About our Daughter

I am mother to four wonderful daughters, ages 17, 19, 21, and 23, and wife to the greatest husband on earth. God has given us a special child to raise one who was diagnosed with early-onset bipolar disorder at the age of seven, though she showed signs of it from the age of fifteen months. She also has ADHD, Sensory Integration Disorder (sensory seeking), Dyslexia, and Non-Verbal Learning Disorder-NOS, all typical comorbidities for a bipolar child. In spite of the trials, she enjoys lacrosse, running (finished her first marathon in October of 2014!), and reading and writing her own books. I will share with you the many joys and sorrows we have faced and will face in the future with the hope that you may find better understanding about this mental illness caused by both chemical and structural abnormalities in the brain. I desire that you will be encouraged by this blog if you are also dealing with a bipolar child. Thank you for reading and sharing in our journey.

How Did You Know She Was Bipolar So Young?

I wrote a long explanation of how we came to this bipolar diagnosis in a child so young under my post of March 19th of 2009. If your child or a child you know bears similarities, please seek out a good psychiatrist and don't wait for "things to get better." Often they will simply get worse, and the longer a child is unmedicated, the more damage their brain can accrue. Early diagnoses and treatment are key to providing these children with a chance at a successful life later as a teen and an adult.
Never change, start or stop a medication without the approval of your child's physician!

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

It's Settled

Caroline will be leaving Sunday morning for Meridell, we found out today. Bill will fly out with her early and she will be admitted on Monday.  This news is a big relief to all of us--it's always the not knowing that is the hardest.  Hopefully she'll do better on the two planes this time. 

She is wanting to do many things right now that she will be missing this summer, like going to Busch Gardens, and the beach.  So we have been trying to accommodate her desires as much as we can, which for me feels very inconvenient, but I remind myself what it must be like for her.  
I am weary of dealing with her, so it's been difficult for me to be excited about doing anything with her.  She is no less grumpy and rude to me, which makes me impatient back.

When I took her to the beach today, I sat there in the beach chair, while she sort of wandered up and down the beach.  There were no waves to speak of, and  I could tell she was bored, but I never got up and walked with her, I realized as we left.  Why didn't I walk with her and talk about what she must be feeling, her fears?  A good mom would have extended that compassion, but I didn't, I thought to myself.  I should have.  My struggle with contempt of her kept me in my chair.  I love her, but I am so tired of interacting with her.  I hope my desire to spend time with her will return before she does.


1 comment:

Brandi Kennedy said...

The honesty in this post just speaks straight into my life right now. My 8 year old daughter has ADHD, ODD, and Premature Puberty due to her ADHD meds. She also has some early signs of bipolar disorder, which is terrifying for me as her mother.

When I read this post and could relate so well to your emotional exhaustion and the horror of daily life with a very difficult person ...

When I noticed the lack ofof comments on these more honest posts, especially the ones where you are wishing, just for a moment, that this difficult child was away, just to take a break, and longing for old times when you actually enjoyed her company ...

Thank you, for telling me I am not alone. I needed to comment and be sure you know that you are not alone either.