Tag Archives: special needs

Guardianship – Jack made it easy(ish)

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I guess there are worse reasons to take your eighteen-year-old son to court, BUT today was a tough day.

When a person turns 18, they legally become an adult and are expected to make decisions about their life – medical treatment, finances, education, etc. Guardianship is a legal proceeding in which the court is asked to find the person in question unable to manage his/her affairs effectively. A guardian (or guardians) is/are appointed to make all decisions on behalf of the person.

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Today Dan, Jack and I went to court to prove to the State of NJ that Jack is too disabled to care for himself. He is too limited to make decisions regarding his care and well-being. He is (and will always be) dependent on us. Heartbreaking.

Like most heartbreaking things having to do with Jack – it was Jack that made it bearable. He was in a great mood this morning as we got him scrubbed and ready to make a good impression on the judge. He smiled the whole way to Newark, eager to see his buddy Adam (our lawyer) and to meet a few new friends. Jack always loves an adventure.

When we told Jack it was going to be like Law and Order he didn’t seem impressed, but when Dan said, “I wonder if Judge Judy works here”, our boy laughed and laughed. It’s hard to take things too seriously when you have Jack chuckling next to you, but when we needed to go in front of the judge, I could feel the tears start filling my eyes.

Everything went off without a hitch. We just needed to sit as the judge read through all the paperwork – proof that Jack needs us to be his legal guardians (doctor’s notes, school information, interviews with us and others who know Jack). I did my best to ignore the details of Jack’s limitations get repeated over and over again. I’ve developed a talent of keeping a smile on my face and nodding politely as I block out information. Dan’s bruised hand was the only evidence that any of the words actually made it to my ears.

I’ve accepted Jack’s challenges and understand that, as a special family, we need to do this stuff. The only thing that really bothered me about the whole experience today was the use of the word, incapacitated. It was used through the hearing over and over and over again.

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(adjective)
 Ivan did not expect to be incapacitated for more than a few days: disabled, debilitated,           indisposed, unfit, impaired; immobilized, paralyzed, out of action, out of commission,    hors de combat; informal laid up. ANTONYMS fit.

I know that words need to be attached to circumstances, but of all things to call Jack — incapacitated is not one I would ever use. He’s more full of life than anyone I know. I understand that he needs (and will likely always need) our care, but as I heard that word I couldn’t help but want to stand up and scream “I OBJECT!”

I didn’t – I played the role of calm mom and didn’t even let myself even cry until I kissed Dan goodbye and dropped Jack safely off at school. I am so #$%^ing glad that it’s over.

Love, Jess (proud guardian of JackO)

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Jack makes things easy(ish)

Morning Selfies

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Every morning Jack and I take a selfie. It’s a gift we give ourselves for surviving the morning chaos.

I’ve described our mornings before, but here’s the short version — teeth, toilet, laundry, shower, get dressed, toilet, downstairs, dogs, medication, hydration, waffles (don’t judge), say good-bye to Anna, toilet (often followed by cleaning the bathroom floor), shoes, jacket, breathe AND sit on the stairs and take a selfie.

This morning’s routine was particularly messy and Jack and I were feeling a little discouraged until we looked at some of our most resent masterpieces. Jack can always turn a sour mood around with his smile – and his scrunchy face.

 

Happy Friday!

Love, Jess

 

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another week walking on eggshells

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Good news, bad news.

I will start with the bad so that I can end on a high note (that’s my thing, in case you haven’t noticed).

I had a mild freak-out last week and asked my poor publisher to make some changes to the manuscript. It may have been my way of delaying the production of SMILES AND DUCT TAPE – it’s been hard for me to let go of this project. Anyway, it worked. We’re about a week behind with the release of the book.

The good news is that the book is now with the printer and it should be in your hands by the end of next week. It’s not too late to pre-order – CLICK HERE!

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Now I can spend another week walking on eggshells.

I’m guessing all first-time authors are nervous as they brace themselves for the public’s reaction to their writing. Add that I’m a girl who couldn’t really read until fifth grade AND I was not born a writer — just ask my high school English teachers. I feel almost ridiculous adding the title of author to my resume. And, it’s not just my words that I’m worried about releasing for judgment – it’s my family. I’m hoping that people find our story inspiring, but who knows . . .

It’s too late now. The book will be out there soon and, whatever happens, our family will survive. THAT is one thing that I can always count on.

Love, Jess
I promise that I AM NOT looking at the book again – no more delays.

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How to raise a great kid – HANDS OFF!

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I had a super stressful dream last night. Not my typical, “I forgot to wear pants to the grocery store” dream. This was new and I woke up sweating.

