The Surprise Turn

Your child is out of the hospital, hopefully has a diagnosis and now is ready to go back to school.  Now what? Depending on your child's needs, you can talk to your child's school about different levels of support.  My daughter had a seizure, so the first thing the school needed was a seizure action plan.  This is a plan the doctor created with directions on what to do if she had another seizure.  I needed to provide the school with the seizure action plan (signed by her doctor) and a medical form (also signed by her doctor) for her prescription rescue medication before she could go back to school.  A similar protocol is often used for children diagnosed with diabetes.  Schools may require a diabetes action plan that is signed by the doctor and includes information on how to manage the child's diabetic needs.   If your child is doing well in school and able to do things like he or she did before?  That is awesome.  Do a little happy...

My daughter needed her first MRI when she was in 5th grade.  As we struggled to find the correct diagnosis for her and as her symptoms evolved, she needed several more MRIs.  She has actually done so many that I have lost count. At one point, she made an MRI machine for her Barbie.  I guess even Barbie needs an MRI every now and then! Through those MRIs, I've learned a couple things about what to expect and how to make the process less stressful. 1. My daughter did MRIs at 3 different hospitals.  In all but one, I was allowed to go in the room and sit with her the entire time.  It is okay to ask if you can stay with your child.  The hospital might say no, but maybe they will say yes. 2. For one of her MRIs, she had to be sedated.  For that one, I was not allowed to be in the room with her. 3. Bring a CD with your child's favorite music.  The hospital will often have music available, but if your child has a favorite, bring that al...