Hi all:wave: As some of you already know, our 16 year old daughter, Erin, has Bipolar and a comorbid diagnosis of ADD (inattentive type). She is doing quite well and for the past 3 months hasn't required any med changes for her Bipolar doing well on Lamictal 200mgs/day and Seroquel 575mgs/day in divided doses. We are seeing our pdoc tomorrow and I expect that he will be happy once again as we are with Erin's progress.

The only thing that seems to be a problem is Erin's lack of concentration, forgetfulness, some impulsiveness and inability to stay focused as far as reading goes. She seems to lack confidence with reading for some time now and is also at times easily distracted and disorganized.

I am thinking that she may need something to address the ADD but am sooo afraid of upsetting the applecart. Her grades last year were great but a bit lower than in pervious years. She ended up with a 86 GPA which was weighted to a 90 GPA due to some Honor's courses that she was taking which I feel is wonderful for all that she has been through. Thing is, I sense a lack of confidence when it comes to reading and organizing her thoughts and that perhaps the ADD needs to be addressed.

So I guess I am asking for some advice on what to do....should we pursue this with the pdoc now that we have the BP stabilized about perhaps perscribing something for the ADD??? And if anybody has ADD what med would you recommend works well....I am afraid that we will trigger some mania adding a stimulant or perhaps I am wrong but I could use some advice from those of you who may have BP comorbid with ADD.

Thanks everybody for your continued support.

((((HUGS)))) ~ Goody:angel: :wave:

Goody,
I have never posted here before but I have read and followed all the postings of others. First, I would like to say that your daughter is making very good grades! Congratulations! If she is doing that well in school after having been diagnosed ADD, I'd say you were doing the right thing so far and I wouldn't "upset the applecart" with another med. Perhaps for her disorganization, you could get her assignment notebooks and help her get organized that way. Also ask her teachers to email assignments so she/you can check to make sure she has the proper work. For her reading, maybe hire a tutor to help her a few evenings a week or try something like Sylvan. Just a few ideas so she can avoid anymore medication than is absolutely necessary.

Hey,

I don't know much about it, but when I brought up the possibility of being ADD with my pdoc and how a certain med had made me manic (I can't remember what it was, but I'm no longer on it), she said that if I was ADD, the only med she would recommend was Straterra (sp) because it wasn't technically a stimulant or something like that so I'd advise that one...I've never taken it so I'm only going on advice...

Paige

Rudiraven I sooo appreciate your response. I am also anti meds unless absolutely necessary, however, I have tried the things you have mentioned but I see a lack of confidence in Erin....we encourage making lists and writing things down and I have bought all sorts of things to encourage organization. Thing is, nothing really seems to help. She seems overwhelmed with the clutter and tries to keep things in order but to no avail.

I have read on the ADD board some adults that had such low self esteem when their ADD went undiagnosed and untreated and how once they were on the right meds that all improved. Her grades are great as you see but I do worry about her self esteem and confidence. As a mom, we always want to do the right thing for our kids and I worry that by not treating the ADD I may be holding back on her feeling more confident and less overwhelmed with a cluttered mind that if medicated could make all the difference in the world.

On the otherhand, I still worry about "upsetting the applecart".:)

Paige ~ I have heard that the Strattera is a good one as well as this new one called Vyvanse which is a non-stimulant and with minimal side effects. Thanks for the heads up.....after one of the hospitalizations Erin was placed on Concerta (the doctors perscribing it more for her ) but since the antidepressants triggered the mania she was taken off of it until they could get her BP stabilized. I was told that in many cases when the BP is treated the ADD symptoms are taken care of as well, however, in Erin's case that doesn't seem to be the case since she still exhibits inattentiveness, impulsivity, poor concentration and disorganization.

I am still in LIMBO....we could wait but if we are going to start something I would much rather see how she does with it BEFORE starting school so that I can monitor things a bit more closely.

Still confused and weighing in on the pros & cons.:confused:

~ Goody :angel: :wave:

Hi Goody,

First of all, hello! I'm still not back in the swing of things, but wanted to respond to this post.

