I have been very frustrated trying to figure out the next steps to take with Jake. The school system won't return any of my calls and my attempts to take Jake to any pediatrician have failed. He simply won't be examined. I just don't think I can sit one more day feeling like I'm doing nothing. I am too impatient for the testing at the Team Centers, still two months away. The testing itself will last for another 6 weeks, so we won't even know results until mid-September. Besides, that will just give us a medical diagnosis to help us better decide what therapies to pursue. I'm dying to get him into speech therapy and occupational therapy.
I was recently trying to make a well-check appointment for Manny. I asked one of my mom's groups if they had a pediatrician recommendation and a friend, Heather, mentioned that there was a Dr. Michaels in Dalton who had advocated for the local early intervention program (Babies Can't Wait). She also said that Dr. Michaels' wife, Cindy has been her daughter Bridgett's therapist since Bridgett came home from the NICU (Bridgett has cerebral palsy). Somehow this information sort of went through one ear and out the other, life happened, and I never made an appointment for a well-check for Manny. While at the Dalton Market on Saturday, someone told me about Dr. Michaels again, and told me that a friend of theirs had had wonderful results with their autistic child while using Dr. Michaels and his wife's therapy services, even getting an in-home therapist. I went back into my emails and checked to see if that was the doctor that Heather had mentioned. I suddenly realized that if this was a FAMILY of doctors who worked with special needs children, and who had worked to help the local early intervention program, then they must be a family who cares about kids like Jake. I decided to give them a call.
The receptionist told me instantly that Dr. Michaels was not taking any new clients. I hung up and was heartbroken. Another dead end.
I went back to sewing. I do my best (and worst) thinking there. I just couldn't let a good doctor lead get away, so I called them back. I told the receptionist that I knew that they weren't taking new clients, but could I please plead my case and didn't give her much of a chance to reply. "I hear that Dr. Michaels works with special needs children," I said, "I have a 3 year old son who has managed to slip through the cracks of the Babies can't wait program twice. I have asked them as well as my previous pediatrician numerous times 'Isn't ___ a symptom of autism.' and been told that Jake is fine. Jake has numerous symptoms of PDD or autism and has little or no expressive language, stimming behaviour, never asks questions, and has other speech and social delays. He can't be examined by pediatricians I've tried in the past, and I can't get anyone to help us... if you could just leave Dr. Michaels a note or something...?" She told me to hold and went away for 15 full minutes. I was pretty much convinced she'd just put me on hold hoping I'd hang up and go away.
She finally came back and said "It must be your lucky day." YAY! We have an appointment on July 28th. Not only did she treat me so nice, but she asked if there was anything they could to to make it easier on him. I told her that he was happiest in the morning, and didn't do well with wait times. She made my appointment for first thing at 8 AM, and they will see him ASAP. All I need to do is a little legwork (I'm used to legwork) to get some forms filled out and his charts transferred.
I'm so glad to have found a local resource. I will sleep a little better, I think.
