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, March 31, 2009

Second Day Not So Great

Well, this second day at school did not go as we thought it would.  Caroline's lack of sleep the night before and then having to stay up later than she should of to complete homework in six subjects led to her being exhausted this morning.  I woke her up at 6:30 (she has to leave at 7:30), and she was very difficult to rouse.  When she did come down stairs, she fussed and grew increasingly agitated saying she was too tired to go to school.  Of course, I refused to let her stay home (mistake) and she was at school for only a half hour or so when she called my husband to come pick her up.  She was obviously too upset and angry by that time to stay there.  He brought her home and she went straight to bed.

Bill said that now he knows why schools frequently start with half days in the fall. It is a big adjustment for them to have to get up early, do the homework all afternoon/evening, and then go to bed earlier when during the summer they can stay up later and then sleep in until they are rested.  Caroline got a big jolt on Monday, and with the bipolar disorder, everything is compounded, especially if she has lost sleep. 

I am mad at myself for not listening to her when I knew she was truly tired, not just that she didn't want to go to school.  I want to treat her like my others, but she needs an extra measure of grace.  I myself have missed two nights of good sleep and I was non-functional both mornings until I had a nap after the kids went to school.  Not as productive, but better than yelling at my kids all afternoon and evening because I am exhausted.  

Hopefully tomorrow won't be a repeat.  I am concerned about her missing school and having too much make up work on top of the regular homework.  
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1 comment:

domandkat said...

Caroline is not the only one who needs an extra measure of grace...so do you. I'm think/sending a hug your way.

March 31, 2009 at 3:49 PM

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