The words above were the words my grandfather, who I call Gung-Gung, was screaming as he was sitting in the phlebotomy chair earlier this week. Let's back up for a moment, so I can fill you in on what happened. I take my Gung-Gung to his blood test appointment every month. When I brought him in last month & his phlebotomist, Lindsey, told me that she was leaving, my heart sank. Yes, autistic people have difficulty dealing with change & transitions, but this was absolutely NOT why this was so upsetting to me. Lindsey is the main person who has taken my Gung-Gung's blood ever since he moved to Shrewsbury in 2021. But, not only that, she seems to be the only person who is capable of taking his blood. No joke. His veins aren't great, plus his skin is super crepey & wrinkly. She is really, REALLY good at her job, but not only that, she is really, REALLY good to him, too. Without her, what would I do?! Since I'm the one who takes my Gung-Gung for his blood test every month, this was MY problem. The last time Lindsey wasn't there (this past December), my Gung-Gung's blood test was a complete nightmare. This is what happened:
This is what happened when I took my Gung-Gung to his blood test earlier this week:
That day was so incredibly stressful. Caregiving is HARD WORK. Caregiving while you have a significant disability such as autism is even HARDER WORK. Autism impairs our communication abilities, our processing speed, our ability to multitask, & more. All of those skills are needed when you care for someone, especially someone who isn't able to care for him/herself. Later on, when I told my mom what had happened at the blood test, she told me that I was really lucky that I was able to convince the phlebotomist to draw his blood. And she was right. He was screaming, "No!" & I don't have medical say over him. But, we're there every month for the same thing, I know the phlebotomist, I know what he needs, & I know the best way to advocate for him. (In fact, there are times where I feel like I'm better able to advocate for my Gung-Gung than I'm able to advocate for myself.) Those weren't things that were easy for me to learn when my grandparents first moved to Shrewsbury, but I did it. And I'm so glad I did because it's giving me precious moments with my Gung-Gung that I'll have forever. 💙
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AuthorHello! My name is Kim, I didn't know I was autistic until I was in my thirties, & this is my story. Categories
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May 2024
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