Back to Routine

Thank Goodness school has started and was only postponed by one day due to the influences of Irene. We were very lucky and we are extremely thankful for that. We didn't lose power, and all the old trees in our yard remained upright and rooted! I cannot give thanks enough for the blessings and the devastation we were spared that so many others faced.

So, school started for Miss Molly on Thursday 9/1. Her very first day of the first grade. We received a call at dinner time on Wednesday night from the principal letting us know many things had shifted over the past few weeks. We learned that Molly's beloved para, who had been moved to another school due to union/political bologna, would be returned to my daughter's side. We were thrilled. As Molly's parents, it takes every ounce of trust and faith we have to drop her off at school each day. It is hard enough to pick up on some of the subtleties of Molly's seizures and issues when you are one-on-one, never mind when you are in a class of 27 children. We thought we faced the year with nobody who knew our daughter and the complex make-up of her myriad of issues. Then we found out our para, who does know Molly and does understand that everything is not black and white - had been returned to her side. That prayer was answered in such a direct manner, it truly must be the perfect match to help Molly's education!

Molly seems to love school. She is smiling as we walk in the morning. She proudly holds her brand new "Hello Kitty" lunch box and stands in line to enter the building. She is doing everything right and we couldn't be prouder. The first day went well, she was definitely tired - but it's a long day and all the kids looked wiped out! The second day went pretty well too, from what I can gather. I often feel like I'm peering through a foggy window trying to make sense of the day's events. The usual answer is "I liked snack and lunch" or "we had gym".

Yesterday, when Molly came home - something was off. She was very zoney and quite "out of it". It was hard to tell at first if she was just tired or if something was coming. She sat down to do her homework and her whole body seemed to freeze at the bottom of the "M" in her name. She had a blank look on her face and was just not there - a seizure. It was over pretty quickly and then happened only once more. However, from that moment on for the next hour - her complexion was very pale, almost grey and her lips were so blanched they looked gray too. Her hands and her feet were as cold as ice but her body temperature was 99. She was talking and playing Wii but was unfocused and her eyes kept zoning out. Needless to say we were on edge. After about an hour, her color seemed to return a little and her hands and feet were now just clammy. These episodes freak me out, because we don't know what they are. I've learned not to scoop her up to the doctor because it usually ends before we can get there. She made it through the rest of the night and slept for about 10 hours - but she's still looking wiped out today.

I did find out that school was very overstimulating (at least to Molly) yesterday. A full, loud lunch room; 120 kids on the playground; art class and then gym class with 50 kids; and a whole bunch of new things to look at. I wonder if her brain just couldn't process it all? And then I wonder what I should do next. Her epilepsy doctor returns on the 7th and I think that is where I will start.

As scary as some of these things are, she's here today - playing dress-up with Kennedy and planning a family dinner that includes Unkl Tubz. She gave me a hug and a smile - and I'll take that for sure! I have to remember that this is a new routine. Once we get into it - I'm hoping things will calm down and be smoother - or, perhaps, we're just starting a new chapter in Molly's life. Time will tell!

It's hard to believe she's already in first grade, let alone that she'll be 6 years old in just a few months.