A Woman's Work – Brooke Basically Blogging

Children with autism have difficulty sleeping. Sydney is 12 and I can count on my hands the number of times that she slept through the night. The epilepsy made it worse for us. Most of Sydney’s seizures happened at night. After a seizure she would be drenched in sweat, dazed and she would wet her pjs. By the time I cleaned her up, and changed the sheets she was wide awake!

She called the seizures “the monsters” because she could feel the onset or aura of the seizures. I think she was afraid to sleep. She would get up during the night and stay awake. When she would finally fall asleep, the alarm was going off for us to get ready for school. Sydney would wake up every two hours most nights. It saddens me because I don’t see how she can function during the day without getting a good night of sleep. In Michigan I survived on two venti Carmel Macchiato’s with extra whip cream and caramel a day. It was the grace of God that gave me the strength to drop off the kids, teach all day, pick them up and then head to therapy sessions for Syd.

One day I was functioning on three hours of sleep. I knew we needed milk but I forgot to buy it before I picked up the kids. By the time we were in the car. Syd was having a meltdown and Harrison was in a rush to get home because he had a big project to finish.

I stopped at a party store(the kind that doesn’t sell balloons). I sat in the car, numb and too exhausted to move. I’m not sure how much time elapsed. I saw a teenager walking out of one of the other stores. I rolled down my window and asked the young man to do me a favor.

First, I told him I know you are not supposed to talk to strangers but that I could really use his help. I asked him if he would take $20 and go inside and buy me a gallon of milk. I also told him he could keep the change. He looked at me with a puzzled look and asked if he was being punked. I laughed and told him no and he took the $20. Before he left I told him if he takes off with my $20 and doesn’t bring me my gallon of milk, that I would find him. This time he laughed and went inside the store.

When he came out he had my gallon of milk and my change. I told him to keep the change and he was so appreciative. I asked him what he was going to do with the money and he said buy pizza so his mom wouldn’t have to cook. That was a win win. Before I left he asked, “Can I buy you a gallon of milk next week?” 😳

Desperate times call for desperate measures. ~Hippocrates

Update:  We will see neurology soon to see if we need to adjust seizure medication.  Still believing that she will “grow” out of epilepsy! The $20 gallon of milk was bought in Michigan.