Very Aggitated

I have to say that so far this weaning process really sucks. And today is only the 3rd day. It is very apparent that she is experiencing withdrawals of sorts and it is extremely difficult to watch. It kind of brings me back to the very beginning of therapy when I had the most behavior hours because she was so hard to manage. At least now I have learned specific techniques to help her, but her "tantrums" for lack of a better word, are clearly not behavioral this time and instead appear to be reactions. She is very uncomfortable and requires constant attention. It is extremely hard to console her - and I'm pretty much the only one she wants during these trying times.

Here is a picture I took early this morning at Petco.



If you look closely, you can see spots on her face. She has broken out in a funky rash from her nose down. She doesn't appear to be bothered by them, but it certainly bothers me. I don't know exactly what is causing them but this morning when I was giving her the medicine, she kept spitting it out and I kept scooping it up and putting it back in her mouth. It is extremely important that we make sure she gets all of her medicine, even though we are tapering off. A sudden deprivation of it can cause full blown seizures, something I certainly don't want to provoke. When I was done, I noticed that she had white granules on her chin and around her lips. I'm wondering if the skin contact could be creating these bumps. It's quite possible because I know the medicine needs to be in food items that Raquel swallows and not chews. If she chews the granules, it can cause an irritation in her mouth and on her tongue.

On the positive side - the cup is half full, remember - I heard from a behavior therapist and he is coming on Tuesday at noon to meet Raquel and discuss the type of in-home program I'd like to get started. It sounds like very good timing...