Moving AGAIN!

As most of you know from my FB page, Mike is being transferred to a new store already.  He was promoted to 2nd Assistant Manager (a new position that the company created about a year ago that only select stores will have depending on how busy and big they are) in a store that is almost 2 hours away from here.  We are so happy to be able to stay on the eastern side of the state though so we are still within 2 hours driving to both sets of parents!  Mike was only at this store for 9 months, and the kids and I had only been here for 7 months before receiving this news.  Just so you know, this short of time between moves is NOT typical of the company...it's usually more like 2-4 years, but when the company feels like they have found the right fit for someone to advance, they will move you when needed.

In addition to finding a new rental house (thank you to some old Fareway friends that are already in the new store that helped with this!) and of course moving our entire family and belongings, we also have the additional tasks of moving all of Brycen's services and therapies to the new town.  Some of you are familiar with what this all includes, but most of you probably aren't so I'll provide a "brief" summary of what my list right now consists of pertaining to Brycen ONLY:

• Brycen's Case Management will be transferred from Clayton County to Jackson County so he will have a new Case Manager to oversea his waiver services (respite, SCL, etc)
• Social Security will need documentation of our new residence and income changes (Mike receives a pay raise with the move as well as he will be scheduled more hours each week than he was as a full-time managment program employee) as that will all change.
• Respite services will hopefully stay the same with my old employer and my mom will stay as the staff if they will allow (they currently do not serve anyone in that area of the state)
• SCL services will still be through the CCO program and my mom as the staff...and I JUST received an email from the broker here in NE Iowa and she said she is able to stay with him also so I can cross this off my list besides having to change our residence and phone number with the broker and Veridian who oversees the payment to my mom for her hours worked.
• Therapy services (speech and OT) need to be located in the area...our current SLP at the hospital is helping with this and we just found a lead on a great place in the town.  Otherwise we will have to drive him at least 30 miles to a therapy clinic that works with pediatrics.  Cross your fingers for the local clinic to work out!
• Pharmacy change with his medications
• U of I genetics will need to be changed since we are under their care right now with testing
• Psychiatrist will either need to be changed or since she is located out of Cedar Rapids (she travels one day per week to our current area), we may just drive to continue to see her so we have one less change
• New physician needs to be found right away to transfer all of his scripts for diapers and therapy to new town
• Medicaid will need to be informed of his residence change.
• Activ Style will need to be informed of his residence change and provided with new script for his diapers
• Transportation company will need to be informed of his residence change and special approval required for reimbursement if we need to take him out of the county for any doctors or therapies
• Most importantly, his educational needs will be transferred to the local district including the new IEP that our current team worked so hard on these last few weeks so he will be in special education services, intergrated into the general education room with a 1:1 paraprofessional all day, as well as speech and OT included in his educational services.

Phew!  Of course I have another list that is just the basic moving things like insurance, utilities, credit cards, bank accounts, etc.  I know I've said this before but after looking at this list typed out, it really does make one think that having a special needs child and managing all of their day-to-day services is a full-time job in itself!  I love being involved in his services though and I am very grateful for the education and work experience I had prior to his regression and diagnosis so I know what needs to be done and how to stay on top of the basics.  It does make some of this a lot easier having 10 years of experience of working in the field...though no education or work really prepares you for the job of 24 hours of special needs, just like babysitting a baby for a few hours does not really prepare you for the 24 hour job of having a newborn baby. 

I'm trying to think positive about this move despite it happening so fast.  Each day I am finding more and more things that will be easier once we move such as the decreased travel time/gas money for Mike to get to work, to get Brycen to school, and hopefully to get him to therapy as well.  We already know one Fareway family in the area, as well as Mike has extended family that live within a half hour of the new town (thanks to his aunt/uncle that are letting him stay at their house over these few weeks until we move!!) so we feel that we will have some immediate support in the area.
 
I'll keep everybody updated on the changes with Brycen as they happen...and of course let you know how he accepts the actual move and many changes in his life as he adjusts to all of this!