Just Five Minutes of Positive Focus

Many days feel rushed and hectic. But what if we took just five minutes to pause and pay attention? Is it a bright, sunny day? Is it raining? Is an elderly person at the grocery store needing help reaching something on the top or lower shelf? Does the usually cheerful cashier seem a little down today? How can we spend five minutes to serve others in small ways, enjoy God's beauty, or appreciate our own good health?

image courtesy of Sonja Langford via Unsplash

Austin is currently going through a challenging time. He's in a difficult place as we try to understand the causes behind his learning disabilities on top of his vision problems at age 28. Because of this, I make a point to encourage him to take at least five minutes each day to pause—whether to recognize something he's doing well, to notice something beautiful around him, or to intentionally look for others who might be struggling and could use kindness. Austin is always kind, of course, but I want us to intentionally take a moment to notice and appreciate those opportunities to help or encourage others—those small moments we might otherwise overlook. 

Despite his challenges, though, Austin never complains. And he usually brings out the good in others. As a matter of fact, he has that childlike faith that Jesus talked about in Matthew 18:3, Mark 10:15, and Luke 18:17. 

I’m grateful to those who ask him how he's doing when we're out and about. He's not like most people they meet, and many enjoy chatting with him and taking the time to listen to his responses, even though his speech is slow. When he's out of earshot, some people whisper to me, asking, “Does he have autism?” I'm not offended, because these are people who care enough to take the five minutes to pay attention to him.

We would appreciate your prayers as Austin has at least two doctor visits or therapy sessions each week. We're exploring possibilities related to autism, ADHD, genetic factors, and mental health, hoping to find ways to help him feel more confident despite his learning challenges. Our personal daily therapy is simply taking five minutes to focus on kindness, gratitude, and appreciating the good in life. This keeps his spirits high and gives him the courage to continue his self-discovery journey. We hope you, too, will find value in taking your own five-minute pauses.

ADHD and Autism Assessments

I mentioned in my last post that we were having a difficult time finding a psychologist to assess Austin for adult ADHD and Autism. After nearly three months of phone calls with no positive results, one finally called me back earlier this week and said she could do those assessments. There were no magic words as I thought there may be, but it took full-on persistence. And my advice for you is to be persistent as well with whatever you want to accomplish. I was ready to start looking up to 100 miles away for these assessments. That was literally my next step if this doctor hadn't called me back that very day. So, I'm very grateful for her and your prayers in this matter. Three other offices gave me one other psychologist's name. As I  mentioned, he didn't have very many positive reviews (overall Google rating was fewer than three stars), so I kept searching via the list on Austin's insurance company's website until I found someone to do these assessments. In all honesty, I haven't found any reviews on her at all. But I think that's because the other doctor is getting all the referrals from these other groups who don't do the assessments.

image courtesy of Peter Burdon via Unsplash

Finally, Austin went to his first speech therapy session yesterday, and he had taken a bottle of water with him to drink in case his throat got dry and the coughing started (also mentioned in the last post). The young lady commented on him being prepared, and we mentioned the water was to try to keep the cough under control during his session. I told her he had an appointment with an ENT later this month to see if he would do allergy testing and look at his throat - and that this barking cough has been around since early 2022 when we had had a severe coughing virus. She said she also deals with throat and swallowing therapy, so she would like for the ENT to send her any results he found through his testing, if he does any. She explained that there could be some inflammation because of how severe that coughing virus had been, and every cough thereafter could be keeping the throat inflamed. And she suggested that maybe he could withhold coughing from time to time if it was more like a tickle in the throat. She topped it off with how much water a person should drink each day - which is to take half of your body weight and drink that many ounces of water. And that more water would help keep his throat moist, possibly eliminating the number of times he felt the urge to cough.

She also tested him for decision making, memory, basic addition and subtraction, reading comprehension, following written and verbal details, and asked him questions about being able to find the right words when he speaks. I didn't realize a speech therapist would be involved with these other issues. So, I'm very pleased that Austin's PCP recommended speech therapy.

All of this is also teaching Austin persistence, how it feels to be outside of his comfort zone, how to cope with those feelings, learn about himself, and how to process. This and the psychology should work together to help him manage and navigate life a little more easily. 

Austin is very sweet. And he also thinks he has to be perfect or he will disappoint people. These aren't bad qualities of course, but they are paralyzing and are holding him back from his full potential. Right now, we're in the discovery and confidence-building stages. So, continued prayers are welcome.