As you may remember, Zac's pdoc gave him Concerta in addition to all of the BP meds and, at first, Zac said he noticed a big difference in his ability to concentrate. But, at least for him, that has worn off to some extent and it really never helped him with his disorganization or impulsivity or any of the other issues Erin is exhibiting. I think it was worth trying, but the meds are not the panacea we had hoped and, despite working with studies skills teachers, he still struggles with many of the same issues Erin is struggling with.

I don't know if it's because we have still been playing with the doses of his BP meds, or if the Concerta is really helping, but Zac was hoping for more, and we had higher hopes than what it has turned out to be.

Just my thoughts - especially since Erin has had so many sensitivities when trying new meds.

I'm still trying to figure out what's going on with everyone after so many days of no connection. How is Kait doing now?

Love,

Hope

Thanks so much, Hope for chiming in!!:) And welcome back....you were missed around here. I knew that Zac was on some meds for ADD but not quite sure if it was helpful at all.

By your post and my gut instinct, I am hesitant to mess with a good thing now that Erin seems to be in a pretty good place (other than sneaking out with her boyfriend for a night which could be due to impulsivity or just an overzealous teen behavior:confused: ).

As I mentioned, Erin was on Concerta before officially diagnosed with BP/ADD more for impulsivity which seemed to not make much of a difference at least not anything measurable since at the same time the antidepressants were throwing her into a hypo/mania.

The only thing that I worry about is her self esteem and confidence....Erin struggles mosty in terms of reading saying that she just seems to re-read the same paragraph over and over again and doesn't seem to read her textbooks or anything much. She seems to be more of a scribe and listener (when something holds her interest). So I can't help but wonder if a med might help her with concentrating and thus increase her overall confidence. I guess we can wait a bit and see how things go. If it were you would you bounce it off the pdoc??? Or just leave it be for now???

As far as Kait....she left Saturday at 1am since her boss gave her off on Sunday to go set up the house she is leasing with her friends for the college year. They officially got it August 1st and are working on getting some of the things done so it is ready by the time classes begin. I just spoke with her a while ago and her marine friend was installing a ceiling fan for her.

She has off until Thursday but we told her to be back Wednesday night since hubby leaves for Florida Thursday morning and we didn't want any shenanighans going on while he is away. I am a little bit nervous because I am going to drug test her when she gets home and I just hope she doesn't screw things up. She has so many good things going on....a great internship, great grades, a wonderful job and college I just hope that she doesn't do something stupid. She said that she used the Adderall to get through the testing and to be able to focus better but if she tests positive then I know that what she says isn't the case and that she has more of a problem than she will admit to. Please pray that she doesn't blow it....I want sooo much for her not to.

I lost track of where you were....did you go to Maine??? And is Zac back from VA??? Can't wait to hear all about how things are going.

Thanks for popping in with all that is going on in your life....I sooo appreciate it and KNOW that you understand the conflict I am going through.

Erin is doing well in terms of her restrictions since her night out on the town with her BF. She is now talking by phone with him once a day and seeing some of her other friends....she is off from work for the next few days so that she can attend a review class to retake one of the state exams that she would like to do better on for Global History. She got a 75% and would like to see if she can do better on it. The retake is on the 16th so we are hoping that she does better.

Oh...and her ex BF Victor broke up with his GF (something Erin says that she was hoping would happen) and she told me she mailed him out a letter asking him if he still thinks about her.:dizzy: She also shared with me how she doesn't feel the same way towards her present BF as she had with her ex and asked if we would be open to her seeing her ex again if that were to happen. I listened and commented on how I still think that she needs to work on herself and not put so much value into having a BF in order to feel good about herself and that she might want to bring that up with her therapist next time they meet. The rest of the time I just listened and mirrored back what I thought she was saying. I find that works out best for now rather than commenting too much on the subject unless I feel that she really wants to hear what I have to say which for the most part she really doesn't.

Well that's it for now....thanks again for popping in.

Love ~ Goody:angel: :wave:

Hi Goody,

Thanks for the update. It sounds like Erin is doing really well and I am so happy for her.

