In So Many Words

Our appointment with the pediatrician today went surprisingly well. I had spent the last couple of days prepping the Little Guy that we were going and what to expect while we were there. Well, we arrived at the office only to find that our doctor had switched his schedule and our appointment had been moved to Wednesday! This apparently had been done back in February but no one had ever called us!! I almost had a meltdown myself but managed to hold it together (for the most part) while trying to express how upsetting this would be to him and how shocked I was that this had occurred. Thankfully, one of the doctors who was there but not on the schedule was willing to see him, and we did not have to leave and come back another day. Phew!!

The doctor we saw today had a different style than our regular one, and we had a surprisingly good discussion about the vaccine issue. He was very understanding of the difficulty many parents have with this decision and promised that they would work with us whatever we decide. He also encouraged me not to worry about school but simply file the exemption if that is how we feel. Although he does not believe that vaccines have any correlation to autism, he acknowledged that there are risks to getting the shots as well as risks to not getting the shots. So we are going to have to think on this one some more in the next few months.

With that stressful event over and since we were in Hershey anyway, we decided to go over to Chocolate World (a great free thing to do around here). Before going on the “Great American Chocolate Tour,” we stopped at the Hersheypark season pass office to renew our passes for 2008. Because of Michael’s disability and the fact that I was getting a companion pass, we got the “accessible” rate on both passes and saved a total of $30. We paid $115 each, which is a bargain when you consider that an adult one-day admission for the upcoming season is a whopping $47.95. The companion pass has a big C instead of my picture and can be used by anyone, thus allowing another caregiver to take him to the park instead of me.

Bonus tip for those in the area or who may travel here: If you go up to any food stand at Hersheypark that has fountain drinks, you can request a large ice water at no charge. This is not bottled water but a cup of ice and water from the soda fountain, and you do not have to purchase anything in order to get it. Pretty nice for those hot days, especially when you are walking the whole park!

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