Navigating Life's Detours
Finding the right path for a teen with special needs
Mornings with J.P.
Things are busy in the Cousins’ household in the morning.
If J.P. had a good night, he usually will sleep until well after the sun comes up, but upon awakening, things get a bit hectic.
We still keep a log of his diapers just in case there are questions from his pediatrician or endocrinologist, and there’s plenty of pharmaceutical duties to accomplish.
J.P. has six morning medications, and several of them come in tablet form and must be crushed and mixed with water before they can be given through his g-tube. His feeding tube must also be cleaned, and he gets a new pump set every day for his feeding pump.
Add to that the normal duties for any typical child, like washing his face, brushing his teeth, getting dressed, etc., and you have a busy day off the bat.
His morning seizure medicines usually result in a nap, so that means Paige and I have time to get ourselves ready before the daily appointments begin.
J.P. receives homebound instruction through our public school, so his teacher comes to the house for one-on-one instruction. That happens three days a week, and he also has physical and occupational therapy twice a week. He has speech therapy three times a week.
If you add a doctor’s appointment or two, you’re talking a full-time job. That’s why we say Paige is J.P.’s executive assistant.
The work can seem daunting at times, but J.P. is almost always in a good mood. He enjoys time with us and is usually really happy when you check on him in the morning. I don’t think he realizes we still have a baby monitor on in our room. He likes to give us that look that says, “How did you know I was awake?”
We’re so thankful he’s a happy boy and shows us love in many creative ways.
Even on those mornings when he’s awake much earlier than I would like, his smiles can instantly change a weary feeling to a thankful one.
I’m sure things will get even more interesting when we walk into what will soon be not only J.P.’s room but his four-legged-buddy’s room, as well.
The packing process is in high gear, and after a brief break for the Kentucky Derby this afternoon, the focus will move fully to getting out the door for two weeks of training.
We’ll be posting plenty of stuff here as the process moves forward.
2 Comments on “Mornings with J.P.”
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I knew you guys were busy, but wow. That is quite a regimen. You really are amazing people.
yeah… really busy schedule! Nice job mom and dad!