Poor Sammy

Sammy has poison ivy. He found a cool looking vine, ripped it off the wall, and wrapped himself in it. He looked like something from Lord of the Flies. My darling husband noticed it first and was very shocked. You see we were at the farmer's market across from our house and Sam was "playing" with the neighborhood girls. They keep a close eye on him and they are always sure to let me know when he gets out of line. I want his childhood to be as normal as I can make it. I don't ever want autism to be an excuse for him to not do something he is capable of. Because, he is so capable.

So we washed Sammy down hoping that he would not be sensitive to poison ivy. My oldest son can play with it and never get a bubble.

Sam was not so lucky. It is everywhere.He is very uncomfortable and there isn't much we can do. We gave him steroids a few years back for croup and he was almost hospitalized for a severe reaction. We can't give him Benadryl because he has a paradoxyl reaction and becomes jittery and hyper. We settled on a liquid Claritin and it seems to be helping, just not enough. he has woken every night this week in tears because he is so uncomfortable.
It is everywhere and his body is reacting to it and causing hives on top of it.

But, he has learned never to touch poison ivy again. He can now identify it and he is aware of it.

Sometimes lessons can be painful and hard to overcome.

It had me comparing this to a lot of different things in my life. Change is hard and sometimes the result can be brutal. We learn one way or another and it isn't always the easy way.
I am grateful to have my faith to turn to when things don't make sense. It's the "liquid Claritin" my body needs and while it may not always take away the entire sting of the heartbreak (because I am still human after all) it helps to give me rest.

So while there are a few things weighing on me right now I know that this too shall pass. Until then I'll take my medicine and stay close to my Faith.