GoTeamKate
  • GoTeamKate
  • MomBeast (Couch to Crossfit)
  • Entertainment/Shopping
  • Contact Us
  • Writing Services
  • Basic Bitch Baking
  • Photos by Kate
  • Photo Gallery
  • Diary of a Dad
  • The Diagnosis
  • Shanell's Portfolio
  • Shop
  • Help and Advice

I talk about Autism, a lot

It's Not Just a Flu Shot For Some of Us

10/26/2017

1 Comment

 
Picture
When the phone rang, it seemed as innocuous as any mid-day call from my husband. He calls rather than texts on occasion, mostly to annoy me. Today though, today he had placed our seven-year old Kate on the line. Kate’s autism makes communication tricky, at times, but when she is upset, as she was this day, it takes all of her hard-earned communication skills and garbles them with-in an unrelenting brain. She sobbed on the phone and I knew immediately what was up.

She had been scheduled for a flu shot along with her sister. My mother-in-law and my husband had decided to take the girls to the doctor, knowing full well, it would take at least two adults and a brave nurse to administer the shot to Miss Kate. Of course, it was not her first. We are a family that is grateful for the invention of vaccines and we will always protect our children using them.

Her sister, the perpetual ‘good girl’, likely sat for her turn without a word. Grace, would have been more worried about causing trouble for the nurse than the shot itself. She probably thanked the nurse and went to sit patiently for her sister to be vaccinated.

Even Grace, having done this with her sister many times before, would have been prepared for an extremely dramatic show. She knows Kate will not settle and accept any kind of needle. There are not enough toys in the world to convince Kate that something that ‘hurts’ is a good thing. Her brain doesn’t work that way. Her brain simply cannot conceive of any reason why someone, especially her mom and dad might want to hurt her.

This is particularly crushing. She can’t understand. She can’t be reasoned with. She can’t be bribed. Her autism presents as a cruel barrier to her understanding that we do this out of love for her, to protect her. Instead she feels scared, trapped, hurt and lashes out.

To say it blows, is an understatement.

I don’t want my little girl to think I want to hurt her.

Kate proved too strong that day, and after multiple attempts, many tears and a mountain of frustraton the nurse decided not to administer that shot.  We’ll be trying again soon. 
Sometimes, this shit is hard.

1 Comment
    Click Here to support my Patreon
    Happy Mail to:
    GoTeamKate

    27 Wellington Row
    Saint John, NB
    E2L 4S1
    I've been a tad overwhelmed with teaching Kindergarten during a pandemic (masks and all) butttttttt, I have not forgotten my sweet patr https://www.patreon.com/sunnyandsinclair
    https://www.patreon.com/sunnyandsinclair
    Click to Browse ETsy Shop
    Patreon
    Email Me

    Archives

    April 2022
    October 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    October 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012

    Author

    Grace and Kate's mom. (Shanell)

    RSS Feed

Contacts for Team Kate
Shanell Mouland
Alex Mouland

Blogs We Like
Rockstar Ronan


Links We Like
National Autism Centre
  The Greenspan Floortime Approach
  • GoTeamKate
  • MomBeast (Couch to Crossfit)
  • Entertainment/Shopping
  • Contact Us
  • Writing Services
  • Basic Bitch Baking
  • Photos by Kate
  • Photo Gallery
  • Diary of a Dad
  • The Diagnosis
  • Shanell's Portfolio
  • Shop
  • Help and Advice