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Lifestyle | Not So SuperMom VS Society https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/category/lifestyle/ Advocacy, Small Shop Loving, & Kid-Centric Activities Tue, 17 Aug 2021 22:42:51 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.2 https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/cropped-NSSM-32x32.png Lifestyle | Not So SuperMom VS Society https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/category/lifestyle/ 32 32 157416425 Motherhood Uncensored: Coping With Endometriosis https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/motherhood-uncensored-coping-with-endometriosis/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=motherhood-uncensored-coping-with-endometriosis https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/motherhood-uncensored-coping-with-endometriosis/#respond Tue, 17 Aug 2021 14:33:44 +0000 https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/?p=3109 What Is Endometriosis? Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus causing chronic, debilitating pain and menstrual irregularities. It affects around 1 in 10 individuals during their reproductive years. That is about 176 million people worldwide and counting. Because endometriosis is a full body disease, it has the …

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What Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis is a disorder in which tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus causing chronic, debilitating pain and menstrual irregularities. It affects around 1 in 10 individuals during their reproductive years. That is about 176 million people worldwide and counting. Because endometriosis is a full body disease, it has the potential to spread to other places in the body outside of the reproductive organs such as the chest cavity, lungs, liver, kidneys, bladder and bowels. It has been found everywhere except the spleen.

Despite symptoms like crippling pain, fainting, vomiting, pain with sex, severe bloating/”endo belly”, bladder spasms, etc, the only way to officially diagnose endometriosis or adenomyosis is surgery. And no, surgery is not a cure. Many sufferers go on to have multiple surgeries because the disease often comes back. Even a hysterectomy doesn’t guarantee that endometrial tissue won’t start growing in places it’s not supposed to again.

To top that off, there is also a possibility of developing adenomyosis, the sister disease to endometriosis, which is when endometrial cells exist or grow into the uterine wall. Both physically AND mentally debilitating diseases, endometriosis and adenomyosis are listed in the top 10 most painful illnesses to have. Both diseases are still being researched and examined to find a definite cause. And while there are various treatments and ways to alleviate pain and symptoms, there is no cure.

There is no cure”

Many people are unaware that there are three different types of endometriosis and there are four different stages (I-minimal, II-mild, III-moderate, and IV-severe). Although this is good information to know, no particular stage determines the amount of pain or symptoms an individual may experience at any given time. Women can go years undiagnosed, and still be a stage I or have milder symptoms and be a stage IV. The main issue with stages III & IV is how it impacts your fertility.

And this is where my journey begins.

My Endometriosis Saga

I was 31 when I was diagnosed with endometriosis. I had been suffering for almost 3 years by the time of my diagnosis. This is my story of how endometriosis has impacted my life.

Prior to my issues starting, my periods were eerily predictable. Every 28-30 days lasting 5-7 days like clockwork. Then something changed. I feel like that change was triggered by using birth control. I remember my first incident- I had a period that lasted from April 27th until July 6th. Yes, you read that right- just over 2 months. At the beginning of July I decided to stop using my birth control and BOOM, my period stopped.

I made the decision to just try to track my periods and use the “natural planning” method for birth control to hopefully fix the issue. I started tracking my ovulation in August, buying a ovulation monitoring kit. I wanted to test daily over the next couple of months to figure out if I had a pattern or if it was going to still be as weird as it was when I was on birth control. My August period was barely there- basically 2-ish days of spotting then nothing. I figured I had already had such a long period that it was going to take some time to even out.

Toward the end of the month my LH numbers (what ovulation kits measure) slowly increased. I figured this was a “spike” and kept testing daily to see how long it would last. Imagine my surprise when after a week it still showed I was ovulating. Typically a surge only lasts 36-ish hours. On a whim I took a pregnancy test and walla! It was positive.


Quite frankly, I was shocked. Apparently my August “period” was implantation bleeding. I was scared, nervous, and cautiously excited. Sadly, before the end of September, I lost the baby.

