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 31, 2012

Might Give Her a Blog of Her Own

Caroline is a very gifted writer, and loves to connect with other kids who have similar struggles, so I may set up a blog for her to share her thoughts and feelings.  She has some great perspective on life and on bipolar disorder.  Be looking for a link soon.
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6 comments:

GB's Mom said...

I would love to read what she writes.

January 31, 2012 at 9:44 AM
NikDuck said...

That sounds like a great idea! I read a few blogs of teenagers that write about having diabetes. The parents enjoy hearing about the disease from the child's perspective and the teenagers enjoy having someone they can relate to.

January 31, 2012 at 10:12 AM
SarahinSC said...

My son has a blog under my account too! He doesn't write much, but he loves doing it! I think it's a great idea! She might be an inspiration to others and that'd be great for he self-esteem!

January 31, 2012 at 2:35 PM
Anonymous said...

Awesome! I look forward to reading it!

January 31, 2012 at 8:13 PM
Anna said...

I would like to read it.

January 31, 2012 at 8:20 PM
Anna said...

I will look forward to reading Caroline's perspective. Thank you for commenting on my posts. I value your opinion as you are both compasionate and intelligent.

I have talked to the people in a couple of Teen Challenge centers. They did not allow psychiatric medications but this might not be the case nationwide. It tends to be true of faith based programs. If she is ever willing to go to rehab again then I will talk to them again.

February 1, 2012 at 2:54 PM

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