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!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

What is it about sunshine?

When it is sunny, we are happy. When it is cloudy, watch out! I am talking about myself here, as well as Caroline. I am finding that cloudy days make me feel so depressed that I am not functional on those days. Really. I get panic attacks, and feel so low I want to crawl into bed and stay there all day. Not good when you don't live in California or Arizona. I am increasing my Vit D3 to 10,000 mg on those days. A prescription dose can be as much as 20,000mg. I remember that last year at this time I began really struggling with SAD, as the day light decreased into the fall. On my ICal I put a reminder to increase my antidepressant in late August. I was right! It is amazing how the change in seasons and in the weather affect some people, including myself!

9 comments:

asplashofsunshine said...

Does Caroline ever get overheated? Does the sun bother her eyes at all? What about headaches after being hot or in the sun? Oh boy, I should probably give you my e-mail so I can throw questions to you. :)

Amy said...

Come to Arizona! It is always sunny-I get excited when it rains! But I still do get depressed even when it is sunny. But if you came here we would have so much fun and Caroline and Kenzie could be friends. Tell your husband to look for a job here. I will pray for that! HeeHee! But I really will seriously! I would love it if you were here. Love Amy

domandkat said...

Oh Megan, I know just what you mean. These past few days just seem weird. Maybe the weather is sad we are moving too - ha! But I know just what you mean. My midwife - no, I just get my yearly check-up with them after all these years - said to me last year to take 1000 mg. This year she said make that 2000 mg. It definitely has helped even at the 1000mg dose.

Megan said...

Splash of Sunshine--Hannah needs LOTS of water, more than most kids, if she is in the heat because bp kids don't regulate internal temperature as well as normal kids (see The Bipolar Child) and because Lithium, being a salt, can be very dehydrating. She has had problems in the past with running races in the heat, like passing out at the end. The sun doesn't seem to bother her eyes more than normal.

Megan said...

Hi Amy! I would love to live in Arizona ! What fun that would be! We still don't know where we will end up--kind of nerve wracking!

Megan said...

Kathryn, yes I do think that the big doses of VitD3 is important for those of us who suffer from SAD. Anything to chase the blues away!

Anna said...

I was told that a tanning bed would be good for my arthritis. I wonder if it would help with this lack of sun problem as well.

Fighting for my Children said...

I think there is something called a sun lamp? It helps SAD apparently. Hope this helps.

Megan said...

I have a mini sun lamp that I can't find right now, of course. I bought it last September for both Caroline and I. I need to find it!