To say I was devastated would be an understatement. I won’t go into details, but I ended up having to switch doctors and go through 3 procedures before my medical issues were fully resolved. We also had announced to family & friends, so having to reiterate the loss multiple times and be the recipient of sad looks felt like a punch in the gut each time. However awful those looks made me feel, it was worse when they didn’t “get” it. I still am haunted by a colleague who said “I don’t get why you’re still so upset. I mean you were barely pregnant, so really there wasn’t much to get attached to. Why not just move on and try again?”

That December, my husband & I decided to relocate to Atlanta. This ended up being one of the worst decisions we could have made. With no job, no support network, and unknowingly facing months of infertility, I started slipping into a deep depression-a depression I’m still fighting to overcome. I desperately wanted to become pregnant again, but my periods were becoming increasingly painful and unpredictable. I tried supplements, working out, etc- nothing worked. Each cycle yielded the same results: a negative pregnancy test. I became so bitter and haunted by the pain of those negative tests, that when a sweet friend told me about her pregnancy that following summer, all I said was “that’s nice” and walked away seething. I still feel guilty about how I responded years later.

I started working with an doctor in May, and by fall 2013 it was determined that I had endometriosis. We started the treatment/diagnosis process with a laparoscopic surgery. It was scary and unclear if this would solve my issues or if they would even find anything wrong. I remember being terrified that they wouldn’t find anything, meaning it was all in my head, or that they would find something that was even worse than endometriosis.

After surgery, I was diagnosed with stage III endometriosis. He went on to tell me that this is likely why I had been unable to get pregnant again and it could have even been the cause of my miscarriage. He also cautioned that if I was to get pregnant, that my chances of having a c-section or pregnancy complications would be higher.

Still, I pressed on. After a few weeks of recovery, I went back to the doctor. My hormone levels still weren’t ideal for conception, so I was given fertility treatments. The treatments had some miserable side effects, but I was determined to see it through.

The first round was a dud, however, the 2nd round looked much more promising- I had several follicles that were healthy looking and ready. I was visiting my mom that Christmas and came down with a nasty cold. It was still pretty early to find out if I was pregnant or not, but I decided to try a test *just in case*. There was the faintest barely there line. I wasn’t even sure it wasn’t my eyes playing a trick on me. We went to the doctor to get medicine and they gave me another test. It was still faint, but they confirmed it was an early positive. I was so excited I didn’t even care that I was sick. Sadly, Fredric wasn’t with me, (he had already gone back due to work), so for the second time, I had to tell him I was pregnant long distance!

I was nervous wreck after finding out this time. I didn’t want to wait until I was back with Fredric to do an ultrasound-I NEEDED to know immediately if this was a viable pregnancy. I made an appointment at a local office and went with my mother. Hearing Everett’s heartbeat for the first time was one of the most magical experiences I’ve ever had. Though hearing his heartbeat gave me reassurance, I still worried constantly. I kept thinking I would somehow lose him or he wasn’t going to develop correctly. This time I refused to share or post about the pregnancy until I was almost to my 2nd trimester. I insisted on extra/early testing, just to make sure he was healthy and that he was growing normally. It wasn’t an easy pregnancy by any means, and I’m pretty sure the anxiety I had developed over the last 2 years of loss & infertility has never completely gone away.

Moving Forward

During this journey the worry about endometriosis always hung over my head. It was like this horrible nagging voice that would rear it’s ugly head any time I thought about trying to have a baby again. Thankfully, pregnancy & breastfeeding usually reduces the symptoms and spread of endometriosis due to your lack of period and the increase in progesterone, so I had a nice break from dealing with it.

Despite waiting until the day the pain would come back and start tormenting me again, I was happy with Everett and decided that being “one and done” actually worked out perfectly for us.

Surprise!

