bid

Prom financial crippler here!! And work have jigged around with our rotas rather than make someone redundant, which is good...but it means there will be no more over-time from Sept, which means I will be down £200-300 a month Don't know about anyone else, but I'm at a loss to know where else to make cut-backs during this credit crunch...only running one car now, swapped everything I could for cheaper deals, swapped Tesco for ALDI...but every bit of saving seems to disappear with the ever-increasing fuel costs! Well, now I'm really depressed... Hope you have good news on the job front soon Kathryn <'> Bid

And further...why should the police have to waste their precious time and resources dealing with you 'breaching the peace'? In an earlier post I believe you also said that you have caused trouble at a GP's surgery through being verbally aggressive? Why should anyone have to put up with this behaviour from a grown woman? Kathryn is absolutely right. Bid

My honest opinion, which will probably be unpopular, is that at nearly 40 you need to take responsibility for your actions. You write as though all these things somehow just sort of happen 'to' you, but you are choosing to enact these behaviours...and as I guess you will already know with alcoholism, no-one can change things apart from yourself. With regard to PCOS, of which I have 20 plus years of experience, there are many very effective treatments available now. Also, I honestly don't see how your bra measurement could increase from a 28 to a 36...cup size yes; but the number is the band measurement around your rib-cage, how can that have increased by 8 inches in a week?? I think you need to step back and really think about what you are doing...that I think is the first step to sorting things out. Stop trying to move anywhere, spending money you say you don't have, until you have started to take back control. Very best. Bid

Good news Jeanne...everything crossed!! Bid

What about supermarkets if you fancied a change from cleaning, I think they are good for part-time shifts? Or special school as a TA? I'm sure other people will have more ideas. Bid <'>

Now that Glenn has gone to residential, could you look for work yourself? I was in a similar position when my DS went to residential school. I could only work part-time at the time due to littlies, and I found a job at a local residential special school, where I've worked ever since, full-time for the last 4 1/2 years. I was able to use all the experience I had gained from my own situation even though I hadn't worked for 12 years. I know it's hard to feel confident after so many years as a carer, but you will have loads of transferable skills! What about looking at whatever you did originally (maybe you just need some up-dating training). Other good areas to look at, as I think they are very used to returning-to-work mums, and can offer flexible shifts if you want to go part-time at first, are supermarkets, and social care (although you may need a rest from that! ). If you are very short of money, it might be good to take what you can, then look for something that suits better while you are earning and building up your skills and confidence again. Good luck!! I know how overwhelming it can feel...somewhere in the dusty archives here is a thread of mine about the same thing...I remember I didn't even know what to wear for an interview! Bid <'>

My brothers and myself have Enduring Power of Attorney for my mum...although she's elderly, she's fine but we organised it in case anything happens to her so that we're not left trying to organise it in what might be difficult or upsetting circumstances. Bid

Well, we're home! Everything went very well...transferred two rather than three tendons. She's in a cast for 4 weeks, then back to hospital for a week of rehab for intensive physio for her new hand. She's having the next two weeks at home, as she's just in a backslab cast. Then that will be changed for a full cast so we think she should be OK for school. Then a week in rehab and it's practically the summer hols. She was awesome...so, so proud of her! Bid

OK, here we go... Being admitted this afternoon, surgery tomorrow (hopefully first down to theatre if they follow the latex-free protocol like last time as she has a query latex allergy). This is the start of Meg getting better after nearly 2 1/2 years...positive vibes for her new hand please! Bid

Welcome to the forum Chidalgo, Can I ask what you are hoping to achieve by using Biomedical Treatment and Chelation? If you are hoping to help your son realise his full potential, I would say that there are more effective, non-invasive methods. If you are hoping for a 'cure', then I think you will be disappointed. Your son is very, very little and his diagnosis very recent. What kind of support do you have? Have you heard of Earlybird? What does your Special Needs Health Visitor suggest? If you live in Hertfordshire, have you heard of CHIPS, which is a support group and playscheme for families. I haven't had any personal experience of BT and Chelation, but then I have to be honest and say that I have only heard negative things about them. It's not something I would have used for my son. I hope you can find some positive steps forward for you all. Bid

