So, Rorysaurus has trauma. At first, she was pretty calm about the whole thing, telling strangers she'd fallen down with her uncle and all. Then, she found a picture her grandmother had drawn for her, and edited it.
Those are tears she's drawn on "her" face. "This is me. I'm crying." She went on to try and draw on her doll, Elizabeth, so she could cry as well. Fine, fair enough.
Then, Elizabeth lost her legs.
"So she can't walk." That's right, she's tearing the legs off of her dollies so they can't walk. She also holds imaginary conversations with people on her toy phone, telling them she has "cuts and bwuises." Oh, and she'll lay under her bunkbed clutching her Batman doll to her chest, and say "We fell. Go get help."
And her "painting" of Batman. First she painted him blue, and then decorated him in red.
"He's bleeding," she tells us. She cries, wakes up in a cold sweat with nightmares and won't leave Needlenoggin's room. She's never been a snuggly child, but now she's demanding to be carried and held, and weeping at the drop of, well, anything.
Oh, and she got a Doodlebear (a bear you draw on) from the fire guys. She draws owies and band-aids on it, and throws it down the front stairs. "You can't feel your belly. It hurts you!" (Needlenoggin was crying out that he couldn't feel his belly when he was waiting for the paramedics).
Getting near the back stairs (the door nearest the bathroom) has caused her to cry out that the stairs scare her, and to refuse to be consoled for 45 minutes and to assume the fetal position.
::sigh::
So, our wonderful, beautiful and perfect pediatrician is sending her out to a pre-verbal PTSD specialist. I feel a little Berkeley for sending my 2 year old the therapy, but what can I do? She's scared and haunted and horrified.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
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6 comments:
RP, I've lurked at mothertalkers since before the little monkey was born. I'm pretty much a dedicated lurker (I'm a sucker for smart conversation between women, since I don't get much opportunity for that here)...
...your brother's accident prompted me to register for an account there just so I could follow what was happening and see if I could help.
There's not much I can do from Louisiana, except send my best, I think -- but please know that you and your family have that, and will continue to.
This breaks my heart. You guys hang in. I'll use that donation button when I can.
All best,
rlr
I think you're doing the best thing for Rory taking her to a specialist. It's not Berkeley at all; grown men and women get PTSD and get help for it. Why not children? Big hugs from Melbourne.
I have PTSD. You are sparing her from years of wondering what's wrong. Absolutely doing the best thing for her. It wouldn't be the worst thing for you all to go! Sometimes we think it didn't happen to us (the actual fall for instance) so we should be fine. Our best to all of you.
(vegas710 on MT)
Those pictures break my heart. You are so so wise to get her in therapy! "Berkeley" or not, it's the right thing to do for her.
Hugs,
Christina on MT and SanDiegoDem everywhere else.
You are being a wonderful, smart, loving momma (as usual), to get her therapy. It must be horrible to have to watch her deal with this trauma.
oh my gosh carissa... my heart is breaking reading this.... do you mind if I link on my blog?
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