I dreamt that I was having trouble with my college essays and not sure if I would get my applications done on time. I could read into it, but I think it’s pretty clear what my subconscious was trying to tell me — it’s time to relax and go back to HANDS OFF parenting Anna.

The truth is I’m usually a pretty hands off parent with Anna. Not to say that I don’t grill her after every party and open her report cards, but both Dan and I generally allow Anna to make most of her choices without too much guidance. Safety is (of course) important, but other than a curfew, she has very few rules (and even that is pretty negotiable).

It started when Jack got sick. Anna was only six years old and her family scattered. She went from having a father who was available every day to toss a ball with her after dinner and a mother who was always finding random excuses to show up at her school, to not knowing who would be home to tuck her in bed each night. She knew her family loved her, but she also knew that if she needed something, sometimes it was just easier to make it happen herself. Siblings of special needs kids have a perspective that their “typical” peers don’t.

Although I appreciate how fun it would be to helicopter around and watch everything Anna does while adding my two-cents, I just don’t have the time or the energy. If Jack needs me, it means he needs assistance with eating or needs his diaper changed. I can’t NOT do it. If Anna has a question about her homework, Google is faster than waiting outside of the bathroom door.

As IF I could help with her homework.

Don’t think that Anna’s not getting any attention from me. We talk and text throughout the day about everything from clothes to friends to our relationships with God. We have breakfast and dinner together (“breakfast” is her eating an Eggo waffle and me drinking coffee, but dinner is an actual meal that I have prepared). We are so close that we are starting to look like each other. When people see us together they call her “Mini-Me” and it’s not just that we look alike, our mannerisms and senses of humor are the same – it’s almost creepy.

We’re close – what I mean by HANDS OFF parenting is that I don’t micromanage her. I don’t watch over her constantly to make sure she is doing things just so. She needed to get her driving permit a couple of weeks ago and all I said was, “Great. Just ask around and tell me who to hire. I will make the first phone call, then it’s all you.”

When she was planning her course-load for junior year, instead of digging through all the choices, Dan and I just sat back and watched her come up with her perfect schedule. My only input was “I think I would prefer AP Art to AP Calculus, but if that’s your thing – have at it!”

We trust Anna because she has proven that she can be trusted. She is a great student and has a wonderful circle of friends. She makes good choices (mostly – she IS a teenager). She is kind to her brother and when I watch her interact with other people I am proud of who she is.

We’ve been so relaxed with Anna that I was surprised that Dan and I climbed on board the “college train” with such intensity. Looking through college books, long talks around the dinner table, planning trips to see schools. Perhaps it’s a distraction from NOT working on the project with Jack or maybe it’s just super fun because Anna has an impressive transcript —  And, maybe part of it is that Dan and I really, really, really want to go back to college ourselves;). But, I need to be careful. I’ve found myself checking Powerschool daily and questioning grades, looking at that giant book of colleges even when Anna isn’t home, thinking about essay topics and waiting anxiously for the next round of ACT scores. I’m getting dizzy with all the information and Anna is not appreciating the frantic input.

“Mom, you know I have this covered, right?”

Yes, I know you do baby girl. You have turned into a remarkable young woman and I know you will do amazing things. Mom will go back to HANDS OFF parenting. Just let me know when you need me.

And, when can we plan that trip to Virginia and North Carolina . . . and Boston – we need to go to Boston!dsc00726

Love, Jess

 

10 days.

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Ten days until the release of Smiles and Duct Tape and I’m suddenly in a full-blown panic.

Here’s the thing – As excited as I am to get the book out there, I’m nervous about letting it go. I keep wondering if I’ve forgotten anything or anyone. I’m used to writing 500-word blog posts that I can edit if needed – a book feels so permanent. I’m also worried about the content. I’ve shared our family through the blog for almost ten years, and have been honest, but not quite THIS honest. The book is pretty raw. It follows the first 1000 days of our journey with ALD, and I don’t hold back on the reality of what we went through. I hope that readers appreciate the candor.

If you know our family (or read this blog), you know the ending. You know that Jack survived transplant and so did our family. You know that Dan and I are still married and that Anna has turned into a remarkable young woman. You know that the Torreys are pretty much back to being the family we once were – just with a few complicated issues.

So why did I write this book?

1.) I told people I was writing a book and have a history of not finishing projects. There was no way I was going to “pull a Jess” with this.

2.) I wanted to thank everyone who has helped our family and I’ve never been good with thank you notes.

3.) For typical/normal/non-challenged (insert appropriate PC word here) families to see that differently-abled/complicated/special (insert appropriate PC word here) families are just families.

4.) I want Smiles and Duct Tape to finds it’s way to families going through crisis. Not necessarily ALD (or even illness),  just lives that have turned upside-down. I want to share how our family managed to survive.

