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, June 5, 2011

Updates and Apologies

I am in the middle of craziness right now and it won't be over until June 13th, so bear with me and my lack of response until then to your questions and comments.  I promise I will answer!  We are down to the count with both my oldest's high school graduation and my fifth grader's graduation, and many other events.  We decided not to switch to Saphris until after all of this is over because it was too much to take on.  So far Caroline is hanging in there pretty well.  Talk you all of you soon!
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4 comments:

Anna said...

You are a very generous person. Just try to remember to keep it simple. Easy does it is often the best way.

June 6, 2011 at 8:42 PM
Medic said...

Hey Megan, is your daughter still using Amantadine? Does it still help? I'm looking for an ADHD alternative for my self. Twenty two right now, got bipolar, ADHD, OCD. Fun fun. :(

June 18, 2011 at 3:29 AM
Medic said...

Hey Megan, is your daughter still using Amantadine? Is it still working? Looking for an ADHD med for my self. I'm twenty two and have been suffering ADHD, OCD, Bipolar basically my entire life. Fun fun. :( Thanks, hope you are well.

June 18, 2011 at 3:31 AM
Megan said...

Medic--Amantadine is still working very well for Caroline. We think of it as her focusing pill and it really has made a difference with irritability and meltdowns. Maybe you should ask about it for yourself? I hope you find exactly what you need to feel better soon!

June 27, 2011 at 8:10 AM

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