a bipolar daughter and the family who loves her: Second Week of School and Still Looking Good

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.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Second Week of School and Still Looking Good

We have finished the second week and Caroline has continued to thrive at her school. No big homework meltdowns, no anxieties about getting up and going to school. Yay! She has one new good friend she has made, and the teachers say she seems to be quite able academically. Couldn't ask for a better report.

Yesterday was my oldest's sixteenth birthday. We were able to give her a really nice party at a pizza place which made up for last year's birthday which got railroaded by a meltdown by Caroline. Whew! I think she feels like all is amended for after last night's success. I am so glad because she kind of held that grudge against Caroline for a year. Now we can move on.

3 comments:

Debbie said...: Just found your blog and wanted to say hi. I'm a mom of a 9 year old with BP. Looking forward to reading more about your experiences. Stop by my blog and say hello sometime.
~Debbie~; September 13, 2009 at 4:36 PM
Megan said...: I am glad you found me. I will check out your blog. The age of 9 and 10 were really hard years for our daughter, so of the worst. Hang in there!; September 13, 2009 at 8:32 PM
Corrie Howe said...: I'm glad to hear that a child will eventually get over not having a birthday party. My dad had a heart attack and almost died about the time of birthdays for my two youngest. We gave them everything they wanted but the "friend sleep over."

Go to know that this too may pass someday.; September 21, 2009 at 12:47 PM