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!

Saturday, May 9, 2009

You May Have Noticed...

You may notice that I am allowing some companies to advertise on my blog.  Please understand that I am not trying to capitalize on the trials of our precious daughter, but rather to accomplish two things.  First, many may find this blog via Google by searching out "bipolar daughter" because they are looking for support and encouragement about their own loved one.  Once my adsense request is approved, the advertisements that show on the sidebar will change to those provided mainly by pharmaceutical companies and other relevant entities which are trying to forward research for treatments and a possible cure for this terrible disorder.  People new to this whole bipolar thing may feel overwhelmed by the myriad of medications needed, so this could be helpful to learn which meds do what.  

Secondly, we have spent a tremendous amount of money on our Caroline paying for medical bills, private schools, and many different activities that we thought would be therapeutic for her, such as horsebackriding, art, sports etc.  These expenses have impacted our finances to a significant degree.  Because I cannot work outside the home while caring for her at this important stage of her life, I have limited options to bring in extra money.  So if a few extra dollars come in to help, that's great.  I don't expect to be earning a whole lot off of my blog.  And truly, I just want to share with whoever wants to read about our trials and joys in raising this special needs daughter. So please don't be offended.  I am just glad you are reading....Megan

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