How Do You Answer a Question Like This?
Not long ago Lisa Copen, founder of Rest Ministries, asked me to take a shot at answering this question sent by a struggling mom.
Heart-Wrenching Question
I am a mom of a 2-year-old who was just diagnosed with autism. I also have had fibromyalgia for 5 years. I don’t know how I am going to get through this.
I had assumed that, with my husband’s help, I could be a pretty good mom despite my illness. But now with all of the extra attention he is going to need, as well as therapy, doctor’s appointments, and even the possibility of needing a caregiver the rest of his life, I feel completely overwhelmed and even a bit betrayed by the Lord. Where do I start to work my way through these emotions?
No Expert on Autism
My heart ached for this family. I felt ill-equipped to answer the question, since I’m not an expert on autism or fibromylagia. Besides, caring for our son when his health issues were at their worst was hard enough as a healthy mom. What words did I have for a chronically ill mom? Still, I devoted a great deal of thought and prayer to the question and answered it to the best of my ability. You can find the answer at Lisa’s website.
If you have advice for this mom and other parents in similar situations, please chime in! This mom would love to hear your ideas.
I have had fibromyalgia for the last 14 years. I wasn’t diagnosed for the first 6 years so just muddled through the pain and fatigue as best I could. My son was 13 when I first became sick and he is FAS, Autistic, ADHD, OCD and nonverbal. He was our first foster child, coming at 4 months, and I would not have missed the blessings he brought us. But it has always been a challenge as he developed some explosive behavior symptoms in his teens. I contacted my social worker and checked out every program he was qualified for so I could take advantage of all the respite I could get. God brought us the most wonderful girl who really cared about Peter. She took him after school to the park so I could work on dinner. She even became a licensed foster parent so she could do his weekend respites, take him to summer camps and to youth group at our church where she accepted the Lord. God is good.
Peter is now in a group home where he is very happy. They have given him the structure and consistance that we could not in our home with 3 and 4 other foster boys.
I did find a good Rheumatologist who prescribed some drugs to help with pain and depression. Also some water exercise. Research all you can about fibromyalgia and if your first doctor doesn’t help, find another one. It makes all the difference in functioning and enjoying your family.
Thanks Cindy. You have a wealth of experience and information that is so valuable. I’ll pass it along. Anybody else?