Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy — New Diagnosis Sometimes Builds up

It’s a little ironic to consider–giving thanks after new diagnosis rocks your world–but this week’s Special Saturday campaign asked what we were thankful for and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I was truly thankful for an unexpected new diagnosis. I’m surprisingly even thankful for the older diagnoses as well–the Autism, Epilepsy, Cerebral Palsy, Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome–all of them have made our family, made me, into the woman I am today.

See, New Diagnosis Means we can Move Forward, Rather than Backwards

Sometimes, even when aren’t expecting a diagnosis, you spend part of your life in limbo, waiting for the day that you understand more, can fix things. You think … if I only had the answers, the diagnosis, I’d know how to fix this. Sometimes, you never receive a firm diagnosis. Sometimes you don’t want the one you receive. And sometimes … you realize that the diagnosis doesn’t change as much as you thought it would.

But that new diagnosis, or the lack of one, means nothing if you don’t think about why you want it … do you want it as a reason to cling to the past–to blame circumstances or life, or God, for everything that has gone wrong…or do you want it as a chance to move forward?

The difference, my friends, is the ability to deal, to handle the stress.

Our new diagnosis – unexpected and years overdue – of cerebral palsy

My husband, after years of finding life a complex and difficult adventure at the best of times, finally received an unexpected diagnosis that was really years overdue–Cerebral Palsy.

Yes, Logan is diagnosed with CP as well; No, I don’t think this is a specific part of the rare syndrome all my guys share; Possibly, this is a chance to make some answers mean something … to move forward.

You see, my husband has been dealing with confusing symptoms and overall worsening of his health for years now, and no one could link all the little things together. He’s been told everything from “it’s all in your head” to “you don’t look like anything’s wrong with you.” And that wears on a person. Over the years he has struggled in the face of losing his job, losing his health, and being placed on disability. Through it all, I have stood by him … sometimes frustrated and sometimes overwhelmed, but I’ve been there.

So I feel this diagnosis almost as strongly as he does – including a sense of vindication toward the old neurologist how told my husband how ‘normal’ he looked, so that meant nothing was wrong with him. Seriously? I didn’t have to turn my geek on to know that an abnormal MRI meant something … I just didn’t have the training to know what. And we all know how much I love my research geekiness.

So, after thinking it over and under and sideways, I decided that this diagnosis in particular was one to be thankful for this year.

But why stop there, isn’t all new diagnosis a chance to move forward?

The more I thought about it, the more I decided that every diagnosis we have received over the years, from the dreaded Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome to the misunderstood Epilepsy, has given our family a chance to embrace this life we’ve been given and to move forward.

I like to think that my imperfections, my desperation sometimes to deal with what seems overwhelming odds, means that I’m a bit more real, a bit more honest, when I talk with other parents dealing with their own storms in life. And we are all, all of us, dealing with some storm in our life, in our family — whether that be in the form of new diagnosis or nondisagnosis, or something unrelated to diagnosis at all.

[notification type="info"] What about you and your family? Have you faced and dealt with special needs, with new diagnosis or old? Do you ever feel thankful for those storms or do you think I’m nuts? If you are dealing with a new diagnosis – feel free to share in your comments whatever you are comfortable with. [/notification]

• Bio
• Twitter
• Facebook
• Google+
• LinkedIn
• Latest Posts

Katrina Moody

Graphic Designer, Wordpress Addict, Blogger at Kat's Media & More

I'm a special needs parent before just about everything else in life, but also a passionate advocate for my three boys and husband, who all have a bit of awesomeness about them. Awesomeness = Axenfeld-Rieger Syndrome, Autism, Epilepsy, Dyslexia, Cerebral Palsy, and more. It all adds up to some awesome kids and an amazing family.

@KatrinaMoody

Wife; Mom to 3 guys w/ARS, autism, epilepsy & awesomeness; Advocate. Writer, Graphic Designer, Wordpress addict, social media nut. Site: http://katsmedia.com &

Great post: "5 Things Every Copywriter Needs to Know About Their Prospects" http://t.co/O8tHhdJAo6 - 5 mins ago

Follow @KatrinaMoody

Katrina Moody

+Katrina Moody

Latest posts by Katrina Moody (see all)

• Special Needs Kids Win the World! 29 Great Bike Giveaway Winners! - May 17, 2013
• Our Birth Story and the Story of Hope - May 8, 2013
• Awesome Adaptive Bike Giveaway for Children with Special Needs - May 6, 2013