Having a Daughter with Autism

I had this entry below on my old blog, Jan 16, 2008, and I thought I would bring it back on this blog since I have shared this blog with other adoptive families from my new agency. I often post about Danica in college and stuff but our Anastasia is 21 and has Autism and a bunch of other diagnosis I don't care to mention right now. She still lives with us. Anastasia is very special to me. In her mind she is about 5 y/o. She talks but it is basic communication. She doesn't have the ability to communicate back and forth with one. She is very attached to me and pretty much follows me everywhere I go. A few weeks ago, we had to take her to the emergency room with a full blown seizure and it was such a horrible experience. The last seizure she had was 5 years ago and it was as bad. Talking about your child dying right in front of you. At least that is what it looks like. She has been such a sweetheart lately and I love her dearly. She truly is my biggest baby and we are soon celebrating her 22nd birthday.

Here is the post 1/16/08:
Today our daughter Anastasia came home from a short term respite stay. I should have taken a before and after picture. Not having ANY family around since we have been married can be hard at times to be alone. Everything Kevin and I do we have to plan, that includes going to a bible study. So when these respite hours come up, Kevin and I get excited to have the alone time but at the same token we are so afraid to let her go because it's always the same when she comes home. Ana smelled bad, grease was coming out of her ears, drool on her face, and HONESTLY it took me 2 hours to comb her hair when finally the knots were all combed out. I don't think they touched her hair once. Reality sat in today after my baby came home and we figured there is no way we could ever let her go into a group home. People just don't take care of other people unless it's their own family, especially special needs children. Thank you God for the healthy body you have given me to take care of my daughter. I think that is another reason why my passion for third world countries grows deeper and deeper every day because people don't have hardly anything but they take care of each other.