Hudson and I had a pretty significant session with his psychologist last Friday. We've now reached the 3 year anniversary of beating the tick-borne infections that created all this inflammation in his brain. We reflected on the the fact that Hudson has really made it through healing from PANS and the emotional aftermath. And now we've turned the dial nearly 180 degrees to focus on how to set him up for success in the future. I'm just letting that sink in: we made it through. I mean, we did it. Wow.

Practically, we are still working on his disengaging from the computer and integrating into normal 13 year old activities. But he does so much more willingly now than even 6 months ago. For the past 2 months, every Saturday morning we have joined the junior bowling league at Old Settlers in Union Grove. To say they are accommodating to both a newcomer and a kid with special emotional needs is an understatement. Such an embracing group of coaches, parents and kids. I think we've found Hudson's new hobby. I wouldn't say Hudson is excited about going, but he is willing. He has already improved, in other words, gotten fewer gutter balls. And he doesn't cower from people, which is a huge step forward.

In fact, I took him to Target the other day just to see how he would do around strangers going about their business around him. Absolutely no cowering or hiding whatsoever. We probably spent 30 minutes in the toy aisle browsing and getting gift ideas. And he even chose to peruse the animals at Pet Smart next door for a few minutes before going back home. Of course, I made no big deal of it with him, but when I got home I stage whispered the whole outing to the rest of the family. And, what's more, he even requested this week that we take a vacation to Harry Potter world sometime. An absolute first that he requests to go to a busy tourist spot, away from home. I was like, can I just take him places now? Like a mom with an emotionally normal son? Hudson shall be taking more outings in the near future to stretch and test this theory.

Then there is the fact that he is a 13 year old boy entering puberty. Oh that time of life that none of us would willingly repeat. Complete with new body processes, smells, voice cracks, and all the squirreliness and silliness that goes with it. I will need my sense of humor now more than ever, ha. I swear the boy asks to be tickled by being annoying on purpose with his voice now experimenting with new and deeper tones. And in those moments, I do now also feel thankful that many more times than not, he seems more like a normal 13 year old boy, rather than one who is struggling to bounce back from a chronic illness.

Yesterday, I realized his skin is really starting to break out in places on his face. And I said we need to wash his face to help it. So we went through this whole thing after school of getting it all wet, rubbing facial soap all over it, and splashing water to rinse it off. It was sensory overload and he went running off to lock himself in his room to recover. I was like, there's that limit again. And yet, how different is it from normal 13 year olds, pushing back against taking a shower? We'll need to scale that back a bit for now and find a happy compromise of washing without overstimulating.

Three steps forward, one step back, one hundred times thankful for our path to the here and now.

Picture, breaking open a geode that he got as a Christmas gift.