In January 2017, I took a pregnancy test in solidarity with a friend who was worried she was pregnant. Apparently the fates decided that they weren’t done throwing us curveballs, so while her test was negative, mine was a resounding positive. This time I wasn’t “joyous.” I was unprepared and shocked with just how simple it was to get pregnant with Finn. I was scared- my pregnancy with Everett was hard. Everett was also starting to really show signs that something unusual was going on with him. I essentially spent the whole first and part of the second trimester not really acknowledging my pregnancy. Don’t get me wrong, I went to appointments and didn’t “deny” my pregnancy, but rather, I didn’t “celebrate” it. I pushed forward full steam and eventually got my self to the point where I started spotting from overdoing myself. That spotting made me realize just how much I wanted another baby and how lucky I was that I didn’t have to suffer through another infertility cycle.

So What Now?

As of this morning, I was inspired to write this blog because my endometriosis is back. I had almost 6 years with “normal” periods thanks to pregnancy and breastfeeding, but unfortunately, the excruciating pain and ridiculously heavy period is back. I would venture to say that my period is actually worse now than it was.

Oddly, my periods are following a more “regular” cycle length, though they can still vary from 27-40 days, they are typically around 31 days. However, the last few months I’m seeing an increase of what is best described as a “mini” period in between my “regular” periods. My bleeding gets so severe that I suffer from vertigo, iron issues, cold-like symptoms, and don’t get me started on the pain.

Oddly, or maybe thankfully, some of my periods are manageable, and I’m able to continue being a mom with the use of NSAIDs over the course of the first few days of my cycle. Some are much harder than that. All I’m able to do is get from the bed to the couch. These are the days that I’m especially thankful for Fredric. I know that I’ll likely need another one to two surgeries in the near future, which now that I’m a mother is even more scary.

I never wanted to be a woman with chronic pain. I certainly never wanted to be a mother with chronic pain. But I truly believe we’re all shaped by our experiences. The bad days help me appreciate the good days. My boys are learning how to be gentle with me when I’m feeling down-and seeing them learn to be nurturing is a reward on it’s own.

I’m just thankful that my good days still far outweigh the bad.

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Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/#respond Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:07:29 +0000 https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/ultimate-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe/ Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I decided to share my favorite recipe for baking them! There are millions of recipes out there, all with slight variations, however, this one always consistently comes out delicious and it’s easy to make. I discovered this recipe a few years ago after trying out a lot …

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Today is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day, so I decided to share my favorite recipe for baking them! There are millions of recipes out there, all with slight variations, however, this one always consistently comes out delicious and it’s easy to make.

I discovered this recipe a few years ago after trying out a lot of combinations and having quite a few fails- like the time I accidentally used corn starch instead of flour! Whoops! Since then I’ve tweaked it a little based on how many I want to bake and what types of flavors I want to add, like mint or cbd. Today I’ll be giving you my basic recipe and you can modify it how you see fit!

Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 1 cup chopped nuts (Optional. If omitting, add 1 to 2 Tbsp. of all-purpose flour.) I usually omit nuts, though sometimes I use almonds.

In addition to the ingredients above, you’ll also need a cookie sheet (I use 3), a mixing bowl, measuring cups, measuring spoons & cups, a mixing spoon, and a spatula. I also use a cooling rack.

Steps

  1. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
  2. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy.
  3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
  4. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts/additional flour. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.
  5. Chill the dough 10-15 minutes while oven preheats to 375° F.
    • The longer you chill the dough, the more the flavors will develop and the chewier your cookies will be!
  6. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.
    • Tip: the best way to make soft chocolate chip cookies is to slightly under-bake the cookies. In order to slightly under-bake the cookies, the edges should look set (but not brown). The center of the cookies should look soft and even a little puffy still. This trick will help to keep your cookies nice and soft.
    • You can bake 10 minutes for a softer cookie or up to 14 minutes for a crispier cookie.
  7. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely
  8. Enjoy!

Keeping Your Cookies Soft

We don’t often have a lot of extra cookies lying around, but when we make the full recipe we definitely have an excess amount. Here are a few tips for keeping your cookies fresh, especially handy for those of us who like to prep cookies for giving away during the holiday season!