The ADHD question is a tough one. If there is a med that can truly help our children, then we want them to have everything they can to be their optimal selves. On the other hand, there are downsides. I would definitely talk to the pdoc and see what he thinks. Our pdoc was willing to try Concerta to see how Zac felt. Zac did feel something almost immediately, but he has seemed to need higher doses to get the same effect. I think he can go up one more time in dosage to see if it helps.

I, too, am struggling with Zac's impulsivity and lack of judgment. At times, he seems so grounded and on top of things and at other times, he seems to be completely without judgment. I know that teenage boys, in general, think they are indestructible (which is why 18-21 year olds have the highest incidence of paralysis) and Zac is no different. He is not jumping head first into swimming pools without enough water, but continues to do other things that are extremely risky, especially in light of his diagnosis. He just doesn't see it. He thinks he is being a normal teen and we are overprotective, but I worry about his sense of reason alot.

He has had a great summer so far and really enjoyed both programs, but they were not without their stresses. He got very flustered at the music program, as you may remember, when one of his friends left, but toughed it out and had a wonderful last week. He also was very stressed mid-session at the Speech program when he realized the amount of work that was before him. Again, he got through it and really loved it overall. However, he ended up in the ER at both programs because he was so nauseous and unplugged. (the summer programs don't have infirmaries, so the kids have to go to the local medical center if they are not feeling well.) I think the combination of the heat, the stress, and missing a few meds did him in both times. He rebounded, but we were amazed at how much he struggled at times.

We are exhausted! Since April 1 we have put 9000 miles on the car transporting our child to his programs and squeezing our vacation in Maine in the middle of it. The heat has been overwhelming everywhere and I ended my vacation with a serious case of sun poisoning. I had the good sense to stay inside in the 97 degree VA heat. Zac and my husband went to Busch Gardens and Zac got his fill of the rollercoasters, while I stayed in air-conditioned splendor!

We're happy to be home and we are thankful for the break we got this summer. Zac has alot of AP Language Arts work to do, he has to read a novel for Brit Lit and he has to finish Algebra this summer. It's alot and he'd rather be relaxing, but we are hoping he can get it done soon and not have it overwhelm him before the year starts!

That's the quick update. Good to hear from you, my friend.

Love,

Hope

I know how weighing the ADD with the stability and I just don't want to compromise how far we have come. I may discuss my overall concerns with the pdoc leaving it open for further discussion once the school year begins. As you and I already know, junior year is a big one. Lots of state tests along with the SAT's....I just hope that our kids can handle the pressure.

I guess that with Erin's ability to function and hold two jobs she doesn't have what warrants treatment for ADD. You would think it would show in her ability to work the hours as well as keep up with school. This year her course load isn't bad at all since they didn't offer any Honor's courses and she opted not to take any AP. She figures that she can work on getting straight "A's" and then go for the AP courses her senior year.

Yes....the lack of judgement and impulsivity seem to be what worries me the most but things still are so much better since we seem to finally have her BP under control. It makes it even more important not to mess it all up by adding yet another med.

Zac sounds as if he is doing pretty well....it was good that he was away so that you could see how he was able to manage the stress. This year he will have more on him than last year so his being able to be away and managing things pretty much on his own was a big step. Under the circumstances it sounds as if he did well.

The important thing to look at is that he DID manage to get through it and that makes it that much more hopeful that he will be able to better manage the upcoming year. I know that we all have our worries but our kids will definitely have their ups and downs but will have to come up with ways in which to manage it. Seems that from what you have shared with us that Zac was able to do that quite successfully so that is a real plus!!

I know that it seems as if you have done so much this past year as we all have....hopefully this year will be a better one for all of us.

I am sorry to hear about your sun poisoning. I hope that you can find some more time to relax and that now that Zac is home things will fall back into place.

Well it's off to bed for me....just wanted to thank you again and tell you how great it is to have you back, my dear friend.

