Given the time constraints and that you think he wants a say in the matter I would go pick him up. I might have something sweet on hand because bumping up blood sugar after a shock can be helpful. Just like a soda or something. Go ahead and tell him but do it in the car or at least were other kids can’t see. In case he cries or something. Give them a hug. Even if he doesn’t want one. Tell him it’s OK to be sad. And tell him that it’s also OK to be unsure of how he feels keeping the complicated relationship. But there is no right or wrong way to feel about any of this. And then tell him that there is a request for Organ donation. But your instinct was to allow it, but you wanted him to have a say in it. So you need his OK. And that you’re sorry to put this on to him all at once. Then afterwords take him to go get coffee or ice cream or something if you would like. Or let him just watch TV and not think about it if that’s what he wants.

dates stuffed with blue cheese and wrapped in bacon!

Medical care must be much better there. Here, nurses are overworked and mistakes are not uncommon, sometimes with disastrous results.

With everything going on with DS6, plus holidays, plus work stuff with DH, I'm fried. Add in my SAD and I'm Really overwhelmed. And my friends know I'm struggling, and wanted to offer support. Now, typically they might suggest a mom's night out or drinks or whatever. But, these friends know me so well that they know I hate going out at night, and instead they casually started a group message suggesting a kid free meet up, in the morning, at the DOG PARK!!!! I mean, that's perhaps the most sensitive, wonderful thing anyone has done for me. Nothing I like better than sunshine and dogs, and fresh air. And they tried to be all casual like it wasn't specifically catered to me, lol. Between them and a DH who wouldn't think of complaining about how much I've spent on take out the past week and a half, or the random cold meals he's been served, or the laundry piled up and the sticky floors, I'm just so incredibly blessed.

The iPad has more apps.

Also, for what it is worth, my DS seemed addicted to screens. We found that the screens were the symptom, not the root problem. Addressing his depression and getting him into other better activities stopped the screen issues.

something like this

Loveseat and a comfy chair with a nice footstool, that kind of thing.

Were you ever checked for celiac or other autoimmune issues? Anemia plus low weight plus joint pain sure screams that!

Anti Social is one, and Freedom is another, and I actually don't know if they work on phones, I should check!

https://www.amazon.com/PPR-Direct-Marketing-Counter-Spill/dp/B001EZP6IG https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/silicone-kleen-seam-reg/3239584?skuId=16677558&&mrkgcl=609&mrkgadid=3253336599&enginename=google&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_kitchenaccessories_local&product_id=16677558&adtype=pla&product_channel=local&adpos=1o1&creative=232742510629&device=c&matchtype=&network=g&gclid=CjwKCAiA0uLgBRABEiwAecFnk_qWckq23pC3atfH7H8DymF_Xup09tajW6M7Uody7tuAalf5CpcNwRoCBO0QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds or google crumb guard

I've done 23 and Me, the full thing with medical reports. I want to test some other family members, particularly looking for Celiac genes and some other stuff. My understanding is that if I get just the ancestry package from either 23 and Me or Ancestry.com I can put the raw data into promethease or another 3rd party website and get all the health stuff? I know how to use Promethease, I just want to be sure that the cheaper ancestry packages still have the raw health data included, just not the health reports. Is that right? And is there any big difference between the two companies? I can get either one for about $50 right now, so if cost wise they are about the same.

Yes, TTG is about 97% specific. Unless she has type 1 diabetes, or Crohn's, the chances of a false positive are incredibly low.

Actually, it could be a deficit of theory of the mind, or it could be the EF issues. But I'll chime in that to me it sounds like ASD as well. Also, my kid with EF issues had no real concept of cause and effect for the longest time. So he could be punished, and then do it again, and not put it all together. If you must punish, don't go for big punishments, go for immediate ones. If he has serious EF issues and possible brain damage, the closer in time the punishment and the act are the more likely he will make the connection and change behavior. But really, it's likely that no punishment will work right now, and that rewards may not either if they are too far out (5 days later is WAY too far out I bet). Kids with EF issues need immediate motivation. They are good at urgent, not at important. They make great firefighters and medics, but lousy accountants 🙂 Yup. Teaching him ways to get around his deficits is better than trying to bulldoze over them. Start by locking down the TV, but eventually teach him to set his own controls. For instance, when I'm writing on a deadline I set up software that locks me out of these forums during the day 🙂 I can't manage to self regulate, but I can set up software to do it for me. Agreeing that he's probably super stressed, and TV is a way to self medicate. Public school isn't something you are okay with, but would he be able to get any kind of scholarship to a smaller private school or something, to give him time away from thinking about everything? This is very true. And I know that is an issue with all your health stuff, and you want to know that the kids are as independent as possible as soon as possible, but really, he's going to need longer. Most experts say to consider a kid with ADD to be about 3 years behind in maturity, at least. So don't think of him as 13, but as 10. And in some areas he may be even younger. He may need a much slower, more gradual path to independence, and that doesn't mean he won't get there. It just may take longer. Finally, get him outside, and doing stuff like fishing as much as possible. It is probably his other stress relief. Can he do some volunteer work or something in the outdoors, to supplement this? I still swear that volunteering at the avian rehab place probably saved my son's life and kept him out of trouble to boot.

