Let's be honest to start off- This first year of posts in my blog (2013) were not written in 2013. As a mom to a newborn and a 3 year old undergoing sm treatment, a blog was the furthest thing from my mind! I started this blog in 2014 as a private journal just for myself to keep track of all we had done and all Thomas had accomplished. I realized that so much of what I was writing could benefit so many others going through the same struggles and questions, that I felt I should share it. It is not perfect. You will probably find some grammar mistakes or run on sentences along the way, but my hope is that it can help other children and families going through the process.
My husband, Thomas and I were so nervous but excited to arrive at the Smart Center for our initial consultation. Make sure to click the "Read First" tab on the homepage if you haven't already, as this will give you more of a back story as to how we first realized Thomas had sm and ended up at the SMart Center. It was a 4 hour evaluation, but we quickly found out that the therapy is primarily done outside of the office and falls on the parents to implement. This was overwhelming, but to a mom of a newborn who was already so frazzled, I had no idea how I would do it all. We received so much information, packets, game ideas, handouts, etc. that I thought my head would explode. I would find out that overtime a lot of it becomes second nature, but there is so much involved with successfully treating sm. We were paying A LOT of money for this evaluation and future monthly consultations, so success was our only option. Having a newborn and going through sm treatment for my oldest was extremely difficult, but you are always stronger than you think you are. It can be done if it's important enough and I have a strong faith that helps me through. I ate, slept and breathed sm cognitive behavioral therapy for the first year of treatment. I became my child's advocate and worked with him everyday. There are so many joys, frustrations, fears, celebrations and questions along the way, but I have never given up and my son has benefitted immensely from this. This blog is our journey. I hope it helps you and your family and feel free to send me a message anytime!
