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!

Monday, March 2, 2015

The Light at the End of a Very Long Tunnel

We are almost there.  She is going to graduate from high school in a few months.  We truly were not sure if we would ever get this far.  Life is peaceful, normal, predictable.  I wish that each of you would get to experience a place like this.    There were many times we wondered if she would have long term stability and be able to finish school so well.  But she has.  She is still doing the online high school but she is also dual enrolled at a local technical school to become a personal trainer.  Excelling would be the word.  She still struggles with friendships as I think she has a high level of fear and trust issues.   But she is hopeful and positive, and moving forward with life.  She fills up her own med box, makes her own psychiatry and psychologist appointments, drives herself everywhere she needs to go, and wants to fly the nest soon.  We have told her she needs to live with us for another year and have a job before she can move out (obviously) but she plans meals, shops for groceries, and cooks for us frequently.  What more could we ask?  To God be the Glory, Great Things He Has Done!
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

So encouraging to read!

April 17, 2015 at 1:19 AM

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