Over this past weekend, I noticed Ayden Jane having some 'sensory needs'. This language seems normal to me now but may sound strange if you haven't lived a life of occupational therapy. Basically, from the time Ayden Jane was little and we started things like B12 and carnitine and fed her brain with good fats her little neurological system has been growing. That growth is often not smooth however, and needs a little help to sort of sink in and/or organize all the information it is getting.
This sort of thing can show up the form of anxiety, emotional instability, rough housing, itching, complaining of clothes not being comfortable, not wanting to wear shoes, things being too loud or too bright, using entirely too many words to say something simple ... When Ayden Jane was really little we did a brushing protocol and joint compressions. I remember the first time Mrs Jen did joint compressions and Ayden Jane relaxed and was quickly peaceful. She explained it then as sort of helping the messages coming in connect to the brain and become filed correctly. Like there can be a sort of back up of input that can't figure out where to go and instead makes her feel overwhelmed and disorganized. The system of nerves just not moving information effectively and causing a traffic jam.
Pitolisant has caused some of these old familiar things to resurface. I think it is a good thing, as it shows there is a lot of neurology firing these days, but it does feel uncomfortable at times for Ayden Jane. This past weekend we dealt with it by sending her with a friend to Savannah's playground, taking a long walk, bouncing on the trampoline .... That was all Saturday. Sunday we hit the ocean. Nothing seems to calm her internal storm like being pounded by the waves.
Monday, when Ayden Jane woke up she was calm, and focused and happy. She had her reading MAP test and knocked it out of the park. By Monday night, however, the storm was again brewing. I think it was fed by the excitement of how well she did, the desire to repeat the success on Tuesday with part 2 and a huge field trip the following day. So much to be excited about. So much to process.
Tuesday morning came and there were a couple of shirt changes and a small pile left behind of shirts that were no longer acceptable. Shoes had to be put on a couple times because they 'weren't right'. She got upset over something little that typically would not be a concern.The palm scratching, using so many words to tell me things I did not even need to know.
She had part 2 of her standardized testing but before it even began she went to her "problem solver" at school because there was no way she could stay in her current shirt for MAP testing and needed to call home. My awesome friend who teaches there proceeded to take her to the school store and find her a new, nice, large, soft t-shirt which was acceptable. Whew. She did not do poorly on her testing but did not blow it away like yesterday. Well, other than it took her half the time it took her last time!
Anyway, tonight she bounced on the trampoline, wrestled with Gary and is heading off to the High School soccer game to play with the pack of younger siblings. Wishing her teacher luck on their trip to the Charleston Aquarium and touring downtown tomorrow! They will be gone 10 hours! Anyway, there is definitely an awakening that is to some extent uncomfortable.
This sort of thing can show up the form of anxiety, emotional instability, rough housing, itching, complaining of clothes not being comfortable, not wanting to wear shoes, things being too loud or too bright, using entirely too many words to say something simple ... When Ayden Jane was really little we did a brushing protocol and joint compressions. I remember the first time Mrs Jen did joint compressions and Ayden Jane relaxed and was quickly peaceful. She explained it then as sort of helping the messages coming in connect to the brain and become filed correctly. Like there can be a sort of back up of input that can't figure out where to go and instead makes her feel overwhelmed and disorganized. The system of nerves just not moving information effectively and causing a traffic jam.
Pitolisant has caused some of these old familiar things to resurface. I think it is a good thing, as it shows there is a lot of neurology firing these days, but it does feel uncomfortable at times for Ayden Jane. This past weekend we dealt with it by sending her with a friend to Savannah's playground, taking a long walk, bouncing on the trampoline .... That was all Saturday. Sunday we hit the ocean. Nothing seems to calm her internal storm like being pounded by the waves.
Monday, when Ayden Jane woke up she was calm, and focused and happy. She had her reading MAP test and knocked it out of the park. By Monday night, however, the storm was again brewing. I think it was fed by the excitement of how well she did, the desire to repeat the success on Tuesday with part 2 and a huge field trip the following day. So much to be excited about. So much to process.
Tuesday morning came and there were a couple of shirt changes and a small pile left behind of shirts that were no longer acceptable. Shoes had to be put on a couple times because they 'weren't right'. She got upset over something little that typically would not be a concern.The palm scratching, using so many words to tell me things I did not even need to know.
She had part 2 of her standardized testing but before it even began she went to her "problem solver" at school because there was no way she could stay in her current shirt for MAP testing and needed to call home. My awesome friend who teaches there proceeded to take her to the school store and find her a new, nice, large, soft t-shirt which was acceptable. Whew. She did not do poorly on her testing but did not blow it away like yesterday. Well, other than it took her half the time it took her last time!
Anyway, tonight she bounced on the trampoline, wrestled with Gary and is heading off to the High School soccer game to play with the pack of younger siblings. Wishing her teacher luck on their trip to the Charleston Aquarium and touring downtown tomorrow! They will be gone 10 hours! Anyway, there is definitely an awakening that is to some extent uncomfortable.
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