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!

Thursday, January 28, 2010

A Much Better Day

After I wrote that blog last night, the evening continued on, with all of my kids, and husband, tiptoeing around me because I had really lost it. We all apologized to each other after everyone had cooled off. At one point, I got in Caroline's face, so to speak, and told her vehemently that we were not going through this again, that we would not be changing schools mid-year, that she needed to buck up and finish out the year, through gritted teeth.

I don't recommend dealing with one's child this harshly, but sometimes, when the going gets tough, the tough have to get going. I felt that I had to lay it out there for her, in stark terms, so that she could at least understand how adamantly we feel about her trying to see it through even though it is REALLY HARD. I didn't know that this would work, or that anything would change, but after I lit into her, she got very quiet. Then, after a long silence, she apologized and said that she decided she would go to school the next day and try very hard to finish out the year. I was quietly surprised, and didn't overreact, but just said thank you.

She went to school today, didn't call us to pick her up, and played in the basketball ball game tonight. I don't know if this will last, but it was a very nice day today, peaceful. We realize that she could change tomorrow, but we will take today for what is was worth. Thank you to everyone who left encouraging comments, and who prayed for her and for us. Yesterday was a dark day, and I needed the comfort of others.

Today, I got SOOOOO much done in the house, and it feels SOOOOO good to declutter and get things organized. I am following the Fly Lady method. When a child is mentally ill, the house tends to get out of control when they are not doing well, which has been showing since December. My house was in such disarray, and it was making me crazy too. My mental health is always so much better when my house is organized, and my family is happier too.

2 comments:

Bev said...

I'm so glad things are better today. I'm not really surprised by Caroline's response to the boundaries you put up for her... I know that, for myself, when I know that my husband won't stand for me to push *that* far, I tend to panic less. I do hope it lasts for a good amount of time :)

Fighting for my Children said...

Im glad things went better for you today!