Living in Chaos: Survival

A good weekend...

The past few days have been busy, but have gone pretty well. A combination of things have been going on. David has begun his new job, Dalton is doing Special Olympics Golf, We attended an Indians baseball game in the rain, We floated down a river for 3 and a half miles, and I am weaning myself off my antidepressant.

Friday, we were to attend a baseball game with Gene's office. This was a company outing he decided to sponsor as the result of them passing a audit with flying colors. It rained! We did stay for 5 innings before it really started to pour, then went ahead and left. The experience was wet, but fun. David took his friend, David with us. I am not certain what the issue was, but my David was a bit irritable friday afternoon and especially, on the trip home. I think maybe too much activity??? Even good stress can be bad.

Saturday, David has his first day on the job. He worked almost two hours, pretty much an orientation session with his boss. He was still employed when he got off, so we figured it went well. :o)

We had planned to go on a tubing trip at Turkey Run State Park, but the weather forcast was showing severe thunderstorms over the river we planned to float on... so we delayed the trip. Unfortunately, this meant David was a bit upset over the change in plans, but in the midst of the 'whining' it was (Nice?) to hear him saying things like "I really wanted to go tubing". It is good to see motivation returning to his life. I haven't seen him motivated about much of anything in so long...

Dalton fell asleep for a nap in the early afternoon, and did one of his "Coma" sleeping jags! He slept until 8pm! there was no waking him. This kind of sleeping period generally is the warning of a mood shift onset... We have learned to "Let sleeping dogs lie..." Soooooo, it was a good thing that we did not do the float trip.

David took a short rest as well, since he was up early. I am trying to help him to see the importance of consistent sleep on his mood and well-being. From what we have seen, he does best on days when he gets a combined total of about 14 hours of sleep a day. I have learned that people with a mental illness are very sensitive to changes in sleep patterns. They need enough sleep, not too much. There seems to be a range that they need to fall within for stability, and the range is not very wide for the most part. David needs a consistent 14 hour average, daily. Dalton seems to range more withing a period of a week, 5-7 days. If Dalton sleeps less a few days, he makes up for it by sleeping most of a day, in an additional 6-10 hour "Nap". I think the difference for their response to sleep may be inherant in their diagnostic differences, but they both must get enough ZZZZZZZ's.

Sunday went wonderfully! We went to church. Donna, Dalton's volunteer shadow was back from vacation, after the past month, so Dalton was ecstatic about having her back during Sunday school. David was able to remember what his youth group spoke of. **This means he stayed awake! LOL**

We decided to risk the storms, anyway, and go tubing. We drove through lightning, rain, and thunder to get to the river! However, we were extremely lucky, and were not rained on the entire trip. It was a lot of fun. Both boys enjoyed themselves, and we took Sparky, one of our dogs. He sat on Gene's chest or mine most of the trip.

The past couple days, Mon and Tues have been busy. Dalton is doing Special Olympics Golf this week, and I'm picking up two additional kids to get them to and from. It was very hot and humid monday... downright horrid. However, Dalton had a wonderful time. They are learning skills training. Putting, chipping, and driving. Dalton really is enjoying the driving.

Yesterday, David had his first real shift at work. Monday evening he had been telling us that he was very nervous. It went wonderfully. David told me he was a cashier most of the five hours he was there, he served over 70 customers, and was only 3 cents off on his register. He also told me that he has been having an easier time remembering things he needs to, and memorizing! I have made sure to point our to him, that this is evidence that his medication is working well. This is one of the sticky points he gets into when he is not thinking clearly. So when things are good, I make an effort to remind him of obvious things that prove the efficasy of his meds. I hope that this will accumulate and prevent the liklihood of a future relapse caused by him ever deciding to go off his meds.

I took Dalton to see Spy Kids 2 after getting David to work, then we were home for lunch and off to golf. He had another great time, and got a hole in one on putting! He also did much better on the chipping, only missed the ball once.

After we dropped off the other kids and picked David up from work, we met David's supervisor. She told me that he is doing very well, and seemed very nice. I took David in for his weeky bloodwork, stopped to see Gene at work, and came home.

