When a blog topic occurs to me, I let it stew for a while. Sometimes weeks. Then I write it in one go, editing ruthlessly along the way. This blog is not a day-to-day journal – more a collection of essays.
So perhaps a little snapshot of our ‘real lives’ is in order. [Photo above: Owen [...]
Filed under: family, musings on January 30th, 2010 | 3 Comments »
I had one signed this week. (The form is signed by a physician, not the parent.) After months of sitting on the document, I decided to finally just do it.
It wasn’t actually a fraught decision; I have always known my own limits for what interventions for Owen are acceptable and what are not. The standard [...]
Filed under: family, medical, musings on November 7th, 2009 | 5 Comments »
I am watching my boys growing and I am stunned at how quickly their childhoods are giving way to eventual adulthood. I get ahead of myself a bit perhaps – they’re only 9 and 11 – but they’re over half way to what we typically think of as ‘grown up’. So I feel entitled to [...]
Filed under: family, musings on October 15th, 2009 | 2 Comments »
(photo: Owen’s 11th birthday. With Angus.)
Here’s the truth of the matter: I don’t know anymore.
I don’t know what. I don’t know how. I don’t know if. I don’t know when. I don’t know why.
But I used to. What changed?
My guess is that until now, I thought my challenges were kind of hard but not gruelling. [...]
Filed under: family, musings on August 20th, 2009 | 4 Comments »
(photo: summer fun at the cottage)
I have been thinking lately about my role as Owen’s primary caregiver and advocate and the process involved in making tough medical and care-related decisions. I’d always thought it was quite simple: do what I think is right given what I believe to be true at the time. ‘Right’ means [...]
Filed under: family, musings on August 15th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
(Another random photo of the boys – eastern Beaches in Toronto.)
As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve received a few messages from readers sharing their stories about their own children (presumably all with disabilities) who have died – some recently, some long ago. I was moved and honoured to receive these stories, and I [...]
Filed under: family, musings on August 4th, 2009 | No Comments »
hi everyone,
not all of you know owen had surgery yesterday for removal of the intrathecal baclofen pump; in case news traveled (and also of course to update you), the surgery went well and owen is doing fine. it was good timing to remove it – there was a large amount of spinal fluid accumulating around [...]
Filed under: baclofen pump issues, family, medical on February 10th, 2009 | No Comments »
(My poor little blog. Best water it before it curls up and dies altogether.)
A happy post for a change: Owen was at summer camp for the past two weeks at a joyful little place called Adventure Valley. AV is not specifically a camp for children with disabilities; it’s a private, non-religious [...]
Filed under: family, social on July 19th, 2008 | No Comments »
Owen came home from the hospital almost 3 weeks ago, after a 5 week stay. Following are photos of his homecoming with Angus.
Filed under: family, social on May 2nd, 2008 | No Comments »