Before we were diagnosed… life, simply put was hell. Most days ended with me in tears, some days even started with them. I am not a very patient person at the best of times, but a child who screams all the time…. who is NEVER happy… no matter what you do! You just learn to tune it out! I was walking around like a zombie. I got used to evil looks from other parents (CALM YOUR CHILD FOR CRYING OUT LOUD), comments in malls (Oh its YOUR child thats been screaming for the past hour *smirk*), having to leave cafes, restaurants, play dates, birthday parties. Never being able to stand STILL, if I moved, it wasn’t to bad, if I stopped…

Obviously we all suffered. Big brother suffered as much as me, if not more. Poor boy, always had to cut things short because of his sister. Didn’t get the attention HE needed, because we were all so pre occupied with the screaming, with the shushing with trying to stay sane and keep it together.

Its hard to look back, and the memories fade, but its important to remember, its important to TELL these stories, because there are still so many more kids out there like that, ones who have yet to be diagnosed, parents at the end of their tether about to have some kind of meltdown….

So I wanted to show you this drawing, its by my son, he drew it when he was in FS1, a few months before his sister was diagnosed. The comments in the picture are by the teacher.

-Linda