There are some moms in this section that I so admire with how they cope with their child's needs. They seem so upbeat, and I know they must be exhausted. There are more, but to mind immediately come Momof4girls, jrose4 and Artie. Tacoma is like Superwoman because she has so much going on, yet she still does so much, and a lot of it is manual labor! I know you do what you have to, but would each of you please share with us HOW you do it all and keep your sanity? I don't think I have any sanity left myself, but I will share, although I don't think I belong in their league at all.

DH comes home from work and takes the kids out for a walk in the neighborhood. My toddler is a whirlwind and I MUST have some downtime. I also nap w/my toddler - she, my son and I cuddle up in bed before naptime for a couple of stories - he's not a napper, so he then leaves to play or build his Bionicles. I signed up for a monthly massage - it is so needed, wish I could afford for it to be weekly! I also read as I nurse little diva to sleep. However, I simply need more one on one time for my son. This summer we are working hard on his reading. He went from a level 2 at the beginning of first grade, to a level 14. He needs to ideally be at a level 16 by August.

It's important to me that I keep educating myself about my son's conditions. I am now meeting others dealing with Aspies and that is a huge plus - I've felt so alone before! I encourage each of you to do so, even if it's only via email at first.

Share: how do you keep your sanity and energy up?

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The Really Needy, Special, Networking and Talking Mod

HUMOR......helps me survive. I try to find the funny side of things, because laughter is the best stress reliever. My dd has some mild issues compaired to some other Mommysaver's children on here but there are still days i am ready to rip my hair out. I'm in awe of some of these moms and what they deal with on a daily basis.

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"Go on, get outside, get the stink blown off ya!!"

I laugh alot, so much so that the help desk that I called in Colorado Springs for my job called me "Giggly Mary". Mind you I live in North Dakota and have never met any of these women. Unfortunately the call center was closed earlier this year.

I use to work on the same floor as several wonderful supportive women who helped me through some of my worse times with my oldest DD. I had them as my support system for 5 yrs, unfortunately Dec '06 the gentleman I worked for retired and I had to change positions and locations with the company I work for. So I've lost most of the support system I had. I have stayed in very close touch with one of the gals but unfortunately come the end of June she will be moving to Montana with her husband and kids.

I also had a great case manager of the pilot program my family was participating with through our insurance company. We made such huge strides with all my DDs with this program. We started it in Oct '05 and it was such a blessing. We were able to do so many unconventional things (like a mother's helper, OT, weighted blankets, camps and acting programs) that the insurance company paid for. Unfortunately that program was discontinued March 1, 07. The insurance company said that it wasn't feasible because not enough families participated in it. Our case manager helped us get into case management through insurance but we lost the flexibility that we had with the pilot program. We are now in the process trying to get wraparound services through the state but I'm not sure if we will qualify.

I believe that God brought all those people into my life when I was at my absolute lowest I've ever been. They helped me through some very tough times. Slowly I am loosing my safety/support net. Hopefully I will be strong enough to stand on my own two feet. I also try very hard to remember that there are families in the world that are so much worse off then I am.

Besides I've been dealing with "issues" since I was 16. I had my oldest DD then and was pretty much told to fend for myself. I didn't know of anything but a quirky baby. So I learned to be very observant of how to help my children cope with the world. It's only been since Dec '05 that I have been able to put a name to my DDs' quirkiness. My youngest was diagnosed with SID when she was 7 months old. She was no different then any of my other children, I just finally found someone who would listen to my concerns and could tell me what was wrong. Since then things have snowballed and knowing helps me cope better. The unknown is what scares me. I've dealt with my oldest DD for 16 years now coping and being strong is the only thing I know how to do. Not being strong on the outside is something I don't do anymore. It's just not an option. My DDs have noone but me to be there support.

I TALK. Even if I feel just a little overwhelmed, I call someone. We moved here about a year ago, and I still haven't met any new people (I have some serious trust issues from what happened, and I was very shy even before that.) So I just call up friends/or family, just to hash out the details, and for reassuance Luki is doing fine. This forum helps so much too, sometimes it seems like I'm the only one around with a child that needs special help. Its comforting to know there are more mothers besides me!

My DH is a life saver too, he has unlimited patience dealing with Luke's challenges. When I just can't take it anymore, I know he will come home and save me!:love: :love: :love:

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The best things in life aren't things.

r u sure there is really any moment of sanity.. ??? hmm.. well.. for me i work on fri/sat night and then i do not have to put anyone to bed, make lunch, dinner, or breakfast. i get to sleep all day.. get up and have adult conversation at work.. even if it is counting.."one- 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10- let it out and big deep breath and PUSH! yep,., escape is my sanity.. but i will take a massage any day!

I was going to say "Miller Lite".

Prayer, mostly.

Celebrate the few positives in such big ways that the negatives won't be able to stay around long.

Support, support, support! I am a member of several online groups. If I have a question or a vent about a certain aspect of Tommy's care, I get on the message board and let 'er rip. My computer stays on all the time, so I can stay in touch all day in case someone needs me as well.

I also had cable TV installed in the boy's room with a v-chip. Then I can send them to their room so I can have some peace and quiet. We also have a pretty solid routine with Tommy. We find routine VERY important around here! Everyone knows what is supposed to happen, and when.

Also, once a month, DH, Matthew and Brandon spend the weekend away from home with friends to give me a break.

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There are more than 40 different types of congenital heart defects. Little is known about the cause of most of them. There is no known prevention or cure for any of them.
My Blog:Musings of a Heart Family

Sanity.....me? I try and always remember how blessed I am and how blessed Lily is because no matter how bad it may seem it could always be worse.
I admire a lot of you women who are dealing with so much you really inspire me!