starting from scratch....

You all know (and love) our special little boy Roo... He is UNIQUE! We have been dealing with doctors for the past few years trying to get a solid diagnosis so that we can help him be more successful in school and in life- if you don't know what the problem is, how can you find the solution right?  Roo has had undergone a slew of tests since he was 5 years old. He's gone from doctor to doctor each agreeing on certain aspects of what the bigger issue with him is, some of them disagreeing and proposing different theories... However today- today we saw a real doctor.  A doctor who REALLY listened- who really observed- who asked tons of questions and cared about our answers- who actually conversated with Roo and spent time with him. A doctor who thoroughly went over every single piece of his medical history and listened to our concerns.

I've been dreading/anticipating this appointment for the past several days- I literally did not sleep last night- I laid in bed staring at the ceiling going through different scenarios of what the next morning would be like.  Wondering how the appointment would go, wondering how this doctor would be any different than all the others- and praying- praying out loud to God that He would have His hand in every second of the appointment and that He would direct this doctor to the proper outcome in regards to Roo and his diagnosis... And HE did.

A handful of doctors and counselors have been testing Roo for autism- we were all so sure that he was more specifically in the category of Aspergers- as any parent of a child with special needs, you know that you don't just go to a doctor or two and "tada" you have the answer.  This whole thing has been a process- a LONG, exhausting, emotional process.

So today- walking into that doctor's office, my hope didn't lie in the hands of that doctor, my hope was in Jesus. I just wanted to find out what makes my sweet little boy so special.

Today we learned that Roo suffers from a severe anxiety disorder, and a mild form of Tourette syndrome.  We were already aware of his OCD, and ADHD but these new diagnosis were quite a shock.

Roo has "tics", but I always thought that was a part of his OCD & the aspergers- those things can sometimes go hand in hand...

Anxiety? Really? of all the things, Anxiety?  So as this brilliant doctor is explaining these things to Thomas and I, I have an overwhelming sense of peace- and I just wanted to burst into tears all at the same time.

Do you have any idea how much time, effort and energy i've spent researching autism? The countless hours i've spent on the phone with school boards, and superintendents, and guidance counselors- the back to back IEP meetings... and now- we start from scratch.... *sigh*

This entire time we could have been learning strategies to help Roo with what the real issue is...

I'm frustrated, and excited, and relieved all at once.

Thank you to every single one of you have loved Roo despite his differences- who have invested time with him, who have cultivated relationships with my little guy, and especially to those of you have consistently lifted him up in prayer-

I'm so thankful to serve a God who is faithful and sovereign and who loves Roo even more than I do- which is something i cannot even begin to comprehend.  I cried out to Jesus and He heard me and we are on our way to getting the right kind of help for my baby boy.