Life with My Beautiful Bipolar Child

I seriously need to write more than once every month or two!  Gracious...well, my daughter has been having a couple of difficult weeks.  The pain is up there and she's getting frustrated.  Taking vicadin more than she wants, scared of getting too addicted...scared of messing up her liver.  So, tonight she laid it on me she wants to get a medical mariuana (sp?) license.&n

So, things have been going good for quite a while with hubby.  He got on something called "Healthy Mood" and its done wonders...thing is he mentioned the other day it had been 4 days since he took it and tonight that was obvious!  I'm so frustrated and angry, what was a good night, turned ugly and ridiculous and him throwing it all back on me and to top it off he asked h

Well, the news last night talked about a guy just getting out of jail (he was in there for domestic violence), he found his ex g/f and within 1/2 hr of leaving jail, shot and killed her and two others, and then himself...so D is watching this with me and I know what's going thru her mind...she asked me to turn the channel.  I was waiting and sure enough, I find out she had a panic atta

okay, so it was a great Saturday...got lots done like I wanted.  Well, not as much as I wanted cuz hubby gets in these "talking" modes and I have to sit and listen.  sometimes thatin itself can just get exhausting.  And the thing is I can tell him that he already told me whatever it is at the time, and he still feels the need to repeat himself (again!).  But overal

So much time has passed.  Things are going better.  My hubby even had a breakthrough - "we" need to get passed all this and move on (from oldest marrying one that we really disapprovedof this past June)...anyway....I've been talking, yelling and apparently something got thru to him.  She's having a baby next June, so things are the way they are.  They'r

I'm back to working full time again!  Good and bad...was hoping to get a little more time with D after Cleveland, however, it is what it is.  God is good and I'm thankful for my job, as it's a good one.  D is trying to find herself, working part-time, exhausted from work as a lot of times it is 10-12 hours at a shot; trying to find the balance...she struggles with her

Okay, the Cleveland Clinic is amazing - anyone with a child that has chronic pain and to their wits end on what to do should check this place out.  Good insurance helps, which Thank You God! wehave!    My daughter has her life back.  Not that all the pain is gone or all the headaches are gone, but gracious, she's almost like a normal teen again!

"Conqueri

it's out last week in Cleveland - yay!  D is doing so good tho and I think this program has done wonders for her.  We still have to get a plan on meds for the bad migraines, but for therest of it, she's working thru it.  She's so much stronger, more determined, getting back into life.  Not going back to school as she has the credits to graduate, so just going to

Wow, has it been a whole month since I've last written?  It's gone by fast.  We finally got the insurance approval for D to go to the Cleveland Clinic.  So she is going to entera 3 week program for adolescents to learn how to deal with pain, to do lots of therapies to help build up her muscles so she can be in less pain.  She's hopeful, nervous, anxious and today

as if we don't have enough to deal with, I swear this is the time of year my husband just goes off the deep end...gets very weird about stuff, things don't make sense to him without a ton ofdetails, stuff he's ok with otherwise, he's not.  Sigh...I'm gonna have a nervous breakdown if he doesn't pull out of it.  But he usually gets this way off and on in the spr

So this morning D has a headache, gave her meds, a couple hours later she tells me she's hyper.  Figure this might be a good time to talk about school...wrong.  She starts crying, wantsto drop out, can't deal with being so far behind, doesn't want to talk about it, goes to her room and wants to be alone.  So, I have a little melt-down of my own and then just am not su

and for today, she seems to be doing somewhat better.  Having friends around is a key to that I'm sure.  After the wonderful 4 day hospital stay and not getting very far with everything, we move forward.  Weaning off the meds very slowly (more slower than the doctors are suggesting for sure!).  She slept good last night for the most part and that also is a key factor on

I posted this on the depression & chronic pain board, but thought it good to put in my diary since it's been a while...

