Update on my difficult child

I am posting this to give other hope. There were many days over the past nine years that I had no hope that things would ever be better....That my poor son would always be tormented by the demons that seem to plague him.

difficult child had latest psychiatrist appointment yesterday and being that his response to lithium over the past 6 months has been dramatic, they officially changed his diagnosis from Mood Disorder not otherwise specified to Bipolar Disorder plus ADHD. We were happy that they had changed his diagnosis since we are having trouble getting health insurance (that we can actually afford) and Bipolar should qualify him for a risk pool insurance.

Several months ago when we reintroduced Focalin I was having some problems with him being irritable in the afternoon. The way we have addressed this is by increasing the dose from 10mg to 15mg in the mornings that he goes to school. On days that he doesn't go to school I don't give him Focalin but at his dad's house they give it daily seven days a week. That is working for all of us and the psychiatrists approve of how we are handling it. They say many kids take a "break" from the stimulants on the weekends.

Unfortunately, we are still dealing with his bone infection. Of course, thankful that it is not bone cancer but still a big pain in the butt with all of the antibiotics, probiotics he has to take on top of the psychiatric medications. Plus the side effect of the antibiotics.

Life is not perfect. difficult child still takes the energy and attention of several children. difficult child is still difficult child. His demons are still there but not to the degree and frequency that they plagued him before. Our lives are all so much better and I am grateful.
 

recoveringenabler

Well-Known Member
Staff member
FHW, I am so happy to hear things are improving. In our world of difficult child's, feeling 'better and grateful' is a huge improvement. I hope this upswing continues and that the infection clears up very soon and you have yet another improvement. Many gentle hugs to you Mom, for all you do..........
 

TeDo

CD Hall of Fame
I am soooo glad he got a more definitive diagnosis, not that any of us really want one. It would be nice if he could qualify for his own insurance. At least that would be one less headache for you and hopefully it would follow him into adulthood. The right medications and the right dosage are such a blessing when you find it. That has been our experience too.

Thanks for the more hopeful update. I hope things continue on the upswing. {{{HUGS}}}
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
Thank you, Firehorsewoman! That is fabulous.
Not perfect but still, FABULOUS!
So sorry about the infection.
 
Thank you friends for all of the kind words.
I would like to add that since starting the lithium difficult child might still get a bit upset or gloomy at times (does not last long) but zero talk about wanting to be dead or suicide. No more of the deep dark holes he would fall into. That alone is huge! Also, it took a few months but also no more of the hypersexuality. None. Wow. It sometimes scares me to think about our life pre-lithium. The changes have been truly amazing.
 

JJJ

Active Member
I worked with a teenager many years ago who didn't get on Lithium until he was 15 and in - yet another - psychiatric hospital stay. I met him after he had been on Lithium several months. One day we were talking about what triggers would make him violent again...he thought for a while and said, "I think I only have one. If someone threatened to take away my Lithium, I think I would have to stop them. I love my life now, I never want to go back to how it was." He won multiple awards as a senior -- voted Valedictorian of his alternate HS by the teachers and homecoming king by his peers.

Is your difficult child still in therapy? One thing he might need to work on is identifying various emotions. If he has spent years only feeling the extremes (mania/depression), he may need help with identifying the "feelings" all the ones in between.

I'm so glad he is doing better! And at such a young age!
 
I worked with a teenager many years ago who didn't get on Lithium until he was 15 and in - yet another - psychiatric hospital stay. I met him after he had been on Lithium several months. One day we were talking about what triggers would make him violent again...he thought for a while and said, "I think I only have one. If someone threatened to take away my Lithium, I think I would have to stop them. I love my life now, I never want to go back to how it was." He won multiple awards as a senior -- voted Valedictorian of his alternate HS by the teachers and homecoming king by his peers.

Is your difficult child still in therapy? One thing he might need to work on is identifying various emotions. If he has spent years only feeling the extremes (mania/depression), he may need help with identifying the "feelings" all the ones in between.

I'm so glad he is doing better! And at such a young age!

Unfortunately, we have not been able to find a therapist to work with him (since the program at the hospital was discontinued 5 1/2 years ago!) despite living in a large city. The psychiatrists and tdocs at the hospital where he is seen admit that there is a critical shortage of mental health professionals out there who work with kids (or adults for that matter.) I haven't given up for good but I seemed to have exhausted the latest list of possibilities that the hospital gave me to try last summer. Also, with all of his appointments for his bone infection in addition to his psychiatrist appointments it is already a challenge with scheduling for now. But, I agree that GOOD therapy would help him so much and hopefully we will find a qualified therapist at some point.
 
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