a bipolar daughter and the family who loves her: One More Thing

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.

Monday, November 15, 2010

One More Thing

Today Caroline had to be admitted to the hospital because of a kidney infection that wasn't responding to oral antibiotics. Sometimes I worry about her kidneys and liver since lithium has been known to destroy both on occasion. And Seroquel can do that too. Sigh. One day at a time....

3 comments:

Meg said...: Oh my gosh, I hope she gets better fast. That sounds painful :(; November 15, 2010 at 11:39 PM
marythemom said...: Seroquel can cause kidney damage? Crud.

I learn so much from your blog.

Mary in TX; November 16, 2010 at 11:05 AM
ann said...: I hope Caroline is doing better. How long has she been on lithium? My son's dr. said he may have to start lithium next with the mix he is taking.
I hope she is coming home or is home by now. I appreciate all the help and insight that you have provided me with as I journey down this road with my son. Hang in there and keep the faith.
Ann; November 16, 2010 at 9:18 PM