So, will try to keep this on the shorter side...my 17 year old suffers with myofascial pain syndrome and depression. When the cold weather hits, pain flares up in her ankels (she's had ankle surgery on both a couple years ago, cuz her ankels rolled) and knees

and I'm hoping it will be a better one.  Not starting off great, but to backtrack a little...end of December we met with one of the doctor's as a follow-up visit from the botox injections.  D told her she'd never do botox again and I agree.  The headaches are back, although not migraines and most are on one side of her head.  Doctor tells her to keep up with the

It's been a decent weekend and a very nice Christmas.  I think there's a little going on with D but she's keeping quiet about it.  Headaches mostly.  Next week is a check-up from the Botox injections, which honestly I think set her back.  She's been to an ENT and found that she's really congested...on antibiotics for 10 days...and nose spray which I don&#

Can't believe tomorrow is the 1st of December!  Gracious, time flies.  I've been laid off work - first time in 30 years!  Wow...what a weird feeling.  Good for D, as I cancart her around to school and back and not have to try and figure out how she'll get there all the time.  Got her bumped down to Spanish I which is great for her.  The school also has

Had a nice big dinner and D ate pretty good.  Update on her - she is loosing weight and the doctor's aren't happy about it.  They tell us to have her drink an instant breakfast andeven add ice cream to it before bedtime.  That worked for a while, but she isn't liking the after taste.  She pushes herself to eat most times as she's nauseated most of the time.&n

D had a decent week last week really...down one day (snow day) from pain mid-week, but went to school the next two days and had a really good weekend with friends.  Maybe overdid it by cleaningher room and walking the dog in the same day tho.  Down Monday, and today, down cuz of weather...hopefully even with the snow tonight, she can do school tomorrow.  She's stressing about

Good weekend...D had about 5 good days now although sore tonight and a bit irritable, but she had a busy day yesterday with friends, which was nice to see.  Made it to school Weds - Friday, soI think (hope) the final residuals of the strep are about gone.  so now its just figuring out the depression meds...the two wellbutrin is too much, one per day is still almost a bit too much, cut

She's tired of being sick and tired and I can't blame her.  Worse thing is she lashes out when she's in pain and exhausted.  Not sure what, if anything to do about that as I knowshe doesn't mean it and two minutes later she'll be saying please and thank you for things.  I'm calling the doctor tomorrow as she's been practically in bed for two days now a

D still has the headache, worse when she moves...she is pale, she looks thin and just "not healthy" for the most part.  Thankfully she hasn't dropped more weight and seems to eatgood when she eats, which is about 2x a day.  So that part is good.  She's not complaining of back pain so much so I'm thinking some of that is going away and maybe that therapy for

So first week she went all week and things were looking up - after that, not so much...she's missed days every week since.  Took her to the doctor to check for mono (negative) and found shehas strep (for only the 2nd time in her life).  Antibiotics made her feel some better by the next day, she went to school and today, in bed all day again!  She feels like crap, has headache

sinced I last wrote, where does the time go?!  D has started a new school as the private school sold out to a charter school.  Big adjustment for a kid who has gone to this school her entirelife and now in her senior year has to deal with a charter school taking over "her school".  Already have talked to the principal, have had the doctor write a letter explaining what

Had a great vacation, relaxing.  D ended up with pain after taking an innertube ride behind a jet-ski for 10 minutes.    That part sucks, but overall everything else was pretty good.  The headaches come and go and get to a mild roar for her, so to speak.

Anyways...the week we were back she had an appt with her pain doctor.  She started checking for trigger po

plane ride tomorrow...take me away!  :)   D & I are headed to Michigan, my home state.  Friends, family and lots of beach time are my hope and dreams this next week.  Ihave a great-niece going thru chemo for bone cancer, at the age of 11 no less!  Poor kid,  we'll visit her and her family which is my brother's grand-daughter.  She's a doll

Friday, on vacation, for 8 days - yay! Taking D with me.  So proud of her as she finished summer school (her choice) today and now only nees 4 credits to graduate!  yay!

Rick was beinggrouchy today, but seemed to lighten up after dinner with friends tonight - thank goodness for that!

