difficult child's doctor appointment.; we got our diagnosis

[Jena]

hi to everyone and thanks by the way for the tons of input on that other easy child thing. I have to truly take the time sit down and carefully read each one out. i'm in the mist of still working on it.

IN regards to my little difficult child, I had doctor appointment. yesterday and we talked about the medication which we are increasing again. We also discussed those nights when she seems to be "manic" and wants to stay up till all hours "creating stuff".........his take was, raise the medication. He said it's not at all healthy for a child that age to be up till that hour and than function the entire next day in school. He said we want her as "even" as possible, and the breakthroughs and the pattern that is starting to form again isnt' good. She was up so many nights, now past two nights down sleeping again, and a bit wingy and crying and negative easily frustrated, aggitated, kinda mixed between down and up if that makes sense.

So, he said at this point i'm comfortable with diagnosis her bipolar. He said she clearly has a mood disorder, we have the major depressive diagnosis from columbia last year, when she was in that state, we have alot of anxiety and we have those highs. So, he wrote a new letter that I can forward to the Special Education dept. stating such. that should help my iep along i'm hoping. my school stinks in regards to providing services.

so, that's that. we'll increase medication again, and he said the nights she climbs through it give her more just that night. i said i think we'll level off again after these holidays and play are over, till the next event that is. lol

So, i guess tha'Tourette's Syndrome good i got my clear cut diagnosis finally??

hope everyone's well i haven't been on that much. been kinda running and wrapped up the easy child thing.

 

[klmno]

Hi, Jennifer! I'm glad you finally got something in writing to give the school. That's sounds like the best part of this to me. I hope the medication increase works. I dread the holidays in the sense that difficult child will probably just get more off-schedule (if that's possible). I hope you can get your daughter on a better schedule now!!

 

[TerryJ2]

Is the medication increase still working?

It must feel good, in a sense, to have a written diagnosis, something tangible.

Can't believe I missed this note. So sorry.

 

[Jena]

Terry don't be silly. it wasn't even up on front board, boy you must have searched lol.

It's working to some extent, last night she was up till 3, yet i'm not ready to increase again. she's having some bad tics, so i have to go to neuro guy to see exactly what it is, if it's from the medication or not. she's also looking odd to me to be honest. she's gained a ton of weight, i'm not sure if what i'm seeing is her growing and almost ten now or what. very peeked, pale, washed out looking. also growing leaps and bounds. her feet are now a size 7 half!!! Her pants she's now into a size 1 womans.

 

[ML]

I'm happy you got it in writing to help get those services. Right now manster's "on the books" diagnosis is adhd/Sensory Integration Disorder (SID)/Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)/Social and Separation anxiety" and it's enabled him to get what he needs so far BUT I don't think it will be enough in MS. I need to move the 504 into an IEP. Do you know if the current diagnosis is enough to get an IEP?

 

[Jena]

hi ML how are you i haven't seen you on boards lately? How's manster doing?? and thank you for the great card by the way!

is my diagnosis for difficult child enough for iep or manster?? if it's mine ummm yea def. so far we have to date........ anxiety disorder, social anxiety, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), adhd (borderline), bipolar, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), and tourette's syndrome. So, if she isn't iep material......their outta their minds!! LOL. thing is, she's functioning pretty well lately so they'll battle me on that. Plus, my main focus is building her up for the middle school that will hit in a year and a half for her, that's when the iep is going to come in totally handy. Not to mention transitioning into 5th grade next year. each new grade comes a new set of problems and relapses i've come to learn.

Yet i can also use the ppl from my new job and info i learn there for my mtg. so i'm totally ready to kick some school butt (administrative/pysch) butt that is

 

[TerryJ2]

Wow, she is really growing, up and out. And her feet, too. That's a lot of changing for any kid, much less a kid who is affected so acutely with-emotions. Poor thing.
I have no idea how much of the wt gain is due to the Serouquel, or the tics. Your psychiatrist or pediatrician should address that asap.
What is her diet like?
3 a.m. ... sheesh. Are you all on holiday break? When do you sleep?
When she's up that late, does she sleep until 11? Or wake up at 7?

 

[Jena]

hi

i think the weight gain is def the seroquel, this happened last time as well. Those feet well that's just difficult child lol. So cute she's in adult shoes now. Scary! The tics i'll find out about.

Diet, it could probably be alot better to be honest. I try my best yet I know there are better things out there that i could be giving her. I'm going to head to a nutrionist after the new year. I've tried sugar free foods for her but she refuses to eat them, i've tried other organic stuff that doesn't work either. Every friday she's allowed a special snack i take her to teh store so she can pick out her candy bar for friday night and i let her have potatoe chips. She really looks forward to it. Other than that it's apples, alot of water, she does get snack everynight usually 2 cookies, or if i make something special, etc. she's not feeding all day sort of thing, yet seroquel is rough on the weight gain.

she put her xmas dress on and her belly was running over in it. so she looked at me kinda sad and i said it's ok mommy has to stick her belly in too! LOL than she laughed.

sleep, only a few hours that's it and she's all good again and raring to go. yet when she's different or moodier sadder hard to explain than she can sleep alot! no, boyfriend has work everyday mostly and me i'm on holiday till jan 5th when i start work

 

[totoro]

Oh the weight gain.
We struggle with this. A lot of people call it the AP belly or Pooch... It goes straight to the tummy. K has a big tummy. It has gone right there, so when you weigh her and look at the numbers, she is not obese. She is on the 75th % but it all goes right to her tummy so her tummy is getting huge!
So I keep asking, well this is not good right? But the numbers don't sound too bad, so a pediatrician will just look at the number and say, well it isn't extreme!
Finally our psychiatrist is listening. SO this is why she is not kicking up the Seroquel to MS levels.
Poor K is so active. She should be scrawny.
It is such a give and take thing. We have had psychiatrist's who said, "Well is she stable though?" "Which is better? A bit of weight gain or instability?"
I would say, "Neither!"
Which ****** them off... LOL
I would argue that the weight gain adds to depression and low self esteem, eating disorders etc.
They say, "Well she is too young."
Too young for what! This is when these things take hold of girls!!!
I hate this merry go round...
Such a hard thing to juggle.

 

[Jena]

Toto that's exactly it you called it, it's the little pouch. difficult child has a pouch. The legs are good the rest is fine, her weight the number is like hmm ok it's not bad.

I do the same exact thing I look at her belly and say well this can't be good!!!!

i'm going to start exercising with her again at home.

Does K eat alot on it?? do you notice the increase in appetite extreme?