Platform...

There's not much I wouldn't do for my children.  Gavin in particular who, let's face it, kind of got the short end of the stick in our family with all the things he has to deal with.  Over the years I've hunted down specialists... researched therapies and syndromes and supplements and more until the wee hours of the morning... we put a Hyperbaric Oxygen chamber in our living room... we've taken Gavin to shrines and Shaman healing ceremonies... I've brazenly hunted down doctors and specialists online and convinced them to help us... I truly could go on and on.  Many of the things we've done have helped tremendously.  But there is still one thing that continues to seem out of reach.

A diagnosis.

It's a very helpless feeling to not have a diagnosis.  In the short run, a "title" for Gavin's collection of features and behaviors and medical issues wouldn't change anything.  It wouldn't change how we treat him, feed him, love him, and work with him.  But a diagnosis could change everything in the long run. A diagnosis may tell us that Gavin's life span is significantly shorter.  It could tell us how to plan for his future in a more appropriate way - financially, medically and emotionally.  And it would be a huge factor in deciding long term care - if we were to pass away before him.  These types of issues are rather overwhelming if I let myself go there - which I don't very often.

Insert this "Parents Magazine Blog Competition."

Before this competition, the blog had a slowly growing group of followers that quickly feel like friends.   That's just how it is around here - a bunch of friends.  (Well, except for the occasional meanie or troll which, luckily, I don't encounter too often)  Since I was nominated by the editors of Parents Magazine (which still shocks me!), the amount of traffic I've received has been incredible.  And when one of the other women in my category, Glennon Melton from the wildly popular blog, Momastery, generously endorsed Chasing Rainbows... even encouraging her readers to vote for me... it practically crashed my site.  The traffic had me thinking of one thing...

A diagnosis.

What if - regardless of whether I "win" this competition or not - I was able to gain increased international exposure for Gavin.  What if I used this competition as a platform - and worked my butt off to get people to my blog - all with the hope of getting more eyes on my precious son?  And, while doing so, I could bring more people to the page with the list of all the other blogs - in turn, getting more exposure for them!

Each of us write for our own reasons.  Jo from "A Sweet Dose of Truth" writes about her family, including her son's autism.  And right now, she could use some help so if you're familiar with autism, please click her blog name above.  And Deanna from "Everything and Nothing From Essex" writes about her family, including her sweet daughter's Down Syndrome.  Dan from "Single Dad Laughing" has a deeply personal blog that touches on his life with his son, bullying, sexual orientation issues and more.  And Glennon from "Momastery" shares her life so openly and honestly that she changes the world, one person at a time.  I mean that quite literally.  Her blog is a life changer.  The platform we've all been given by Parents Magazine makes all of us winners.  And I've been happy to promote their blogs as I've promoted my own.

We all need each other.  And where else can we put our needs out there and get near instant feedback than the internet?  The increased traffic that I've received... and probably the other candidates have received... may lead each of us to something big.  Maybe it will lead to a professional contact... or a great idea for our children... or a writing gig... or maybe, just maybe, it could lead to...

A diagnosis.

Can you imagine if someone finds my blog somewhere in the world and recognizes the features and behaviors in Gavin?  Maybe their child - or one of their patients - looks and acts the same way and has had a similar history.  Sometimes those kinds of random connections can accomplish what the medical world has been unable to.  You just never, ever know.  

(You can find an entire post devoted to his genetic history here!)

I've never "promoted" my blog anywhere before.  It never really occurred to me!  But this competition suddenly gave me a reason to put myself out there.  Put Gavin out there.  Asking for votes for the competition felt better than saying "Can you come read my blog?"  Now it felt like asking for votes may lead to more exposure for Chasing Rainbows which, in turn, could lead to connections which, in turn, could someday lead to...

That diagnosis.

So, I've been begging on Facebook.  And I've been taking to Twitter.  I've tweeted celebrity after celebrity to bring them to the Parents Magazine Voting page.  Celebrities are generally wealthy and have access to the best of the best.  It is possible that one of their connections may lead ANY of the candidates in the competition to something important!  Or, when they retweet my tweet for votes, any of their followers could find my blog.  It's a long and winding road through people to find my one elusive thing.  A diagnosis for our son.

It's also been a little fun, I'm not going to lie.  I'm a big Bravo fan - and love the Real Housewives franchise.  I've had support from Kyle Richards (Paris Hilton's Aunt!), Yolanda Foster (David Foster's wife!), and Camille Grammar from Beverly Hills... Carole Radziwill (Jackie O's niece, Mom!!), Heather Thomson and Aviva Drescher from New York... Caroline Manzo, Jaqueline Laurita and Rosie Pierri from New Jersey... Lea Black from Miami... Tabatha Coffey from the show, "Tabatha Takes Over"... and I also got support from one of my favorite bloggers, CJane Kendrick.  (Love her)  Oh, and I got a random, shocking follow from Kevin Costner.  Not sure why - but cool, right? 

So win... or lose... it really doesn't matter.  I am beyond thrilled to be nominated, especially in the company of the other bloggers.  And if, years from now, it was the Parents Magazine Blog Competition that was the springboard we needed to get Gavin a diagnosis... I will be eternally grateful.  

There's really nothing I wouldn't do.  Including tweeting Snooki.  Oh yes, I did.

Molasses...

Here's the thing about my body.  People generally think it's lying... or I'm lying when I describe it.  I've always had this ability to block out what I'm feeling and act fine.  When I complain, it's generally bad.  Knowing that I have a child who can't talk - but has a LOT to complain about - well, that will keep me from complaining about much anyway.  Truly.

That being said... this has been a rough week for this old body of mine!  I've been in one of those Fibromyalgia fogs and my arthritis has been acting up at the same time.  So basically I have felt like I've been trudging through molasses mentally and physically and saying "owie" with every click of my joints.  I've been in bed early every night - sometimes before 9pm, which is crazy!  And mornings are extremely insulting no matter how early I go to sleep.

But life goes on.  And a good life at that.  Not too long ago I found an old hammock chair I bought in the Outer Banks sometime in the 90s!  I hooked it up to our swingset in the backyard today and the boys LOVED it! 

Gavin was first.  I put a sheet under him so the fabric, which is probably pretty dirty, didn't give him a rash.

He was so cozy and comfortable, he nearly fell asleep!

Next, it was Brian's turn and he laughed and laughed and laughed...

After the hammock chair, I held Gavin as I sat on the regular swing and felt SO honored when he put his head on my chest and fell asleep.  Gavin rarely, rarely snuggles - and never falls asleep in your arms - so this was a big deal.

It's simple moments like these that get me through anything I might be struggling with - physically, mentally or emotionally.

And it's moments like THIS that put it all in proper perspective.  (Note - today was one of those extremely insulting mornings and I traded more sleep for wearing a baseball cap.)

 I'm so lucky to be the Mommy to these two little boys.

One of my New Year's resolutions - next to figuring out how to eat more cupcakes and stop aging  - is to get more active on Twitter.  You'd really be helping me out if you shipped me cupcakes.  But I'd settle for you following me on Twitter.  You can find the clicky link thing on the right side of my page.