You know you're a PANDAS parent when...

[AmySLP]

You see Panda bears everywhere while at the toy store doing Christmas shopping & hide them so you don't have to look at them. It also keeps you from ripping them apart! Seriously...is it just me or are those bears just all over the place this year?! AND you're not sure, but wonder if any of your friends might think it's "cute" to get you some sort of Panda bear gift for Christmas...then remember that you never see or talk to them anymore, so the idea of getting gifts is remote. And if your son gets anything Panda-y for Christmas, you know you're gonna immediately dispose of it. Thankfully, his favorite animal is an elephant, & I don't think that acronym would ever work...no matter what they rename it.

 

Another one is when you tell the story of what PANDAS is to everyone. My GYN was listening and had to put her gloves on to shut me up. Geez. And the little guy at the vitamin shop--his eyes just glazed over when I started telling him. Met a nice lady at Target in the toy dept & gave her my Mommy card since she also homeschools & then I didn't shut up about why my son was on homeschool hiatus & am sure I freaked her out...never heard from her. And yes...I'm the weird person that talks to strangers out at stores because I never get to practice my social skills anymore...and what's worse is that I'm an introvert, so I seem really weird.

 

@Emerson--I was gonna say the Facebook thing too.

 

@P. Mom---what an awful story. I was talking to a lady that my hubby works & she told me that her best friend's granddaughters had strep & I could feel panic & the change in my face & this lady hadn't even been around those kids.

 

 

Just got rid of the Panda bear PJs someone gave my daughter-REALLY? Not sure if it was coincidental or not-but they have been passed on to good will!

[AmySLP]

When the pharmacist looks at you as if you have an addiction to ABX, b/c you're there like clockwork every 10 days to have the bottle reconsituted. It's really bad when they even know which child takes which flavor!

[dcmom]

When you let your kindergartener go to school in pajamas and rainboots, without brushing her hair or teeth- and you are just thrilled she is there

 

I can (sort of) find amusement in things now, that we are in a more stable place. I am truly a changed person, and a different mom. I am stronger, and appreciate and love my kids more in every moment, and have truly learned what is important. Wish it didn't have to come the hard way, and at their expense

[JAG10]

• When you get a "high" when you score abx or steroids for your kids
• When you look forward to a specialist's appt more than any date, event, sale or sex
• When you would drive or fly halfway across the country to see a pediatrician from Croatia
• When waiting for the other shoe to drop becomes a way of life

[philamom]

When you sacrifice your self-esteem for an hour drop off play date.

 

Recently, I arranged for my daughter to visit a family we haven't seen in some time. I picked up a small present for their child and put it in a gift bag we had around the house. On the way to the visit, my daughter noticed the gift bag and began crying because she couldn't part with it (hoarding). I said I would ask for the gift bag back. Well, after I exclaimed my lame excuse on why I needed the bag back, my daugter proceeded to declare loudly how much of a tight wad I was. She even had the audacity to say "Mom, haven't you ever heard of a dollar store!" She went on for five minutes about the gift bag.

 

I was burning up inside, but kept my smiley grin and walked out the front door for my hour of free time! The entire drive home I couldn't stop chuckling!!

 

Oh, and of course the present had to be something my daughter already owned.

[EmersonAilidh]

When you're at kroger and you overhear a mom (standing there with her son) telling another mom he was just diagnosed with strep and had to stay home from school. You dart as far away as you can and proceed to complian to your husband how it's irresponsible of her to take him to a grocery store.

 

How when other moms tell you their kids' problems, you have a list of supplements and ideas of what to do for them to get better. Now, these moms don't know your child has PANDAS. So, you then being to wonder what they think of you and how you know all of this.

 

When you get on the automatic defense when friends on facebook post quizes and links about mental illness and make light of it.

 

UGH!!! Did you see the Facebook "Autism Quotient Test"?! Drove me INSANE! Gotta admit... I called out every single person who posted it. So stupid.

 

You know you're a P.A.N.D.A.S. kids when your friends know better than to vent to you.

 

"Ugh, & then Sally kissed Johnny & it was like, so messed up cos like I like Johnny & Sally isn't even cute like & like Sally knew that & like why would she do that to me? Oh my God. I am like... So depressed." ~ Friend.

