What a day!

Today saw the last of the formal tests that have been administered to Andrew as we attempt to find out if he falls somewhere on the autism spectrum. Today's test was an MRI as requested by his doctor. She wanted to eliminated any possible medical reasons for Andrew's behavior, so besides a gazillion blood tests, she also ordered up an MRI.

To prepare for the MRI, Andrew could eat nothing after 8 this morning. Before that time, all he could consume was Jell-o, broth, and clear juice (like apple). When I told him last night that he was going to eat Jell-o for breakfast, he just giggled. In solidarity with my son (and so he wouldn't ask me why I was eating), I had a bowl of cereal and nothing else all day.

The appointment was for 12:15. I wanted him to take it easy and yet I needed to get a couple of jobs done. He helped me water the newly planted hostas and we ran three short errands. As we returned to the car after the third and final stop, the car would not start. It did not click. The only noise it made was a soft whimper, much like the one coming from Andrew in the back seat. A quick glance at the clock showed 10:45. Okay Andrew, we're going to walk. No hat or sunblock. But the route back to our house has full of trucks. I would have taken a bus, but the routes are weird and I would have had to wait for who knows how long. With a boy like Andrew, movement is the best choice. The walk took about 45 minutes (probably less than a journey on the bus). The sun was bright and we encountered very little shade. I was worried about Andrew becoming dehydrated, because he could have nothing to drink before the test. He turned out just fine and I called my husband and left him in charge of handling the car.


I had been preparing Andrew for the test by telling him that he was going to lay on a conveyor belt (like the ones at the grocery store), go into a tunnel where a big camera was going to take a picture of his brain. His reaction? "This is going to be pretty cool." We walked to the hospital (only three blocks) Of course when we got to the clinic, they had been set back in their schedule by an emergency MRI. We went in about an hour after our scheduled appointment. The technician gave Andrew the sedative and about 40 minutes later he was completely zonked out. They wheeled him into the MRI and I returned to the waiting room. A half-hour later, I went and and waited for him to wake up. He slept for another hour and would have slept for more if the technician and I hadn't woken him up. He was extremely groggy and couldn't walk. We were wheeled out to our ride at the front of the hospital.

I had no energy to cook, so pizza and ice cream were on the menu. On Thursday, the psychologist will give us her report. This one will determine if we will be eligible for special services or not. So, until Thursday, I hold my breathe.