Cherished Memories

       When dealing with a person with MI, specially with a child, there are so many things that need to be considered in even some of the simplest decisions. You need to look at how stimulating an activity could be to the child as well as a talk out solutions that may arise. In addition to this you need to also look at the child's physical ability to do an activity.
       Some of the medications that people with MI take can impede their ability to do some things or add issues that need to be considered. My DD #2 is on a medication that can make it easier for her to become dehydrated. With this issue we have to think about how accessible bathrooms would be during outings. How long an outing will be as well as the weather conditions. Obviously one days that the temperature is going to be hot, she would need to ingest more water then she normally did.
       Another thing that one would need to keep in mind is the energy level it will take for certain activities. Like many medications, psychological medications can cause drowsiness in the first several weeks as the body gets used to it. These symptoms may decrease as time goes on and the body adjusts but there are some that do not diminish and you have to rethink the activities you wish to participate in. There are several end of the year activities that my DD #2 has to sit out on due to several issues that do not include her behavior but rather due to the side effects of her medication.
       This can impact a child more then we may think. Knowing that her friends will be out having fun while she has to stay behind. One end of the year activity brought up some concerns, by her teachers, that she may have some difficulty in participating. I met with a school official to find out exactly what the concerns were and faced them head on. My DD #2 and I, with the help of one of her workers, talked out all the possible things that could go wrong and what she can do in all those circumstances.
       With accommodations in place, my DD #2 was able to participate in at least one of the end of the year activities which she was looking forward to so much. I didn't have the heart to tell her she couldn't go but with help we did find a solution for her. With supports in place, she was able to have some treasured memories with her friends that she will hold onto. Granted she will not be able to have some memories that her friends have in regards to  different things, she will have some special ones.