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, February 23, 2010

Back at School, Doing OK

Caroline went back to school on Monday and had a really good day. She went today and so far all is good. She is catching up nicely on her major research project due in March, on the history of comics in the US in the 1920s and 1930s. Interesting.

We are increasing her Clonidine to .2mg, because sleep continues to be a problem. The increase of the Lamictal to 400 seems to have solved the mania but isn't making her sleep better.

I am looking ahead to next year and really struggling to know if the kids should all stay in their present school situation, or if we need to makes some changes, especially for Caroline. I am just not sure if this is the greatest school environment for her. I am just praying for wisdom.


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1 comment:

Hartley said...

If you don't mind me asking, what is it about Caroline's school situation that isn't working?

We have looked into EVERY known school in a 40 mile radius of our home and even homeschooled one year.

Love to hear what you are looking for...as I can't seem to narrow down what it is that would be 'perfect' for my son.

Thanks, as always, for sharing Megan,
Hartley

February 24, 2010 at 5:12 PM

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