Raining, Pouring

Figuratively speaking, it’s one of those “when it rains, it pours” kind of times in life. We’ve been dealt one challenge after another for the last little bit here, and it is beginning to take it’s toll on my state of mind.

I think car problems have been a recurring theme in my life since the day I got my driver’s license. Actually I think it’s been since before I got that license, considering that on my sixteenth birthday, the day I had planned to take my driving test in my boyfriend’s car, someone wrecked it for him. Since that it’s been a long stream of used cars, mechanical problems, and the challenge of finding the money for yet another repair once or twice a year.

This time it’s all coming apart with typical bad timing. My van has been sidelined for a month now, almost certainly needing repairs far beyond what is practical to pay to fix. Now however, our remaining car has developed two simultaneous problems. While we are still driving it (as little as possible) it is merely a matter of time until one of us ends up stranded on the side of the road somewhere. I’m just praying no kids are along for the ride when it happens.

Considering we are flat broke in the best of times, (which this is not one of) I’ve been thinking and thinking and researching and studying the problem until smoke has started leaking from my ears. I may have some answers, and with a little help from some friends it’s quite possible we just might maybe get it worked out - knock on wood. The logistics of the whole thing are quite stressful though.

In my typical fashion, I’ve been wide awake since 5 a.m. in anticipation of a 9 a.m. phone call to try and schedule the next step in the process. Waking up an hour early because of all the whirling thoughts in my head wouldn’t be such a bad thing, except for the fact that I’ve spent a large chunk of the last two evenings/nights in hospital emergency rooms.

SW has been blessed with Asthma in addition to his other challenges in life. He actually hasn’t had an attack in months and months, but over the weekend he came down with a cold that rapidly settled deep down into his lungs and started wreaking all sorts of havoc. Tuesday night we spend half our usual sleeping hours in the ER getting breathing treatments and new prescriptions and mediocre attention from the hospital staff.

Yesterday afternoon saw him take another turn for the worse which was complicated by the fact that we are in transition to a new doctor, and that SW is one of us who has not yet had his get acquainted visit. Several phone calls and sincere apologies from the staff at the new office left us with another ER visit as our only option. More planning and juggling ensued, throw in two people leaving work early and one borrowed car seat and we foolishly went back to the above-mentioned hospital for a two hour wait in the lobby with a coughing wheezing thirteen year old child with Autism in full meltdown. Fun times. Then we left for a different hospital (yes, I should have done that in the first place) and finally got him some relief, attention to the overall problem, and lots more helpful advice on getting him through this and any future episodes. I am quite sure had we gone there the first night, the crisis of the second night would never have happened.

I am happy to report that he is now sleeping soundly, and I have not heard him cough even once since my pre-dawn awakening.

So where do my lovely Holiday projects fall throughout all of this? In the cracks to some extent. There are four things left to finish: one scarf, two quilts and the surprise project. The knitting has actually been a soothing comfort in the spare minutes of waiting for phones to ring and emails to be answered. That would probably explain why my Dad’s Irish Hiking Scarf is not only finished, but about a foot longer than planned. The rhythm of it was better for my nerves than Valium I think. My Mom’s lace is short only two rows and grafting and blocking. The quilts may end up an all-nighter project before our Saturday get-together with the family.

I’ll sleep again one of these days.

December 20th, 2007 Posted by Tracy | Autism, This "Is" My Life | 3 comments