Sending prayers for all of you as well

Trying to Get Life Back in Focus

Austin finally had some genetics testing done. He did have a genetics test within a month of being born, but the current geneticist actually said that these types of tests he's doing now were not available when Austin was a child, so they likely would not have found anything wrong at that time anyway. Thus, there was no one his pediatrician could send him to earlier on. And the problems that the geneticist suspects usually don't come about as a concern until adulthood anyway. But now, even with the technology, we still have to wait up to 6 months for the results, which may still come back negative of the thousands of problems they genetically check for. 

image courtesy of National Cancer Institute via Unsplash

In the meantime, I asked the geneticist if we should get Austin psychological testing done for autism and ADHD. He said yes and that they would also perform an IQ test as well. But good luck finding a psychologist to do these assessments. His PCP recommended a place to us about 3 months ago, and when I called them, they said they don't do the assessments. That place gave me a name of another psychologist, but it turns out she no longer does those assessments. I called a psychiatrist, who is listed for ADHD, and she said she doesn't do the assessments - that that has to be done by a psychologist. She said she knew someone, but that psychologist was booked out for about a year. That's why I asked the geneticist, hoping he could give us a few names or groups. It turns out, he deals only with child psychologists, so he was unable to help.

So, now, I'm going solo trying to find a psychologist who does this. Even in the psychology groups that I've called so far, they don't have anyone in the group who does that. And one group that I called that's listed as psychologists in Austin's insurance in-network list are really psychiatrists, and - you guessed it - do not do the assessments. They did recommend one psychologist, but he has atrociously awful reviews, saying he isn't caring, makes fun of the patients, and test results take forever to be returned. I realize results won't be instant, but many said they were able to get IQ test results within 2 weeks when they went to a different location. However, they didn't give the name of the new location they visited. There are a few online that I may approach to find out if they do these assessments. But I don't think I'll call this particular office after reading those reviews. None of them have stellar reviews, if any, but his reviews scare me.

By the way, psychiatrists deal in medication treatments, where psychologists deal in talk therapy. But I'm having a difficult time understanding how anyone can help if no assessments are done. Prayers are needed to help us find someone who is both caring and able to perform these assessments. Maybe in the process, I'll discover the magic words to help you search if you're looking for a psychologist who will do these types of assessments and tests for you or a loved one. 

On another note, Austin has had a strange cough that sounds like a seal. Some days, the cough is worse and occurs more frequently than other days. His PCP says his heart and lungs sound fine. But after months of hearing that, I requested allergy testing. She wanted to try a couple of other things first. So, I agreed. She asked if an air duct was near his bed. Yes. She said to cover up the air duct, add a humidifier to his room (which is already in use because of his eye problems), and to use Flonase every day. And that several weeks of waiting might be necessary to make sure these things would help his cough improve. Since it has not helped after nearly a month of these "prescribed actions", he asked me to call an Ear, Nose, and Throat specialist. So, I did. The soonest appointment we could get is a little over a month out. And that is just for a consultation, which means more waiting if he decides to order any of the tests. But that gives the other therapies/actions a little more time to be effective if they're going to be. But I also would like to see if there is scarring or something in his throat somewhere, causing him to have that high-pitched seal-like cough anyway. That started with a coughing virus we all had over 3 years ago, and the cough was just ongoing and forceful.

Before I go, I want everyone to know that Austin doesn't complain. He just wants to not be coughing and have the sore throat that comes along with that issue. And I'm the one who is trying to get these assessments and testing done so we can hopefully get some sort of therapy to help him find some confidence and help him cope with any results he gets. Writing and helping others is my therapy as I go through the processes. : ) And we truly hope you are finding these posts to be helpful.

With that, I will leave you with this verse from Romans 8:28:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Have a blessed day

New Way of Seeing

 My destination is no longer a place, but rather a new way of seeing.

This quote by Marcel Proust can lead all of us in a totally different direction in life if we let it. Austin is 28 years old and having a difficult time deciding which direction to take in life. So, he is now in the process of discovering how magnificent and awesome he really is. How? He is seeing his physician regularly. He is going to take speech and occupational therapy and will have behavioral counseling. He is going to have genetic testing done to find out what may be causing him to be slow to learn. Because his sight isn't the only thing that's obstructing his view of who he can be once he overcomes his fears of making mistakes, of not always making right choices, of not having the knowledge to do regular work, of not being able to learn quickly enough. 

