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!

Friday, September 2, 2011

Crunchy Kitchen Floors and a Quieter House

I heard something on the radio today that made me laugh.  A lady was talking about finding a "parenting" soul mate in another female friend, someone you really "get."  She said that the first thing to compare is whether or not you have crunchy kitchen floors.  Oh, we would get along just fine!  Not that I never clean them, but about half the time they are crunchy!  The dogs sometimes "vacuum" but they are particular about some things.

We finally have heath insurance!  The kinks got ironed out, thank goodness!  I was getting really anxious about how much we have already paid out of pocket since the first.  Caroline is very expensive!!!! Love her to death, but her medical needs are huge compared to everyone else in our family.

With one down and three to go, so to speak, the house is a little quieter, just a little, and definitely less crowded.  Elizabeth, our college freshmen in Florida,  had a way of bringing people over daily, not that we minded that much, but she was definitely a pied piper for other teens at her school and from other schools as well.  She is already taking on leadership roles at her college and we are so proud!  People just kind of follow her, and she is a great kid to follow!
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2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yay! Glad you got the insurance, time to breathe a little easier!

September 2, 2011 at 4:54 PM
Family Times and Challenges said...

So happy you got your health coverage and possibly a job for your spouse. I have been following your blog for awhile. It even encouraged me to start a blog. Thanks
htpp://familytimesand challenges.blogspot

September 4, 2011 at 4:21 PM

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