I am so ready to escape for a week!  go see my family and a few friends...relax with

seriously...I want to up and leave and just let everyone figure their own crap out.  My oldest isn't on anything, picking up her jailbird b/f for his work release and somehow along the linesit seems they are talking about getting pregnant or some stupid *** thing.   No full time job, she's still moving in with b/f's mom at the end of the month.   and now I&#

D is in Nebraska this week with relation, we get her back next Monday.  Very strange not to have her here, but she calls me every day.  Second day she wasn't doing good as the day beforethey went 4-wheeling and the heat really got to her, so she had to lay around all day.  Next day she sounded better, but she thinks she needs to up her anti-depressant.  Today she woke up

I am so going to enjoy this weekend - hubby is off to the mountains until Monday, youngest is staying with the oldest for two nights and I have the place to myself.  Listening to a new CD my middleone ripped for me of Nickle Creek...very cool and funky type of music :)

So...D went in for a massage Monday night, came out feeling better than she had in ages!  the only word she cou

So daughter didn't wreck her car - her b/f did!  got drunk and trashed her car and not a dang thing we can do about it because she is so "in love" with him, which I think part ofher is just convincing herself she is...sigh...almost $2000 to fix it, which would still be cheaper than another car.  It sits in our driveway, hubby will fix it up, but she's not getting it

Okay, so things happen in 3's, right?  My almost 20 year old calls me at work Friday and proceeds to get rear-ended while I'm talking to her on the phone, so I try to calm her down.  Thankfully, no real damage, but the idiots took off, so it was a hit and run.  Told her to call 911 and get the cops over there.  She did, but I'm sure they'll never find the oth

YAY!  and I don't have to work tomorrow which is a first in a month of Saturdays, so that makes me happy.

D's procedure didn't work so well this last time...we had a follow-upappt the other day and I found out they did 40 injections!  I knew it was an awful lot as her back and neck looked like she had the measles.  Bad part is she got the flu crud her dad a

So it's been a couple of weeks since I've last written.  The friend is gone, I would drop him off in the a.m. to fill out apps during the day, but he broke the trust and showed up at ourhouse in the middle of the day...long story short, hubby dropped him back off at dad & g/f's, who are now back together...last we heard he's living in a motel and working things out with

We have now taken in a friend of D's...18 year old boy who got kicked out of his home as dad and g/f broke up and g/f owns the place...poor kid comes back from spring break to that and has nowhereto go.  Was going to go to see an uncle in Wyoming, but then I find out his uncle can't afford to have him, so he'd only get to stay a night or so then figured he could go to a shelter

I say that and then think I'll probably jinx things by saying that....lol...D is doing really well in school and going to take a couple extra credits before the end of school.  That way shewill definitely be a senior next year, although we are unsure of where she'll be going as her present school is up for sale (private school).  But we have until May 27th before this year is

so the marriage counseling session did NOT sink in and we had another go this past week...how exhausting...we worked it out but he still has it in his head he should be able to call me at work and discuss ANYTHING!  Even though I can't do that to him and have  pointed that out a thousand times.  He did apologize, but gracious i had to threaten to leave him before he finally c

okay...so marriage counseling tonight - I typed this out once and accidentally hit some stupid key and erased it all.

 Anyways - I hope tonight sinks in with hubby in a big way...the therapistreiterated the same thing probably 1/2 dozen times - that the other person in the marriage is not out to "hurt" (emotionally) the other, not trying to cause frustration on purpose or i

D went thru depression mode this past week, pulled out of it yesterday and is feeling better.  Missed school Thursday for the first time in weeks, lots of back pain...still need to get on her to keep with the exercises.  She doesn't fully understand what they can do for her.  We meet wit the pain doctor next Tuesday, so this should be interesting.  I'm going this tim

I am going to my daughter's for a Scentsy party.  Wasn't going to after what all happened this week, but going to go.  We had to talk about her college loan money this week and that's all we talked about, but at least we talked.  I have a friend kind of checking on her for me and letting me know what she's hearing.  It's not good...suspicion of pot growin

So really, why does everything you did to your parents come back to bite you 100 fold thru your own kids?  Things were going great, I ask one wrong question and my oldest blew up, dropped the "f" bomb on my twice, I actually slapped her across the face, she was hitting me (on the arms), hubby held her arms to keep her from doing that...and he basically told her to get out. 

