Shriners: Part II

I blogged awhile ago about Egypt getting into Shriners for her arthritis. There was this whole application process and when we were approved, we went up to meet with the doctor to determine if she could be helped by their services. It was determined that yes, she would. I thought I would continue with them, but after trying to get ahold of the case manager to make another appointment, I felt weird because they saw that I went back to our original doctor. We had already made a follow-up appointment before the Shriners appointment, so I just kept it. The case manager says, "Well, are you using his services or ours? There should be only one doctor handling this." So I felt weird. I should be able to go to any doctor I want, so I stopped going there.

After finding out Holland's orthotics were going to cost us $500, I decided to give Shriners another chance. I applied for care for his spina bifida and hopefully they will determine that all his leg problems, etc are caused by that. Otherwise we can't get help from them. We got an approval letter in the mail and have an appointment in August. Now I have to call all the doctor's we've seen over the years and have them send copies of all the x-rays, CAT scans, surgeries he's had.

Whiplash

I'm inventing a new medical term and calling it "Emotional Whiplash". Holland will swear up and down that he will do such-and-such and then when we get there, he refuses, cries and panics. This has happened several times the past few weeks and it's driving me crazy. This week I've been taking Romania and Egypt to a VBS at a church near our house. Holland went last year, but I ended up sitting in the classroom the entire time because he didn't want me to leave. This is his last year participating and I thought for sure he'd want to do it.

Monday: he promises he'll go, looks excited, we get there and he gets this panicked look on his face "I don't want to stay, I'm homesick". Fine. We leave.

Tuesday: he promises he'll go, looks excited, we get there and he gets this panicked look on his face. Are you sure? Yes, I don't feel good (always his way out of something he doesn't like or can't accomplish)

Wednesday morning at 7.10 am. He comes into my room and says he wants to invite the neighbor boy. I said it's too late to invite him. No, no, He assures me. I asked him yesterday and he wants to go. I said - "but you won't want to stay. We'll get there and then you'll change your mind." "No, I promise. If Stephen goes, I'll want to stay." Me to myself 'yeah, right'. He and Romania wait outside on the porch swing for 30 minutes waiting for the neighbor boy to walk over and we could leave. He seems excited. He even grabbed two bananas and a gluten free bar so he'd have a snack. We get to the church. "I don't want to go in." I said you have to. You invited a friend. I walk away and take Egypt to her group. I go sit in my car and wait. And five minutes later, Romania comes out with a teacher and says "Holland doesn't want to stay." There's the whiplash. It's all day long. It makes for an exhausting day because I never know what I'll be able to do.