Mood Swings | 5 Minutes for Special Needs

I was having a good day.

I had dropped Matthew back at Camphill California in the morning after a terrific 3 day visit at home. I was so pleased that the weekend went well and for the first time ever, he was actually excited to get back to his program.

matt

Then my 21 year old son Andy, who was getting ready to fly back to college for his senior year, invited me to have lunch with him. We had a great talk and laughed a lot, and shortly after we arrived home, my youngest son John burst in the door after the first day as a junior in high school. He shared stories with us about his classes, his teachers and the new crop of freshman girls.I left the two brothers to spend some time together before Andy’s flight and picked up my phone messages. There was one from a friend just saying hi–and then one from Matthew’s psychiatrist.

“It has been a while since I have seen Matthew since his medication change. I would like to see him and then also have a follow up appointment with you. I’m not at all comfortable prescribing medication without follow-up,” he concluded sternly.

I felt my face flush and I almost started crying.

What was wrong with me?

I promise, it wasn’t, as my husband would say, “Menopause.”

But whay had this little message-this necessary message-gotten to me this way?

“I know why,” a wise friend who had a daughter with Asperger syndrome told me when I called and confided in her about the unwelcome mood swing I was having.

“I call those ‘drive-by-phone calls’,” she said. “You are having one of those rare great days. Matthew is doing well and you feel like your life is almost normal and then BAM! You’re reminded Matthew condition is life long.”

Life long.

I hung up the phone, feeling really sorry for myself , and then heard the sound of Andy and John laughing uproariously after having dressed our yellow Labrador in a t-shirt and gym shorts-my mood swinging back with a vengeance.

Cali and John

It occurred to me that ALL parents get those drive by phone calls, and that there was no such thing as normal.

And as I took this silly photo of my dog in a t-shirt and gym shorts, I felt really, really lucky.

Laura

Laura Shumaker is the author of A REGULAR GUY: GROWING UP WITH AUTISM

and a contributor to A CUP OF COMFORT FOR PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.

She writes each Friday for 5 MINUTES FOR SPECIAL NEEDS.