New Drug… New Name

I was beginning to think that using dd (dear daughter) was too impersonal. I don’t really want to use her name either (at this point). So I think I will use Rosy for her name. I have to figure out a nickname for my son and hubby too then, I guess, but this post will be about her so I will have time to figure some out..lol

Rosy started a new drug called Biphentin yesterday. It is in a pink and white capsule that I can pull apart and pour onto food. Yesterday it was ice cream! I know, ice cream for breakfast? The cold numbs the tongue and I knew she would eat it all. Now to figure out something healthy to put it on! Today will be ice cream again, and just a small amount again.

The question of the day…Does it work?? Well, I’m not going to say yes right away! I did that with the Concerta, and we know that it didn’t work after all. I told the doctor about her staying up till 10pm one night and then 11pm the next, and she said that Rosy should go on something else, as it is keeping her up way too late. I completely agreed! I need sleep too, and can’t when I know that one of the kids is awake.

I do think that it may be working, as she had her best day ever at school! The teacher wrote in her agenda, “She had an awesome day! She worked so hard today. I am proud of her.” YAY! I’m so happy for my little girl! She seemed to be a little different after school too. I just haven’t figured out if it is a good different or just different. I know it will take a couple of days to see how it works for her.

So it’s on to day two, and we will see how she does. I will be going in after school to talk with the teacher too, just to see if she notices a difference or not. The fun part is, that she has two teachers (one for A days and one for B), so I will have to talk to the teacher that taught her yesterday, tomorrow. It gets a little crazy, but it has worked well for them. I like both teachers and they have worked hard with me to help Rosy to do her best.

Since I’m up in great time this morning, I figured I would get this post up. Now it’s time for me to start getting ready for the day. Have a great day!

I Over Reacted Again!

Last night was not good! DD, DS and I went to the store after school. I picked up ice cream sandwiches for dd, for school (her reward for her behaviours). We get home and she was angry, because I had also picked up a game for the family and she didn't like it, and wanted me to buy her another one. I told her that no, the other game is for younger kids, and I didn't want to get it at this time (way more expensive too). DS and I had an ice cream bar, as she had one right after school and DS didn't. Well, she was mad about that too. It just escalated from there! I could not get her to sit for a time out, and then I tried to have her stay in her room too. She started kicking the wall, me, throwing things. I tried holding her for a time out (a trick that used to work, but not any more, she is too strong for that now), and I admit that I did spank her.

To top it off, she ran out the door without her shoes! Thankfully my friend down the street knows what we are dealing with, and she sent Sam walking back my way. Did I do the right thing?? NO! Did she do the right things?? NO!! I regret over reacting to it, but man it got so frustrating! I had those stupid thoughts too! You know the ones: "If only I didn't have her as a child, or if only she did run away" Man do I feel awful for thinking those things! I love her to death!! I would never want her to leave/run away!

Oh and the meds, I don't know if they are the right ones. She was up till 11pm last night! She could not sleep at all. She didn't even take the meds this morning. She couldn't swallow them, and I figured it was not the fight that I wanted then. Thankfully the doctor's office called, and I told the secretary what was going on. The doctor is going to be calling at some point soon, so hopefully she will have some info for me (new drugs or ways of Sam swallowing the drugs that she has...I just don't know). I was praying that the first drug would be the right one, but now I'm praying that we just find the right drug quickly. I know that we may need to try out a few things to find the right one, but I don't want to be doing this forever. We all need a break! DD needs to be able to see how much the meds can help her.... ugghhh... is how I feel.

Off to find out when the doctor may call, and then maybe head to the store for a break from the house.

Great Long Weekend!

We upped the dose to 36mg and it seems that it is what dd needed! We played Monopoly as a family yesterday and it was the best game ever! She didn't get too crazy during it, and didn't get too upset when she didn't win. She was winning for part of it, and didn't gloat about that either. She has also been spending a lot of time in her room writing a story. Using the Adventures in Odysey story about the kids and parents switching places for a base. It will be interesting to read when she is done.

The only drawback is that she doesn't go to sleep again! We had this problem before we found out about Melatonin. She has been taking Melatonin for a few weeks, and we noticed a huge improvement in her sleeping patterns. Now it's back to square one! ugghhh....

Going to call the doctor's office today to talk about all this, and to get a prescription filled for the 36mg dose. We are are still having problems with her swallowing the pills too. Have to talk to the doctor about that too.

Anyway, just a quick update for now. More later!

Movie night

A wonderful day outside and in! Had the normal issues with my daughter, but took it in stride today.