Love, Goody:angel: :wave:

Glad to see you've returned, Hope. :) And it's good that Zac's doing well...like Goody said, if he can handle stress away from home, he has a standing chance at staying relatively on top of things during the school year. Yes, junior year is a tough one, especially if the Junior lacks study skills (like me), but it hopefully won't be disasterous. I informed all of my teachers last year that I was bp and they were pretty understanding about it; I plan to do the same thing this year. As far as the SATs, as much as it is stressed, the test really isn't awful. It's horribly long, but the material isn't bad and I did pretty well the first time around, but still plan on retaking it in October just to see if I can better my score. With Zac's and Erin's level of comprehension and ability, they should do well on the test also. :)

Goody, Erin's love life sounds like my sister's. :eek: She's been 'going out' with this guy for months, but it's soooo confusing to keep up with because after 3-4 months, she broke up with him, saw about four (maybe five) guys back-to-back (never two at the same time, luckily), then the first guy wanted her back and she said yes, then the guy broke up with her after a couple days, and now they're back together again! I simply can't comprehend how they think the relationship will last...her impulsivity and irritability as well as signs of manic symptoms makes me really wonder sometimes...and Mom, too...if she's either a 'soft' bipolar or Cyclothymic...but until she agrees to be evaluated, there's no point because even if we forced her, she would get out of telling the pdoc what's on her mind as she won't disclose that kind of thing to 'strangers.' :rolleyes:

And Hope, now you know what kind of weather we have every summer. :P This, however, is hotter than last summer...usually we get the worst heat in August, but this year, we've had consecutive scorching days since June. >.< And it wouldn't be so bad except for the humidity...today's actually supposed to be the hottest day of the summer down here. *Sigh* I shall do my best to stay inside, but knowing my siblings, they'll be out of the house most of the day...granted, Cortni doesn't have a choice because she's in Marching Band and has band camp, which goes from eight to five and is mostly outside....but Glen just skateboards all day.

Paige

Goody,

You know I have also written about my 15 year old daughter who has BP1 and ADD. She takes Trileptal, Seroquel (both at night) and Metadate 30mg in the morning. But we addressed the ADD only after she has been stable. Yesterday we had her weekly appointment and it was like music to hear her tell the doctor, "I want to do .......this school year and ....... but I know there is not time to fit all of it in". The doctor looked at me and smiled and I know that she was telling me she is continuing to look at her self, schedule, in a more realistic way. Last year at this time before school started she would have said, "I can do ........, ..........., ........... and..........., not realizing there were only 24 hours in the day. Her doctor said this is the ADD and impulsive behavior and difficulty understanding how to organize the thoughts and plans throughout a day. She has had to learn to use an agenda, which she fought for months, but toward the end of the saw the benefits and this year is going to use it from day one (she say's).

As far as the reading-my daughter loves to read girly novels and will do so without prompting. But give her information she hates and she also gets stuck in a paragraph and reads over and over, hardly making any progress. I joined one of the online audible book clubs that allows you to download to an Ipod or make a CD with the entire book and she could read along with the audio. Now this will only work with novels they are required to read during the school year. But I know some text books like Science and History come with CDs. I have never listened to one, but you might ask about this and what is on them. Our daughter is reading a science fiction novel for required summer reading, which she hates, but with this audible book, it is tolerable. Now I am a Reading teacher and I would not want her to do this on every novel, but I know the issue is not whether or not she can read, it is the confusion in her brain that keeps her from reading with understanding. Throw in a book she hates like SciFi or Historical fiction or non-fiction and she will never get through it and I am not in favor or cruel and unusual punishment for her or anyone else in the family-I think you know what I mean;) As far as I am concerned we are doing what works for our daughter and plan on bringing this up at our 504 meeting and I will take letters from the doctor if I run into any resistance.

So I think the trick is addressing the Bipolar symptoms first, which you have done and then see if there is and ADD medication which she can tolerate. We did the opposite years ago, trying every stimulant and Strattera and the results were disaterous. My husband too-little did we know where she inherited the Bipolar and Add from ;) Oh and one last thing-she does take 25mg of Seroquel in the afternoon to help with the downing effects of the Metadate (my husband does the same but he takes a small dose of
Ablify in the p.m.).


