0 There's sick and then there's autism sick.

Like most things with the kiddo, even the simple yet miserable event of a cold is extra complicated/annoying/frustrating due autism.  Don't get me wrong.  I know any kid when they are sick are not fun to be around.  But allow me to explain/whine.

There is no "Mommy I don't feel good" coming from this kid.  Ever.  This is a kid who dropped a 12 pound bowling ball on his toe, breaking it, and kept on playing.  Is he gonna be able to stop and tell me he feels hot or his stomach hurts?  No, he's more of a visual kind of guy.  He'll tip me off by throwing up all over himself and then falling back asleep in it. (True story from the rota virus incident of '09).

There will be no taking of his temperature other than feeling the back of his neck and maybe if I'm lucky the ear thermometer. (Which I know is not accurate but you know how long it took him to tolerate that?!?!?  Yeah I'll use what I got).

I always knew I was really sick when my mom rolled the old 13 inch black and white TV into my room.  Mom's orders, stay in bed.  She used to really get serious taking my temp and my pulse.  That's when I knew I better stay still, sip my flat ginger ale and watch cartoons.  I have a son who will be running a 102 fever (I think) and will be running all over my house!  I will have to hide foods that I know are much to harsh for his sick tummy because he won't listen to reason that the B.R.A.T. Diet is his friend.   He has been known to barf while running.  Barfing freaks him out completely and only seems to rev him up even more.

Then let's add the fun of medication.  He won't take meds straight at all ever. I've resolved myself to that.  He knows I put his daily supplements and such in milk.  We've made that compromise.  But when he's sick, milk is the last thing he should be having.  So while feeling miserable I get to wrestle with him, trying to get some Tylenol in.   Of course wrestling/fighting/fussing usually leads to more running around up chucking.   I find my washing machine just sighs a lot when it seems me coming with another load of puke clothes.  I give that old girl a lot of work.

But this is the worst part of autism sick vs just sick.  He's gonna regress.  Something or things are going to get lost in the shuffle.  A typical kid will probably have a quiet day or two before they are fully back in the swing. My kid?  It could be a week.  Maybe more.  We'll see some skill lost.  It might take complete retraining to get it back.  If at all. Yes, he'll be happy to see that order routine back but he won't be fully on board with us again.   If anything, he's probably going to remember how when he was sick, I wouldn't let him go swimming while he was barfing and therefor I am the meanest mom ever.

This is one of those times I really lose my mind.  I'm his mom.  I'm suppose to make it better and I don't even fully know what's wrong to make better. Last night it was clear to us when he willingly skipped his whole nighttime routine to go to bed by 7 something was up.  I will now obsess on every sigh, sniffle and behavior for the next few days.

 After he was out like a light, the husband poured me a glass of wine.  Aka, "Mommy's meds". No, he did not have to fight me to drink it. :-)