AIWS, a different kind of hell.

It's rare, not many even know what it is. As a parent that has a child that suffers from it, it's sad, frustrating...it's heart breaking. There are no support groups, there are no pamphlets, there is no pediatrician that knows what it is.
Last week was hell, T had an extreme episode last week, more extreme than most. There was puke involved, 3am brought a bloody nose to the party. And not just any bloody nose, his bed looked as if it was a murder scene. By the third shower, it's the only thing that calms him enough to keep the puke at bay, I knew we would be in for a hellish night. We managed to get a few hours sleep that night.
The next night he slept on the living room. After the third call for me in two hours I decided to sleep on the floor with him. Let me stop and say that anyone over forty is not cut out for sleeping on floors, oh my aching body. We managed to get through that night with a few back rubs, some hand holding and a lot of distractions with "remember whens".
I had high hopes for the third night, those hopes were crushed around 1am with a loud mom and some tears. I watched him pace for hours that night. I felt so helpless, he smacked his own head, he clapped his hands, all out of frustration. He wanted sleep as badly as I did. It finally started to fade enough where he could relax a little, we both slept on the floor that morning. I say morning because there was no sleeping that night.
I wish there was more I could do for him, I know what triggers it, I just can't figure out how to prevent it. It's so unpredictable but it does always happen when he's tired or not sleeping well. When he was little just climbing into bed with us would usually help, it doesn't anymore. He is more aware of what is happening and no matter how hard he tries to will it away nothing works. It's a monster that comes and goes as it pleases.
The face of Alice in Wonderland Syndrome....you'd never know.

It's one of those things you can't fully understand unless you've experienced it, watched your child cry and punch themselves out of frustration. And even then you don't fully understand it. It's silent, it's the reason they are tired in class the next day. It's the reason the parent of a healthy child is cranky and drinking their 3rd cup of coffee at 9am.


Everyone is fighting their own battles, be kind.