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, January 5, 2010

Sick Kids=Headache for Mom

I have three kids home sick today. Well, Jane is always home since she is homeschooled, but it feels like Christmas vacation isn't over yet. I woke up with a major migraine. Slept in until 9:30 am today. I can seem to shake the headache or feel more awake. So much to do too. Life doesn't cooperate with our own plans most of the time, does it? Time to take down the Christmas decorations. Maybe my kids will get the message that they need to get better and go back to school now....

1 comment:

Cinda said...

Oh, ugh, again. When it rains... I am glad that you are able to be home with your kids (although I bet you could use a little escape!). BTW, Linea has posted! (http://www.lineajohnson.blogspot.com) Grieving....