TerryJ2
Well-Known Member
Woo hoo!
That's the best news I've heard in a long time.
We picked up difficult child after lunch today. First, we talked to the soc wkr. He was American and had no accent.
He said difficult child's notable characteristics are that he is extremely impulsive, very stubborn, and that his intelligence was way up there but his maturity level was waaaaay behind. He said that tended to "fool" people, as difficult child would try to change the subject, and even suggest interpretations for the other kids who were having difficulty expressing themselves. (This was during a group session). At one point, the soc wkr mentioned the argumentativeness and stubborness to difficult child, who argued. Heh heh. The soc wkr responded, "How many people have told you that you'd make a good lawyer?"
"Oh, lots."
"Point taken."
So, they only wrote down ADHD and ODD, but said that they couldn't rule out bipolar. As I mentioned in other notes, they said he's too young and also, that he was able to hold it in for long periods, especially at school. They are used to working with-kids who are so off the charts that they make difficult child look almost angelic. So, we wait. But I was prepared for that.
They gave him clonidine, no klonapin. I found this online:
A synthetic drug, C9H9Cl2N3, used in the treatment of hypertension, the prevention of migraine headaches, and the management of Tourette's syndrome and opiate withdrawal.
An alpha2 agonist that inhibits the release of noradrenaline from post-ganglionic sympathetic nerves. This drug is used clinically to treat hypertension and migraine. Clonidine has also been used by athletes to stimulate hGH (human growth hormone) secretion artificially, thus avoiding the direct use of hGH which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2005 Prohibited List.
Very odd. Seems like klonipin would have been a better choice. I'm going to call difficult child's pediatrician tomorrow. I know he's not the prescriber, but I want to know how this works on kids.
I took a lot of notes.
But mostly, I have to wait for their notes because they tend to hand-write interviews and testing, and staff types it up. The notes probably won't be ready until Mon. This is the same thing I went through for my cousin in NYC and I never did get her records. (It was not a psychiatric hospital, just a regular hospital.) I WILL get these notes. They are much better organized and friendlier than the staff in NY.
They did not do the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) testing that I had hoped so I will move forward with-my plan to have difficult child tested by the spectrum specialist dr. in a few wks.
difficult child was his usual stubborn, argumentative self when we picked him up. He hugged us, then begged and argued to go straight home, even though we told him husband had to go back to work immediately and my car was parked in his lot. I tuned him out by pretending he was a barking dog. It worked!
Once home, argued about the dinner I was making. He wanted homemade rice crust pizza. He finally compromised by asking if I would make it after I made the regular dinner. I said yes, knowing that he would be too full, and would also forget by that time. I was right.
husband and I sat down and talked to him about the new rules. We only got half way through the list and difficult child became overwhelmed and started to argue and cry. One of the things that got him the most was that we wanted the dog out of his room, because he scratches and bumps into things (he's blind--the dog, not difficult child) and keeps difficult child awake. difficult child said the new scrip knocks him out so he would sleep through all that. He begged and husband gave in. (I'm going to check right now and leave the door open so the dog can wander out if he wants.) We tried to impress upon difficult child that this is NOT a punishment, it is to help him sleep.
We also told him there would be no overnights with-his friends until his sleep patterns were established. He balked at that, and worried about weekends, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We told him to slow down and look at the list of guidelines and rules, and at the top it said, "September." We repeated it and said it would be updated ea mo just for that kind of thing and he finally settled down.
I have to say it was a lot easier to talk to difficult child with-both husband and I there, presenting a united front.
I am going out of town on Tues to visit my Dad in MN. He has Alzheimer's. It's going to be bo-rrrring. But I can handle boring. I suspect several of you in the throes of difficult children raging will want to accompany me.
I'll update the profile below after I talk to the pediatrician.
P.S. He's still awake! But he's got the lights out and he's sleepy.
That's the best news I've heard in a long time.
We picked up difficult child after lunch today. First, we talked to the soc wkr. He was American and had no accent.
He said difficult child's notable characteristics are that he is extremely impulsive, very stubborn, and that his intelligence was way up there but his maturity level was waaaaay behind. He said that tended to "fool" people, as difficult child would try to change the subject, and even suggest interpretations for the other kids who were having difficulty expressing themselves. (This was during a group session). At one point, the soc wkr mentioned the argumentativeness and stubborness to difficult child, who argued. Heh heh. The soc wkr responded, "How many people have told you that you'd make a good lawyer?"
"Oh, lots."
"Point taken."
So, they only wrote down ADHD and ODD, but said that they couldn't rule out bipolar. As I mentioned in other notes, they said he's too young and also, that he was able to hold it in for long periods, especially at school. They are used to working with-kids who are so off the charts that they make difficult child look almost angelic. So, we wait.
But I was prepared for that.They gave him clonidine, no klonapin. I found this online:
A synthetic drug, C9H9Cl2N3, used in the treatment of hypertension, the prevention of migraine headaches, and the management of Tourette's syndrome and opiate withdrawal.
An alpha2 agonist that inhibits the release of noradrenaline from post-ganglionic sympathetic nerves. This drug is used clinically to treat hypertension and migraine. Clonidine has also been used by athletes to stimulate hGH (human growth hormone) secretion artificially, thus avoiding the direct use of hGH which is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2005 Prohibited List.
Very odd. Seems like klonipin would have been a better choice. I'm going to call difficult child's pediatrician tomorrow. I know he's not the prescriber, but I want to know how this works on kids.
I took a lot of notes.
But mostly, I have to wait for their notes because they tend to hand-write interviews and testing, and staff types it up. The notes probably won't be ready until Mon. This is the same thing I went through for my cousin in NYC and I never did get her records. (It was not a psychiatric hospital, just a regular hospital.) I WILL get these notes. They are much better organized and friendlier than the staff in NY.
They did not do the Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) testing that I had hoped so I will move forward with-my plan to have difficult child tested by the spectrum specialist dr. in a few wks.
difficult child was his usual stubborn, argumentative self when we picked him up. He hugged us, then begged and argued to go straight home, even though we told him husband had to go back to work immediately and my car was parked in his lot. I tuned him out by pretending he was a barking dog. It worked!
Once home, argued about the dinner I was making. He wanted homemade rice crust pizza. He finally compromised by asking if I would make it after I made the regular dinner. I said yes, knowing that he would be too full, and would also forget by that time. I was right.
husband and I sat down and talked to him about the new rules. We only got half way through the list and difficult child became overwhelmed and started to argue and cry. One of the things that got him the most was that we wanted the dog out of his room, because he scratches and bumps into things (he's blind--the dog, not difficult child) and keeps difficult child awake. difficult child said the new scrip knocks him out so he would sleep through all that. He begged and husband gave in. (I'm going to check right now and leave the door open so the dog can wander out if he wants.) We tried to impress upon difficult child that this is NOT a punishment, it is to help him sleep.
We also told him there would be no overnights with-his friends until his sleep patterns were established. He balked at that, and worried about weekends, Thanksgiving and Christmas. We told him to slow down and look at the list of guidelines and rules, and at the top it said, "September." We repeated it and said it would be updated ea mo just for that kind of thing and he finally settled down.
I have to say it was a lot easier to talk to difficult child with-both husband and I there, presenting a united front.
I am going out of town on Tues to visit my Dad in MN. He has Alzheimer's. It's going to be bo-rrrring. But I can handle boring. I suspect several of you in the throes of difficult children raging will want to accompany me.
I'll update the profile below after I talk to the pediatrician.
P.S. He's still awake! But he's got the lights out and he's sleepy.
