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!

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mothers' Day to the Best Moms in the World!

You probably don't feel like you are one of the best moms in the world, but you are amazing because you care for your child who may show very little love in return.  You have stuck it out when everyone else said to give up.  You have prayed, cried, pleaded with your child to take their meds, do their school work, follow instructions and just to hang in there when they want to give up everything.  You are the best mom for your child, even when you think God must have made a huge mistake.  I know all of those feelings.  But the truth is that you are very special to be given a child with bipolar disorder.  You will grow through this struggle in ways you never imagined.  I am a different person because of Caroline, a better person, someone who sees her weaknesses and has developed strengths I certainly wouldn't have otherwise.  Keep believing, praying, pushing through and hoping that one day it will get better for your child! And do things that are just for you, whether it is a daily walk around the block, a pedicure, a cup of coffee with a non-judgemental friend.  You need to take care of you so you can take care of your  child without so much resentment.  The little things do matter!

5 comments:

NikDuck said...

Happy Mother's Day to you! You are a wondeful Mother!

Anonymous said...

What a great post Megan! I too feel like I’m becoming a better person through my son’s illness, I’m constantly learning and growing. I wish you a wonderful day!

CC said...

Thank you so much for your words of encouragement and reminding me that I'm not alone in this journey. Sometimes we just need to step back and look at it from the outside in. Many blessings to you and your family.

Rebecca and Co. said...

Thank you, Megan. I have read your blog for a while now and it's nice to know I'm not the only one who struggles to deal with the horrors of bipolar disorder. My daughter is a beautiful, talented, creative 11-year-old who can scare the crap out of me when she's raging or manic. This Mother's Day she was horribly unbalanced and yelled that I was a terrible mom, etc. I knew she didn't mean it but it really hurt, you know?

Thank your for your candid posts, and for offering encouragement to parents like me. God bless you for all you do.

Ian & Ruby said...

Thank you. As a foster parent to a now 21 year old with bipolar, I feel anything but a good mum at times - She often reminds me of the mistakes I make with her! However, I know that at times she truly does love me, and will show me; I just wish there were not the negative times in between.