Okay, so D is doing stupid things, but its normal teenage stuff and that is almost good to see...means she's feeling better.

Hubby on the other hand - well, I just read back and saw I mentioneda couple months ago about not trusting him with how long things would stay good...I swear the guy cycles...haven't pinpointed it yet and always thought through-out my marriage I should be tr

in one hour:   I got a call from D's spanish teacher - 1st week of the new quarter and already 3 assignments late, she tells the teacher its cuz she didn't understand it and the teacheris questioning why she has not come in for help; my big boss has a meeting - he is taking a leave of absence for health reasons for 3-4 weeks and stepping down when he comes back - not a really

compared to others!  We are watching two little girls for a friend...have had them for a couple days now.  Their 3 year old brother is in Children's hospital as he has a horrid infectionbehind his ear which has spread into the bone and they are trying to keep it from spreading into his brain.  This family has been thru so much - grandmom is diabetic, one leg amputated, other

...well, I should be very blessed...it was a day of trying to keep the peace between hubby and D.  He took her to 2 appts today, knitpicked...granted she messed up but it was minor...he doesn't know how to talk to her or "get after her" without sounding whiny and irritable.  He was irritated however when I try to "suggest" to him how he could say the same stuff

Well, we left for three nights and rented a cabin in the mountains, took the snowmobiles and D got to go for the first time in 2 years.  She was so excited and after an hour was frustrated as she hurt all over.  Long story short, the vacation was good, we relaxed to the point where the girls got bored, D included, but we also figured out the trigger point injections did NOT help her o

can't believe its already two weeks since my last entry.  D just had the trigger point injections (migraine nerve block type of thing) on Tuesday and is still sore.  Still a little "out of it" from the anestetic, although I'm sure today she'll get beyond that.  Doctor said she wouldn't feel the full effects for 3-7 days, so we wait and see if it works.&n

When I get here I forget a lot of what I've wanted to write...so much going on...too much.  Some good, some not so much.  On the good - hubby & I are doing so much better; on the bad, my feelings for him are there, just not near as much.  Hard to explain.  Things are so much better, but at the same time I don't trust him as to how long this will last - is it a pe

Also, we had to take D to the ER this past Monday night due to extreme back pain and migraine for two days.  They got her in pretty quick, ended up giving her a cocktail of Benedryl, Compazine and Tramadol...never thought about Benedryl before!  She slept for 45 minutes, woke up and the migraine was gone and the back pain went from an 8 down to a 3.  So that par

So D has had a ton of back pain and the migraines started up yesterday...she hasn't gotten much sleep in two nights and her back pain was so bad she could hardly move this morning.  I let her stay home, and went to work.  She got up at 1:00, called and said it was still bad...the called later crying and was really working herself into a frenzy...hubby suggested we take her to the

Done with work for 5 days!  WooHoo!  Baking day tomorrow with my girls and I'm so looking forward to it. 

But also going to call the courthouse in the a.m. and find out whythe heck this kid that abused D is out of the work program "until he cleans up his act" (got caught using drugs)...if this is a mandatory thing, how can they just send him to Grandma's

not on here...lol...but I'm thinking I need to make the time and write everything out so I can let it all go.  Had a very long talk with hubby tonight...seriously the guy is clueless on somestuff, but that will never change and I need to get a different outlook on life.  We've come to the conclusion I am very close to a nervous breakdown, so he finally understands why I need t

Well, this morning I called him and left a message...he left me his reminder note to take D to the orthodontist this afternoon, which hacked me off - he expects me to take her?  Seriously?  Told him that he needs to take her as I have to take her to her physcial therapy appt on Thursday, that I'm cancelling the therapist appt and that I hope that makes him happy.  So now I

Okay...so we have a good weekend, busy, but good.  I tell hubby tonight I have another therapist appt tomorrow night and he starts again on the same crap.  Whoever wrote and mentioned thathe's very insecure, I've come to the conclusion you are so right.  Thinking after this week, I'm done with the therapist because I don't want to get grilled every flippin' ti

