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 23, 2009

So We Aren't a Year Behind

Today we took Caroline to the private school for her interview and testing.  I was very nervous abut her placement test because of the spotty homeschooling she has had this year.  Well, I guess her natural ability trumped output this year because she placed into seventh grade math, eighth grade reading, and was solidly a sixth grade speller.  Amazing!  She was so proud, and so encouraged that she hasn't lost as much as we feared.  Now they will deliberate and let us know tomorrow if they think it would be a good fit or not.  We think they will say yes, but can't be sure.  The interview went well, we thought, although Caroline got frustrated with how much we talked instead of her and was showing it.  We were very honest about her bipolar condition and the different schools we have tried that were not a good fit. Hopefully she'll be accepted. Even if she isn't, this was a big boost for Bill and I and Caroline as far as her education goes.  At least she will probably place into seventh grade next year at whatever school she goes to.  Thank God!
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