Living with mental illness while parenting a child with chronic health issues is a balancing act. When my son was very young, I tried working as well, and ended up hospitalized. I could only juggle so many roles. Recently I’ve been exhausted. Too involved in attending to my son’s health and educational needs to have any energy left over to write blog posts. Instead of writing I’ve been sharing other people’s content on social media and playing with tools to create inspirational quote memes.
As for my son’s health, the lab results for his immunological workup were negative, which is good news. We will see his immunologist/allergist tomorrow afternoon. Friday he is scheduled for an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). How’s that for a mouthful. Try saying it three times fast. I can’t even say it once. Hopefully the procedure will rule out gastrointestinal processes, such as hiatal hernia or esophagitis. He’s already being treated for GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
Since he was sick finals week, he is taking incompletes this semester and taking missed quizzes, tests, and finals this summer. My son’s high school agreed to Section 504 accommodations for his illnesses, including gastrointestinal issues and migraines, which led to far too many school absences this past semester. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination in any program receiving federal funds.
To prepare for my meetings with my son’s school, I read the Special Education Rights and Responsibilities (SERR) Manual by Disability Rights California, which summarizes California and federal law, and met with TASK – Team of Advocates for Special Kids. Thank you, TASK and Disability Rights California!
[…] then, we had him assessed for special accommodations which never went into place because he did not go back to his regular high school in the fall. We […]
[…] Maybe reentering the workforce will even be good for my son. It is about time that he was more independent of me. The kid is 15, after all. He should be able to ride a bike to and from school, even if we live up a ridiculously steep hill where the alternative is to ride in the bike lane along a six – yes, SIX – lane thoroughfare with a 50 mph speed limit. We are even willing to purchase duplicate textbooks for him, though I should have had that included as part of his 504 accommodations. […]
Wow, it certainly sounds like you have a lot on your plate.
Having been through a long relationship that involved mental health issues, I fully appreciate how exhausting it can be.
Thank you for visiting the blog, nice to meet you.
Thank you, Dale.
It is a struggle and tiring.
Yes, indeed, it is.