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!

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mother's Day!

For all of the moms of bipolar kids who are constantly working to help their children succeed in life, you are the best! God gave you this special child to raise and when we look to Him he gives us the courage and strength to keep going when we want to give up, and when our hearts feel hard towards them. It is not easy to love well, and to love those who seem unlovable much of the time feels impossible. With God, all things are possible. I pray that today you will get some much needed rest, that others will celebrate you. Happy Mother's Day!
Posted by at

3 comments:

Bar L. said...

Happy Mother's Day to you too! Anna told me about your blog. My 19 y.o. son was diagnosed five months ago and we are learning to deal with it as best we can. I look forward to reading about your family here.

May 9, 2010 at 9:46 PM
Anonymous said...

Thank you for the encouraging words!

May 10, 2010 at 12:37 AM
Megan said...

I am glad Barbara that you found my blog and I hope that it can be encouragement to you. Bipolar disorder is a cruel disease that disrupts life tremendously. Hopefully your son will get the right help he needs!

May 10, 2010 at 12:23 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)