What Tally said. Bid

Can I just point out that some of us, including me, have a dx of AS and a child with a dx of ASD too! Also, I think the comments about BD have been unfair too...and gawd knows I've had my arguments with him!! I would also like to echo Mumble's earlier post...what is the point of wasting your energy hating something that you can't change, instead of using that energy as many of us do, in order to make the best go you can of living a productive, positive life? And sorry Darkshine, but diagnostically AS is autism, and you increasingly find ASD as the dx rather than HFA/AS. Bid

Hehe, made me laugh out loud, that did!! Did you know, you can actually buy laydees'- er - 'equipment' for just such emergencies?? Bid

Thank you BD Bid

Actually, I think that's a pretty offensive comment. Bid

But you can't speak for everyone else with AS!! I have a dx of AS, and i have never hated my parents for having me! Of course, I have had big problems and challenges due to my AS, but I certainly don't blame my parents or hate my AS. I know BD's lad, and I can't ever imagine him feeling like this about his dad. We are all different...you are of course perfectly entitled to your persepctive of AS and there will be some people who agree with you, but please don't speak for the rest of us. Bid

Just another thought, unless your DD maybe has continence problems, a bath twice or even just once a week is fine in my opinion. Obviously with daily washes inbetween I know that when I was a kid we only ever had a bath and hair wash once a week and I think we were pretty clean! If you have a problem with hair washing, once a week might be OK if she would tolerate dry shampoo once as well? She may not like the aerolsol aspect of it of course I found it very useful and very effective when my DD was left unwell after an accident and bathing/hair washing was physically difficult for a few weeks. Bid

You have to have a lock-in and sing along with "American Pie" on the juke box...it's the law!! Enjoy Bid

Hehe...Kim Deal!! Bid

<'> <'> <'> Really hard to hear for you...but, it's early days, and it may well be that Glen is being encouraged out of his comfort zone, being expected to do things and perhaps moderate his behaviour, that he's been able to avoid before because it's just been you and his dad with no back up. Although it's hugely upsetting for you at the moment, I think it's a matter of gritting your teeth and giving the staff enough time to establish healthy boundaries and expectations for Glen which in the long-term will bring more benefits and positives for him, giving him a better quality of life. Bid <'>

Um, well, to be honest, I don't mind having AS...so I'd probably give it a bit of a hug as I expect it's looking a bit battered...may not be everyone's cup of tea, not perfect, but it's served me pretty well for 45 years! Bid

I think that finding things to do that shift the focus away from your worries about yourself would be good and healthier for you. I remember you posted about doing charity runs...how is that going? Bid

So terribly sad...the school is really, really tiny so all the children know each other and play together. We had tears yesterday, and then he asked if he could take some flowers as he walks past the growing collection where it happened on the way to school. I've never much liked the idea of these gatherings of flowers, but we did buy some and he wrote a little message and it seems to have helped him On a more positive note, Meg's music teacher rang yesterday to chat about how we could keep up her interest while she is off. He's been teaching her the bass guitar, and she's in a little rock band...he's helping me choose a beginner's bass pack for her birthday!! Once her new hand is up and running, I hope it will be really good therapy and something positive to look forward to...rocky-rocky chick-chick: can't you just see her!! Bid

They have been extremely nice and forthcoming over meetings, but won't actually be pinned down to anything concrete until they get a letter from the consultant following surgery I have a feeling they will probably try to wriggle out of home tutition, as it's the last half of the summer term, although I was pushing for maths and the three sciences. We shall see!! What she did offer were lots of 'ideas'...both Meg and myself were too polite to tell her that Meg really wasn't going to want to do a power-point presentation to her year on her surgery!! But very kind and well-meaning. Bid

Also JM, I would try very hard not to convey your worries to J. I think it's good to talk about the future/adult life as something positive, exciting and most of all 'do-able'. I believe in positive self-fulfilling prophecies Bid