We've had one of the best weeks in a very long time.  D's headaches are gone (so far!)  The lamotrigine seems to be working...she's only on 1-1/2 tabs a night (supposed to getto 4...wondering about that....) and this week her headaches are gone...thus, the backaches are less - still a lot of pain there but much less.  She's happier, and back to her somewhat feisty

Well, life is just getting more interesting all the time...just need it to all calm down.  Monday I went to my therapist...hubby flipped out thinking I'm talking about him and he's notthere to defend himself.  He called me 3-4 times Monday at work asking waht I'm going to talk about...I work in a flippin' cubicle with 6 others around hearing my every word!  Like I

Work for 2-1/2 hours, sign up my oldest as a Mary Kay rep (she's 21, wants to do it so I'll help and hopefully the timing is good with th eholidays coming up), pick up D from a friends, visitmy 19 year old at work (working concessions at a soccer field, brought her lunch), home for a nap, and then finally got to see my best friend who has been in England for over 3 months  because

One thing I did forget to mention in my last entry - D's therapist was wondering if she is bi-polar (type II)...honestly the thoughts have crossed my mind too, but she's doing much better onthe cymbalta than she ever did on any of the bi-polar meds, so we keep plugging along.  At least she's in school today and that's a plus...I think she'll give it her best shot at goi

I just need to ramble for a bit....I talked to D's therapist yesterday as we do every 3 months or so just to make sure we're all on the same page.  I want D to do the cognitive behavioraltherapy, D isn't ready for it, her therapist asks what I hope to accomplish by it and I told her that maybe D can start looking at things in a more positive aspect.  Therapist says teens g

Actually a lot better!  Hubby & I went to counseling Friday and it went really well.  Amazing how another guy can word things that I've been saying for years and make him understand!  We actually have another appt in 2 weeks.  D's 16th b-day was this weekend and that went pretty well too, all in all...we made it thru the weekend without tears, which was so nice!<

Things have been crazy with me...too busy at work..D's in physical therapy to help with all the pain (due to laying around a lot, a lot of muscles have not gotten used the way they should be, fora couple of years - thus pain...)...she's also taking a muscle relaxent at nighttime which helps, wearing pain patches 12 hrs a day and supposed to be exercising, which we need to work on more.&

Wow - it's been a long time since I've wrote - too long really.  Although life has been having its ups and downs I do think things have smoothed out some.  Although it helps with D not being in school, so that stress is off.  I wonder how she'll do when school starts up again tho as she still doesn't handle stress too well.  Takes after her dad on that one, n

I am so over it all.  I'm tired of my hubby blaming everything that's going on with D, on her.  Okay yes, she did have a friend over, she pushed her limits too far and was exhaustedlast night.  I was going to confront her about a couple things I didn't like seeing on her myspace and something I overheard her talking about, saw her in tears and said I was going to talk

Well, we are on the second day of taking 2 Cymbalta...have upped the neurotin, she's taking vicadin this week for the pain.  I asked her pain level for several days and it's gone from a 5 several days ago to an 8 yesterday.  Her wrist hurts so bad she can hardly hold a pencil.  She is sooo very frustrated with it all and actually I am too.  I wonder how much of this

I have come to the conclusion there is no such thing.  What we have is what we need to consider "normal" for our lives.  In my case it is dealing with a 15 year old that crashesabout every two weeks, it is dealing with her mood swings, dealing with others that just can't figure out its not her fault (including her father!), dealing with a private school that is going bus

Wow - where to start?  The meds are definitely helping, so that's a positive.  Her fuzzy thinking is clearning up and she can concentrate in school.  She even made it through a wholeweek last week.  Her cast came off a couple days ago and she was so happy because her ankle did not hurt!  So physical therapy for 8 weeks now and it should be good to go.

