free... I just love the sound of that!! Dawson is doing amazingly well. He had a fantastic summer where he learned to swim and was chocked full of fun for him. To say he is doing amazing just really doesn't do him justice.. You would almost have to see for yourself. Seizure freedom has changed our world just as dramatically as the world we were ushered into starting with his first seizure.. ( I love this world MUCH better) Dawson is excelling in school, and very easily carries on sentence style back and forth conversations. After thousands and thousands of seizures, hospital visits, test after test, developmental delays.. we are here... Unbelievable, but were here. We no longer speak much of infantile spasms. It is a world that we lived in and God allowed us an exit door. We took it running and never looked back. Two years later, we remember every intricate detail of every day with seizures, and yet at the same time it seems like some sort of bad dream that you remember you had but have a very hard time remembering any of the details. No longer do I look at Dawson sleeping and worry about him waking up and having seizures, no longer do I worry what is happening in his brain, we don't sweat EEG's anymore because they are always normal.. He is a healthy, happy, smart, worm digging, talking and singing, burping, drink spilling, sister bothering, peanut butter and jelly on my face wearing normal little boy.. and I couldn't be happier.. Happy two years seizure free Dawson!!!! Thank you Jesus!!

Dawson graduates

Good lookin boy...... and smart as a whip too!!! He had a great school year, learned SO much and these teachers are AMAZING.. His teacher Miss Russell seemed to fall in love with him from the beginning. So So thankful for this lady and this school.. As for everybody else.. the picture says it all. Everybody is growing up :(

Long overdue update

Well, where do I begin?? It has been so long since we have done an update!!! I guess in a way that is good news. Good in the way that there just hasn't been that much to talk about. We are rolling up on almost a year and a half of seizure freedom!! There was a time when I seriously doubted that I would ever be able to say those words.. "seizure freedom" and yet here we are, and those words just roll off the tongue so nicely....

Dawson continues to flourish. He is talking so good now and is able to carry out conversations with no problems. His teachers at school drone on and on almost daily about how well he is doing. His progress reports are nothing short of amazing and it makes me reflect back to a short time ago when all these tasks seemed either too difficult or impossible for Dawson to do. Now those same tasks are just part of his daily routine and he is able to tackle them with no problems.

Dawson is fully potty trained, can dress himself completely from socks and shoes all the way to pants and shirts. He is pretty much just as self sufficient as any other 4 year old out there. Yes indeed, our little guy is growing up and walking his own little path.. He gets very irritated when people try and help him with things... to the point where he will shout at you.." I CAN DO IT MYSELF!!!" LOVE IT!!!

The only real remnants of that horrible world we lived in, are left in the fact that we are dealing with some behavior type issues. There are really really good days..... and then there are days that quite frankly are just not so good. We've tried almost every type of behavior modification there is to try... ( next on the list is bamboo shoots up the finger nails) IM KIDDING!!! relax.... There just seems to be a disconnect from the fact.... If i do this...... then Im going to get in big trouble... If he indeed does have that filter somewhere... ITS BROKEN!! His biggest thing now is spitting... Yep.. when he gets mad or irritated, he starts spitting.... Put him in time out and he spits while hes sitting there.... Punish him for spitting in time out and he spits on you.... What do you do???

But considering where we could be... I will take the behavior issues any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Speaking of Sunday... HAPPY EASTER to all of you.. How great it is that we serve a RISEN savior... A savior who is ALIVE and still preforming the same miracles he did 2000 years ago while he walked this earth... I know this to be a fact because my son is one of those miracles.. A healing hand that reached over and touched a child.... A touch that healed seizures and healed a family.. Praise God and Happy Easter

Jeff

Potty trained

POTTY TRAINED!!!.. oh yeah!!!!!!!!!!

Dawson has been in big boy underwear for more than 3 weeks and is doing fantastic.. #1 and #2 in the potty.... no problemo!!

We all are doing great and pray that you are too!

Jeff