Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Settling

I feel like I'm finally getting a grasp of the events of the past ten months.  Until now, life has been pretty surreal.  I think a huge part of it is that I haven't known what to expect or how to help. Is it autism?  Is the delay permanent?  If it is permanent, how severe will it be when he's older?  Will people be able to tell that he has problems?  How much will he struggle?  What will his strengths be?  
The questions are endless and we've had one of them answered - it's not autism - but, we don't know the answers to anything else.  Yet, somehow, I feel settled.  For the first time since that first week in the hospital, I feel like we have a plan of attack. We've got specialists coming out of our ears.  So far, we've got a special ed teacher coming twice a week.  A speech therapist joins the teacher once a week.  We're getting ready to start occupational therapy once a week and then sometime in the next few months we'll add another speech therapist twice a week.  We've got a DD (developmental delay) worker - a social worker who is helping us find even more services including some grant money to help us get some supplies that will keep Levi safe as well as some educational toys and games, etc....  We also have a social worker who is helping us find even more services.  She's currently seeking out yet another specialist to come and work with Levi.   Then there's a financial worker who is helping us find ways to help pay medical bills and the like.  Of course, I've mentioned Dr Q, the neurologist and Dr. Schultz, the developmental pediatrician.  And, finally, we will have some respite care - someone to come and watch and work with Levi while I catch up from all of the appointments and meetings and emails so I can have a chance to do things like laundry, grocery shopping, and yes, even taking a shower!
I've said it before, this is going to be a long road.  I might not know where that road is going to end, but I know we're doing EVERYTHING we can to help my Levi reach his full potential.  We're hoping and believing for a complete recovery, but until that happens I can be secure in knowing that Levi is going to be who God made him to be and I'm doing all that I can to see it happen.