"I've been having a bad day too. The Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, & Mycoplasma tests all came back normal the same day I had an allergic reaction to the MSLT glue." ~ Me.

"Oh......." ~ Friend. (who probably has NO idea what I'm talking about anyway, haha.)

 

You know you're a P.A.N.D.A.S. kids when your friends call you for all of their ailments.

 

"Ailidh, my eye hurts."

"Eat a mango. More vitamin D than a carrot."

 

"Ailidh, my throat hurts."

"Rice pudding."

 

"Ailidh, I can't sleep."

"Melatonin & Valerian root."

 

They all call me Dr. Emerson. D:

[matis_mom]

When you call the pediatrician's office and tell them that you need an appointment.....and they say " yes Mrs. Bossman, which child, or how many?" Seriously it really happens to me.....they recognize my voice, and not just one of the receptionists up front.....all of them. One time I tried to sound a little different because it's almost embarassing....and they still got me! I have 4 kids.....w/out symptoms of strep, and one pandas child, so I take them in for strep checks frequently.....ok, maybe more than frequently.....but at least you guys understand!!!!!

Oh, I SO get that!!! I have eight kids, and yes, they don't even ask me my name, they just say, "so who (how many) are you bringing in today?"

The upside of it is that the nurses are happy to swab even if we are there for something totally unrelated

 

You know you are a PANDAS mom when even your 2-yo "knows the drill" about getting swabbed for strep and says "me first" when the nurse asks who wants to go first!

[cobbiemommy]

• When you get a "high" when you score abx or steroids for your kids
• When you look forward to a specialist's appt more than any date, event, sale or sex
• When you would drive or fly halfway across the country to see a pediatrician from Croatia
• When waiting for the other shoe to drop becomes a way of life

 

You stole my list! Also,

When you give Saving Sammy to your local pediatrician and Curing the 4A Disorders to another mom with an Aspie (because hey, after all, you practically have it memorized!".

 

When you tell people your son has Lyme Disease and it's a good thing because now you KNOW why they have been so hard to live with.

 

Cobbie

[peglem]

You know you're a PANDAS parent when

-You hope the lab test comes back showing immune deficiency so you can get IVIG.

-Every activity has a contingency plan for if your kid can't handle it.

[tantrums]

When you get on the automatic defense when friends on facebook post quizes and links about mental illness and make light of it.

 

I deleted someone for that Actually she referred to my post that DS diagnosis was definite that that MUST be what caused her OCD. GONE!!!!

 

When you go out and buy 20 bags of beef jerky, packs of silly bandz, glue sticks, etc... whatever your kids current obsession is just so you don't have to go through the horror of him running out!

 

When you hear a child screaming in the neighborhood and automatically assume it's yours. Seriously - my neighbors will text me first now to say it's NOT him...

[thereishope]

Ummm....I did that one. But, I did it to actually see what I would score (which was in the higher than average range) and I did see that test wasn't the fluff quizzes like others. The one that bothered me the most was "How OCD are You" or "What Mental Illness are You".

 

 

UGH!!! Did you see the Facebook "Autism Quotient Test"?! Drove me INSANE! Gotta admit... I called out every single person who posted it. So stupid.

 

Edited November 24, 2010 by Vickie

[thereishope]

My 4 year old doesn't even have the gag reflex anymore when she gets a strep test.

 

 

You know you are a PANDAS mom when even your 2-yo "knows the drill" about getting swabbed for strep and says "me first" when the nurse asks who wants to go first!

Edited November 24, 2010 by Vickie

[momcap]

When getting back a high CamK score is the best day of your life!!!

[Priscilla]

Well my dh and I have had to restructure our vocabulary. The word "back", "jaw" "chin", and "head" are all triggers, "back" is the worst. So now, my dd has to get her "blackpack" before school, sometimes we walk in the "black" door, I will be right "black" from the store. (for some reason, "black" is ok). This is my favorite, we all surf, and she is learning to do a "backside cutback", she has changed all surf lingo because we now call it a "buttside cutty" so cute We are just embacing it now, keep us sane.

[Kayanne]

...you are constantly checking the levels of probiotics, fish oil and vitamins in your cabinet and you get excited to see dye free motrin on sale.