OK, I’m not even going to start this post with some flim-flam excuse about why it’s been so long since I’ve updated – since August 2019. I’ve thought about this blog about once a week since December and tried to motiviate myself to document our goings-on as I once did so faithfully, but the motivation…
Tag: school
Hurtful Words
As you can expect, Drew is quite the curiosity when meeting new kids. It’s not unusual for him to be subject to looks and questions, which is totally understandable. Young kids are naturally curious and polite questions about his arms haven’t been an issue. Drew would casually respond, “I was born this way.” But, other…
And We’re Outta Here!
We just finished up our four-month stint in Florida. We survived a 990 mile, 15-hour drive from Florida to our ol’ Kentucky home. Beginning the return to Kentucky exit plan, the physical therapy team at the Paley Institute made a series of videos to share with therapists here in order to continue Drew’s rehabilitation. Of…
Just a Little Venting
You know, I’ve been through a lot in my life: the death of my first-born son, multiple pregnancy losses, learning to cope with challenges and limitations of a chromosomal defect that caused the aforementioned issues and some other experiences in my past that I never talk about. Everybody has their battles and their own coping…
Another Surgery in Florida Part 2
In summary from Part 1: Drew misses his friends and school miserably. We drove 1063 miles and 17 hours from Kentucky to Florida. It sucked, but didn’t go as bad as I had thought it was going to go. We love our new condo and had a day of fun before the real business began….
Another Surgery in Florida Part I
Man, I did not mean to withhold all of the details of our journey so long that I would have one long post about the various phases of our adventure so far. But, to say that this has been completely and utterly exhausting is a gross understatement. I went an entire three days without taking…
Well, it happened. Drew spoke of his limb difference. I was rolling his sleeves up on a new shirt and Drew casually said, “I wish I was like other kids.” “How so?” I responded, always carefully avoiding implanting the idea of his differences. I was hoping that he was speaking of his legs, for which…
The Struggle With Braces
Well, the braces with the new knee joints were all great while they were shiny and new, but we quickly realized that our struggles have yet to be completely relieved. It started with a mysterious rare pop that came from his knee joints sparking anxiety in us all fearing that the joint would collapse causing…
Drew’s Biggest Year Ever
We’ve been fortunate enough to have a Medicaid card for Drew’s disabilities to help offset the cost of Drew’s significant medical expenses. Though this service doesn’t cost us dollars and cents, it does cost a lot of effort and labor. I have been tasked with documenting every interaction with a medical professional between July 2011…
Problems at Night
Days with Drew are great and fun, general 6-year-old annoyances and tempers aside. But, nights? Drew has spent the last several nights thrashing in restless sleep, screaming in incoherent and inconsolable outbursts. Because of his history, we are always inclined to believe he’s in pain. But sometimes during the outbursts causing him to hyperventilate and sometimes…
He’s a Star!
On the night of March 10, Drew and the preschool classes hosted a performance in which all classes sang songs for an audience. It was Drew’s first on stage performance and the Acadamy Award Winner for Cutest Actor goes to……Drew Gatten! Click the image to see the full length video. Click the image to see…
Bragging Rights
Whew….I’ve had a hard week, and what better time to have a hard week than when Nathan is home to pick up my slack as I try to regain my composure after a stressful week thus the lack of activity on this blog. Apologies aside, I have many updates. Foremost on my mind is a…
drewunarmed 