Well this is our story. Next week we plan on get our children out of bed around 6:30 just like a school day and going to bed at least by 10:00. Her pdoc says they need to have their sleep cycles adjusted before school starts so there will not be the crash at the beginning of the school year. Here in
Texas we all start on the 27th of August.

Cristina

I have the same problem with focus...anything that interests me is an easy read, but give me a text book or other book that has no meaning to me, it takes me forever to read through. And using an agenda...that was an issue for me until freshman or sophomore year (can't remember which)...before, I was convinced that I could remember all my assignments - needless to say it didn't always work. >_> And I definitely have trouble with organisation and planning - my locker and room are generally disaster areas and my binders are no better...plus, I plan waaaaaay too much into a day and then get frustrated when I can't get it all done.

Mamiacp -
I'm also trying to get back into the swing of things for school...sorta. I'm still up 'til midnight or later, but I keep waking up between 6:30 and 7:30. My brother (age 10), however, is not following suit - he's the typical 'I know everything' ten-year-old...My sister (14) is only going to bed early because she has band camp - otherwise, she'd be up 'til two or three every day.

Hi Goody,

Just wanted to say hello as I haven't talked to you in a while now and you were the first one to reply to my post about my friend. Sorry I haven't posted to you but I don't have any experience or knowledge of kids with BP & ADD so felt I didn't really have anything to contribute but I hope that the appointment with the pdoc went well today! :) How's things at the goody castle and with your two princess's? :D Is the punishment going ok? Well, I will look forward to your post and catch up on the update! Speak soon!

wend x

Goody,

I know what you mean about Junior year and we are extremely concerned about it. Zac has 2 AP classes and 4 Honors classes. We are hoping for the best, but trying to put in as many contingency plans as we can. Fortunately, he has developed some advocates with some of the high school teachers who worked with him independently this year and we are hoping they'll be able to be a safe haven for him when he needs it. The music teacher has offered the music room as a decompress room for him and I know he will appreciate having a minute to recenter himself when he needs it.

One of the things that has been an eye-opener to me is how much more easily Zac is stressed now than before. Zac has been going away for the summer since he has been 12. He always handled being away with complete independence and joy. He loved it! These past two summers have been much more stressful. The first two summers he was at Colgate (ages 13 and 14), we almost never heard from him and, whenever we did, it was with excitment and pleasure. At the end of the 2nd summer, the music director told him he had earned a great reputation and that he was the glue that held the program together. Last year he had alot of emotional challenges and just couldn't find a place for himself. This year, he had setbacks and moved forward, but it was not without pain. He called us 4-6 times a day, so unlike the Zac of old.

It reminds me again that he is coping with an illness that he has still not conquered. It is something that I have to keep reminding myself because I am still surprised when he gets so easily triggered.

Hope you are all having a good day and Paige, the Virginia weather almost did me in! I saw a Books-a-Million for the first time, though, and I immediately thought of you!

Love,

Hope

You guys are the best!!! Thanks for all your responses, they truly carry me through the difficult times.

Paige...you are such a sweetie...I have talked about you so many times to Erin and how you have your struggles here and there. Thanks for sharing about how you have difficulty reading things that are not interesting to you. Thing is with Erin she doesn't find anything really interesting to read....that is, except for magazines!!! As far as the boys....I really think that Erin feels that they are what she needs to make her feel important and fitting in. I know that it is normal to want a boyfriend at her age....I remember feeling the same way. However, I just don't want her to make anyone her EVERYTHING or that a boy is like a trophy you carry around to make you special. I think that Erin is trying to fill a void in her life, I could be wrong, but I feel she needs to emotionally mature before taking on a relationship. But I realize that she has to come to this realization herself. And she is getting there in little baby steps.

