A Blog About a Bloke-Living with WHS

What if? I mean, what if there was no seizure activity. What if there was speech. What if Ryley could do all the same things as other kids? Sometimes I wonder how Braeden became such a helpful beautiful little person. How does he know when Ryley wants his drink? How did he learn to push the chair over to the bench so he can reach all the things he isn't allowed to have? Today, I had a fairly emotional visit with a family and almost straight after I presented a session about Chronic Sorrow and Family Centred Practice. So I talked about grieving and readjustment and how all families have different ways of coping... And then I thought to myself: When did I first realise that Ryley was never going to be "normal"? It seems like an eternity ago. And I actually can't remember. I wonder if these means that I am so well adjusted that I have come way too far to even think about it. Or, does it mean that somewhere along the way I have blocked all of that out of my mind? Probabl...

Lately I find myself using this term a lot when talking to clients. ( For those that don't know, I am a social worker and work with children and families who have a child with a disability/developmental concern ). Chronic sorrow is often described as a natural and normal grief reaction that changes throughout the course of your life. Parents who have a child with a disability, whether they realise it or not, all could be described as having chronic sorrow. Big call to make? When you first realise something is wrong with your child and then subsequently get a diagnosis, it is assumed that you go through a normal process of grieving and then you are ok. Acceptance is reached and you are expected to function the same as everyone else. I mean, you just have to 'get over' your dreams and get stuck into therapy because otherwise you aren't coping, you are depressed and you are failing your child even more? Right? As if the thought of going through a normal grieving process wa...