difficult child & psychiatric hospital update

[Loving Abbey 2]

So here's where we are at:

difficult child is off Lithium and levothyroxine. difficult child is now on 100mg of Seroquel twice a day. The psychiatrist has the following diagnoses:

Mood disorder not otherwise specified, Anxiety disorder, and parent-child relational issue. Now what is the deal with the last part? Can three weeks of explosive behaviors after a medication change really constitute a parent=child relational issue?!?!?! I mean her discharge summary and any paper work will say that on it. They also say that they don't really feel she is Aspie, more that her anxiety has created the issues with social interactions, obsessing on things, difficulties with transitions, change, and crowds. They also feel the anxiety adds to the mood d/o to increase mood liability and intensity.

psychiatric hospital let difficult child go on partial last night. She came home and was oppositional but eventually got her to bed. IT took me 1hr 20min to get her to get out of bed, put on clothes, eat and take medications this morning. That should take all of 30mins. She is home again tonight, it went a bit better so far. She was much less oppositional and completed all tasks (with lots of prompting and redirection) except for brushing her teeth. I hope tomorrow morning will be better than today's. I am exhausted, she is a lot of work--different work than I am used to. She's VERY hyper and talkative but not angry or explosive. Her brain does seem to be working better. We were playing Gin Rummy, and she was able to add up my cards in her head. That's freaking amazing--she has struggled so much with basic math skills. It's like the lilttle neurons are connecting a lot better. She want's constant attention and assistance with anything. And I'm helping, though I know she can physically do it, to aid in making sure she does it instead of a power struggle to get it done at all. It's like all the things I was working on with her in the past were so much less important than where we are now. It feels like a backslide, a huge one. I am glad she is on less medications.
I really worry about her going back to school and their ability to manage her need for constant assistance to get through the day.

Star was so right, they did not "fix" my little girl. They are trying to force my bad insurance company to provide home based services for Abbey. And they addressed some of the medication stuff but they did not fix her. And I knew that, but man I was hoping she would be a bit farther along by now. I'm impatient. I use up all my patience on Abbey so there is none left for anyone else.

I am happy she is home at least part time. It just feels anti-climatic. And all the diagnosis stuff and new presentation of Abbey, is just difficult.

Anyone have any opinions on any or all of this, especially the diagnosis?

 

[BusynMember]

I personally would have disregarded that parent/relational stuff. I just don't believe our kids are the way they are because of parenting.
Hospitals don't fix our kids. They often don't even diagnose any better then professionals in non-hospital setting (I've been in the hospital myself three times). Got some bizarre diagnosis. and treatment plans there so when I left I took the good and the bad and decided what to continue on with, medications and diagnosis. included. I hope they tapered the Lithium slowly and hope your child is better on the new medications. Has she EVER seen a neuropsychologist. I know I beat it to death, but to me a neuropsychologist is the only professionals who really bother to do significant, helpful evaluating, complete with lots of testing. I tend to trust them the most. A long laundry list of ever-changing diagnoses basically means "We aren't sure."

 

[Josie]

I am annoyed by the diagnosis of parent child relationship issues. I also don't believe our kids are the way they are because of our relationship with them. Yes, it might be hard to have the typical relationship with them because we and they are upset alot, but I don't think that is a part of the problem. It is a result of the problem.

I don't know if it is possible to try to get him to reconsider or if that would just make it worse. Hopefully, someone else will have advise. It would bother me to have that on the record.

Actually, it probably is on my child's record. I got a second opinion about her 2 years ago and it wasn't until I left that I realized he was really blaming parenting for her problems. (He thought the book "123 Magic" would be the answer to our problems.) Her regular psychiatrist got a copy of her records and when I asked him if the second opinion blamed me, the psychiatrist said "not entirely".

I would also ignore that part of the diagnosis.