...my locker and room are generally disaster areas and my binders are no better...plus, I plan waaaaaay too much into a day and then get frustrated when I can't get it all done WOW.....you and Erin could be sisters!!!:D This describes her to a "T"!! The only thing is that I KNOW that she hates the clutter and doesn't want it to be that way but somehow just can't help it. But she does try....all of a sudden without my even asking she tackles it all and has her closet all organized only for it to end up all disorganized within a few days again!! I have a feeling that you know that feeling all too well. Everytime her best friend comes for a visit she is organizing Erin's room for her.....it is so cute, she doesn't seem to mind but almost feels like she is doing something to help.

Cristina ~ Thanks for the information....I agree that with things going so well in terms of Erin's BP treating the ADD could really throw things off. And with her grades and ability to function working two jobs without any significant problems I can't see throwing another med in there as being worth it.

Hope ~ I know how we can look back and see how the BP has affected our kids lives but I am here to tell you that things are going to get better for Zac....they really are.

And Wendz ~ Thanks for checking in....it means so much to me that you are there with your caring support.

I have news.....we went to see the pdoc and he commented on how well Erin has been doing over the past three months. That her meds haven't required a change of adjustment. I discussed how we have seen great improvement in Erin as well, that she is working two jobs for the summer and managing things quite well with very little affect on her like I was imagining. I went into her sneaking out with her BF and staying out all night sharing a little tequila....that she had consequences to that and my concerns about her lack of judgement sometimes. The pdoc brought up how BP or not there are always consequences to one's actions but that he saw this incident being more teenage lack of judgement than anything else. And then the wonderful news that Erin is as close to stability as he can see and that he feels that we wouldn't have to see him for 3 months and if she continues to do well it will go to every 6 months!!!:D :bouncing: When I brought up our concerns regarding the ADD he immediately said that he didn't want to upset the applecart by adding another med especially since Erin's grades are so good and she is able to work two jobs without any problems. That if it was a problem when she started school again we could always re-evaluate.

So.....we have graduated and climbed a mountain to get where we are and both Erin & I were much relieved to hear this great news. I was half expecting it but when the pdoc brought it up it suddenly was real....the stability that I was seeing was also recognized by the pdoc and it made it a magical moment. So....he wrote us out scripts that would make it less costly to us in which our prescription coverage would have half the copay if we got a 90 day supply of the meds via mail delivery.

After we finished I asked to have a few moments with him to followup a little about Kait. Erin left to schedule her appointment and the pdoc and I spoke for a while. I thanked him for the time he had spent with Kait & us during her evaluation and shared with him how Kait had admitted to getting the evaluation in order to try to get the Adderall as we had suspected. And that I understood his ethics in not diagnosing or treating her under those circumstances but my questions as a mother of how we can differentiate whether there truly is an underlying biological component causing Kait to seek out Adderall, alcohol & pot or that it is just addictive behavior. That I had seen Erin through the storm and that we had the same concerns with her behavior questioning whether it was drug related, willingful deviant behavior or something else and finally after 4 hosptitalizations and an induced mania got down to the bottom of it. And how well we have done since properly diagnosis and treating it and her positive response to meds. That as a mother I couldn't help but think with Kait demonstating similar behavior since she was 14 that she too had something biological going on that if treated may turn her entire life around. That as a mother I feel as if I have had two kids drowning, that I had to throw the life ring out to the weaker of the two and that now that I have pulled Erin in I feel as if I must throw the ring out to Kait before I lose her. He understood my concerns and told me that he couldn't really differentiate with Kait in one visit what it was that was going on but my concerns were certainly warranted. I told him that she told me that she needed the Adderall to function at school and work and that what if she really needed it because she truly had ADD and that by diagnosing her and treating her we could eliminate her need to participate in impulsive behavior and other ways of controlling what may be characteristics of an underlying condition such as ADD or BP....that there certainly was a significant family history and that I would hate to fail her for not looking into it more. I asked him for his advice as to how I could truly find out what it is that is driving Kait to do the things that she does that really frighten me....that she is an intelligent beautiful young lady who has so much going for her that I would hate to see go down the tubes because of something that we may have overlooked. My eyes filled at this point in time and he explained how usually a parent has an idea where the behavior is coming from....I told him that with Erin it was so much easier because she exhibited definitive self injury, depression and suicidal thoughts. But with Kait it was not as clear and that as a mother I didn't really know....that my instinct told me that she most likely had an underlying condition driving her towards self medicating. That Kait seemed lost and totally unaware that it could be something that needed treatment. But that I didn't want to wait until she ended up addicted to something, was incarcerated and lost everything she had good going for her ending up living under a bypass in FL like her uncle who all of his life was in & out of jail and rehab. That I had a strong feeling that he may have had BP that went undiagnosed and if treated would have had a whole different life. And that it may be too late for him but it wasn't for Kait.

