Having a child is a wonderful time for a parent. It is never diminished by finding out that your child has been born with special needs such as Down Syndrome. However, it does signal to the parent that life for their child will not be easy not only for the child but also for the parents themselves. It’s a difficult task ahead but there are things you should know about Down Syndrome that might make living with it and caring for your child a much easier road.
Down Syndrome at the base level is just the addition of part of, if not an entire, 21st chromosome. It affects a person’s cognitive ability and is always accompanied by a certain set of physical, and more specifically, facial structure and appearance similarities.
One of the things you as a parent should brace yourself for is the effect that your child Down’s will potentially have on their organs. The presence of that extra chromosome means that it could affect any of your child’s organs as a result simply because the body is not used to functioning with an extra chromosome.
Another possible problem is that of a thyroid disorder. This is fairly common in those with the syndrome as over one third of the Down Syndrome population have it.
You must also know that there are so many varying levels of Down Syndrome. Many kids with Down’s function at a very high levels and live a pretty good quality of life. Just like when a normal, healthy child is born there is no way of knowing what kind of student they will be or what kinds of special skills they might be apt to, the same can be said of a child born with Down Syndrome. This is why it is very important to screen kids individually from an early age.
There is no question that being born with Down Syndrome is a tough road for any child to go down but that doesn’t mean they can’t grow up to live a very good life.
A Early Guide to Down Syndrome
Verifying Medications with Doctors
If you are willing or have been chosen to take on the enormous task of caring for someone who is disabled or handicapped then you know that a key to their well being going forward is to make sure that they are getting their proper medication. You would be absolutely hard pressed to find someone who is disabled that is not on some prescription drug. The fact of the matter is most disabled patients are on multiple medications.
Managing their medications is not as simple as it appears. And the more meds a person is taking the harder it is. So it’s important to be on top of the medication situation. That is just as simple as knowing the whole of your loved ones current medication.
You must be organized. Take a notebook(or wherever you like to write down things) and write down all the names of the medication your loved one is on. Make sure you write down the strength, name(not brand name but the actual name you are using), and amount of pills taken and how often. Make sure you do this every single time you go to the doctors office. Make sure that every time you go to the doctor’s office you ask he or she to go over this with you. It seems silly but making sure you know exactly what medicine your loved one is on is so important.
Assuming your loved one is of fully functional mental capacity, do not allow them to urge you against double checking or just taking their word for it. As the person who is either their legal guardian or someone who is entrusted to help. You need to know with your own eyes and ears what medication that person is taking. And often times a doctor doesn’t discontinue a medication but rather just adjusts the amount of pills that are taken. You have to be aware of these little changes as they have a big impact on the health and safety of someone you love. There can be no laziness when it comes to prescription drugs.
Treating Symptoms of Autism with Prescription Drugs
While there is no known cure for autism, doctors to prescribe medications for autistic patients. These medications are intended to treat the symptoms of autism, not the actual syndrome. No medication is without side effects, so all treatment options should be carefully considered before one is settled upon. Part of educating caregivers about their options is informing them about the kind of medications used to treat autistic symptoms.
Some autistic patients may be subject to mood disorders, like depression or bipolar disorder. Prescription drugs with serotonin reuptake inhibitors are usually used to control these problems. Classic SSRI drugs include Prozac an Zoloft, which have been approved for use in patients as young as 6 and 7.
People with autism may also have behavioral problems. While these are usually mild and can be treated without medicine, some are more serious and may even be violent. When autistic patients demonstrate out of control behaviors, doctors usually prescribe them antipsychotics, like dopamine. Seizures also afflict about 25% of autistic patients. These can be controlled with anticonvulsants, which can reduce, but won’t necessarily eliminate, the occurrence of seizures.
Attention disorders, like ADD, are commonly diagnosed in autistic individuals. These are usually accompanied by hyperactivity. Drugs like Ritalin are usually prescribe to calm the patient down, decrease impulsive behavior, and increase focus. Because children who have both autism and attention deficit disorders are more likely to bully other children, you might find that they get along better with their friends and family once they begin treatment.
These are just a few of the prescription drugs that may be prescribed to autistic patients. They are safe even for young children. They will never grow out of autism or be “cured,” but you can make autism more manageable for them and you with the right treatments.
Using Family and Friends for Medical Equipment Help
Lets be honest: agree to care for someone with special physical needs is no piece of cake. It wouldn’t surprise anyone to find out you are feeling overwhelmed.. One of those things is being outfitted with equipment necessary to handle a disabled person. A wheelchair, rails for the bathtub, and perhaps a lift all may need to be placed into the house and to be honest most of those things are not cheap. So how do you get your hands on the help you need for a price you want? You email contact list is a great start.
The first line of defense is to send out an email to everyone in your contact list. Let them know of the recent developments and what it is you’re in need of. This matters far more than you think. Many people you know have a lot of skills, services they can offer, or contacts they can use to obtain or install the things you need. Don’t be afraid to ask. It is amazing what you will hear when you just make the decision to ask for help.
The bartering that goes on between you and your friends and family can be great too. Perhaps your uncle is very handy and can help you with your wheelchair lift, and then you can certainly find time in the future to help him paint the inside of his house. At this point you have cut out the labor portion of a very expensive installation. Parts won’t be free but it will cost you far less.