On anoth

Well she made it thru a few days last week of school...attitude is pretty good.  I'm worried cuz she tires so easlily.  Could that just be from surgery and laying around - hoping so.  Saw the pain management doctor after the orthopedic doc.  In a walking cast now, so that was a huge plus!  No more crutches in the house after what...5 weeks or so?  But still tak

Can't believe it's been so long since I wrote.  I've not been able to get myself to write, but I'm overdue.  This is good therapy for me too :)

Surgery is done - wentwell.  She had a ton of scar tissue in the ankle, so they cleaned that out and then tacked two ligaments back to the one (ouch!)...so lots of pain.  Been trying to wean her off the pain kil

She's in school and was even looking forward to it for once - that hasn't happened in a very long while.  She made it thru all last week with the exception of a couple hours Friday morning....just couldn't do it.  So, maybe the meds are kicking in some...maybe its just that all the stress is off and now she just needs to focus on catching up from last semester, staying cau

but I need to write something...so, I sent my daughter an e-mail on the percocet trying to explain why its not a good deal to keep on it more than necessary, etc...and surprise, got an e-mail back from her.  Not exactly the thing I want to read first thing in the morning at work, but oh well.  She's hurting no doubt and I still can't do much about that, she's mad at me for

down so far with meds.  Amazingly enough no complaints about nausea, or who knows, that might be coming.  Percocet is still at 4 a day, but today is the big test - back to school, more stress, more stress...more pain....I gave her two this morning and hoping she at least tries to get thru the rest of the day without them.  The principal isn't happy about her taking off last T

its the end of January and I don't even know how we got here.  This week has been the week from hell in a way....will it ever get better...of course I know it will, but gracious....  Okay so D supposedly was taking her meds - well NOT - come to find out she was convinced she was pregnant so stopped taking Lexapro a couple of weeks ago...mind you this is a medication we have to pay

and wondering when things will get better.  Oh yes, I know they will, but gracious, this waiting on doctors, waiting for meds to work, waiting, waiting...I know lots of people are in the same boat, but still...

D had an appointment with a pain management doctor - good guy, we both like him so that's a plus.  He put her on Lyrica...thing is that may take up to two weeks to ki

she just can't do it...doctor doesn't want to prescribe any more pain killers, but the kid hurts.  She tried to do school today and was in tears when we arrived (2 miles away from home).  I suggested we talk to the principal, who also happens to be one of the best teachers this school has.   She agreed.  So I tracked down the principal who was in another classro

of it all...and thing is, if I feel this way, my daughter more than likely feels 100 times more than I do.  She's the one in pain - constant pain.  She had the splint redone Monday, andthere's still a lot of swelling along with a rainbow of colors on both sides of her ankle.  She managed school - 1/2 day Monday, all day yesterday and this morning...is home.  Said she

Yes, I'm ready for this week to be over.  My oldest has started walking ever so slowly without crutches, so I was glad to see that :)    D is back at school today, it's 12:30 and no word from her yet, so am hoping that is a good sign.  She seems to be doing ok on the Lexapro so far.  As for her ankle, we'll know nothing until the 25th.  Doc said he

Okay, so it is only the 12th of January and already I'm wanting for this month to be over!  We've had the med adjustment, fought the med adjustment, back on the med adjustment (Lexapro)...so I believe D is now 5 days straight on the Lexapro.  She went off last week (actually my suggestion) for 3 days (I only wanted her off for two) to figure out if the nausea was due to meds.&

Well, she's been doing okay on the Lexapro with the exception of nausea...it got so bad yesterday she didn't go to school.  She went off it for two days, feels tons better and is able to eat again...so going to have her take it on a full stomach and if that doesn't work really well, knock it down to 1/2 for a few days and then bump it back up.  That's the only side eff

Well, we may have some good news for a change.  Her new pdoc feels that she is NOT bipolar type II!  Reason being is she doesn't fit the description in the DSMV (okay, I know I got thatwrong - the diagnosis book they use to determine type of mental illness)...anyway she doesn't fit it for the mania portion.  She never really has shown signs of mania for 4 days....so....th

and its a bit sad...I have to go back to work tomorrow just like the majority of people.  I have a job to go too, so that's a good thing.  Christmas was pretty good except for the factthat D was sick.  My fault I think as she had a little wine Christmas Eve...don't know if that just didn't mix with her pain meds - it wasn't much, but I guess with the one med she w

