Of Pudding and Prescriptions

You know you’re the parent of a special needs child when you willingly give him chocolate pudding for breakfast – and would do the same with a bowl of sugar -- because it’s the only way he can get his medicine down.

You also know you’re the parent of a special needs child when one of the “firsts” you celebrate is the first time he’s able to swallow a capsule.

I was thrilled the day Max was able, finally, to swallow a pill. He felt proud and victorious…and I looked forward to never again fighting with him because he could still see a granule from his capsule peeking out from under pudding or yogurt. One might think hiding medicine in food is a simple enough procedure. Those would be the people who never had to get prescription medication inside their own child.

Every morning I would gather my tools: cup of milk, yogurt or pudding, a single capsule, one small spoon, one baby spoon. And every morning I would put just enough yogurt on the spoon so the granules had something to cling to. Then, using a baby spoon, I would put a carefully measured amount of yogurt on top. Too much and Max would start screaming at me. Too little? Max would start screaming at me. I couldn’t stir the yogurt and medicine together because the granules would show and -- guess what -- Max would start screaming at me. I had to carefully layer – yogurt, medicine, yogurt – as if I was preparing a trifle for some new Food Network game show that challenged parents to come up with the best way to get medicine, vitamins, vegetables or anything other than French fries into their kids with minimal protesting. The winner would get the services of a professional chef in their home for a year.

He just better know how to make peanut butter sandwiches with the crust cut off.