 

[mom_in_training]

Hmmm, No diagnosis here, Just a question, Why did the Dr have your difficult child on levothyroxine? My difficult child at 19 just had a complete thyroidectomy (Took whole thyroid)due to a 9 CM reacurring mass and takes the same medication that replaces what her thyroid would and should be producing.

"GENERIC NAME:
levothyroxine sodium
BRAND NAME: Synthroid, Levoxyl, Levothroid, Unithroid
DRUG CLASS AND MECHANISM: Levothyroxine is a synthetic (man-made) version of the principle thyroid hormone, thyroxine (T4) that is made and released by the thyroid gland. Thyroid hormone increases the metabolic rate of cells of all tissues in the body. In the fetus and newborn, thyroid hormone is important for the growth and development of all tissues including bones and the brain. In adults, thyroid hormone helps to maintain brain function, food metabolism, and body temperature, among other effects."

 

[Loving Abbey 2]

Mom in Training-difficult child was only on the levothyroxine because the lithium slowed her thyroid after being on it for some time. We are going to have her thyroid levels check in a week or two to make sure it's back up and running correctly.

She was tapered off the Lithium.

Midwest mom-I have yet to find a way for my insurance to pay for a neurpsych. She was seen by one when she was 5. I am trying to get Abbey on Katie Beckett-state insurance for disabled children and since difficult child qualified for SSI, but I made too much money (I was working as a temp at that time?!?!?), I think she will be able to get it. So then I would be able to use that insurance to get the evaluation done.

 

[DammitJanet]

That parent child relationship issues does not mean what it sounds like. That is an AXIS 4 diagnosis I think...or maybe 3. What it does mean is that there is some angst going on in the relationship between the child and her caretakers and that can be the result of her mental illnesses. It doesnt mean you dont parent correctly.

 

[ML]

Hugs to you. It's so not fair that they added that bs about her diagnosis. Let it go. It's crazytalk. It's near impossible to have a normal easy child relationship with a spectrum child. Because we are doing so much to accommodate their uniqueness and supoport them to accept their differences while we do, it creates a whole new dynamic. You can't compare apples to oranges. Ugh. You're doing great. Hugs, ML

 

[susiestar]

We got the MOST terrible testing and diagnosing in the hospital. The 3 day hospital was worse than the 4 motnh hospital, but not by much. The 4 month hospital had some parent overinvolvement thing diagnosed because I was at their weekly meeting, at the weekly therapy they required AND someone came for visiting on the weekend. Since it was an hour drive, we were overinvolved - just because we wanted to see what the professionals thought (and this was the ONLY time to see the psychiatrist!), wanted to participate in therapy to HELP our child, and didn't want him to feel alone on visiting day!!!!

Ignore the parent-child thing, and know you probably won't be sharing this info with school or much of anywhere else. It just isn't useful.

Sorry. Hugs, and glad you have her home at least part time!

Susie

 

[mom_in_training]

Awwwww, Ok. No mention of the thyroid disfunction. Glad that the doctors caught that. I was just thinking about the different medications being used for several different disorders. Like seizure medications for anxiety issues and the list gos on. I think with the thyroid though, "If its not broke don't fix it", Lol!! Thank you for your response. I was curious.

 

[Loving Abbey 2]

I spoke with psychiatrist at psychiatric hospital about the parent-relational thing and I don't know if her got it, but I was very clear. We set up a meeting to dicuss it further tomorrow. I have the school SW coming as support--she also thinks it a load of cow manure. So in addition to Mood d/o not otherwise specified, Anxiety d/o, he now wants to add ADHD. But not yet clear on if she is on the spectrum. I'm a very educated woman, but I'm not a psychiatrist...I have read the bipolar child and as I understand it, bipolar really does account for all of these symptons. They don't want to say bipolar for a young child--any child. LIKE THAT'S HELPFUL!!!!!

They tried adderall today (short acting) and say she did well on it, but I didn't actually see her on it so I can't say. I am very hesitent on stimulants, but I'll try anything at least one.