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!

Monday, December 21, 2009

A Tragic Passing

I am overcome by emotion tonight as we have learned that an old friend took her own life this past week. She had suffered many miscarriages, but she had finally carried a baby to seven months, only to learn that the had baby died. Without telling her husband about the baby's death, she checked into a hotel and committed suicide. Such a shocking and sad end to a beautiful life. The last time I saw her was at her wedding ten years ago. Now they are preparing for her funeral at the same church she was married in. We will miss her. She was such a gentle, kind soul. Depression sometimes wins, but she is still victorious, united with her Savior and her precious baby. We pray for her husband.

4 comments:

Lynn said...

i am so very sorry for her and her family. what a tragic loss.

RyanDallasmom said...

I'm so sorry.

Cinda said...

Lives have been changed forever. I am so sorry for her family and her friends, you included. I have too much experience with suicide and attempts. It is a sorrowful act but treatable. Thank you for writing about it. We can't afford to keep it hidden. Take care.

Meg said...

Oh my gosh, That is so incredibly sad.

I started this evening going back and reading your whole blog Megan and wow, what a journey you all have been on. I plan to keep reading the whole thing this holiday as I have time. It's amazing how much our bp kids have in common.