I think the stress of having a good day at work resulted in a pretty good level of irritability for David, last night. However he managed to keep a lid on it with redirection. Dalton was being irritable as well. He is not toiletting well, all in his pants (BM), and this is reflecting in his mood. He was "Icky" twice yestereday.

Overall, I am very grateful for my live and how my family is doing. We are busy, life is controlled chaos, but the majority of things are positive chaos, instead of negative. Life is good, and God is great. There is always a light, no matter how dim, if only we seek to find it.

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Horizon�

There is a line, far off into the distance
A separation which I strive to reach
The only site extant to reach connection
Hazy in the distance from my beach

This is the place where heaven meets the water
And skyline blends into the earth, below
Where angels mind the universe beneath them
The birthplace where his heav�nly breezes blow

Gracious, in his aspect shining radiant
Waves of purity have blazed a trail
A corridor of grace, to guide my footsteps
Where, bathing in his love,
I cannot fail

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Suffusion�

It was just yesterday when I lay back
on a bed of dreams, floating down the river
Gazing into heavens painted blue, washed in white,
and lightly marked with shades of gray
Blinding light shone brightly on my thoughts,
blazing ardor�s purifying heat banishing the night
Rapture�s breath delivered here, from paradise,
caressed leafy velvet greenery with whispers
Traveling on streams of happy tears,
I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of stillness
Serenaded by the sound of flowers birth,
I swear that I could hear the gardens grow
A feathered envoy, come to my utopia,
sang of times when bliss has conquered pain
And drifting past the shattered scars of sanity,
rejuvenating rays delivered strength
Filling up the reservoirs within my soul,
with faith, believing I can love again

another day�

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Have you ever wondered�

Where the light was born?
Where a smile begins?
What a child has dreamt?

Have you ever pondered�

Why we were created?
Why some things are hated?
Why we were given tears?

Have you ever grieved for�

Lack of understanding?
Failing to be gracious?
Loss of our compassion?

Have you any hope that�

Someday we�ll be worthy?
Somewhere we�ll find solace,
and be safe from fear?

I know�

Have you found more questions?

God knows all the answers
He is waiting, patient
For us to come to him

and he'll share
with you...

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Christmas Miracle�

She journeyed down into the room, and found a quiet space
Reclining on the carpet, with wonder on her face
She gazed into a universe where visions can come true
Illuminated by a thousand brilliant lighted jewels

Reflected in the tinsel, she glimpsed her hopes and dreams
Glowing purely clarified, wishes in the beams
Tiny toys were strewn throughout the place she lay enthralled
Choo-choo trains and shiny things, held her gaze beguiled

Candy canes were perched upon sweetly fragrant branches
And underneath the chimney, a wondrous enchantment
A family lay, there portrayed, with precious meaning true
With animals, and stables, and a baby lay there too

And gentlemen were gathered �round upon that special day
Staring at the family surrounded by the hay
Her mommy told her who they were, and how they came to be
Sitting in an honored place for all the world to see

Almost unbelievable, a joyous happy story
The reason for this holiday, a tiny baby boy
His mommy and his daddy had traveled through the night
And couldn�t find a place to stay �till someone saw their plight

For he was still inside him mom, waiting to be born
�cause God told us that he would come upon a certain morn
A dazzling star shone in the sky, lighting up the heavens
And angels came, singing songs to wish the baby welcome

Some shepherds stood out in the fields, watching o�er their sheep
And listened to the caroling, when normally they�d sleep
And when they heard the message, they knew they had to go
To see if what they heard was true, so went, with sheep in tow

Following a prophecy, there came a caravan
Trav�lers coming from afar to see the son of man
Laying in a stable, among the animals
To give him gifts of reverence, displaying them with gold

And there, within the stable, wrapped in swaddling cloths
Placed upon a manger softened with some straw
A baby lay there, radiant, shining in the night
Observed in adoration, they knew this was the �Christ�

Happy BirthdayJesus�

Posted by TwoSons at July 14, 2004 01:45 PM | TrackBack