Started with laundry time! Asking her to put her laundry away, is like pulling teeth. She tried to fight me, and I told her that I would take away her radio. She said that life in this house was unfair, and I reminded her about her friend visiting today (a family that lives close by that we get together when we can, and their daughter is also ADHD, and has the same name as dd). She worked on her laundry and got it away.

I wanted her to take her meds, and she said she wouldn't, and then said no. I came downstairs and tried to figure out a way to hide her pill in something, and couldn't figure something out (hubby bought very green banana's, so not a good thing). Hubby then walked in the door and when I asked him, he suggested the Dare Real Fruit Gummies. I had dd come down, and I think because hubby was there she tried the gummie. It worked! Yay, something else to use!

Then it was on to cleaning the house. I asked dd to vacuum her room, and she told me that I needed to find a radio station first (she wanted to listen to Adventure's in Odysey), and I told her that I would after she vacuumed. She tried to fight for just a couple of minutes, and then finally took the vacuum. That was easy!

Cleaning up the bunny cage was next, and I was half done by the time she came downstairs (after hubby having to start counting), not so good, but she finally worked on it.

I then asked her the dreaded question! Would you please have a shower? She kept saying that she wouldn't but shortly after I asked her, and reminded her that she needed to, for her visitor, and low and behold she took her shower.

Interesting thing to happen, was having the doctor calling today! A Saturday?? WOW! I'm impressed. I had called on Friday to mention the lack of change, and she was away. She called today and okayed us upping the meds to 36mg from 27mg. We will start that tomorrow, and then I will call her on Tuesday and get a prescription filled for the 36mg, as we only have enough 18mg pills for 8 days and that will take us to next weekend. Still very impressed that she called!

Then on to movie night. The kids watched part of a movie, and we then had dinner. The kids went off to watch another movie (they didn't finish the other one at all), and the adults watched a movie (Inception). All in all a great day!

Day Seven...

So it's not as common for girls to have ADHD. I find that interesting. I don't know why, and I'm sure the doctor's don't really know why either. Oh well, we have a beautiful little girl, who God has trusted to us. We are trying our best to raise her and of course there are tough days and great days, and so we are taking them one day at a time!

Speaking of days, it's now day seven, and there hasn't been a lot of change in my daughter. Have to check with the teachers after school today to see if they have noticed any difference. I even called the doctor's office today, and the doctor that we saw is not in until next Tuesday (Monday is a holiday here in Canada). The doctor who did answer, took down all my info and either she or our doctor will call. I'm glad about that. Maybe we will see some changes over the long weekend?

I had dd clean up her room last night, so that I could vacuum it today. She didn't want to, because she was "playing" with her polly pockets. Finally got her to, and then she decided it would be fun to pull out all her costumes and put them on (one at a time, mind you). Fun for her, but what did she do with the costumes after she was done? Leave them on the floor of course! I know, when it's out of her mind, and she is on to something else, I have to be prepared for the mess. Oh well, she gets to vacuum her room tonight then.

I have to admit my house is not the cleanest on the block, but it frustrates me on how messy dd can get. Problem is her working memory is not great (so it means constant reminders until it literally sinks in - long term memory). I think the problem is, she doesn't have enough structure, and I know I have to work on that. I know I posted about the organizational chart earlier, and I think we need to really incorporate that into her day. Thankfully it's going to be a yucky day on Monday, so I'm thinking that will be the day to work on that. Now to find the chart that will work!

Well, I'm off to have lunch with friends. If you are a reader from Canada, have a wonderful long weekend!

Leave Her At School?

Well, I'm thinking the Concerta is out now, I would think that after four days I would see an improvement of some sort. Nope, in fact she was really bad after school. We got home and she had to go to the bathroom, and so did ds. She went in first and he said that he would wait, well she told him no, he should go upstairs to use the bathroom (which he could have, but he chose to wait). Well, she leaves the bathroom and proceeds to lock the door on the way out! Wow, something I never would have thought of!

Then came the fun of telling her to sit on the bottom step for a time out, in which she told me no, and to get out of her room. I took her necklace that was on her bedside table, and she proceeded to scream and then she pushed at me and hit me (and Children's Aid wonders why I would spank my daughter...). I walked away down the stairs and told her to sit on the bottom step, which she finally did. She wasn't quiet though, and decided it was the best time to talk about her problems at school. A girl asking her to swear, and another one calling her an a**hole. Oh boy, and how am I to deal with this?? Leave her at school, comes to mind!!

I'm thinking I better call the dr and see what she has to say. I want to know how long it will take before we can see some type of difference.

Speaking of doctors, I've been told that I should take her to a chiropractor. I don't know. More research to do!

Off to do that now!

Day Four...

Well on to day four of Concerta. DD is still having problems taking the pill. Tried a trick with her that I read about getting her to practice with tic tacs, and that was working, I thought. She could swallow the tic tacs, but not the pill. Do I enjoy a pill being spit out in my hand? Not so much! Finally got it down with banana (healthy choice). Oh and we upped the dose to 27mg.

Have I noticed a difference? Not really. I have noticed that she gets really crazy before bed..oh that's right, she did that before! Hmmm...

She doesn't show any side effects, and that's a great thing, and something I prayed about. Thank you Lord! Guess I will find out today after school, if there is any change. I found out they are charting her behaviors with her, and she really enjoys that! Oh darn, that reminds me, I need to get some ice cream sandwiches for them to give to her as a treat if she gets eight checks on her chart. She gets rewards right away (15 min of extra computer time and stuff). DD didn't bug the boys as much yesterday, so that is a huge plus.

We didn't get to the organizational chart or popsicle stick things like I had hoped to on the weekend, so I can't tell you about that. Hubby thinks the popsicle stick idea wouldn't work, cause she would want to play with them instead. I think he might be right. So on to the next idea...don't know what that is yet.

Well, I better get some lunch in me, since I am behind a little. Been reading some great blogs today. Have a wonderful day!

A New Day...

We started Concerta this morning for dd. She had major problems swallowing it, so I had her take a bite of banana, and then a spoon of nutella with the pill in the nutella. It worked! She has never been one for medication, even if she is feeling really sick, she would rather go without. 18mg of Concerta in, and praise the Lord, there have been no side effects! She ate lunch and dinner no problem, and even said how hungry she was. She is now in bed, and took her Melatonin first, so I'm assuming she will be asleep in no time.

Did I see any change?

I have to admit, that I didn't see a lot of change. She did kind of help me with cleaning up the rest of her room (I am hoping that with me re-arranging it, and organizing it more, she will be able to keep better care of it), but had times where I had to remind her to stay on task, as per normal. I did notice that in the afternoon she was more focused on a job that she was doing (of her own liking, so that it probably why). Oh and we went to the book store today (Chapters is the best place to go on a rainy day), and she did well there (again somewhat "normal" for her). She picked out two books about horses (her new obsession), and I got a couple of books on ADHD. One for hubby and myself, and one with worksheets in it for her to work on many things (from making friends to behaving at home). It will be interesting to see if the worksheets help her at all.

Now on to the next task! A chore chart.... I have been searching for some, and found lots, but any that we have tried with her don't seem to work. Well, I may have found something to help! I stumbled upon this site Make It Sparkly Mama from this site: ADD Student

Check out what I can do for dd!

I'm thinking that the visual plus having to move the chore from one can to another, just might help (or not). I will have to create them (with her help) and see how it goes. I hope to work on them tomorrow afternoon, since it is raining, and will post if they help or not.

Just went to check on the kids, and they are both trying to stay up late. It's now 9:00pm, and they both should have lights off (they were both reading). Lights off at 8:30pm during the week, but weekends can be a little later. DD's attitude was getting worse too (I just noticed her negative attitude wasn't as strong as normal..hmm). Hard to say if it was things going on today or the medication. It will be interesting to see what happens tomorrow and Monday at school.

Off to spend some time with hubby before crashing.

Ta ta for now!

Hair Brushing

People with ADHD usually have some type of sensory issues as well. My lovely dd has always had a problem with tags, and things fitting "just right." It's not as bad as it used to be, but is still there. She also hates brushing her hair (but doesn't want it too short). While searching around for ADHD things, I stumbled across a site that talked about the Knot Genie. Well, I was interested, to say the least!

But would it work?? I researched it by going to a bunch of different blogs and review sites, and found nothing but good remarks. I had to order it! I came across a Canadian site that was selling it for less than the manufacturer's site, and I always want to support Canadian sites, so I ordered one on Wednesday. It arrived today! LuvMum is fast. (It is a online clothing shop for Canadian families living with tactile sensitivities)

So I'm sure you are wondering if it worked?

I opened the box right away (with my keys), and sent it on back to my dd, who was sitting in the back of the van. She brushed her hair and never said ow, and seemed to do a very nice job. We got to the store where we were picking up hubby, and I brushed her hair with it myself. She had gotten all the tangles from the day out of it!! I used it again tonight and she never said ow, or even tried to run away. In fact, she asked me to keep brushing it (which I sadly had to say no to, since it was getting close to bed time and she needed to get ready for bed). The big test is tomorrow morning, after sleeping (and tossing). I will let you know!

Ta ta for now!

Doctor Appointment/School Meeting

We had the doctor's appointment on Tuesday. She said that dd, has ADHD there is no doubt. DD was all over the office (classic ADHD..lol). It was a good meeting, and dd was very good throughout the whole thing (considering she was an hour behind, which she apologized a few times about). The doctor mentioned that dd may not be PDD-NOS, as the symptoms are similar to ADHD, so after taking the medicine, she may just stop showing signs of PDD-NOS (I'm not sure about that one yet). She prescribed Concerta, which we will start tomorrow. I'm praying that dd doesn't have any side effects from it, and that it works, as I would rather not have to go through many drugs (even though I am prepared to do so). It will be interesting to see, that's for sure.

We then had a meeting the next night at the school. The LRC, teachers, principal, counselor, psychologist, and the CAS worker were all present. It was a great meeting, and the school is doing their best to help dd in any way that they can. The psychologist had some great ideas for them, and I look forward to seeing how she does. They will be starting an IEP for her as well! Yay! The kids were in the computer lab for the hour and a half meeting and did really well. I was surprised when we went to get them, as they were sitting right beside each other (I thought they would be sitting in different parts of the room).

All in all, a great week. It ended on a high note too! DD came home today and she was so excited because she got to get a sticker and recognized over the PA for getting perfect on her math test yesterday! I'm sure it boosted her ego a bit!

Well, off to get some ice cream for the kids.

Ta ta for now!

It's Official..Now What?

Well, we met with the psychologist and the counselor and dd has been diagnosed with ADHD and PDD-NOS. Now what happens??

DD and I are going to the pediatrician next week, and she specializes in ADHD, so we will get more info there. Then we I will meet with the psychologist, counselor, teachers and principal to go over what can be done at school. I understand this is going to be a long process, but I'm looking forward to getting things going. A friend said that I might get upset that this has happened (that dd has been diagnosed with something), but I'm not feeling that at all. Maybe because we have been dealing with this for a long time..who knows?

I got some more info on PDD-NOS, and will have to post more on the symptoms too. I think my previous post on them was a little long and convoluted.

At the meeting we learned some interesting things too. One major thing is the fact that dd has trouble at times remembering how things happened. She will remember parts of what happened, but it may be in the wrong order, or it may have things added to it that didn't actually happen. Makes it interesting to figure out if she is lying or if she is telling what she remembers. I know there are times that she is really lying, and that's so she won't get in trouble, but there are other times where I'm going to really have to evaluate things. I'll give a quick example, as this may help. DD was taking the cat, Shadow, out on the back deck (she is an indoor cat), and I had her bring the cat back in (it was starting to rain too) twice. She didn't go far on the deck, just a couple of feet away from the door. About 20 min later dd was playing a game with her brother, and she told him that she had taken the cat out and had her all the way down the stairs, and that the cat got spooked, because of getting dripped on, and that she (dd) had to chase Shadow back up the stairs and into the house (I don't have the exact rendition, but it was pretty elaborate). I let it slide, and I'm glad I did, because I now know that, that story may be what she "remembered," even though it didn't happen. Funny how our brains work!

Anyway I'm off to bed. I have a mother-daughter date with my dd to get make-overs at the Shopper's near by. Looking forward to that!

Assessment Coming Soon!!

I'm excited, and scared at the same time. Hubby and I are going to be meeting with the psychologist and dd's counselor on Wednesday evening to get the final assessment for dd. I'm excited, because it will mean that we are that much closer to getting her the help that she needs. I'm scared, because she could easily say that nothing is for sure, and that dd will have to go through more testing, or that there is nothing wrong at all (which I doubt at this point, after all that I have read).

This past Saturday was brutal, as dd didn't want to do her homework properly. She was to write five paragraphs about ancient Egypt, and she only wrote three and a list of things. I told her that it wasn't correct, and that I would sit down and help her. Well, that's not what she wanted at all. She figured she didn't care, then she said that she would quit, and then she just fought us about everything. Hubby was getting so frustrated, and taking away things from her room (radio, special pillow, etc.) wasn't working either. I finally got her to settle down and sit down so I could talk with her (calmly talking to her over and over). I explained that we needed to work on her homework, and she finally agreed (almost an hour later). We sat down at the computer and I showed her how to do some research and we then got to work on her paragraphs. I just can't wait to get help with this kind of thing. We can only take so much! It's affecting our ds too! He was in tears, because he was worried about how everyone was being with each other (especially his sister yelling at mom and dad). Thank God we were able to get things on track again.

Better get some dinner started. I'll post again soon!