The house has been busy around here lately. We have our brushing every 2 hours. Which is WOW time consuming to do and remember. Therapies 2 times a week with Occupational and Behavioral. I did discover that she NEEDS these weekly to be happy to. We've been going consistently enough that when there was a change in the routine it creates a nasty week. The therapies alone are 3.5 hours for the on location (1 hour each plus travel and waiting time) then brushing is 6-7 times a day and takes about 5 minutes a time so about 4 hours a week total there. So. Not to mention management of any therapy items that arise that have to be tackled immediately which happen almost daily, lets give that a good 30 minutes a day (so 3-1/2 hours a week) for that. SOOOO A week we (T1, T2, and I) spend 10.5 HOURS a week JUST on T1's behavioral therapies. That's not including medication visits, trips to the pharmacy or anything. Just standard weekly therapies. And we NEED to add her listening therapy back in for her self regulation which is another 45-60 minutes A DAY. OY.
So on top of just the daily therapies, you add our standard other appointments for just - other - stuff. I go to the chiropractor 1 or 2 times a month and that takes about an hour. I get nerve ablation every 10 weeks (1 on each side so 2 visits) and that takes an hour and a half or so, BUT that day and the 2 or 3 days after have to be pretty much super low key days after. Dentist appointment for getting things pulled, cleaned, filled, sealed etc are about every 2 months so far and take anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours. ENT appointments are at least every 2 months and take an 1 -1/2 hours. Pediatrician appointments for sinus infections or other random ailments are usually 1 or 2 times a month and take an 1-1/2 hours or so. Appointments to the orthopedist for knee steroid injections are every 6-8 week, but usually are fairly swift at a mere 45 minutes. I , thankfully, no longer have to see the foot doctor which was bimonthly and took almost 2 hours. If Mattie has to have sinus surgery it take the entire day (and since he's had 10 of them, it's not like it's a "rare" occasion and he REALLY does need another one..). Immunology appointments take an hour or so but are once every 3-6 months. Allergy shots are bimonthly now (they had been weekly and just got moved to every other week) but that takes an hour. Then of course if *I* get sick, hives, injured or anything else and have to go to just MY regular doctor that takes another 1 -1/2 hours.
I'm sure there's more. It's a maddening amount of appointments to keep track of and GET to on time. Oddly, we've never missed any or been really, really late to any of them. And 1 & 2 have gotten to the point where they are very well behaved at appointments. They know if we have what I call "Appointment Day" (2 or 3 or 4 appointments in one day) they will get rewarded for good behavior. They will also get clobbered like monkeys if they are naughty. I keep them fed with snacks like pretzels and gold fish crackers and pliable with drinks and that helps, but who really wants to sit at 6 hours of appointments in 1 day? or 7 in 1 week? Exactly. And they have to - Frequently.
oy
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