We all make mistakes and make wrong choices, but Austin thinks this isn't an option. In reality, though, it's part of daily life, and it's how we learn and grow. And none of us go into any new job knowing how to do everything. But we can take the first step, which is show up and the next step, which is to be open to learning and not thinking we have to know everything about the job, and then being repetitive until we remember the steps to complete the job. And before we know it, we may be teaching people a few things because of the mistakes we  make along the way or our desire to improve anything about the job. Sometimes, a mistake may be the shorter route to completing the task that nobody had thought of before. I call this a "happy accident".

image courtesy of Beth Jnr via Unsplash

Austin's current physician is opening my eyes to the possibilities that his pediatrician declined to help me with when he was a child. Even the assistant at his current lawyer's office (who is helping him file for disability) thought this was going to be a waste of time. I hope the state will eventually see Austin's struggles as something they are willing to help him with. But my other goal is for Austin to see his possibilities and to have ambitions and to motivate others as he works through some of his struggles. 

He has so many things to offer others such as his ability to brighten anyone's day who sees him when we're out and about. People who don't know Austin adore him. They are instantly drawn to his genuine charm and kindness. He has a warm smile. He offers only kind words. He doesn't judge anyone. He is extremely quiet but will speak when spoken to. I truly love when he is willing to start a conversation with me. But usually I have to prompt him with a question. 

So, the end result is that Austin may not be able to learn more quickly, but he will be comfortable with that. He may still be slow in speech, but he may be more confident to speak more clearly and in a tone that people will be able to hear him. He may be able to balance himself better when standing or sitting. I don't know if he'll ever be able to drive or be able to work 40 hours a week. But I hope he will be able to work some during the week and make new friends. And learn more about himself than ever before.

Our prayer for you is that you find this kind of peace in your life as well. Because everyone is struggling with something.

Living with Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy

An eye update from Austin's Mom:

As posted previously, Austin recently visited his ophthalmologist to discuss the persistent halos he's been experiencing. During his last appointment in October 2024, the doctor advised him to wear his glasses more consistently. Austin has been following that advice, wearing his glasses all day, every day, for the past eight months. Despite this, as of June 2025, he continues to see halos.

To re-iterate the last post, during the June 2025 visit, the doctor suggested that a new pair of glasses might help. She also mentioned that Austin has scars on both eyes. She previously noted a scar on his right eye resulting from a severe Recurring Corneal Tear he experienced last June 2024. I mentioned to her that I believed he had only one scar, but she said he had two scars last year. I'm unsure why there would be a scar on his left eye unless it was from a prior or recent corneal tear we are unaware of. Perhaps the dystrophy itself can cause the scarring without the trauma of a tear. I don't know.

image courtesy of Victoria Poveda via Upwork

Interestingly, the left eye, which has the worse halo, is the one with the the least trauma. However, the new glasses haven't made much difference in reducing the halos, which continue to significantly impact his vision.

Austin isn't expecting a cure for the halos. Based on the research for the recent blog post about halos, there is currently no cure. He simply wants to be heard and to have his experience documented, as this is a challenge that will affect him for the rest of his life.

The Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy (EBMD) is a common cause of these halos. It’s possible that the scars resulting from the Recurring Corneal Erosion (RCE) he experienced last summer are also contributing to the issue; however, his ophthalmologist seems confident that these scars shouldn’t interfere with his vision. As someone who sees Austin daily, I disagree—something is definitely affecting his sight. My research has revealed that corneal scars as well as EBMD can impair vision by blocking or distorting light as it enters the eye.

Thankfully, several measures have helped prevent further RCE episodes. Austin takes 1000 mg of vitamin C daily, uses a humidifier filled with distilled water each night, applies a heated mask twice daily to promote tear production, uses two prescription preservative-free cycloSPORINE eyedrops daily, and applies two OTC Biotrue preservative-free lubricant drops daily (more frequently when his eyes feel dry). These routines have been effective in preventing new erosions.

However, because of the fragile nature of EBMD, even minor irritants—such as a foreign object, a gust of wind, or sweat—can cause enough irritation or drying to tear the cornea. Austin needs to be very cautious to protect his eyes. He must avoid sitting near fans, being outdoors on windy days, or letting sweat get into his eyes. Rubbing his eyes is also strictly off-limits, which makes keeping his eyes moist and free of foreign objects essential.

Dr. Monica mentioned that she has never seen anyone as young as Austin with this condition. Research indicates that most people experience their first symptoms after age 40, yet Austin was only 25 when his symptoms began and 27 when they worsened significantly.

So, although his eye chart test shows that Austin has decent visual acuity, his halos tell a different story. During a flare-up last year, he was essentially legally blind—unable to read the chart at all with his right eye. During those episodes, his vision was so impaired that he could only open his eyes partially, as any light was unbearable. His right eye was the focus of most of his eye care visits, but his left eye also experienced blurriness and mild discomfort, even though there was no corneal tear to that eye at that time.

