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, July 6, 2010

Not So Good

Well, this day was looking really good until my husband informed me that he will be out of a job in about ten days. He is a reservist who has been doing active duty stints for some time, but the Navy is downsizing, and so he couldn't get his billet renewed, though he fought hard. So.....he needs a job fast, obviously. The military offers the best health insurance you could have, so it is a scary thought that we will be losing that. He may even look to go active duty with another service (not the Army or Marines however.) We will be able to keep the health insurance for six months without paying for anything, but after that we are on our own. My husband makes an excellent salary as a Naval officer, so we will be hard pressed to replace that income. Might be time for me to get a job too, or to sell our house and reduce our expenses. Blah! I have a pit in my stomach right now. We did this several years ago and added greatly to our debt load while he was unemployed. I know God will provide, but His timetable isn't always in line with our desires. Please pray for a quick resolution. My husband is a trooper. I am very proud of him! We won't tell the kids yet while we take a few days to figure it all out. I am wondering if we should keep Caroline in private school this year, or just try to homeschool her. That is a very big expense. We need wisdom.

5 comments:

Fighting for my Children said...

Thats tough. Hope your husband can get a good job again soon.

Hartley said...

I am not sure I can offer wisdom...but I'll try. :)

The first thing I always say is that making a decision because you feel forced into it, is always bad. Give everything as much time as you can.

Ask around. The best jobs are found by word of mouth. My husband is a former Marine, and that "brotherhoood" of the military is a strong connection -- maybe your husband has some connections to help him find something?

I know you said NO to the Marines, but I have a good friend who is an Officer in the Marine Reserves - networking can pay off big time; if I can put in a word, let me know.

My mother always says, "If money is your biggest problem, consider yourself lucky." I am sure you already know this, but if you can fix the problem with money, then it isn't that bad. Right? I mean wouldn't we all give ANY amount of money to help our kids? Of course! : )

Hang in there! Things always make more sense after you have had time to process them.

If I can help you Megan, please ask. :)

Hartley
www.hartleysboys.com

Anonymous said...

I'm so sorry to hear the bad news, I will pray for you and your family.

Anonymous said...

We are right there with ya. My husband is thinking he may be laid off - soon. Luckily, I do work as a teacher, so we can get insurance, but it won't be as good, and I doubt my daughter's doctor will be covered. We are taking steps to prepare for the worst, but praying for the best. It's a tough spot for anyone to be in, but, factor in bipolar disorder, and it's a scary proposition.

Megan said...

Thanks for the encouragment. I find my self grinding my teeth and all tensed up, which isn't to say I don't normally do that, but I think it is much worse now. I know things will work out, but it is the not knowing that is nerve-racking.