This blog post can be found at “A Mom’s View of ADHD” http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/04/get-facts-or-shut-up.html.

 
I keep reading over and over articles, blog posts, etc. claiming that teaching ADHD kids consequences will “cure” their ADHD. Anyone who spreads this rubbish can’t possibly have ADHD, know someone with ADHD, or be a medical professional of any sort. They are just yet another conspiracy-theorist anxious to fuel the flames. They do get me in a tizzy but not the one they were hoping for. I get downright angry. If they were educated on the subject whereof they take great liberty to speak, they would know this belief is pure trash.

As a parent of an ADHD child, we hear it all: behavior problems are just bad parenting; if you punish them they will comply; every child can sit still and focus if they try hard enough; ADHD medications/stimulants just drug a child into submission; blah…blah…blah.

We knew there was something going on with Luke because

* we know we are good parents,
* we punished taking away privileges until he literally had no toys and had to earn them back a few at a time and he still couldn’t follow directions (or earn his toys back)
* he wanted desperately to follow directions and please his elders and was very sad a lot of the time because he couldn’t no matter how hard he tried
* he is the sweetest, most kind-hearted little boy around but he was constantly in trouble.

Now, I know perfectly well that my son’s ADHD is very real and not something that he can control on his own (at least not at 6 years old — I certainly hope he will learn to compensate and cope when he is older). He can’t just tell himself to calm down and sit still and pay attention and have it be so. For that is the definition of ADHD! An ADHD individual cannot control their impulses — something different is happening in their brain.

TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST, PLEASE GO TO http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/04/get-facts-or-shut-up.html.

This blog post can be found at “A Mom’s View of ADHD” http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/ugh-more-meds.html

 
Last week, Luke had his second checkup with the Behavioral & Developmental M.D. at the Olson Huff Center since being diagnosed with ADHD there Nov. 2008. At the first checkup in March, his Concerta dosage was increased and the doctor was concerned because he had lost 4 pounds. I was, of course, nervous about going in again. I knew if he had lost any more weight, the doctor would change his medication. I agree that he has to grow. But I was also nervous as to the outcome because both his teacher and I had begun to realize the Concerta was loosing effectiveness again (that’s how he got the increased dose the last time). I just don’t approach the unknown very willingly.

So he was weighed and measured and his blood pressure was taken. Then we waited for our turn with his doctor. I saw what his weight and height were at the time measured, but I didn’t remember what they were in March so I was on the edge of my seat when we finally got in with the doctor. Fortunately, he looked at his weight first. It was exactly the same as two months ago, down to the tenth of a pound: 47.7 pounds (he had been 52 pounds when diagnosed in Nov.). He actually grew 1.5 inches too. Yeah, he was growing!

When I mentioned that the Concerta was beginning to loose effectiveness again, I got the dreaded “this may be as good as it gets” spiel. Frankly, I am fine with his current behavior. It can be frustrating at times, but we have dealt with it for a few years and can deal with it again. What is bothersome is how much trouble and learning prevention ADHD causes at school. When his meds are working he does so great and I really want that greatness for him.

So Dr. S told me about Tenex. Tenex is a hypertension medication that is often prescribed to ADHD individuals when stimulants aren’t tolerated or don’t work well. It is not yet FDA-approved for children and for treating ADHD but that is going to happen later this year. It affects a certain chemical in the brain causing a “slow-down.” I didn’t like the idea of giving him two medications every day and I didn’t like the idea of giving him a medication for high blood pressure when his blood pressure is a-okay. But Dr. S explained that it helps with hyperactivity and impulsivity, the two ADHD symptoms that Luke was again struggling with. He said we could try it for a few days to 1) see if he could take it without severe drowsiness or other side effects and 2) see if it would help with the re-emerging symptoms. If so, great. We’ll continue to take it. If not, he’ll tell me how to wean him off of it (you cannot stop this medicine abruptly).

TO READ THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST, PLEASE GO TO http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/ugh-more-meds.html.

The post can be found at “A Mom’s View of ADHD” http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/is-high-metabolism-really-blessing.html.

I have wished for a higher metabolism my entire adult life. Once my lifestyle “settled down,” the fat also settled…on my stomach, hips, thighs… I have watched my husband eat like a horse (his serving size for Twinkies is 2-3 at a time, for example) over the last 12 years and not gain a pound. He is still under weight. I however, can think about chocolate (obsess really, but that’s another conversation) and gain weight. I am 40 pounds heavier than I was at age 21. A good 30 pounds overweight.

Now I am starting to wonder if a high metabolism is really such a blessing though. I mean, I am sure it would be great for me, but it is not beneficial to the men in my life, my hubby and son. The first time I heard that your body can metabolize your medications was last year, a couple months after my husband began getting remicaid infusions for his ankylosing spondilitis. The first couple months were great. The pain was down significantly over his previous medication, which had just stopped working after several months. But after 2-3 months on the new medication, it began loosing effectiveness as well. His rheumatologist immediately asked him about his eating habits. My husband, god love him, survives on a Coke diet (at least 6 cans) up until dinner. He eats nothing during the day and then eats dinner and doesn’t stop eating until midnight or later. So, the obvious question is, what will his body burn to make energy when it runs out of calories from the Coke? Ah, it will burn his medication. Ding, ding! That’s a problem. Getting him to eat is a problem too. For a few weeks after this revelation, he ate pre-packaged peanut butter crackers and cliff bars, several a day. But soon these two foods got tiresome and he fell back into his pattern of being too busy at work and on job sites far from food and not eating again. He had actually put on about 15-20 pounds during his high-calorie phase but had lost it all again by the time he went back for his last doctor visit six months later.

