These past few weeks have been difficult to say the least. Our youngest son was completely disregulated(actually starting in Feb. of last year)and was starting to not take his meds(he is a very clever 16 yr old). That meant he hopped on the crazy wagon and took a very bumpy ride! Russ and I tried all kinds of things to help him focus(all the time thinking he was on his meds) but they weren't working. So after he walked off one day and we didn't know where he went, off to the hospital he goes...
He has been in there now for a week and is getting better with very savvy nurses who know all the tricks of hiding meds.(he has braces so he can hide them even better with them) and he seems to becoming more stable.
The toll it takes on a family to have a child hospitalized is incredible. When #1 was hospitalized for a month, that was extremely tiring. The hospital he is in is 90 miles away!
Whenever we are down in the dumps, there are always those people who remind us that "we signed up for this when we adopted them" as if this is any different from "signing up" as a birth parent. We wanted kids, we couldn't birth them..so we adopted. We HAD NO CLUE (as birthparents don't either sometimes)what genetic challenges lay down the road for us. We had no clue that our first adopted would be battling EARLY ONSET Bipolar Disorder AND Autism at such an young age. We didn't know that Son#2 came with a genetic disorder that could cause aneurysms AND is prone to other disorders because of GENETICS. In fact, the environmental challenges our boys have had are almost taken care of and now genetics are taking over!
It makes me HOT some days when I hear that as if we wanted to sign up for pain and heartache. That was not the case at all. We had no philanthropic ideals of helping poor orphan children(although we know that is a command of our Lord), we just wanted kids.
We are on this journey with our boys and their recovery from past abuse and neglect AND whatever genetic challenges lay ahead AND will be right beside them..no matter what! We have grown into a faith walk that includes the calling of adoption and foster care now because we have seen first hand what abuse and neglect can do to a child. Because of our boys, we are more understanding of what kids go through each day when they are living in abuse and neglect. As Christians, we are now obligated to do something because we know about it.
I saw a verse today that I loved and it reminded me of who we can truly count on for help....
Job 36:15 says: "But those who suffer he delivers in their suffering; he speaks to them in their affliction".
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