Due to his condition, Austin can't drive, and everyday activities are tedious. He’s constantly trying to see "around" the halos, searching for a way to function despite the visual disturbances. So, we ask for your prayers as this continues to play out in his life.

More information about EBMD can be found at the following links:

Wikipedia 

EyeWiki

Corneal Dystrophy Foundation

Seeing Halos?

If you're seeing halos, you're not alone—I experience them too. Based on my research, halos accompanied by pain can indicate a more serious issue. Optometrists.org has a helpful article about this problem. Thankfully, I'm not experiencing any pain with my halos. But because they are bothersome, I’ve discussed this problem with my ophthalmologist: in October 2024, she advised me to wear my glasses more often. After following that advice and wearing my glasses daily, all day, I saw her again in June 2025. She then mentioned that these particular glasses might be contributing to the halo problem.

My prescription didn’t change much, but I decided to get new glasses anyway to see if that might help. I should receive them in a few days, and I’ll post an update here if I notice any changes.

image courtesy of CDC via Unsplash

What’s tricky is that I didn’t have halos when I first started wearing my current glasses, nor when I went without glasses for extended periods. The halos appeared a few months before I was diagnosed with dry eye, epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, and recurring corneal erosion. My ophthalmologist has, at least, ruled out any serious conditions that could be causing the halos. She also mentioned that my eyes are now retaining water due to the daily drops and treatments I’ve been using for the past 8 months—treatments I will continue using for the rest of my life to help prevent another corneal tear. Or at the very least reduce the number of corneal tears over my lifetime.

Besides the dry eye, which is not chronic at this point, I do have severe astigmatism that can cause halos. But I've had severe astigmatism since I was 18 months old.  Also, according to Optometrists.com, corneal shape and integrity could be a contributing factor based on my EBMD diagnosis. So, these are things I can ask about on my next visit with my ophthalmologist if the halos continue after I've worn my new pair of eyeglasses for a few months. 

If you have a another idea as to why I may be seeing halos (not chronic) and what may help, feel free to drop a message in the comments section.

Austin

Learning How to Use Printify and Canva

In order to have a print-on-demand (POD) business, you need to have resources. Canva and Printify are the resources I have chosen to use. And as with anything, there is a learning curve, and there are rules to follow. I'll have to say it is work just like anything else you do to earn money. But POD is very interesting work. 

With Canva, you can combine 2 or more designs to create a whole new design. It's against their policy to use a stand-alone design, so you have to use a combination of designs or add text to a design to create something totally new. 

Printify collaborates with Shutterstock to use their images for a small fee if you would like. You don't have to, but you can find those images in Printify's design mode. And you don't pay until you sell an item with a Shutterstock image on it. You can also use Printify's design selection and add text to any item. They charge for the t-shirt, Shutterstock image (if used), and shipping all at once. They then send the info to the printer who will print the design and ship the item for you. Your only involvement is designing and selling the item.

Each site requires certain steps, of course, to get through the process. But with practice, all the steps get easier over time. First, you need to know the size of the print area of the item you want to sell. Just select an item on Printify and the print area size will be provided to you. You can then either use stock images on Printify, Shutterstock via Printify, or Canva. Or use other design resources you prefer, making sure to design a size that fits inside the print area. All print designs should be high resolution (around 300 DPIs). You can also generate an image using AI on both sites as well. 

Finally, you need a place to sell your products. Printify is extremely Etsy friendly. But they also integrate with other platforms, such as Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify as well. However, that isn't to say you can't use other platforms not found at the integration link. You'll just need to, most likely, create custom orders instead of having the system automated as it is with Etsy and a few other sites. And of course, you can offer personalization, which will require a little more work anyway. So, POD isn't quite as passive as it sounds, but I'm very hopeful it will eventually become a good, steady income.

image courtesy of Mediamodifier via Unsplash

So, if you have ever wanted a POD business, but don't have time to learn how to make t-shirts, mugs, etc. yourself, and you don't have room to store the supplies even if you did learn how, I think having a print partner like Printify can be very rewarding over time. And overall, the start-up fee is about $200, because Printify does charge you as soon as you make sell. And new Etsy sellers have a pay-out delay for the first 3 months. I'm not sure about the other integrated platforms. I have also read that Etsy is charging a $15 one-time-fee to open an Etsy store now so that only serious sellers will register. With that said, though, just so you know, Canva, Printify, and Etsy allow you to upgrade for monthly fees. Many of the other platforms are strictly monthly fee-based.

There are lots of YouTube video tutorials to help with all the sites I mentioned in this blog post. Is this something you think is worth your time and focus? 

Happy printing!

Austin