OT: Why I am up and reading rctn at 4am

> It's a long story. I'm too antsy to sleep, so if you wanna read my long
> story, then settle back while I type it all out, OK? If not, then please
> skip this post.
> About six months ago, DS was rostered as cantor at Mass. I wasn't going
> on that particular weekend, on account of an endearingly attractive
> conjunctivitis, so my saintly DSS offered to transport DS (who doesn't
> drive) up to the church for me.
> 'Oh great!' I said, 'I'll make an apple pie for dessert if you'll do
> that for me!' And I set about doing so.
> Not five minutes after they left, both boys were back again, DS holding
> onto his right arm and looking for all the world as if he were about to
> fade away before my very eyes. He was nearly transparent and his teeth
> were shattering as he sat shakily down. Apparently, he'd stepped out of
> the car and his foot landed on a recently-felled tree branch which was
> poking onto the kerb. It rolled, he fell, he tried to break his fall
> with a stiff arm and - KRUNCH!!! - dislocated his shoulder!
> The pain must've been pretty bad, because DS has Asperger's and, like
> many other Aspergetic people, has an extremely high pain tolerance. He
> was *gibbering* and could barely string two words together! We didn't
> mess about. DH whacked him straight in the car and took him up to The
> John (local hospital) where they gave him morphine and a heavy sandbag
> to hold while the joint settled back into its socket. It was painful,
> time-consuming and very scary for poor DS, who doesn't do large public
> places very well at all.
> Back to the present.
> DH and I had sat up far too late, so were pretty bushed by the time we
> fell into bed at mumble-mumble am. I was having an interesting dream
> about water-filled balloons when one of them exploded and I heard Matt
> (DS) cry out! Sitting bolt upright in bed, I heard a loud commotion and
> DS croaked 'Mum! Dad! Help me!'
> The bloody, *bloody* cat had leapt off the wardrobe onto his desk,
> dislodging one of his unframed paintings propped against it! DS had
> heaved himself abruptly up on his elbow in bed and his shoulder popped
> right out, just like that! By the time I got to him, he was again
> achieving transparency and his poor teeth were shattering as shock set
> in. I set about warming him with blankets and good ol' DH began to get
> dressed for the trip to The John. I dunno how DD slept through it all,
> but she did in spite of all three of us calling out instructions and the
> whereabouts of the Scouts First Aid kit (contains a sling) and the wheat
> bags.
> DH had to help DS into his undies and tracksuit and, sadly, (I think
> it's a bloke thing) wasn't as gentle or accommodating as I would have
> been. Poor DS was again gibbering with the pain and we all three had a
> strong sense of déjà vu. I've just waved them off into the pre-dawn mist
> and I hope poor DS isn't too horrified by the next few hours. For those
> of you who might ever need to take details from a person with
> Asperger's, it's useful to know they have *extreme* difficulty
> formulating what they're feeling and where it hurts. I hope the people
> at The John are patient!
> I'm *so* tired, but in spite of feeling like I've been sitting up
> drinking and smoking all night (haven't done that in *years*!), I
> couldn't possibly sleep until I hear that DS is OK. Sigh. Might just
> toddle off and have a game of 'Age of Empires'. Or something. Magpies
> are calling, so the sun'll be up soon. Might go out and watch it. Might
> kick the cat out into the cold garden after the way she broke my boy!
> --
> Trish Brown
> Newcastle, NSW, Australia

> It's a long story. I'm too antsy to sleep, so if you wanna read my long
> story, then settle back while I type it all out, OK? If not, then please
> skip this post.
> About six months ago, DS was rostered as cantor at Mass. I wasn't going on
> that particular weekend, on account of an endearingly attractive
> conjunctivitis, so my saintly DSS offered to transport DS (who doesn't
> drive) up to the church for me.
> 'Oh great!' I said, 'I'll make an apple pie for dessert if you'll do that
> for me!' And I set about doing so.
> Not five minutes after they left, both boys were back again, DS holding
> onto his right arm and looking for all the world as if he were about to
> fade away before my very eyes. He was nearly transparent and his teeth
> were shattering as he sat shakily down. Apparently, he'd stepped out of
> the car and his foot landed on a recently-felled tree branch which was
> poking onto the kerb. It rolled, he fell, he tried to break his fall with
> a stiff arm and - KRUNCH!!! - dislocated his shoulder!
> The pain must've been pretty bad, because DS has Asperger's and, like many
> other Aspergetic people, has an extremely high pain tolerance. He was
> *gibbering* and could barely string two words together! We didn't mess
> about. DH whacked him straight in the car and took him up to The John
> (local hospital) where they gave him morphine and a heavy sandbag to hold
> while the joint settled back into its socket. It was painful,
> time-consuming and very scary for poor DS, who doesn't do large public
> places very well at all.
> Back to the present.
> DH and I had sat up far too late, so were pretty bushed by the time we
> fell into bed at mumble-mumble am. I was having an interesting dream about
> water-filled balloons when one of them exploded and I heard Matt (DS) cry
> out! Sitting bolt upright in bed, I heard a loud commotion and DS croaked
> 'Mum! Dad! Help me!'
> The bloody, *bloody* cat had leapt off the wardrobe onto his desk,
> dislodging one of his unframed paintings propped against it! DS had heaved
> himself abruptly up on his elbow in bed and his shoulder popped right out,
> just like that! By the time I got to him, he was again achieving
> transparency and his poor teeth were shattering as shock set in. I set
> about warming him with blankets and good ol' DH began to get dressed for
> the trip to The John. I dunno how DD slept through it all, but she did in
> spite of all three of us calling out instructions and the whereabouts of
> the Scouts First Aid kit (contains a sling) and the wheat bags.
> DH had to help DS into his undies and tracksuit and, sadly, (I think it's
> a bloke thing) wasn't as gentle or accommodating as I would have been.
> Poor DS was again gibbering with the pain and we all three had a strong
> sense of déjà vu. I've just waved them off into the pre-dawn mist and I
> hope poor DS isn't too horrified by the next few hours. For those of you
> who might ever need to take details from a person with Asperger's, it's
> useful to know they have *extreme* difficulty formulating what they're
> feeling and where it hurts. I hope the people at The John are patient!
> I'm *so* tired, but in spite of feeling like I've been sitting up drinking
> and smoking all night (haven't done that in *years*!), I couldn't possibly
> sleep until I hear that DS is OK. Sigh. Might just toddle off and have a
> game of 'Age of Empires'. Or something. Magpies are calling, so the sun'll
> be up soon. Might go out and watch it. Might kick the cat out into the
> cold garden after the way she broke my boy!
> --
> Trish Brown
> Newcastle, NSW, Australia