Mia’s wonderful comment on my last post, mentioning metabolism, triggered a revelation. If my husband’s body is burning his medication when he doesn’t eat or eat enough, can’t Luke’s little body be doing the same thing to his Concerta?

 
TO READ THE REST OF THIS POST, PLEASE GO TO http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/05/is-high-metabolism-really-blessing.html

The blog post can be found at “A Mom’s View of ADHD” http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/07/guilt-overload.html.

 
I am really feeling bad about giving my son medications for his ADHD this week. In months past, I have reminded myself that we give him medications so he can be successful and feel good about himself. We chose medication for HIM, not one bit for us. That reminder usually makes me feel better.

But this week I am overwhelmed by guilt and self-doubt. I wonder if we are just medicating him so he’ll fit in. So he’ll fit into a world he isn’t neurologically capable of fitting into without chemical intervention. This cannot be the reason. I celebrate individuality. But, helping him fit into the “ordinary”‘ world is what creates confidence, peace and joy for him that he lacked beforehand.

I remember his demeanor before he was diagnosed with ADHD and medicated in Nov 2008. He was sad and defeated, probably near a clinical depression at 5 years of age. It brings tears to my eyes to think of all the times he tried so hard to please his teachers, parents, and elders and, try as he might, he just couldn’t. I don’t want to go back there. That feels like parenting failure.

 
TO READ THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST, PLEASE GO TO http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/07/guilt-overload.html

This blog post is from ADHDMomma and can be found at
http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-adhd-medicine-key.html

Luke has been taking Vyvanse for 3 straight days now. He has tried a host of other medications, most recently Concerta. The Concerta was fantastic, a dramatic change, but lost effectiveness after a month or so.

Of course, I have mile-high hopes for the new medicine, for the Vyvanse. I want it to be a dramatic positive change worthy of giving him a serious medication daily. I am on the edge of my seat, fingers and toes crossed, holding my breath. While we have battled some with being really sleepy, that seems to be subsiding and we are seeing great results. He brought home a story he wrote in school yesterday (pictured below). I smiled so much my cheeks literally hurt. I gushed and gushed until his sister was so tired of hearing about it she left the room. It was far beyond any expectations I had for him. It was a full page of writing. I could read it. It made sense. He even used quotation marks around dialogue and had dialogue in his story to begin with. And he drew a full picture to go with it with lots of color and detail. It may not be amazing for a 2nd grader. In fact, I know it isn’t. But for my 2nd grader, my ADHD boy who struggles so much with handwriting and even the desire to write because of it, it is beyond amazing.

 
TO READ THE REST OF THIS BLOG POST ON ADHD MEDICATION, PLEASE GO TO http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2009/10/is-adhd-medicine-key.html

Penny’s Blog can be found at www.adhdmomma.blogspot.com

Penny Williams blog chronicles her and her family’s daily life with ADHD. It is a powerfully written blog which shares every day life in a compelling fashion. As a mother of a son with ADHD, I find her posts to be right on with what I am experiencing every day — and, even though we have never met, I feel a link with her through our common experiences. If you have a loved one with ADHD, her blog would be of great help to you.
 
A Mom’s View of ADHD
my everyday life with my ADHD son
 
Penny’s Introductory Blog can be found at:
http://adhdmomma.blogspot.com/2008/11/introduction.html
 
Introduction
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
 
In school, I remember thinking that LD students were unintelligent — incapable of what we normal students could accomplish. That was the general understanding for most of us growing up and it is still the assumption of most people not experiencing the LD system. A truly unfortunate assumption.

I began the journey to an LD “diagnosis” with my 1st grade son, Luke, this September when I realized his school performance was consistetly well below his exceptional intelligence. In kindergarten, Luke’s teacher complained about his behavior and lack of attention and lack of interest in learning. Our family found two reasons for this at the time: (1) his teacher returned from maternity leave at the beginning of 3rdQ with her infant in the classroom FULL TIME; (2) Luke’s birthday is the cut off day (Oct 16) in NC for entering kindergarten and we felt his immaturity played a role. There are many, many other small factors but these were the major players, in our minds.

Luke was very sad during most of his kindergarten year as seen in this photo from Easter. He often felt defeated. It breaks my heart to see him so easily upset and broken-hearted.

So, we made the decision to remove our children from the charter school our oldest daughter, Emma, had attended for 3 years with much success. We placed them in mainstream public school this year based on the disagreeable administrative decisions and “loose” environment of the charter school (the fact that an infant would be allowed in the classroom with its mother, the teacher, was appauling to us — the top priority in that classroom for that teacher was her infant, not her 18 kindergarten students). All summer I held my breath hoping for Luke’s success in first grade in a new school. I realized in the first two weeks of this school year that the change in school environment, in adminstrative policies, in teachers was not, on its own going to be the difference for Luke. He was again coming home almost every day with reports of disruptive behavior and inattentiveness in the classroom.

But the difference began this school year with Luke’s new teacher. She realizes that every student, no matter capability or performance, learns differently. She realizes that some children need their own space, need rewards daily instead of weekly, need to move to focus and learn, etc. She realizes that school should not try to put all students in that round hole no matter if they are a round or square peg or something in between. I cannot put into words the gratitude I feel for this teacher and the placement of Luke in her classroom!
Read the rest of this entry »