Monday, November 24, 2008

Oh no, not the Play-Doh!

Last week, my mom told me that Evan was gagging when the therapist took out the Play-Doh. I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or not, because it's been several months since I've given him any (and wasn't interested at the time).
Tonight, his other therapist was here, and all was merry until she opened the Play-Doh container. He immediately started to gag. She tried to get him to touch it, but quickly put it away when she learned that he wasn't going to stop gagging.
Funny kid. He reminded me of a boy who had Cerebral Palsy who I worked with last year in the Lifeskills class. He reacted that way to Play-Doh and shaving cream.
He ALSO reminded me of Kyle, although I don't think Play-Doh was ever an issue for him. For Kyle, the first gag item was broccoli. I was very insistent that the boys ate a variety of foods, which they do, but broccoli is one thing that I quickly gave up on with Kyle. When he was around 3, I put his lunch in front of him (which included broccoli), and within seconds, he vomited all over his plate. When he was in elementary school, they had to careful on the days that they were serving it. That one has gotten better, although he still doesn't eat it, but one food item that has stuck is pickles. Kind of ironic, because Matt loves pickles. He'll eat them on anything. Ex.: He mixes them into cottage cheese.
When Kyle is at the grocery store with me, we inevitably have to pass by the aisle with the pickles, and they start at the end of the aisle. Gagging, eyes watering, face turning red is what one will usually see. We try to make it by there quickly, but once he starts, he's never quite the same during that trip--on edge. He doesn't go to the store too often with me, but it helps if we don't go down that aisle and pass it on the opposite end.
When we get fast food, I often don't bother ordering his burgers without the pickle, I guess partly because I think it's better if he learns to "deal with it," (on gentle terms). So, when I take his burger out of bag, he knows to turn around while I take the pickle off.
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When Evan's therapist left this evening, he did his usually floppy arm wave good-bye. BUT, he also said, "bye." That was a first. When he was much younger, at least a year ago, he would sometimes say something like "buh."
Before his therapist arrived tonight, he was looking at the title of his snowman book and said, "Waszat?" while pointing to the letter 'm.' He them made the 'm' sound!

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Matty used to gag at the sight of swimming pools!! It took years before we get him in one without vomiting.

brody's mom said...

Brody is about done gagging but his biggest was sippy cups if they weren't the same as his

theotherlion said...

I had a kiddo at work vomit on me several times over shaving cream. Punkin steers clear of spiky things and pudding. No gagging, just a very adamant "NO."

Jen said...

It's interesting to hear about the other gag items...I wonder what it is about shaving cream!? Swimming pools and sippy cups seem so unique. What funny kids!

Umma said...

Commercial Playdoh used to really bother Monkey but he loved the homemade kind. Then one day he began playing with both.

Things that make Monkey gag...turtlenecks, deflated balloons and the grass inside Easter baskets though he seems to be over this one.

Umma said...

Oh, and...there is an award for you to pick up here:

http://www.basicallyfx.com/life-with-fragile-x/i-too-measure-up/

Jo said...

Hi,
Thanks for writing back to me! I didn't realize there was a daughter, too! I've been talking to my husband about another baby, but we are where you were....genetics are holding us back. We have one child without it and of course, the baby has the full mutation. He's doing so well right now, though, I would never know it. I keep waiting for the day when I start to "notice." I keep wondering what it'll be....hand flapping? Delayed in talking, walking? I am still very much grieving as it still feels so fresh. What made you decide to just go for it and have another one knowing what you know?

Jen said...

When I got pregnant with Matt, I knew Kyle was delayed, but it never crossed my mind that it could be a genetic thing.
With Evan, we went in with our eyes wide open. We had gone back and forth on the issue for several years; it was more of an issue for me than John. He's always been ok with the FX, but he didn't want to have another child unless I was ready.
I had always wanted another one, but I wanted one without the mutation, so getting pregnant when the boys were younger wasn't an option--I wasn't ready.
When they were younger, I was so concerned about what they would be like as they got older--what they would be like now. Well, it turns out, that they are simply amazing! I'm so fortunate to have them in my life. Sometimes I think about what my life would be like if I never knew what Fragile X was...wow, it just seems so empty when I do that! Through the years, I've seen a lot of "bad" things happen to people whose families looked "perfect;" there are just no guarantees about what will happen to any of us on our journey through this life. FX just doesn't seem so awful when I look at the bigger picture. So with that knowledge--the knowledge that everything turns out ok--I decided that I did want another child, and although it would have been wonderful to not pass the gene on again, I was READY to accept whatever I was given. Yes, even with that, it still hurts a little, but nowhere near what I went through with the first diagnosis.

Jo said...

WOw, that was so great to read and it really helps. Thanks for replying.