So, the book is written and in ten days is will be out there. I’m nervous, excited, and kinda feel like I’m going to throw up.

To PRE-ORDER your very own copy of Smiles and Duct Tape – CLICK HERE!

Love, Jess

PS I’m happy to speak at schools or book clubs or to anyone that might want to hear about how our family survived and accepted a new normal. Please email me to something up.

Meet the Torreys

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It’s getting closer.

The manuscript has been sent to the printer and by the end of this week we should have a copy of SMILES AND DUCT TAPE in our hands. Not your hands . . . you need to wait a tiny bit longer. The current release date is October 24. That’s two weeks folks!

In the meantime I am working on ways to promote the book and one idea I stumbled across was making a slideshow to introduce the readers to the book. SMILES AND DUCT TAPE is a book about our family. I would like to introduce you to The Torreys.

 

 

Love, Jess

If you would like to PRE-ORDER your copy of SMILES AND DUCT TAPE, please CLICK HERE.

 

ps I tried to add these images, but it was too late;(

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the book, social security and magic

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It’s been high excitement over here for a couple of days. The book is approaching the finish line and there have been head shots, cover art and websites. And, there’s been social media – Facebook has been like a birthday, only better.

In the middle of all of this, I got a phone call. “It’s the Social Security Administration. May I please speak to John Torrey?”

Deep breath, “I’m sorry, John doesn’t speak. This is his mother, Jesse.”

“Mrs. Torrey, John is over 18. I need to speak with him.”

Count to ten, “Sure. I can put him on the phone. You might get a smile out of him, but I can assure you that he will not speak to you.”

I could hear the shuffle of papers in the background, “Okay, sorry. John got approved for benefits. Can you come in tomorrow morning to finish the paperwork?”

My mind raced thinking of all the things I had planned, but I found myself saying, “How early should we arrive to make this as painless as possible?”

That’s our reality. We have priorities that can’t be put on the back burner.

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So, this morning Jack and I left early enough to be there before the Social Security Administration office opened. Determined to get in and out quickly enough so that Jack didn’t miss too much school and I didn’t miss my very important hair appointment. Unfortunately, we were far from the first in line, so we sat. And sat. Jack and I were busy taking selfies and making each other laugh, when I noticed the couple behind us admiring him. Jack has a way of making friends wherever we go. The man offered Jack some gum, which Jack grabbed without a thought and popped into his mouth (yes – Jack takes candy from strangers and I let him). We started talking to the couple and before too long they shared that their son had Down Syndrome and that they felt so blessed that he is not just doing well, but is happy, “Just like your son.”

We talked and talked – enjoying our visit so much, that I was almost disappointed when we got called to meet with our representitive. We exchanged goodbyes and off we went. As Jack and I sat waiting for the paperwork to be done, our new friends stopped by to say goodbye. The man reach into his pocket and handed Jack his pack of gum, “This is for you Jack. Enjoy!”

Jack gave him a high five and I thanked our new friends and wished them well. Then, as he walked away, the man turned around and said, “Oh, and Jack – take your mom out to lunch.”

I looked down at the gum in Jack’s hands and there was a twenty dollar bill stuck in the pack.

Our lives are complicated, but sometimes I feel like magic follows us around.

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We made it home in time for Jack to go to school for a couple of hours and for my hair to get back to being sassy. Now I have the task of reading the book one last time before it gets printed. As I travel back to the early days of Jack’s diagnosis, I am trying to remind myself of all the magic in our lives and just how lucky we are.

Check out my  “author page” – this is really happening!

Love, Jess

PS  We made a donation to CaringBride today. We love to “pay things forward” and without CaringBridge there would be no book.

the laughter continues thanks to the (impractical) JOKERS

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We have the most amazing friends. Love and support always, dinners when needed – even offers to walk the dogs (well, not EVERYONE offers to take Finn, but people do fight over Keegan). We’re always astonished by all the love and generosity, but sometimes we’re really blown away.

Our dear friend, Alice, is far cooler than most of us and knows “people”. She shared Jack’s laughter with her buddies at truTV and look what happened.

           

For a boy who hasn’t spoken in almost ten years, it’s amazing how many people he’s able to reach with something as simple as a laugh.

Think about it folks – sometimes a laugh is all it really takes.

Tru TV should be on everyone’s radar. It’s CHANGING lives folks! And, they didn’t just send us these videos, they have invited us to a live show on 11/3 at the Prudential Center. The Jokers and Nitro Circus. Everyone should order tickets now!!

Thank you Alice and Michael and the greatest (impractical) Jokers on the planet!

 

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Love, Jess

PS Please don’t judge my messy desk and Jack is NOT picking his nose. That’s his “I’m really into what I am watching face”.

nothing short of magic

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Last night Dan and I were in the kitchen catching up when we both stopped mid-sentence, “What’s that sound?”

