Tales From an Exhausted Medical Mama

IEP & 504 Accommodations: “We don’t do that here” and other statements you should never hear. What exactly does an accommodation for a student with a disability mean? The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) uses the terms “reasonable” and “appropriate” when referring to accommodations, but it does not provide a clear definition of what an accommodation entails. If you search on Google, you'll find over 29 million results related to the definition of an accommodation under IDEA. According to The Iris Center (2010), “More than ever, school personnel are responsible for providing high-quality instruction to all students. Together, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) have increased the expectation that students with disabilities will participate in the general education classroom as well as in state and district testing to the greatest extent possible. Unfortunately, students with disabilities o...

In a parent group I am in, several weeks ago someone asked for suggestions on how to save money with our current economy and this list was “born”. Having had to learn to live on one income when the kiddo was born, I became pretty frugal.  These are only suggestions and I understand that they may or may not work for some. I am simply putting this out here for each person to potentially look into for themselves and see if they may be able to save themselves or their family some money. Disclaimer: No guarantee of this information staying the same in the future, but as of today, 01/21/2024, I am 99% sure that it is. I do not benefit in any way nor am I associated with any companies mentioned here. This list is not all inclusive.     Create a Budget Having a budget will show you what you have available and what is left over each month after paying your necessities. If something is paid semi-annually or annually, record the amount to set aside monthly. i.e. car insurance e...

Boy, have I had to increase my emotional resiliency over the years. Do you ever feel that once you get over one dreadful thing, it only makes room for another......or two more? I have had to learn that it is ok to feel emotions, to sometimes be emotional and to not pretend that everything is alright, all of the time. I cry a lot….and I am medicated! 💊🤣 Emotional resilience is not about avoiding your feelings and always having a positive outlook. It's about experiencing those emotions and deciding to keep going. There is ALWAYS SOMETHING HAPPENING in my life. A-L-W-A-Y-S . I mean, I couldn't make up half of this stuff. Whatever it is, I can almost guarantee that it will: 1) cost money 2) take up a lot of time before it is resolved 3) significantly stress me out To be frank, it sucks and as I get older, it becomes harder for me to focus on the good. It’s like being on the beach, trying to enjoy the peacefulness and sound of the waves….while a puppy constantly nips at your...

I happen upon good documentaries (and even bad ones). I watch a plethora of topics from entertainment to education. I have kept an ongoing list in a note on my phone. Although in disarray and not separated into categories, I only had to copy/paste most of this.  I sent part of this list to a friend recently. After someone posted on Facebook asking for recommendations of documentaries, I ended up sending it to her and a couple more. I decided it would be easier to post so I can better keep up too. It really does call for a spreadsheet, but oh well.  When you see BOATS, it means Based On A True Story. I am not promising they are all good or will fall into your category of interest. That's the lovely thing about free will, you get to decide what to watch. 🤷 Some I watched a long time ago and may not be available any longer. I started keeping up with a list on my phone so I would know what I had watched and what I hadn't and recommendations from others. This ain't EVEN the m...

A bottle of water at Sam's Club is approximately $0.45. The same bottle in the supermarket is worth about $1. The same bottle in a bar costs $2. In a good restaurant or hotel, it can be worth up to $3. At an airport or on the plane, you may be charged $5. The bottle and the brand is the same, the only thing that changes is the place. Each place gives a different value to the same product. When you feel like you are worth nothing and everyone around you belittles you, change places, do not stay there. Have the courage to change places and go to a place where you are given the value you deserve. Surround yourself with people who really appreciate your worth. Don't settle for less. - Anonymous

I don't know whether to keep going or to make a U-turn! There are so many terms, some old, some new, some offensive, some socially acceptable. I saw a new one today, “high needs kid” or “child with high needs”. I read not long ago that it is offensive to refer to a child as “special needs” as it stigmatizes those with disabilities. I am personally not offended by the term special needs. The one word that will get me riled up is the “R” word. It is offensive, derogatory and equates intellectual disability with being dumb or stupid. If you wouldn’t want me calling your child dumb or stupid, don’t call mine the “R” word. Even if someone says it, not intending it to be offensive, it is still hurtful. It comes incased encircled by negativity. Let’s be honest, when you call someone the “R” word, you aren’t paying them a compliment. Different terms or phrases I have heard used over the last 12.5 years are Neurodiverse/Neurodivergent Medically fragile Disabled Differently abled High func...

I said it when I was pregnant. Everyone says it. After having a child that wasn't healthy, I now cringe when I hear someone say that they don't mind a boy or girl, "as long as the baby is healthy" .   In my head, what I hear is, "a boy or girl is fine but lorthammercy don't give me a sick child or one that has something wrong,". I know it's not meant that way, but it FEELS that way. I want to ask them what they will do if the baby happens to not be healthy?   OF COURSE, you want a healthy baby! Who doesn't? No one wishes for their child to have Down's Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Epilepsy, Autism, or hearing or vision loss or any other health concern. I challenge you to start saying, "boy or girl either one" and leave out  the "as long as they're healthy", sentence caboose.  I can almost promise you that if you were to have a child with additional needs, you will love that child fiercely.  #watchyourwords A poem for eve...

Same Janet, SAME! If life were only that simple. "Now here's a little story I've got to tell"... (Bonus points if you know where that’s from.)   Let me preface this story with this. The van is NOT stolen. It has never been reported stolen and there is a legitimate title. This is not a situation of falsified documents. It’s a situation of a lying, shady man who sold us a van with a bad engine through a dealership that he claimed was his but belongs to someone else. The someone else who owns the business allegedly had no idea the “used car salesman” was using his business to buy/sell cars. The majority of communication that I have had, has purposely been through text messaging so I would have proof to back up my story and timeline. Go get popcorn or a snack and make sure you have something to drink. This is a long ride so buckle up and keep your arms inside until we come to a complete stop. Here we go……… It’s June 2022 . We find a minivan, contact the person and sched...