Monday, Schmonday!

Morning Friends!

Today I am: feeling better, relaxed
Today I will: enjoy the day with my kids.

It's Monday! We're on summer break so while we are still getting up on our regular school schedule, we are not hurrying to get lots of things done.  I have found it very helpful to keep Hailey on the same schedule all the time. Although, I have been lacksadaisy this summer and have let the girls stay up late and sleep in late. It's fairly easy to revert to our normal routine so a day or two of fun time is ok..I think they need it!

I went down with a migraine last Friday and haven't posted all weekend b/c of it. As you may know, when Mom gets sick, the house comes to a stand still. My husband is an excellent caregiver so he did what he could. I think it may have been the overwhelming emotions as my husband acknowledged his own challenges and we talked about how we can help each other to help him AND help Hailey.  I have a lot of faith and know I am a lucky woman. Sometimes things just don't go as planned. We have to push ourselves through it and know there is a rainbow out there!

Aside from catching up housework, I also got our Introduction Letter done. This will prepare Hailey's new teacher for the challenges she'll be facing this year. It is my hope that it will benefit the teacher by giving her knowledge and understanding, and also Hailey, so she has someone who understands what she faces each day. I am still not sure just how much I should include but I want to cover the basics and let her (the teacher) know that I'm supporting her through this year.  Our teacher last year was feeling the frustration as much as I was because I just didn't want to face it at the time. That really hurt Hailey and her teacher.  I know things would've been different if I'd of accepted it sooner but that's water under the bridge and it's only a mistake if you've learned something from it! Prepare, prepare, prepare!

If you need help constructing a letter of introduction for your child, there are some really great examples here:
 
http://www.additudemag.com/search/google.html?match_words=introduction+letter&x=0&y=0
 
I know I use ADDitudemag a lot but they have SO much wonderful information on their site. It helps me feel less alone in dealing with the additional daily struggles and challenges! It's so encouraging to see that people can succeed and have a really happy life, even with ADD/ADHD. That's what I want for all my kids!

There are a lot of people, I have discovered through reading articles and blogs, who don't believe in ADD/ADHD, specifically the Inattentive Type. They say it's just laziness and that their parents aren't doing their jobs. I got angry at the first article I read! I kept reading though to see if they could substantiate it and I lost the anger because I know they can't possibly know what I know! I think they must be so lucky to not have to overcome so many extra obstacles in their life! Sure, I didn't believe it either at first but as I read and go through those checklists and listen to other girls (now women, some very successful) who faced these problems, I'm still confident in my decision to have the diagnosis made and to start her on the medication.  It's a learning process and I always question the medication, until she gets up each day and takes it. I see her change into that sweet, funny little girl who doesn't get frustrated with herself because she can't remember what she was doing.  She doesn't feel helpless and doesn't get discouraged. I see the hope in her eyes and I know, for us, it was the right decision for now. If that makes me a bad parent to some, I'm ok with that. It's made me an ally with my daughter and made me respect what she goes through. It's made me change the way I think and the way I deal with things.  It's made me a better Mom.

We have a follow up appointment with Dr. Baker this Friday and I'm a little nervous.  She is bumping Hailey's medication dose up again.  Hailey is so tiny that she doesn't have the wiggle room to lose a lot of weight so we are stepping her up slowly, every 4 weeks. This also gives us the chance to monitor if we've reached the right dosage slowly. Initially, the changes were dramatic both positively and negatively: she was very quiet, very relaxed, very focused but not eating, wearing a watch to remind her to drink (important because of her kidney reflux), and having drops in blood sugar that made her feel shaky and sick.  Stepping up should reduce the side effects too and admittedly, Hailey hasn't had many, once we started managing food and fluid intake better.

I'm amazed at how quickly I've adjusted to dealing with all of that too! We keep peanut butter cups and protein bars everywhere, I bought her a watch with an hourly chime to remind her to drink and keep an assortment of healthy snacks on hand so she'll find something that is appetizing.  There are reusable bottles for water everywhere too! She eats before her meds each morning so I know she gets a good meal in. I've also tracked her weight each week and kept a journal when I notice behaviors changing or questions that come up.  That journal is my lifeline with Dr. Baker and gives her a good baseline of how Hailey is doing. I recently decided to have Hailey skip 1 day a week of the meds so she eats well. Boy, does she eat on that day! That really helps keep her weight loss to a minimum and I can pump her full of healthy yummy things!

I have noticed that she is falling back into old patterns so I think she has adjusted to the dosage and we haven't reached the correct one yet. In the past week, her appetite has picked up on the meds (yay!), she's becoming frustrated with forgetting things, is wandering aimlessly during unscheduled time, and isn't able to focus on one activity as long as before. I've also noticed I'm not able to visibly see the transition as the meds leave her system in the afternoons.



What I learned: We've got to be our children's strongest advocate! No one is more vested in their happiness and success than we are. Even if others don't agree with you, do what you feel is the best for you and your family!


Be Blessed!
~Leo

Currently Reading:
Only A Mother Could Love Him My Life and Triumph over ADD, by Ben Polis 
Attention Deficit Disorder: A Different Perception, by Thom Hartmann