psychiatric hospital school called, a little bit of good news. will update more tonight....

[buddy]

Yeah for difficult child! School teacher called to say that for the last two days he has done wonderful in psychiatric hospital school! She said that he needs 1:1 at all times (yup) and that it took till yesterday (well he had a lot on his plate so...) for him to be able to stay in the room with other kids and to really do any work. He had to leave to do work every day in the past week. He just could not stop the disrespectful talk, constant blurting out. But yesterday and today he has been in the room with the 1:1 still and she said 90% of the work that our home district sent was done over these past two days. I am super proud of him for having some success.


Well, for one thing, hopefully more and more of the offending medication is out of his system. but, OK, a scary thing.... Along with the fact that he has been there a little over a week and maybe is finally comfortable and into their routine, the other factor is that the day he started to do well was the first full day on the higher dose of lithium. Now the doctor actually said that even for people who have bi-polar, by the end of a week they can usually be able to do much more, so the effects happening after one week... that is normal. for him it was a day over a week on the lithium at any dose and like I said the first/second day on the higher dose. BUT after what happened and all the discussion here on the board about when medications work early on/how they can be a disaster later..... I am trying not to be worried or pessamistic. I dont want to think that some positive signs mean that in the end it will be terrible. Well, it is not like everything is great. He has had moments even today the had to ask him to go to his room. but they said even on the floor he has done much better overall. self talk: Well Dee, remember, Ritalin and Clonidine both worked right away and he is still on them.

I feel like I can't exhale. I kept saying I was so excited to get him home and I think the reality of it possibly being in two days is kind of making me nervous. It changed for me the day he got so upset about halloween. I just saw him differently. Our visit last night was so nice so I have to remember that. Wow, my brain is all over the place.

I have school conferences in a couple of hours. Should be interesting.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Change your sig, Buddy... your "me" line should include ADHD (jmo)!

If you're into panic attacks like me... google up lithium and see what the general trend is on boom-bust cycle or not... a few classes of medications have this tendency... many do not. I just don't know where lithium is on that spectrum either.

Good news about progress!!

 

[buddy]

Change your sig, Buddy... your "me" line should include ADHD (jmo)!

If you're into panic attacks like me... google up lithium and see what the general trend is on boom-bust cycle or not... a few classes of medications have this tendency... many do not. I just don't know where lithium is on that spectrum either.

Good news about progress!!

yeah, I am feeling like I must be add these past weeks. I have faith I will go back to normal eventually. maybe when he is 25 or so??? what is the boom-bust cycle. Is that a real term??

 

[InsaneCdn]

Its what the psychiatrists here use - not standard medical term, but to explain to parents and patients...

The boom-bust cycle is where a medication performs spectacularly at the start, and then either stops working or produces horrid side effects, down the road.

People won't word it that way, but it is obvious when you read the posts...

 

[pepperidge]

we never had any medications (and we have tried most, except lithium and depakote between my two kids) start spectacularly and then go bust. Had a few that didn't do anything, had some (PROZAC, lexapro, tenex) that didn't seem to do anything and then did something real bad, and a few that were bad from the get go. The few that have worked, have worked pretty much from the start. Just to give you a little hope....

 

[Steely]

Lithium really changed things for Matt. I saw little glimmers from within the first week or 2. It didn't solve everything, obviously, but for over a couple of years it helped his mood stability immensely. I would still want him on it, but you know, he got to be 18 and made his own decisions.

 

[DammitJanet]

Lithium was one that is either awful or good. I have never heard of anyone having it go good good good...oh now its going bad...except when its going bad due to the thyroid issues. Then it isnt the fact that the lithium itself is not working but the thyroid is becomes such an issue that a person can need to be taken off the lithium.

 

[keista]

So glad things keep looking up!

 

[Ma Kettle]

Good for you! Always happy to hear good news.

 

[TeDo]

I can totally understand your apprehension. I have been there just like you and done that just like you with two medications now. I am still trying to decide if the good I'm seeing is because the Prozac is leaving difficult child 1's system or the Tenex helping him. I am still not sure if I want to even try to continue with the Tenex after the 4 weeks is up just because I don't want a repeat of the "boom-bust" as Insane has said since I have been through that cycle twice now. I am breathing but ready to hold my breath if needed. I know I am more hypervigilant of ANY changes.

Glad difficult child had a good day. And what kid doesn't need to be sent to his/her room on occasion, sometimes at least daily?

 

[buddy]

Well I had to have a shortened conference at the school because she was behind and I needed her to get more work for the hospital. I will go back on Friday morning (no school but she will be there) and I will give her the hospital work he did and have our conference. she wants some one on one time anyway.

difficult child was very good at visiting time. they said he had one 30 minute upset but only had to go to his room no holds or anything. the timing seems to be around the time the first concerta dose is wearing off.

the social worker did a program update with me going through each area of their program and how he has done. They showed that he had twice needed to be physically restrained, the other times were when he just had to go to the time out room and two days when it had to be locked...the first day and all of the other incidents (physical restraints and the locked room) were when they didn't give him his medications for that whole day by mistake. I again said that was such a horrible thing and that i am still upset with that doctor. difficult child's doctor told me he is going to talk to him about not calling me and that he doesn't like that it happened that way. I felt a little defensive that in the report it didn't say that all of those terrible things happened when they didn't give him his medications.

