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, April 10, 2015

Needs a Job after Graduation

So the summer is almost upon us and high school is almost done, forever!  Caroline needs a job and so if you are a praying person, pray that just the right one will come her way, preferably sports-related.  Just found out the district will most likely pay for her final year of enrollment at the technical college to become a personal trainer for next year.  Unbelievable!  Our school district rocks!!  On another note, I am beginning classes to become a real estate broker.  I had been looking a various career options now that she is stable and nearly out of school and after a lot of prayer and thought, I am embarking on this new phase of life.  Freedom!  Excited and scared to death at the same time.  I haven't been able to work outside of the home for any significant amount of time since she was diagnosed twelve years ago.  But being at home with her was important and worth it.  Not sure she would be where she is without the constant presence I was able to provide.  Many parents out there aren't so fortunate, I know.
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