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, December 28, 2012

A College With One Class Every Three Weeks

There is a private college in our town, a very good one, that has an interesting approach to learning.  Instead of taking five or six classes a semester, you take one class at a time, lasting for three weeks.  So you only have that one class to focus on at a time.  Sounds ideal for kids with executive functioning issues or ADD.  We would love Caroline to go here, but don't know if she will be able 1. to get in, and 2. to keep up as this is a rigorous institution.  But they do have women's lacrosse, and she could live at home so we could monitor her meds and moods.  We have a couple more years but we are already scoping out possibilities for college now.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

My son is much like your daughter but just turned 23, and takes similar meds. The first two years of high school went okay, but the last two years were a disaster.

We found that he could not take college classes in person and pass. Colleges do not provide the accommodations that high schools will. His first couple of years at college has a lot of withdrawals (to avoid failing grades).

However, we have found that he can take college classes online and pass. He is now entering his last semester, will graduate this May, and has a 4.0 at his university. He graduated with a 3.5 from his community college.

Also, online classes typically have weekly deadlines, so if he is having a bad couple of days, it does not matter. It is also extremely helpful that you can monitor the assignments and what your child has done, since everything is online.

I suggest that you look at part time work and part time college for your daughter, and you should explore your online options.

My Daughter's Mother said...

Dear Megan, I know our daughters are not the same age, my daughter is only 9, but I wanted to send you a note to wish you a Happy New Year! in spite of our struggles - we are not alone. I think of you and your family and pray for your peace. Laura

Megan said...

Anonymous, thank you for sharing your experience with your son and online college. We have to keep all our options open. I wish we could fast forward and skip the rest of high school. We truly take one week at a time here. I know you get that too.

Megan said...

My Daughter's Mother, thank you for the wishes for the New Year and I certainly wish this for you as well!!