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!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

One Room Almost Down, Seven More to Go

Bill and I finally got started on our bedroom last night.  I sorted and packed away the spring clothes, organized the bookshelf which had books falling off of it in all directions, set aside many things to giveaway, and cleaned the floors, dusted the tops of the dressers, etc.  It felt so good to go to bed in a cleaned up, picked up room.  We usually just fly in and out of there during the day because neither of us has time to spare even a moment longer usually then the time it takes to get showered and dressed.  Then we collapse exhausted at night with no energy left.  I hope to keep this one room at a time routine up.  After taking a very long drive yesterday, I felt like I was hearing, "Put the oxygen mask on yourself first."  This is not a principle I follow well.  But why do I ignore my need to take the time to do the things that make me feel better, like exercising,  getting together with a friend, or even cleaning up a room in my house?  I usually feel so defeated at the outset that I give up before I start.  But if I don't change the way I think, nothing will change.

Caroline has a kidney infection.  Just another thing.  At least we are having beautiful fall weather and gorgeous changing leaves to enjoy.  I will rejoice in this one thing today.

3 comments:

mamaGoose said...

Years ago, when we helped my mother in law move, I could not help wondering how in the world a couple can have so much JUNK! Well here we are, serioulsy needing to clean out the junk in our own home, it dawned on me the amount of JUNK just in my life right now. If I could just de-clutter my brain, and even one drawer at a time at home...I might finally feel strong enough to tackle the other issues around here! You inspire me ...we'll see. I know it feels so good to get things accomplished!

NikDuck said...

Love the reference to put on your oxygen mask first! Praying for you too.

Unknown said...

"Oxygen Mask" I was just thinking about that yesterday. Maybe that's why I wanted to do nothing today. I just needed time for myself and breathe.