The pdoc suggested that I make another appointment for Kait to come in with me to further discuss what it is that is going on with her. I told him that I would speak with her to see how she felt about that.

I wonder what your thoughts are regarding what was said. Kait comes home in a few days and I will be drug testing her to see if she used anything while away. There is more probability of her testing positive after being with her friends for 4 days and perhaps that may be the time to bring up seeing the pdoc again.

Anyway....it was definitely a BIG day for Erin and I today!! We got in the car and on the way home gave a high five to one another. My plan is to take her out to celebrate sometime tomorrow!! She is working at McDonalds tonight and has the day off tomorrow for her review during the day until she has to go in to McDonalds in the evening. WE have lots to celebrate and we are going to do it in a special way!!

There IS a light at the end of the tunnel....I didn't think we would ever see it but it is definitely there!!:bouncing: :D I know that we are always afraid to celebrate when things are good thinking that they are bound to go bad....but it is only right to celebrate these wonderful moments with one another....right???

Thanks for standing by my side as we travelled together finding it!! I KNOW that we are bound to have some more ups and downs but I also KNOW that I have many friends to help me through. Thanks for being that to me.

Love ~ Goody:angel: :wave:

Hi Goody and friends ~

Goody, Goody, I am confused. You ask what we think about what was said, but from what you are telling us, it sounds like you did all the talking:D .

I guess I would follow your heart, make the appointment and just tell Kait that you are going because you are concerned about her use of adderall.

That's great news about Erin. Wow! Your pdoc is really stretching out the appointments at a quick rate. It's interesting how differently pdocs treat their patients. Now your job is to be sure that Erin doesn't fall into the trap of thinking all is better and that she doesn't need her meds.

I know how pleased you are by this news. It does seem like a milestone, particularly considering where you were at this point last summer!! Yippee!

Cheers,
Tsohl

Hi Goody

Yes I agree goody that we should celebrate when things are going well! It's those good times that carry us through when things start to get bumpy again!;)

Goody you must be so thrilled at hearing the great news from the pdoc himself that Erin is finally close to stability and won't have to see him for 3 months, that is such good news! You and hubby should give yourselves a pat on the back for all your hard work as being such great parents! Your princess's are very lucky to have you both as their parents! ;) One down, one to go! :D

wend x

Goody -
I think my sister has the same 'need' for a boyfriend. She's been dating almost continually since April-ish and she doesn't seem to go through a depressive stage when she breaks up - she just goes out with someone else! Thus, I think she has a boyfriend more for the status symbol...She does 'like' them, but I really think it's only as friends and she convinces herself otherwise...And right now she's 'going out' with this guy who she's been with three times. :dizzy: She broke up with him, then they got back together, and within days, he broke up with her, and then two days later, he asked to go out with her AGAIN. Soooo confusing how her mind works. If a guy did that to me, I seriously doubt I would say yes again. >.> As for me, my dating practises are very, very cautious. I asked one guy out last year and asked him about six times because he kept saying he was 'busy.' I had a feeling there was more to it, but I found out what it was when I asked him to a date - it turned out he liked someone else. After that, I didn't really date anyone except I took a good friend to Junior Prom on Mom's advice. She's convinced that I'll end up dating him eventually because we've known each other all our lives, but that's exactly why I doubt it'd work out. :S I think my main problem is self-esteem, which comes a lot from the bipolar...

