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, February 19, 2010

Her Valentines Tribute to Her Daddy

Remember in the Sound of Music when Julie Andrews and Christopher Plumber sang "I Must Have Done Something Good?" She was bewildered that she should be so blessed to fall in love with such a great man, and mused that God rewarded her because of something she did right in the past. I don't necessarily agree with the theology (because God is often gracious to us when we are undeserving) but I do think that sometimes our best efforts pay off in the long term simply because doing the right thing is inherently good.

My husband has worked very hard to instill in each of his girls that they are beautiful, precious, important, and that when they mess up, he is still there for them. He writes each of them a Valentine's Day card, carefully thought out, all individual messages. I will share with you the Valentine's card that Caroline wrote to her daddy this year.

"Hey Dad,
These last couple months have been a pretty wild roller-coaster with lots of mixed up emotions. All during that time you've been right by my side all through the storm and even when you think we've lost the battle, you should know we've already won the war. Thank you for always being there for me.

I love you always. Your Daughter, Caroline"

I know that at the age of 13 I did not have this kind of respect for my dad, or a strong sense of his love for me. I am so grateful for my husband's amazing commitment to his girls. He is a wonderful daddy!

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1 comment:

Hartley said...

Love it!

What an articulate child you have and what a lucky daddy she has. :)

Hartley
www.hartleysboys.com

February 19, 2010 at 9:52 PM

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