The other idea here is that someone you know may know someone who can help. Perhaps your friend doesn’t have access to a wheelchair but knows someone who works for a medical equipment place that might be able to get you a discount on the things you need. The point is that while it certainly isn’t fool proof to look to friends and family for the equipment it never hurts you any to do so
Silver Prices Rising-A Great time to Invest
- Image via Wikipedia
In today’s economy, you may find investing difficult at best and complex to the point of mind-boggling. You don’t want to lose your money to a high risk venture that doesn’t give you a great return on your investment. You want to have access to your money when necessary, and have the ability to control your investments to fit your needs. You don’t want to give control to a stranger behind a desk. Having the ability to buy and sell when it’s convenient for you is a real plus for any savvy investor.
You can experience these benefits and more by investing in silver. Silver prices are rising due to a high demand for this precious metal and dwindling resources. Silver supplies are shrinking fast, and the wise investors who’ve already taken advantage of this versatile metal are enjoying the dividends. Worldwide, investors are turning to silver as it is fast becoming known as the first property on the periodic table that may go extinct.
There’s no secret that the American dollar has continued to devalue, forcing forward-thinking investors toward precious metals. Gold is abundant, stored away in vaults with few applications to use up this resource. Silver is becoming rare and the prices are rising. Moving to invest in silver now would be wise. For years, hobbyists and collectors bought coins or ingots (bars) for their collections, hailing their beauty, luster, and potential future value.
There are many benefits to purchasing silver bullion, bars, or coins as an investor. You’ll have portable wealth, and you can maintain physical possession of your investment at all times. Silver is an excellent hedge against inflation and has international acceptance. Imagine that kind of tangible wealth that continues to rise in value the longer you own the precious metal. You may choose to allow your silver bars to be held in custody for your IRA account.
In today’s economy, you may find investing difficult at best and complex to the point of mind-boggling. You don’t want to lose your money to a high risk venture that doesn’t give you a great return on your investment. You want to have access to your money when necessary, and have the ability to control your investments to fit your needs. You don’t want to give control to a stranger behind a desk. Having the ability to buy and sell when it’s convenient for you is a real plus for any savvy investor.
You can experience these benefits and more by investing in silver. Silver prices are rising due to a high demand for this precious metal and dwindling resources. Silver supplies are shrinking fast, and the wise investors who’ve already taken advantage of this versatile metal are enjoying the dividends. Worldwide, investors are turning to silver as it is fast becoming known as the first property on the periodic table that may go extinct.
There’s no secret that the American dollar has continued to devalue, forcing forward-thinking investors toward precious metals. Gold is abundant, stored away in vaults with few applications to use up this resource. Silver is becoming rare and the prices are rising. Moving to invest in silver now would be wise. For years, hobbyists and collectors bought coins or ingots (bars) for their collections, hailing their beauty, luster, and potential future value.
There are many benefits to purchasing silver bullion, bars, or coins as an investor. You’ll have portable wealth, and you can maintain physical possession of your investment at all times. Silver is an excellent hedge against inflation and has international acceptance. Imagine that kind of tangible wealth that continues to rise in value the longer you own the precious metal. You may choose to allow your silver bars to be held in custody for your IRA account.
Choosing a Nurse for Disability Care
When dealing with a loved one who is no longer able to care for themselves there are a lot of important decisions to make about their care. Many people find that they feel more comfortable keeping their loved ones close and opting not to enter them in to a long term care facility. This of course means that if they are going to do it at home they will need some assistance in caring for that person. That gives them two options: hiring a professional nurse, or looking into a family friend to care for them.
While a family friend or someone of that nature would certainly be a caring individual, for the best care possible you want to go with a professional nurse. The most important reason is that they have had a great amount of professional training to deal with any situation that can arise. If the patient were to fall or begin running a fever or perhaps have difficulty breathing then they will want a trained professional. The precious moments waiting for the ambulance to arrive can be best served by someone who is medically trained to help.
A nurse is going to have a better grasp on how to communicate with a doctor or a pharmacy. When a doctor calls the house to speak about the condition of the patient its best to have someone who is able to clearly articulate the condition of the patient and fully understand the doctors orders on how to improve the condition of the disabled loved one.
A nurse is also able to do things like call in medication for a doctor. Sometimes getting a doctor to call the house and then getting them to call the pharmacy can be tougher than it should be. A nurse can, with the permission of the doctor, call in a pharmacy and order medication. A doctor may not feel comfortable asking a family friend to do the same thing.
Taking care of disabled loved one can be a difficult job and that’s why it helps to have a trained professional to do the job.
Smokeless Tobacco Alternatives
Some people hate the smell of cigarette smoke, especially smokers. Just because you smoke doesn’t mean you don’t recognize that it is sometimes an unpleasant habit. Smoke gets everywhere and stains your clothes and teeth, not to mention all the cigarette ash that can get all over your house and the inside of your car.
So how do you enjoy the effects of smoking without the messiness of it? In today’s market that is a very easy thing to do. Many alternatives to a regular cigarette have made their way onto the market.
Nicotine Patch
This is a great way to get your nicotine fix in a very clean and efficient way. The patch can be applied to your upper arm and comes in a variety of milligram strengths depending on your nicotine dependency level. The price of nicotine patches is fairly reasonable and they can be found at most places where cigarettes are sold.
Electronic Cigarettes
Electronic Cigarettes are the newest innovation in getting your nicotine needs in a clean and easy way. It provides inhaled amounts of nicotine through the use of a solution. It’s very much like a vaporizer. There is no ash, no smoke, and no smell. The e cigarettes are reasonably priced as well and are all available online.
Nicotine Gum
Nicotine gum is one of the oldest, smokeless tobacco’s on the market. It also comes in varying strengths and the price of nicotine gum has come down in recent years. It is marketed as a way to stop smoking but it can also provide you with the nicotine you need without all the clean up.
Some people want their nicotine but don’t know how to do it in a way that is clean and effective. These three choices are the best solutions available to you.
