Pup

We saw Pup's teacher the other day about his school individual education plan (IEP); he has this special plan in place because he has a few issues at school, and needs extra support. Teacher says he is "doing very well academically" despite being a big handful in class, not doing any work and not being able to write legibly yet. This left me rather confused!

He always comes over as bright, but he isn't too good at listening, he'd rather talk - and boy, does he talk! He's pretty good at getting over what he wants to say, although he uses ten words when two would do. We joke that he will be a politician when he grows up - he has a strong liking for rules as well as never answering a question directly, and having a fair amount of charisma. In fact most people prefer him in small doses, as he can be rather overwhelming. He isn't too good with kids his own age; although he gets on brilliantly with his little bro. Some emotional immaturity there I think. He is usually a happy and positive kid.

It's been a long road so far with him. There's a long way to go. We don't know what his future will be. Somedays I just pray that he will HAVE a future. Twenty / thirty years ago kids with Cystic Fibrosis weren't expected to live to adulthood. Now the expectation is that they will live many more years, and may enjoy good health for far longer. But there may be hard times ahead for him, years of sickness, increasing disability, maybe even transplants. He doesn't know half of what may be ahead for him. He has plans. He wants to be a teacher, and to have three kids (he doesn't want a wife, only a woman to gestate his kids for him, who can then fade quietly into the background!)

Life is often challenging for him. He doesn't enjoy eating. He lives with chronic stomach aches. He gets very fed up with the meds he has to take, the physio; with the knowledge that he has pressures on him that other kids don't.

Sometimes we forget that there is this uncertainty hanging over him. I'm glad we can forget. I'm glad he doesn't know yet. One day is soon enough.