It was another difficult night and a very challenging morning. Elliott didn’t want to go to school again because when he’s there, he can’t stop thinking about him mom leaving and our ferret dying. He’s worried about what the teachers might say when he becomes upset. He’s an anxious kid to begin with and he’s miserable because of all this. He ultimately went and I’m so proud of him for doing that. I know he’s going to have a rough day but if he can stick it out, they will eventually get better.

Emmett on the other hand, refused to go to school. This is coming from a kid who’s favorite place in the world is often school.

There are a number of reasons for him not wanting to go to school. Some are in line with Elliott, especially in regards to his mom and the ferret. Where Emmett differs a little bit is that he has an actual medical condition that’s causing him a great deal of pain.

It’s one thing to push them to make it through the emotional distress during the school day but physical pain is something else. Emmett has these canker sores in multiple places in his mouth. They’re very painful for him and are the result of his fever disorder.

They aren’t contagious or anything like that. They’re just very painful and for a child with sensory issues, it’s magnified. He can’t talk, eat or drink. It’s difficult for him to exist because he’s in pain, even without moving his mouth. Unfortunately, he has to eat and drink but his limited menu is even further limited as a result of these flare ups.

Frozen yogurt is the goto for these periods of time. These sores can last from a few days to several weeks.