In other news

In other news, Nathan has decided he wants to go back to school.

And I totally support his decision.

We've talked about it on and off over the past year and a half (let go of the missing hyphens, grammar nazis; you know who you are).

This summer, he spent quite a lot of time with two women I trust implicitly: Momma Christine and Momma Bonnie. And they told me that Nathan said that he's going to school in September. Furthermore, he even said which school he's going to, which is the same school he's attended in the past and where Isaac currently goes.

So, I'm cool with this. He'll be 10 on September 10th. And his seizures are under some pretty serious control. He's in a very different place than he was a year and a half ago (now I'm just omitting them to piss you grammar nazis off. Is it working?). 

He started a new pharmaceutical medication in April, after I returned from my trip with Stacie to Tucson. And I give this pharmaceutical medication credit for decreasing the seizures so significantly that he was able to play soccer this past spring. (yes I culturally reference myself; it's my blog and I can do what I want.)

Yes, this is his SEVENTH motherfucking pharmaceutical that we've tried to control his seizures. It's what happens when you're diagnosed with Lennox-FUCKING-Gastaut Syndrome, or LGS. There's not really a FUCKING in the name. It's just how I say it. And this syndrome was discovered by two neurologists:


Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome was first defined by Dr. Henri Gastaut in France in 1966 as a very severe form of childhood epilepsy, with certain common features. Dr. William G. Lennox in Boston described features of the EEG in this condition. 


So, you gotta say Gas-TOE for Gastaut, because he's a French dude. Ok? Lennox-Gas-TOE. Not Gas-taught. Gas-TOE. And, this is the incredibly rare form of epilepsy that my son has. Of course. Because we Andersons don't do shit half-assed. Oh no. Only FULL-ASSED from the Andersons. (hyphens for the grammar nazis! you're welcome!)

Annnnywaaaayyyy...last week I met with the principal, who is fully supportive of Nathan attending 3 days a week, in the mornings, until about noon-ish. My plan is to roll both boys in at the start of the morning, because it'll be easier on ME to get them both up and moving and out the door at the same time.

And he'll be on the big playground. Because he has friends that he's known his entire life that are on that playground and that are going to want to play with him and who are going to look out for him and who are going to help him.

And he'll be in the lunch room. And he'll have the same special ed teacher, but we don't know who his gen ed teacher will be, but that's ok. We'll figure it out. He will have input.

But this is really exciting for us as a family. Nathan's taking initiative in his own life, and for any kid, it's huge. But for a kid with special needs, it's even bigger.