He has a huge scratch across his forehead and he is still dark from summer so it will really look like a scar until a few seasons go by and he tans over it again.. At least I hope it will color in again, it is really big all the way across the left side of his forehead and never would have happened if not for the medication error.


She asked me about the discharge plans. It now says projected time by Saturday, I think that they are thinking the labs wont come back till late. so...
But I realized I had asked what if he melts down at school the following monday and school is not an option right now, so we made plans...but I was starting to worry about what if we didn't even make it through our first night together, what if he has now learned to have a rage at a whole new level even without the medications...I know it is something that has not happened before but I am jsut worried after the punch he threw last Sunday. I asked if I would have to go to an er and do the whole thing again...not sure if he would get a bed there etc. She said that she will discuss with the doctor a provisional discharge. They let you out in the morning and hold the bed thru the day until midnight. Then I can have him home the whole day, make him do routine things and expect him to follow our rules and expectations, put him to bed and if all goes well, we are officially discharged at midnight. If there is a problem, then we can just go back there.

I will find out tomrorow. I am sure he will go for it given difficult child's aggression and that the medications are not stable yet. has anyone done this before? any other ideas for transitioning home????

 

[TeDo]

I actually think that is a great plan. If things get overwhelming for him coming home, there is a plan to protect you and him already in place. Personally, I think it's worth a shot but then again, I'm not you. What does your mommy gut tell you? ALWAYS listen to your gut (that's why God gave us one I can only assume). Hope for the best but always plan for the worst. That is the ONLY way to be prepared.

 

[buddy]

I actually think that is a great plan. If things get overwhelming for him coming home, there is a plan to protect you and him already in place. Personally, I think it's worth a shot but then again, I'm not you. What does your mommy gut tell you? ALWAYS listen to your gut (that's why God gave us one I can only assume). Hope for the best but always plan for the worst. That is the ONLY way to be prepared.

thanks, I'm not trying to create drama where there is none, but this whole thing actually has been dramatic and so I guess I think if he had a problem and for some reason could not go back there, THAT would be a disaster.

 

[TeDo]

Exactly. So if the dr denies that plan, ask him/her what you should do. You NEED a back-up plan! Don't let him/her off the hook that easily. Keep us posted.

 

[Liahona]

Is there going to be someone close by (yelling distance) that can help you if he rages? Maybe the Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) worker can be parked at the neighbors house? Did you get the button thing you wear? Or maybe always have a phone in your pocket? Just brainstorming ideas.

I know this is a bit off topic, but its something I've been thinking about lately for me. How about a self-defense/martial arts class for you? It might help your confidence with him and it might help keep him home and out of rtcs/phos. Of course there are situations where he would have to go no matter what.

 

[buddy]

all good thoughts. I have been CPI trained for many years. I could use a refresher now because I always did it thru work but I know there are places that do it for parents too. I re-write the waiver plan Nov 7th so I will add the button thingie then. I do always have my phone in my pocket and even when locked it has the emergency one button dial thing. I also added doctors on a one button direct dial icon. Integrated Listening Systems (ILS) worker can be here on Friday but not sure if one is available if he comes home on Saturday. I do have a neighbor I can ask (the same teen age boy and his brother (my former student) who live directly across from me. Their mom is also a former teacher so she is really good with him. We both worked at the school for the Deaf. He has said/done little tests when I am at the hospital and I remind him that this is a "new day" for us. We are starting over including, I will not be hit anymore. I will get help if he hurts me. Now, if he bumps me going past me with his body in snotty way, I will just consequence of course. but if he really HURTS me, I need to be very consistent because ONE time and he will never believe me. Even if he can't control it, I learned from this last time that it scares him and he needs me to make sure I keep him from hurting anyone or he will feel worse than he does now about himself. So it is much more than just keeping people safe from him. in my humble opinion

Thanks for the reminder to tell my neighbor.

 

[Liahona]

I understand. I used to teach a child who would scare the snot out of the other kids (and teachers). I had to ensure a safe environment for everyone. Their were many reasons to do so. The biggest reason though was to teach her that she was safe. If I would not let her hurt the other kids then I wouldn't let the others hurt her either. I can see how your difficult child has the added dimension of he doesn't want to hurt you and it scares him. You need to keep him safe (by keeping everyone safe) from himself.

 

[buddy]

I understand. I used to teach a child who would scare the snot out of the other kids (and teachers). I had to ensure a safe environment for everyone. Their were many reasons to do so. The biggest reason though was to teach her that she was safe. If I would not let her hurt the other kids then I wouldn't let the others hurt her either. I can see how your difficult child has the added dimension of he doesn't want to hurt you and it scares him. You need to keep him safe (by keeping everyone safe) from himself.

yes, you said it well, thanks