This. Send the kids outside with her, but with treats in their pocket and tell them they can only give her one if they SEE her go potty. And when she's inside you have to be watching her or have her in her crate. Doggy doors are for dogs that are already housebroken, not for during the learning phase. No free roaming indoors until fully housebroken. And the accidentally going outside is actually a good thing, it helps her develop a preference for going on grass if that is where she most often goes. You just have to physically prevent her from going inside, on the floor, or she'l have a preference for there too!

Oh wow. She said that other than an active infection of some sort, which he doesn't seem to have, there is no reason for an elevated TTG other than celiac or crohn's. Period.

You really can’t leave her outside by herself while your potty training. You have to go with her and reward her with a treat and prayers when she goes to. Then you bring her inside and let her play and then you take her back out again. Rinse and repeat. If you’re not directly watching her to catcher in the act then she is in her crate.

So, first, I LOVED the doctor. She was highly recommended by a friend whose son has IBD, and I see why. She was great. Wish she was my doctor! She said that basically, the only things that will cause elevated TTG IGA plus his anemia plus low D are Celiac (most likely with his symptoms), Crohn's Disease (less likely without abdominal pain or bloody stool but still possible) or an active infection (very unlikely but will check stool for parasites/infection to be sure). Pretty much she thinks 60-80 percent chance he had Celiac, otherwise Crohn's. So we are hoping for celiac. Have a kit to collect a stool sample, and an appointment for more lab work tomorrow morning. Depending on what those show we will either do just an upper endoscopy or that plus a colonoscopy. Any scope will be after the holidays, so he is to enjoy the heck out of any and all christmas treats and hopefully fatten up a bit. She'd like to see him gain back the pound that he's lost in the last month, or a bit more. And even though his lab work says he isn't super anemic she thinks he LOOKS anemic. She also thinks my DD8 looks more pale than she should, so if/when we check her for celiac we will check her iron levels too. My son was FREAKING OUT over the idea of the endoscopy but my good friend's son has had it done multiple times and has offered to talk to DS about it and give him a pep talk, which made DS happy. Hearing that it is very quick, and that I've had one, Grandma has had one, and his older brother has had one (sort of, he swallowed a coin at 18 months and they used a scope to grab it out of his esophagus where it got stuck), and that a kid his own age has had it made him feel much better. Now he's fine about the idea, thankfully. Oh, and she said she's not an expert, since she's in gastroenterology, but she does think he has PANDAS on top of the celiac, given his history/symptoms.

Yes, he has been eating wheat, so we are good there. I imagine the gastroenterologist is going to want to schedule a biopsy, which I am okay with I guess. Seems that some doctors no longer require a biopsy for diagnosis in kids if the bloodwork is definitive, but his is so low positive I doubt that will be the case with him. Or there is a different blood test, the EMA I think, that is even more accurate. There is also in the works a point of contact, in office test that companies are starting to make, which is awesome. Just a pinprick of blood! I'm going to ask about that for my other kids testing, if it is required, but I don't think it's widespread yet.

In a lot of circles "from scratch" would still include packaged broth, or canned beans or whatnot.

DS6 is slightly anemic, low D, and has a TGG IGA of 6, with normal <4, 4-10 being weak positive, and over 10 being positive. We will be seeing a gastroenterologist tomorrow morning, but figured I'd ask for Hive wisdom before I go so I know the right questions to ask. He is slightly anemic with low ferritin and low vitamin D, has loose stool occasionally, ADHD type symptoms, and recently OCD and anxiety stuff, which is what started all this. Lots of meltdowns on bad days. He has not had any of the other antibody tests run, nor a total IGA. Anything I should be asking about? Is "weak positive" less likely to be true celiac, or is it like a pregnancy test - positive is positive?

lol, this one threw me for a loop because in my family of origin, where my dad was a commercial fisherman and my uncle owned a seafood market, shrimp IS traditional holiday food!

My older daughter is like that with antihistamines! Zyrtec is the worst for her, but they all do it to her. We use benedbryl when we need something because it wears off the fastest.

And both are very new and sudden behaviors, which was what was concerning me. BUT, he just decided to learn to snap, and he is an emergent reader so trying to sound things out is new to him, lol. There may be a bit of OCD present as well, as he said when he finishes a game he likes to snap, and I'm not sure how compelled he feels to do that, but that's better than a seizure!

And I caught him doing the mouth thing and he is sounding out words in his head, silently, lol!!