  • Be sure to seal your cookie container well, whether you’re storing them in the freezer, refrigerator or a zip-top bag. You want your cookies to be in an airtight container for maximum freshness.
  • If you are storing your cookies at room temperature or in the refrigerator, add a small piece of bread to the container with the cookies. This will help to keep the cookies soft.
  • My favorite way to keep homemade cookies fresh is to freeze them. Freeze your extra cookies as soon as they cool completely after baking. I know many people freeze extra raw balls of cookie dough before baking so that they can have fresh baked cookies whenever they want. If this is the method you love, then go for it. For me, it’s too much effort to preheat the oven and wait whenever I want a cookie. I bake all of my cookies at once and then freeze the extras right after they are cool. Then I can just defrost (on the counter for a few minutes) and enjoy!

I hope you love these cookies as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below if you try it!

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Unexpectedly Homeschooling https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/unexpectedly-homeschooling/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=unexpectedly-homeschooling https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/unexpectedly-homeschooling/#respond Sun, 29 Mar 2020 06:24:00 +0000 https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/?p=2637 Congratulations, you’re now the proud parent of a homeschooler! Thanks to COVID-19, a huge chunk of parents are currently faced with the harsh reality that they are now expected to be their child’s primary teacher many amidst working full time/trying to find a new job. Most of these parents have never been homeschooled and haven’t …

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Congratulations, you’re now the proud parent of a homeschooler!

Thanks to COVID-19, a huge chunk of parents are currently faced with the harsh reality that they are now expected to be their child’s primary teacher many amidst working full time/trying to find a new job.

Most of these parents have never been homeschooled and haven’t really considered what homeschooling would look like. They don’t know where to start or how they will even fit this change into their day. Also, if they’re like me, they also have quite the begrudging student.

Today though, they’re in luck. Today’s blog focus is on how to fit homeschooling into your schedule and how to help minimize the adjustment.

Benefits Of Homeschooling

First, take your preconceived notions about homeschool and toss them out the window. Now, with a fresh outlook consider these benefits:

  • Homeschool doesn’t have to be an 8am-3pm, Monday through Friday endeavor. You fit it into your schedule at both you and your child’s pace.
  • Homeschool isn’t constrained to the same teaching methods that take place in a classroom. You can easily combine subjects that they are interested in while tying together new concepts that utilize their best method of learning.
  • Homeschooling doesn’t mean you have to stay home. You can easily take your lessons on the road and in nature to give both of you a break.
  • There are thousands of free and discounted resources readily available to you. Apps such as ABC Mouse and Elephant Learning. Shops like Legacy Learning Academy are sending free daily downloads to do with your kids and have a discount code. Zoo’s have free live feeds, libraries are offering free digital books, and musicians are putting on free concerts. Teachers are putting daily videos up to help your kids feel connected. Also, bloggers like myself are providing free activites and resources for you to use at home.
  • You can stay in your pjs all day!
  • And ultimately the biggest benefit now, is that while you’re doing your part to flatten the curve, you’re also giving your child the opportunity to spend precious time with you, time that they otherwise wouldn’t recieve. This also gives us an opportunity to teach them important life skills, from washing dishes to baking to woodworking.

Homeschooling The Reluctant Homeschooler

Many of us reluctant homeschooling parents also have reluctant homeschooling children. The sayings about how children always act worse for their parents exist for a reason.

The key to getting through this is simple. Lower your expectations. That’s right, lower them. No one expects you to be a 100% perfect teacher admist this chaos. It’s basically impossible to be parent, teacher, and your families financial support system without a few plates dropping.

Something is going to give.

Give yourself some grace and get takeout when you know you’ll have a busy day. Let the messy house be messy for a few days. If you’re able, hire a house cleaner and leave for an outdoor picnic and hike for a few hours.

It’s okay to not be okay. It’s also okay to find what works well for your family and to politely tell anyone else off that tries to tell you that you’re not doing it right.

