"I LOVE CORNWALL"

 Hello again, this blog post tells of our much needed 5 night break away at my beloved Cornwall, staying on a farm just outside Looe. This was a new experience for us!! We were so excited to meet all the sheep, goats, ducks, chickens & rabbits. 

The past 6 weeks have been very hard on us all, with our youngest daughter age 12, struggling with anxiety & panic attacks when starting her new school. Socialising with her friends, old & new became impossible for her to cope with almost overnight. She has only been able to attend for 3 days since September.

 Our eldest daughter age 15 was diagnosed with Asperger's, High Functioning Autism in October 2013. Her younger sister is now showing the onset of very similar difficulities. This has been a huge shock for not only herself but for us as parents, family members & friends. The sudden change of environment & a huge new building, new faces, new teachers became totally overwhelming for her to cope with after her first day. I had picked up on a change in her personality & body language about 2 weeks prior to her starting school. She was already stressed & feeling overwhelmed which leaves her feeling sick all the time. It then becomes impossible for her function like she would normally do with daily life. At home within her comfort zone of things she loves & having very limited time socialising, she is well in her body. The sensory overload that life beyond our front door creates is kept to a minimum & she is able to cope in this protected world.


I have worked so hard with her school, the welfare officer,  our doctor, the hospital & with friends & family.

Thankfully all my relentless hardwork has paid off & she has already been seen at the hospital & referred to the Autisic Spectrum Disorder Clinic in early December for futher assessment & a possible diagnosis? We also have a meeting with the various professionals involved to discuss how to move things on further, as she is still unable to attend school.

Our eldest daughter has attended morning school since Year 9. Usually by the end of the term she is so exhausted her body crashes with chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms & she has to rest & be around her home comforts & obessions, (Disney being just one of them!!) Running up to our break away, she was off her school for a week with exhaustion. I had both my daughters at home with me. She has many mood swings which at times produced distressing meltdowns for hours at a time. She does not remember anything during the meltdown. I  am learning to ride the emotional waves of such a meltdown & trust it will eventually pass. So is my husband & her sister as they help all the time when the sensory meltdowns begin & end. I am exhausted at the end of it too, as she returns back to us all, fragile, sore, drained. She slowly settles & begins to be part of our family life again.

We all needed some family respite so badly. 

We arrived in thick fog after a long journey.
This lasted for 3 full days!!!!

 

We faced some challenges including the weather, our eldest daughter's emotional meltdown, plus my poor sleeping!!

Thankfully we managed to live through those difficulties & found many wonderful things to concentrate on. Like feeding the animals, collecting fresh eggs & eating them for breakfast. A real burning fire & wearing wellies!! Watching some great DVD's together, with the rain lashing on the windows. Not quite knowing how the days were going to turn out, but enjoying having time & plenty of space to have some fun.

I watched my two girls with tears in my eyes from the kitchen table, as they confidently went to feed their new adorable sheep friends. I heard my youngest say,"bye see you in a bit" as she went to play pool, darts & ping pong in the games room just across the yard. It was the first time my youngest had looked like herself for over 6 weeks. What a moment to cherish & smile to myself about. I wish with all my heart to hear her say that again, one day soon.

Until next time, take care & keep warm.

Thank you for reading my blog post today.
xx