Well, we got the word, she needs surgery on the other ankle.  The doc barely moved her ankle and was able to dislocate it (no pain either)...so we're looking at February.  Both D & I were holding on to a tiny hope that it wouldn't happen, even though we knew it would...just hard hearing it is all.  More school will be missed so I need to talk to the school about every

Well, she's off the pain meds, hurting, trying...took 2 tonight and they didn'tphase her.  I told her that is what ht edocs were afraid would happen.  She's in a funk...nothingmakes her happy, she goes out with her sisters or friends, does okay even laughs and has a good time par tof it, but afterward she just tells me nothing matters and one day is like the next and it se

D's last day of school for a couple of weeks - hopefully the Christmas break will give her a break from the stress of school and "friends".  She's still helping with managingthe basketball team, although she tells me she hates it, that the girls hate her, that the manager is bossy to her, she's still doing it.  So, go figure...they have a Christmas party today an

Well, we got off to a rough start.  D was flipping out about having to take a geography exam that she already took at J.A.  I called the principal yesterday afternoon and she was goingto "check into it".  Well, I called again first thing this a.m. and she was restating that D would only have to take the part that she was there for (along with saying that they alrea

This past week has been full of ups and downs.  For the most part, I handled them all okay.  A few tears here and there, mostly out of frustration or feeling bad because she hurts so bad.  But then there's days like yesterday where she was headed more toward the mania side of things, which in the beginning can be somewhat fun because she is so talkative and in an up mood.&nbs

The day was pretty good for the most part.  I did call hubbies sister to get more background on his side of the family and yeah....grandma was institutionalized (believe for suicide attempt) and received shock treatment.  After that she was much better.  Sounds like a cousin who is D's age might also be bi-polar although she's not diagnosed yet, only diagnosed as ADHD....

D spent the night at a friends which was good, but now she wants to spend another night.  I tell her she has too much to do, she tells me I'm stressing her out.  I try to word things in a way to point out why I don't want her spending another night, she counters back.  I finally just said no overnight - all this is via text.  I'm sure she's very ticked with m

D & I talked last night and we agreed she can't wait another full week to get back on something, and as we still have lithium around and she did good on low doses before, she'll start onlithium again and that started this a.m.  Very low dose - 1/2 tablet in the a.m. and 1/2 in the p.m. (300mg tabs).   She was talking a mile a minute last night, which in itself can be

I see I've been slacking in writing as its been a week already.  Time flies.  She's been doing pretty good, going to school, keeping up, but this week is a tough one too.  Herankle pain has been really high, she's had to sleep in yesterday, although she did go to school later in the morning so that was good.  Same with this morning and I'm hoping she'll b

Well, she was up and at 'em this morning, which was good to see.  She wasn't looking forward to telling the coach she couldn't play b-ball this year, but the coach must have talkedto her about participating as later I got a text and she's going to be the manager.  That works!    She was supposed to do p.t. for her ankle tonight, but she called and sounde

This weekend has been a good one really.  D is in a lot of pain and with the snow and cold, things have gotten more painful...it's in her back, legs, ankles, joints.  Her doctor previouslywanted her to see a rheumatologist (she's tested negative for juvenielle rheumatory arthritis, but I understand those type of doctors are experts in other types of joint pain).  The only

D was off school, I'm off work today...we did a lot of running around, but we had a great talk this morning for a couple of hours.  She had acupuncture last night for the pain in her legs and it helped a little, will probably make another appointment.  But I also found out last night that she was forgetting her Abilify.  I didn't say anything about it as it wasn't the

I just had to vent a bit...I've read so many posts by people talking about what drugs they are on without a mood stabilizer, it just blows me away.  I'm no doctor, but just a mom educatingherself on her daughter's disorder; however everything I've read and I mean everything says that people with bipolar can NOT take an antidepressant without a mood stabilizer!  That a