Make a realistic, yet flexible schedule that includes both the time that you need for “adult” time (working/sanity) and the time that they need to balance their day. Make sure they are included in this process, giving them some ownership over their time and life.

When making your schedule, keep in mind that because you will be working one on one with your child, school lessons take a fraction of the time they do at school. When your child is at school, they are stuck splitting their time with 15+ students and small blocks of time to fit each sliver of lessons in. A big portion of your child’s time spent at school isn’t spent on academic instruction. Also, play is the ultimate form of learning. You can literally take any interest your child has and make it fit into the lessons they need to learn. 

Don’t be intimidated by getting creative.

An example of this: say you are working with a younger child who hates handwriting or identifying letters, but they are super interested in space. Take out a space related book and have them find and count all the times they find the word “space” or “planet.” Take them into a gravel driveway, give them a stick, and tell them the gravel is meteors. They need to clear a path for your spaceship with the stick by spelling out certain words. Have them draw galaxy maps and label planets (accurately or ones they create) or draw and label spaceship parts. In just these few ideas, you have covered science, math, art, engineering, and language skills.

Also, don’t be scared to utilize screen time for your lessons. For example, going back to the space theme, did you know that there is a program where Astronauts Read Books While In Space? There are also countless YouTube videos, Magic School Bus-esque programs, and shows by people such as Neil deGrasse Tyson that cover topics about space. Utilizing screen time for part of their lessons is a great way for you to get some work done, take a kid break/get chores done, or learn something new yourself. I even have a long time homeschooling friend who is currently using video games for part of her child’s lessons.

Another important aspect to incorporate into their schedule is digital time with friends. Learning correct social interaction is an important skill, no matter your age.

For my household, this week we will be doing Easter Engineering Challenges with friends that live in Japan. Yep, you heard me right, Japan. I’ll be sharing the lesson on my blog that morning, and then we will livestream our digital lesson/playdate with For Mommys Dragons. We have also dropped handmade birthday cards off for friends and surprised them with chalk art creations in their driveway.

Keep in mind, now that you’re a so-called “homeschooling” family, you aren’t limited to the school year calendar either. If trying to keep up with your child’s daily academic load is too overwhelming, remember that you also have ALL SUMMER to get through it. My best friend who is currently homeschooling 3 amazing kids, once told me that she didn’t stick to “school years.” That her kids learned year round and she didn’t feel the need to pressure them to pursue each academic subject at the same rate as their peers. With their yearlong learning schedule, they were able to set a leisurely pace that worked best for her children’s interests while still keeping them at the state mandated educational levels. This is a great perk of being stuck at home.

A significant portion of schools are also sending out lesson plans and worksheets for your children. This is a great way to give them some structured work while giving you some age appropriate ideas of what they should be working on. However, when they start getting frustrated and uncooperative, don’t feel bad about tabling it for later to avoid total meltdowns. Going back to what I said earlier, you have plenty of time! Also, don’t feel bad about contacting your children’s teachers. Most of them will be readily accessible to help your kids (within reason folks) and I’m sure they also miss seeing all of their awesome students.

In conclusion, take a deep breath and remember:

YOU. GOT. THIS.

It’s going to be hard, but try to view this scary change of events as an opportunity and not as a burden. Take it one day at a time and give both yourself and your kids patience and grace. Try to remember that your kids will remember the special memories that you’re making and benefit from this extra time they have with you.

How are you handling this change? Do you have any amazing tips to share? Let us know below!

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“It’s Your Fault That Your Child Is Autistic” https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/its-your-fault-that-your-child-is-autistic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=its-your-fault-that-your-child-is-autistic https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/its-your-fault-that-your-child-is-autistic/#comments Tue, 24 Sep 2019 01:45:40 +0000 https://notsosupermomvssociety.com/?p=800 It’s Your Fault That Your Child Is Autistic Recently, I experienced my first real taste of anti-vax cyber bullying. She essentially accused me of causing Everett’s autism. And she didn’t stop there. So tonight, I’d like to address her vitriol with a few rebuttals. Unfortunately, I wasn’t truly able to respond the way I wanted …

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It’s Your Fault That Your Child Is Autistic

Recently, I experienced my first real taste of anti-vax cyber bullying. She essentially accused me of causing Everett’s autism.

