(The Alden Series 2/5: Marlena/Mom)

(The Alden Series 2/5: Marlena/Mom)

"Pinning your frightened child’s arms to their side so a stranger can stick them with needles is traumatic. When that child is an incredibly strong preteen with Down syndrome, the trauma is multiplied. Alden doesn’t understand everything we explain to him. Multiply the trauma. He doesn’t understand that the blood draw is important to keep him strong and healthy. I don’t know if he cares. I just know that for a long time, he has been too strong for me to hold down. Two or three nurses have to help. Multiply the fear factor for him and the emotional trauma for both of us.

I don’t know why he isn’t always afraid of the needles and blood draws. Sometimes he isn’t and takes it like a champ. We were at the dentist several weeks ago and Alden needed a tooth pulled. He sat in the dentist chair like it was a throne and he was holding court. We decided we would forgo the laughing gas and see how things went.

The dentist came in, stuck the needle in his gum without incident, and stepped out to allow the numbness to set in. Alden thought it was hilarious. He was being as silly as I have ever seen, making faces and laughing. He would grab his tongue and giggle. He was cackling so loud I took my phone out and recorded his antics. I was laughing out loud in the dentist office as my son made faces and pulled his tongue and produced belly laughs that echoed off the sterile walls.

I don’t know why some visits are difficult and have traumatic multipliers. I thank God for Alden’s strength of character and resiliency that bring the healing laughter to the other ones."

#ThisIsDownSyndrome #TheLuckyFew