We’ve all been asking that question a lot over the last week. We listened again and quickly realize that it was Jack. We could hear him clearly from three rooms away. It’s nothing short of magic to hear our son. Thank you TruTV!

For everyone who is under the impression that our family is always doing cool, innovated, exciting things all the time – I hate to disappoint you, but you’re sorely mistaken. Most afternoons Jack climbs off the school bus happy, but exhausted. He has a snack and some water through his G-tube and settles down on a pee matt in front of the TV in the den. He watches TV for hours. I always thought parents that allowed such things were lazy, but it’s become part of our routine. It gives Jack a break after his long day of school adventures and it allows whoever is in charge to get stuff done.

Jack is pretty easy to please and for years he has seemed happy enough with the old standby shows on TeenNick or Disney, but lately he’s seemed a little bored. Everyone’s taste changes over time. Sometimes we forget that despite Jack’s challenges he is still maturing and it occurred to us that he might not be into the preteen selections we were forcing on him. So, last weekend I was hanging out with Jack wandering around the Fios guide in search of a good alternative. We stumbled on a channel called TruTV. Loving anything “reality”, I clicked to see what was on.

If Bravo was created for middle-age housewives, TruTV was created for teenage boys and anyone who appreciates teenage boy humor (this includes our entire family). The schedule seems to be rather limited in their content, but Jack doesn’t seem to mind – it’s all new to him. It’s inappropriate and ridiculous and Jack loves every second of what’s on. We haven’t heard him laugh this hard since we spent time with Uncle Pat this summer.

I often use the word silent to describe Jack. It’s mostly true – he doesn’t speak a word or hum or cry out. He can’t yell if he needs us or make even a simple sound on command. It’s hard to really appreciate his silence unless you spend time with him. By far, it’s the hardest part of life with ALD.

Luckily, one sound that ALD did not steal is Jack’s laugh. It’s spontaneous and honest and loud – almost primal. And, Jack has always been generous with sharing it with us. When something resinates with Jack, laughter pours out of him. His new channel might not be a great at Uncle Pat’s stories, but it’s pretty darn awesome!

Love, Jess

 

Summer Round Up

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Summer’s coming to a close and I think I’m ready. Sure, I will miss the long days and the family time, but I think I need to get back to a schedule and SHHHHHHHHH – I’m looking forward to the house being mine for a few hours each day. Is that so bad?

This summer was filled with activity – birthdays, Santa Fe, BBQs, fun. Block Island, as always, rated high on our list of favorite adventures. We didn’t get quite as much time there as we’ve grown used to, but the reasons were good. Dan’s job had him busy with travel (work is good), Anna had an amazing internship and started looking at schools (work is essential), and the best reason to miss Block Island time was that my brother Philip got married to a lovely woman who we are excited to welcome to the family. Welcome Kate!!

 

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This summer also included fun activities like applying for guardianship and Social Security for Jack. Although not as entertaining as time on the beach or celebrating a wedding, I need to share that Jack’s 18 Birthday Project has not been a disaster. There have been a few tears, some money, some doctor’s appointments, some paperwork and some long lines to deal with, but it hasn’t been as painful as I’d imagined.

I’m someone who prepares for the worst. I’m not sure if it’s a product of our “situation” or if I was born this way (I can’t really remember much about life before), but I seem to have a need to picture the worst case scenario. I know this sounds like I enjoy doom and gloom, but it’s the opposite. I worry that doom and gloom might someday kill me if I don’t brace for it.

So when I can, I prepare. When Jack has a fever, I pack a hospital bag. When I see we have a 1/2 tank of gas in the car, I fill it. When we are running low on wine . . . you get the picture. I prepare. So, when I know I need to complete a pile of paperwork providing information to prove that that my eighteen-year-old son is so disabled that he is never expected to be able to work or live independently – I brace myself for both the emotional pain and the dread of dealing with bureaucracy.

I hope I don’t jinx things, but so far, it’s been pretty painless. We hired an attorney that did a remarkable job at guiding us through the process of guardianship without making us focus too much on the details. And, we spent Monday at Social Security where we lucked out and were placed at a desk with the sweetest man. He calmly asked us questions and kept looking at Jack’s sweet smile and saying, “I really want to make this easy for you guys.”. I’m glad I brought Jack. I’m not sure I would have gotten that kind of treatment without him. So all of our paperwork is in and now we wait. I REALLY hope I don’t regret sharing how easy this all was . . .

Enjoy this last blast of summer before the chaos (or quiet luxury) of the school year begins!

Love, Jess

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FYI – The first round of edits of the book are complete. I still can’t believe this is happening.