And she didn’t stop there. So tonight, I’d like to address her vitriol with a few rebuttals. Unfortunately, I wasn’t truly able to respond the way I wanted to under her comments. She chose a post that is currently being promoted by an amazing company I’m working with. Instead, I turned to my support groups. I asked for advice and virtual hugs, and they didn’t let me down. Some of my fellow moms became keyboard warriors in my honor. Thank you again for being so kind. Their kind words and support gave me the confidence and desire to write this rebuttal. I will post segments of screenshots below and my responses. She had a long rant, so buckle your seatbelts and grab some popcorn for this wild ride!

Vaccine Knowledge

Vaccine Knowledge and Autism

Shockingly yes, I can! I actually could list more if you’d like! Sorbitol, sodium phosphate, sucrose, sodium chloride, gelatin, and many many more based on which vaccine you’re getting. I know some of the ingredients may be controversial, but they are given in such small doses that it’s safe for the majority of the population. Believe it or not, I actually researched vaccines, vaccination schedules, and side effects thoroughly. My best friend actually kind of falls into the anti-vaccine camp, shocking I know. However, she provided me with a ton of her research and points of view. I took alllll of that into consideration, as well as the information I found, and advice from medical professionals. I decided that vaccines were right for us. Initially, I did a delayed schedule for Everett to make sure he didn’t have negative side effects or reactions, but other than a little crankiness, he did just fine! I’m happy to trust those who have actual medical degrees with giving my children vaccinations. I still look over each vaccine, side effects, and schedule, but so far, the doctors recommendations have been spot on.

Vaccines Cause Autism

Vaccines Cause Autism

Vaccines Cause Autism 1

Vaccines Cause Autism 2

Can we please, for the love of God, stop beating this dead horse?

VACCINES DO NOT CAUSE AUTISM.

There is ZERO scientific evidence that vaccines cause autism. The one doctor, or should I say former doctor, that made this claim lost his license for his false allegations. Vaccines, in general, are the safest and most cost effective preventative treatment one can get. Also, what about the children with autism, seizures, and other horrible childhood illnesses that have never had a vaccine? What about the millions of people who have had vaccinations and have had no complications? Yes vaccine injuries have occurred, but it’s the minority, not the majority. And I repeat there is ZERO medical based evidence that vaccines cause autism!

Vaccines Cause Autism 3

Autism Isn’t A Trend

Autism Isn't A Trend

First, what type of unkind, cruel hearted person would wish a child to develop seizures? It’s not a special ability, and it’s certainly not a laughing matter. Seizures are scary, unpredictable, and sometimes fatal. Secondly, autism isn’t trendy. I live my life in a constant state of semi-panic over what will come next. Will he hit that child who is crying? Bite the next kid who sings too loudly? Throw his brother off the bed because he doesn’t want him to be in his space? I never know what’s coming and what his future will hold. It’s scary. It’s nerve wracking. Everett isn’t my accessory. He’s a living, breathing, loving, and loud boy. I would LOVE for his life to be easier and for him to not have the challenges autism presents. I didn’t hope for some “trendy” diagnosis, as a matter of fact, I actually mourned what could have been when he was diagnosed. He’s was and still is a beautiful soul.

Oh and by the way, we aren’t on welfare, and having a child with autism doesn’t automatically mean you qualify for welfare or any other supplemental disability benefits. It costs us over 5 grand a year, just for his basic therapy sessions. 5 grand that neither insurance, grants, or government assistance can help with. 5 grand that could be going into our dream home or savings account. That 5 grand is just the tip of the iceberg. Prior to starting pre-k, we also had childcare costs, home therapy tools, and the special foods he would eat. If this is a fad, it’s a pretty damn expensive one.