> It's a long story. I'm too antsy to sleep, so if you wanna read my long=

> story, then settle back while I type it all out, OK? If not, then pleas=

> skip this post.
>=20
> About six months ago, DS was rostered as cantor at Mass. I wasn't going=

> on that particular weekend, on account of an endearingly attractive=20
> conjunctivitis, so my saintly DSS offered to transport DS (who doesn't =

> drive) up to the church for me.
>=20
> 'Oh great!' I said, 'I'll make an apple pie for dessert if you'll do=20
> that for me!' And I set about doing so.
>=20
> Not five minutes after they left, both boys were back again, DS holding=

> onto his right arm and looking for all the world as if he were about to=

> fade away before my very eyes. He was nearly transparent and his teeth =

> were shattering as he sat shakily down. Apparently, he'd stepped out of=

> the car and his foot landed on a recently-felled tree branch which was =

> poking onto the kerb. It rolled, he fell, he tried to break his fall=20
> with a stiff arm and - KRUNCH!!! - dislocated his shoulder!
>=20
> The pain must've been pretty bad, because DS has Asperger's and, like=20
> many other Aspergetic people, has an extremely high pain tolerance. He =

> was *gibbering* and could barely string two words together! We didn't=20
> mess about. DH whacked him straight in the car and took him up to The=20
> John (local hospital) where they gave him morphine and a heavy sandbag =

> to hold while the joint settled back into its socket. It was painful,=20
> time-consuming and very scary for poor DS, who doesn't do large public =

> places very well at all.
>=20
> Back to the present.
>=20
> DH and I had sat up far too late, so were pretty bushed by the time we =

> fell into bed at mumble-mumble am. I was having an interesting dream=20
> about water-filled balloons when one of them exploded and I heard Matt =

> (DS) cry out! Sitting bolt upright in bed, I heard a loud commotion and=

> DS croaked 'Mum! Dad! Help me!'
>=20
> The bloody, *bloody* cat had leapt off the wardrobe onto his desk,=20
> dislodging one of his unframed paintings propped against it! DS had=20
> heaved himself abruptly up on his elbow in bed and his shoulder popped =

> right out, just like that! By the time I got to him, he was again=20
> achieving transparency and his poor teeth were shattering as shock set =

> in. I set about warming him with blankets and good ol' DH began to get =

> dressed for the trip to The John. I dunno how DD slept through it all, =

> but she did in spite of all three of us calling out instructions and th=

> whereabouts of the Scouts First Aid kit (contains a sling) and the whea=

> bags.
>=20
> DH had to help DS into his undies and tracksuit and, sadly, (I think=20
> it's a bloke thing) wasn't as gentle or accommodating as I would have=20
> been. Poor DS was again gibbering with the pain and we all three had a =

> strong sense of d=E9j=E0 vu. I've just waved them off into the pre-dawn=

> and I hope poor DS isn't too horrified by the next few hours. For those=

> of you who might ever need to take details from a person with=20
> Asperger's, it's useful to know they have *extreme* difficulty=20
> formulating what they're feeling and where it hurts. I hope the people =

> at The John are patient!
>=20
> I'm *so* tired, but in spite of feeling like I've been sitting up=20
> drinking and smoking all night (haven't done that in *years*!), I=20
> couldn't possibly sleep until I hear that DS is OK. Sigh. Might just=20
> toddle off and have a game of 'Age of Empires'. Or something. Magpies=20
> are calling, so the sun'll be up soon. Might go out and watch it. Might=

> kick the cat out into the cold garden after the way she broke my boy!
>=20