Tests tomorrow and docs the rest of the weekUPDATE

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
Good Morning everyone :smile:

I worked for quite a while this weekend on retyping and updating difficult child's parent report. I realized that it was on my old computer and I didn't copy the word processing documents :crazy:

All this in prep for his evaluation/testing at the pediatric mood disorder clinic affiliated with our local teaching hospital/unniversity (I told them I had one and they asked that I bring it and a copy of his IEP). It's basically a multidisciplinary evaluation, and we are told we will be there between four and five hours. I've basically told difficult child that it is the same testing he had in third grade when he first got his IEP. We were originally scheduled to begin at 10, but got a call a couple weeks ago and they have moved us up to 8 am.

difficult child has been really sleeping in so far this summer so I've told him it's early to bed tonight.

So, as if that big long appointment wasn't enough, on Wednesday morning I take easy child in to have a biopsy on her scalp to get to the bottom of her hair loss issue (hopefully). On thursday difficult child has his quarterly appointment with his psychiatrist. On friday easy child has a 7:30 am appointment to get her wisdom teeth pulled!

It's tomorrow's appointment that I have been anticipating for several months. This clinic is in the top 10 in the country (and has a day program, Residential Treatment Center (RTC) program, educational services, and more). I'm hoping they can dwelve deep into difficult child. He has had some increased anxiety lately (which I know is not unusual with adhd). But something inside me has wondered for a couple years if difficult child had some mood issues. We'll see.

So, I'll be driving my kids around to docs this week! Wish me luck!

Sharon
 

smallworld

Moderator
Sharon, you sound a lot like me this week (only for me it's 3 psychiatrist apointments every week PLUS other apointments some weeks). I hope the appointments are productive, and you get some answers on all fronts. Good luck and keep us posted.
 

DDD

Well-Known Member
Absolutely, I'm wishing you the best of luck. It is such a difficult task trying to find answers but evidently you do have
true experts available which is a huge blessing. Hugs. DDD
 
K

Kjs

Guest
I dread weeks like that. so exhausting. My difficult child puts up a big fight which makes it even more exhausting. Hope all appointments go smoothe. Good luck to all.
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
Good luck to you, LDM. I hope everything turns out for the best with easy child. Hopefully, this evaluation with difficult child will turn over some new rocks that will add to the help you have already provided for him.
 

Alisonlg

New Member
Good luck! Sounds like a busy week! We've got 3 Dr's appts this week, but it pales in comparison to what you've got going on!
 

jannie

trying to survive....
It sounds like a great clinic. I sure hope that come up with valuable information. It sounds like you have a very busy week--I hope all goes well.
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
So, we were up and early to the doctor with 15 minutes to spare. The educational consultant took him in first, gave him a standard computer adhd test.. Was finished in 15 minutes. I gave him the parent report and the IEP before he and difficult child went in and he said he would run through them while difficult child was on the computer.

difficult child came back out and then, about five minutes later the psychiatrist came out. We all, difficult child, educ cons, psychiatrist and myself sat in her office for a little over an hour. Both the psychiatrist and the educational consultant were impressed with the parent report! They asked tons and tons of questions of both difficult child and me The psychiatrist, she, kept going back to second grade when difficult child had his first rage. She was very much focused on the fact that his concerta had been upped a week prior to his first rage and he was not taken off of it for another several weeks.

The Easy Child said he wanted to get copies of the testing from the school (which I will drop off tomorrow) before he made any recommendations. He also indicated that he may retest difficult child.

Easy Child left and difficult child, psychiatrist and I talked a little more. She said that she felt he did not present, nor was there family history, nor were there classic signs of an emerging or present mood disorder. She felt he was adhd/combined/impulsive and probably "high strung" and "hard wired". Some of the techniques for dealing with this will come with maturing, and some he will have to be taught. She would not yet rule out some mood issues, but she would need to look deeper.

She felt there was a strong possibility that some of the behaviors in second grade were induced by the stimulants and the signs of depression were reactions to the judgment he felt by teacher and students.

Many of the issues he deals with are "standard" for his current diagnosis. What she is preliminarily suggesting is a removal of all his medications, once discussed with current psychiatrist (the remeron is being trialed down and should be stopped by this weekend anyway, the adderall I don't give in the summer, which leaves the 25 mg of seroquel), who we have an appointment with on Thur. She felt he may benefit from a different type of medication than the adderall - Wellbutrin is what she is thinking.

Nothing is finalized yet - she's going to look over the parent report a little more and read over her notes. The Easy Child will study the test results. I have to call the peddoc because, back in 2001 when difficult child was first diagnosis'd with adhd, he was given a stimulant that I discontinued after about 4 days because he had such severe crashing. He was banging his head against the wall saying he was mad at himself. I can't remember the medication, it seems like so long ago.

She said we could try it for a couple weeks during the summer rather than wait for school to start.

So that is where we stand. I mentioned the anxiety and she indicated that that can also come along with adhd. She discussed some of his anxieties with him. He was not as open as I hoped he would be but, that's a difficult child!

So I should hear a more formal report by next Friday. If you read all the way to the end here, thanks!

Shaoron
 

busywend

Well-Known Member
Seems like progress. At least you will have a plan. I hope you are comfortable with the findings on Friday.

What did difficult child think about the anxiety being from the judgement of teachers and students? Is he aware of that at all?
 

LittleDudesMom

Well-Known Member
difficult child actually said, when we were talking about second grade and his rages "it was the teacher". That was a very poinent statement from him. His therapist actually said at one point that we may need to move him to another classroom to get away from that teacher. When he began to feel a little better after a couple months, the decision was made to keep him in that room so he wouldn't think we were moving him because he did something wrong. The decision was made to keep some stability in his life.

difficult child has always had an above-age awareness of his issues. Looking back, I think he sees a connection, even as young as he was, that the teacher was a big part of his problems.
 

Wiped Out

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Sharon-Sounds like they are being very thorough. I do think it's better to try changes in the summer than the school year when possible. by the way, I'm not at all surprised they were impressed with your parent report! :warrior:
 
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