Autism Isn't A Trend 1

Scary Anti-Vaxxer Math

Autism Isn't A Trend 3

Let’s be clear, not only do I hate math, I also suck at it. However, even in my limited capacity, the math here doesn’t add up. Everett & Finn are both recieving the same number of vaccines. That number is NOT 74. Not even close. Quite simply, the whole 72-74 vaccine number is a propaganda tool and scare tactic. Children currently receive 13 vaccines that are designed to protect them from 16 preventable diseases. If you include boosters and a yearly flu vaccine, (which by the way we skip), you’re looking at a max of 54 doses by the age of 18. Several of these vaccines are combined, such as MMR. If you’re trying to figure out where the number in the 70’s came from, it’s from them counting vaccines that are combined (like MMR) individually as well as including the doses a pregnant woman receives. So no, I didn’t notice a jump in vaccines, because there was no radical jump. If you actually look at the math and immunization schedule, you could easily verify this for yourself.

I’m more interested in my kids clothes than injecting them with cancer? Wow. I’ll be honest here, it sounds like you’re just trying to throw shade here because you might be jealous of my kids rad wardrobe. I get it- I’m jealous too! They look hella cute and have cooler clothes than I’ll ever have, but to insinuate that I care more about their appearance than their health is pretty despicable. However, I’m pretty sure that we already established that vaccines also don’t cause cancer, so let’s move on.

Autism power posse
Autism power posse

It’s 2019, Name-calling Isn’t Okay

Autism power posse 1

Wow. You really went there are dropped the “R” word. Did you perhaps miss the memo that it’s 2019 and using words like that aren’t socially acceptable? I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, and instead share some awareness with you. Those who are in the special needs community prefer to use respectful people first language. You see, words carry weight. Language affects attitudes and attitudes affect actions. Words, like the “R” word, are what lead to the horror stories you read about. The ones about the unfortunate people in the special needs community being taken advantage of and abused. So please be mindful of your words, you never know who is listening and learning from your misinformation and bigotry. Also, just to remind you, VACCINES DON’T CAUSE AUTISM. They do however cause adults. Here is a handy little infograph for you.

impact of vaccines

Everett’s Future

Everett's Future

Everett's Future 1

Wow. There is so much to unpack here that I almost don’t know where to begin. Let’s start with passing laws to euthanize those with special needs. There are ZERO countries where euthanizing a human being is legal. ZERO. There have been talks about it, but ultimately it is a gross violation of basic human rights. That aside, my child has autism. He isn’t a burden to myself or society. Do we have struggles? Yes. Do we let our struggles define us? No. I’d like you to show me one parent who hasn’t struggled with their child at some point.

Also, it seems like you may not entirely understand what autism is. Autism is a neurological spectrum disorder. A SPECTRUM. Meaning that symptoms and the degree of those symptoms can vary widely from person to person. We’re lucky, Everett is fairly high functioning, but even if he wasn’t, euthanizing wouldn’t be an option. Having autism doesn’t automatically make you more or less intelligent. IQ isn’t a part of autism, it’s part of being a human being. Please don’t make assumptions about a child’s intelligence level without actually knowing the said childs capabilities.

childs capabilities

If You Don’t Have Ssomething Nice To Say….

childs capabilities 1

Last, but not least, if you don’t have kind words to say, or if you don’t know the full story, please keep your opinions to yourself. Cyberbullying is no joke. I’m an adult, and it upset me to see such horrible things written in regards to my child and myself. Imagine what our children have to endure in today’s digital age.

Here are a few handy statistics:

cyberbullying statistics

It’s scary to consider the weight your words carry, especially digitally, where typical societal norms and decency standards seem to get tossed out the window. Despite your personal biases, try to remember that the person on the other side of the the screen, is a real living being, that’s not so different from yourself.

The best cure is awareness - Autism

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