Finally a new post!

I know, I know, I've been ignoring my blogging for the past almost month. It's been absolutely crazy around here, and with work too. No excuse I know, but somehow the days got the best of me. But I'm baaaaack.

Things aren't any less crazy, but I'll soldier on through (like any of us have a choice about that eh?)

I was fortunate to attend a five day inter-professional conference in Vancouver during April on Adolescents and Adults with FASD. It was at the Hyatt downtown, but due to the high cost of accommodation there - $200/night not including parking or Internet access or taxes) - I stayed at my sister's place in North Van. Overall the conference was really good and there's some really interesting research being done at UBC on the gender differences between males and females with FASD.

Not surprisingly, much of the conference dealt with the realities of parenting long after other children have grown up and moved out. Nothing new there - most of us figured out a long time ago that some of our kids won't be transitioning to independence the way most do.

There was a great panel of adults with FASD who spoke about their stories and it was enlightening, fascinating, depressing and sad, all at the same time. Almost all spoke about one person who had stood by them after multiple failures that resulted in prison sentences, failures at school, drug addictions, violence etc. Some spoke with humor, others with anger, others with gratitude. Some were in their 20's while others were significantly older.

Many speakers at the conference focused on how important it is to get an FASD diagnosis for adults so they can have services and more importantly, an explanation for who they are and their challenges. But not everyone is willing to participate and because of the lack of information on a birth mother's pre-natal history, it can be very difficult to actually get an FASD diagnosis. So many resources and supports are dependent upon that diagnosis.

Add to all of this my daily commute to and from downtown via Hastings street, and you can imagine by the end of the day, I welcomed the calm atmosphere of my sister's home. Her and her husband are childless - he works from home as a computer genius, and she is a manager at BC Cancer Agency. Most evenings I sat on their very comfortable couch either reading, or we caught up on tv shows via the PVR. No kids to parent and referee, just the neighborhood kids and their antics. (I still don't understand why the two boys who live next door insist on peeing on my sister's rhododendron when they could walk 5 steps and pee on their own plants. Or here's a thought - go inside and use the washroom!)

The week ended with dinner out at The Beach House in North Van. OMG it was beautiful. And as we were walking in, celebrity sighting Sarah McLaughlin was walking out. (Of course she pretended not to know us and walked right by.) We passed on ordering the $1200.00 bottle of wine, but my pasta dish was the cheapest on the menu for $22.00. (I guess I'm not meant for the big city restaurants on my budget!)

I ended my stay with an overnight at my boss's house with several co-workers. We chipped in for pizza, drank wine, and ate chocolate.

Although I missed my family as I'm rarely away that long, it was a great conference and I'm still processing the information 3 weeks later. I figure it's probably a good thing that I can't see what the future holds for my daughter.