And as for organisation, it's usually my sister who decides I need to tidy up! I don't mind the clutter much...I can usually find everything even with it being a mess, but if it's organised, I can never remember where everything is. :rolleyes: I do try to keep my locker and binders organised, though...and it works...for about a week...>.> My grandmother used to have a sign on her desk where she taught: "My disorganization is my organization." It was a Benjamin Franklin quote. :)

That's GREAT news about Erin's stability!! My mom, at some point, was on a three-month-appointment basis with our former pdoc, but we switched because we found a better one (our old one just liked to add more and more meds instead of adjusting the ones we were on), but I don't think our current pdoc believes in long-term appointments like that because Mom's been stable since February and is still on monthly appointments...but no matter because she's great usually. :) Sometimes she gets under my skin about my occasional impulsivity or if I'm in a manic/mixed/depressive state when I'm in the appointment, but aside from that, she's really good about the meds...and now I'm rambling. :S

Paige

Goody,

I couldn't be happier for you and Erin! It certainly has been a long, arduous road and I'm delighted that the pdoc is so happy.

Not to throw a wet blanket on this, but do watch her in the next month or two. It is easy for the kids to backslide once they think they are stable. My husband and I were amazed that right after our best pdoc meeting ever, when he said he didn't need to see Zac again for 2 months, is when Zac started to slip a little. I'm not trying to alarm you, but just be conscious of it. It is so easy for any of us to get ahead of ourselves when we are feeling confident.

In any event, congrats again. I think the follow-up with Kait is just what the doctor/mother ordered!

xxx
Hope

Thanks everybody once again for your posts!!!

Tsohl ~ I know it sounds as if I did most of the talking but the doctor did go through categorizing behavioral characteristics, pysychological components biological components and volatility.....I listened and then added to it. I basically asked him how we can be sure that there isn't an underlying manifestation to Kait's behavior, poor decisions, use of Adderall, alcohol and weed that perhaps could be alleviated if the underlying component were identified and treated. He asked me what I thought and to be honest I told him I was not quite sure....that with Erin it all played itself out and when she went manic with the SSRI it was pretty clear. With Kait I KNOW something is up but I cannot differentiate what exactly is going on....that it has been a problem since she was 14 and I am very concerned about her. I think that he saw me crying out for help and that's when he suggested that we bring her in again to see if we can get down to it.

As far as Erin.....we were being seen every 6 weeks for a while and I think that he saw that our insurance coverage was exhausted and we were now on self pay and with Erin's progress and his not really having to intervene in terms of adjusting the meds over the past 3 months that he was comfortable with saying that in his opinion we are stable and that while our benefits wouldn't start up until January that he thought we could go the 3 months and only have to pay out of pocket for one more visit. I told him that the cost wasn't a factor when it came to managing Erin but he said that he felt quite comfortable in letting her go for the 3 months and that if there was a problem that he was only a phone call away.

Hope, my dear Hope....I know only too well how this can all change tomorrow but it's such a gift to see Erin doing so well. In fact a woman in the music studio where she takes her voice lessons spoke with me today and in the course of the conversation made mention of how well Erin was doing, that she saw such amazing improvement since last year. She went on to say that Erin shared some things with her and that she has seen other kids not turning things around and coming out of it like Erin had. That she was so happy and excited for Erin and then went on to tell me how she KNEW that it all had to do with me standing by her side and loving her the way that I did. And that she was so proud of both Erin & I for all that we have done to get to where we are. I shared with her the good news (I had never disclosed anything to her but felt comfortable enough to tell her of our progress) and thanked her for her role in helping us through. There were times that we had to reschedule or be accommodated and she always makes sure that she does all that she can to make it easy for us.

Anyway....our conversation just seemed to drive it all home how not only we see the improvements in Erin but so do others within our community and when they mention it my heart sores and KNOWS that it was all worth it!!

Wend, thanks for celebrating with us and Paige thanks for all your posts that help me to better understand things....you really are my eyes into Erin's soul and I so appreciate your taking the time to help me understand how it feels to have BP so that I can better support Erin. You are such an inspiration to us moms and we so appreciate the time that you take to help us understand how a teen with BP feels and how they gain insight that is needed to get through the rough times.

((((HUGS)))) to all ~ Goody:angel::wave: