Picture Pages

I am going to be spending several posts trying to catch up posting all of the pictures that I missed while I was studying for the broker's test. Today, I am posting the pictures from when we went to the lighthouse in our town. Our town is centered around a big lake and it has the most beautiful lighthouse. We climbed to the top and enjoyed the view. It was a great family adventure.

Fall Fun

It does not get much more handsome than this.




"I got it, no I got it!"

National Infant Loss Memorial Day

Today is national infant loss memorial day. Tonight at 7 p.m. everybody is invited to light a candle in remembrance. Please join me as we light our candles to remember our Mason Landon.

The Diagnosis

Anyone who is close to us knows of the troubles we have had with Linda over the years. Her behaviors have just continued to worsen with age. This past year she did so badly in school that the only reason she moved on to the next grade is because of the No Child Left Behind laws. We had been seeing a counselor back home for several years and continued with him by phone when we moved. The goal was to give us new parenting techniques for her. Finally he decided it was time to take her to a psychologist for a psychological evaluation. Traditional techniques were just not working.

It took us several months to get in. We finally had our appointment last month. We had been keeping a diary of her behaviors for several months. The psychologist interviewed us and then Linda separately. It took several hours. We came back several days later for the diagnosis. Linda has been diagnosed as having Childhood Bi-polar disorder(moderate to severe), Reactive Attachment Disorder(mild to moderate)and ADHD (moderate).

This is not what we wanted to hear. Childhood bipolar is very serious. Teenagers who have had bipolar since childhood have an alarmingly high rate of suicide. It is so high that they say a child has a better chance of surviving childhood cancer than childhood bipolar. Add RAD and ADHD to the mix and she is going to be very difficult to treat.

The only good news is that when treated early, the risk of suicide goes down. It was recommended that we see a psychiatrist who can place Linda on medication. At this time, this is the route we are going to pursue.

I know the amount of judgement that comes when parents choose to allow their child to be put on medication. All I can say is that this is not something we have gone into lightly. We have spent six years reading every book, meeting every doctor, seeing every counselor, and saying every prayer trying to help her. It has not worked. At this point, if medication will help, we are ready to try it.

This is a very touchy subject with us. We are more than happy to talk about our situation, but we will not put up with any judgement as to our decision to follow the advice of medical experts. We simply cannot. We are tired. We are tired of the stress, the fear, and the moods that tear our house apart. If medication is what it takes, then so be it. I would ask people who have a negative opinion to think about this, if she was diabetic there would be no judgement if we treated that. This is a disease, just one you cannot see from the outside. I would also ask you to remember that you do not live in our house. You do not see the day to day issues that we deal with. We have had teachers, counselors, and psychologist tell us this is the way to go. We stand by our decision.

As always, we are open to honest discussion and concerns, but we will not put up with maliciousness or rudeness. I know the people that have spent the most time with us realize that we need help. I would ask all of you to be supportive and pray for our family. If you cannot be supportive, I would ask you to refrain from judgement. The last thing our family needs in this time is added stress and drama. Please pray for the doctor to make a wise choice, and please pray for our family as we transition. I hope this is the help that we seek.