New School Year...New Explaining To Do

     "Hi, I'm Lovee', Marques Mom.  He is looking forward to the new year in your class, did they inform you he has hemophilia?"  I'm cutting the conversation a little short, but that's the gist of it.  '

First Day of School 4th Grade

     In the past, I would bring the teacher a info pamphlet on hemophilia so I knew she knew.  This year, I wasn't as prepared.  I don't know, maybe I was more relaxed because he is older going into the 4th grade.  He's not that little boy anymore jumping around.  Now, don't get me wrong, I am still requiring him to wear his helmet at gym and recess...He is still all boy and just as ready to play some football and play as hard as everyone else. 
    
     The Teacher was aware he had hemophilia.  The school nurse already informed her and gave her basic information. 

Marques told me, the first day of school the class had to go around telling everyone something about themselves.  He answered, "I have hemophilia and that is all I'm saying about that and I want to be a trillionaire".



     My first response to him was, "Marques, you can't just blurt that out with no explanation".  Short in sweet would of been, I have hemophilia which is a bleeding disorder and I have to wear a helmet during recess and gym to protect myself from injury.  I don't think that would be hard to say, but he does.  I'm not there in his shoes and he has to deal with all the question, so I remained quiet.  I know he has been frustrated in the past trying to explain it to his class.  However, I don't want him to not want to discuss it. 

     Hopefully, one day this year he will take the time to discuss it and I'm sure if someone directly asks him he will explain it.  Unfortunately, I don't think he will fit his helmet the entire year....so we may be retiring it soon!

Factor Strike

     I considered myself fortunate to have a two year old sit still while I gave him his factor.  I know having hemophilia matures our sons, but even my first son needed to sit on someone's lap.  Not Laithan though. 

     I started giving Laithan his factor in his high chair, since I had no one to hold him during the day.  As he has gotten older, he started sitting on the regular chair by himself while I gave him his factor.  A few weeks ago, something changed.  He started refusing to get his factor.  He would not sit still and just said, "No, Mommy".  No bribes would work; fruit snacks, icee or cookies, the answer still remained, "No, Mommy".  At first when he refused, I could get his older brother to hold his hand and that seemed to work...for a week.  Then it was Daddy's turn to hold his hand...then somewhere in there it turned into sitting on Daddy's lap. 

     Now, Daddy has to almost put him in a death lock grip so I can give him his factor.  It's amazing that a 2 year old has the wiggle strength to still get away.  So, now my husband gives me dirty looks because I can't stick a moving target!  The crazy thing is after I get the needle in, he yells at his Daddy to get out of his seat...

     So, I need to get a new strategy going.  We visited the Dr.'s office last week, the nurse assured me the port still felt great, because I thought that could be a problem.  The older kids go back to school next week, I think getting back into a schedule will help.  I just need to get Laithan to relax again when getting his factor before I have to hurt him and his Daddy!