Our ADHD Journey - Part Six

My past ADHD Journey posts can be found at the following links:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four
Part Five
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In the past two years, we discovered something else that helped a great deal...The Archangel's diet! As we learned about the benefits of eating more natural & organic foods, we found that many additives, artificial ingredients (esp. high fructose corn syrup), added hormones & antibiotics in meats, & food dyes (esp. Red 40) can effect some people.

A HUGE trigger for him is Red 40. Through our observations & experiences, we found that the more Red 40 he has, the more aggressive & mean he becomes. One day, he went to lunch w/ HelpfulGrammy at Hometown Buffet. For dessert, he had a cherry Icee & some ice cream topped w/ gummy bears. He'd also eaten some red Jell-o w/ his lunch. It seemed like everything he said or did for the rest of the day was mean & spiteful...disobeying, not wanting to do even the tiniest chore, picking on & being cruel to his siblings (esp. The Princess). 

Another day, he returned from a birthday party, exhibiting the same behavior. This time we narrowed it down to Doritos, which we discovered have Red 40 in them. He LOVES Doritos & had eaten a bunch at the party. 

This experience prompted him to write a letter to the Frito Lay company. He explained that he had ADHD & Red 40 greatly affects him. He said he loves Doritos, but his mom won't buy them anymore because of the red dye in them. He asked if they could remove the Red 40 & replace it w/ beet root. (He found that Mentos use beet root for natural coloring.) Frito Lay never responded, but I was very proud of his efforts.

***I do want to add here that I'm not advocating that everyone must give up artificial ingredients. I know they affect each person differently & in our experience, they DO bother The Archangel (& to some extent, The Saint).***

Yet another trigger is over-stimulation. This can occur when we have a packed, busy schedule & The Blessings are not getting to bed on time or are up too early. If we're rushing from one thing to another, it can add stress for all of us. Sometimes it cannot be helped, but we try our best to keep some semblance of a routine. 

Over-stimulation also occurs when he'd had too much screen time...video games, YouTube videos, movies, etc. We limit The Blessings game time to 30 min/day (except during the school year...they only get weekend game time). Occasionally, they may earn extra game time on Saturdays for "Dad Rewards" while I'm at work. (When they do get that extra time, they do not use it all at once AND it's no more than an hour total on that day.)

In addition to meanness, over-stimulation & diet triggers also cause tics in The Archangel. We do know that, along w/ the ADHD, he has Tourette Syndrome. This was "diagnosed" by the psychiatrist in an off-handed comment during our final session w/ him. I believe one of the medications he had been on triggered it. The doctor kind of just blew off my suggesting that, but I know my child much better than he does! 

Because we didn't want any further medications for him, I chose not to pursue further evaluations for TS. Why spend the extra money to be told something I already knew & wasn't going to medicate for? TS is in our family & those who have it manage just fine w/out medication.

Once we got past these hurdles...the medication trials, counseling, changes in diet...we found that it is possible the help The Archangel manage his ADHD & other issues that go along w/ it. We know what makes this worse for him & try to avoid or limit them as much as possible. 

There are still days when we all struggle through his outbursts, meltdowns, & spitefulness. He will probably have these issues throughout most of his life, but I think knowing the triggers & tools to help deal w/ them will go a long way in helping him find peace in his life. 

Prayer plays a big part in our lives, too. Our parish has an anointing of the sick service once a year & The Archangel asks to go whenever it is announced. His excitement at wanting to go really touches my heart. Just because he doesn't have a visible illness (tics aside) doesn't mean he doesn't need healing. There are Communal Penance services several times a year & we make sure to go as a family. There is also the great Communion of Saints to help us along, esp. St. Dymphna...the patron saint of mental health issues.

I don't want to say this concludes our journey because I truly believe it is a lifelong process/illness. Everyone is affected in different ways & most people w/ ADHD have other acronymic (yes, I made that word up!) issues to go along w/ it (PTSD, OCD, TS, ODD, bi-polar, & so on). There isn't a catch-all cure for them because every person is different. I do not belittle anyone who relies on medications for a brain disorder such as these. It's no different than if you take medication for high blood pressure, diabetes, or any other disease. 

I thank you for reading through these posts! If you have any questions or need further clarification on something I've said, please don't hesitate to ask. I'm no expert...I'm only a Momma who loves her children unconditionally & wants the best for their lives as they travel this path to Heaven!

Our ADHD Journey - Part Five

A friend recently asked about our ADHD journey after reading some of my past blog posts. I realized that it had been quite a while since I've shared an update. My past posts can be found at the following links:

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Our last appointment w/ the psychiatrist was in Nov. 2011. As I mentioned before, I really didn't like him much & the level of care we received from him. I always felt like a number to him...get in, be asked the same questions from previous visits (even though the answers were right their in the folder on his lap), & leave w/ a new prescription. 

The Archangel was weighed at each appointment, but his blood pressure was only taken occasionally...even though he was only eight & taking an adult medication that wasn't tested long-term in children. NONE of this ever sat well w/ me.

A friend of mine suggested a center that specializes in behavioral & cognitive therapies...helping people through issues w/out medication. After looking into it, we decided to give it a try. We chose to wait until January 2012 though, for two reasons. 1) Matt had just changed jobs & his new insurance didn't start until Jan. & 2) we were heading into the holiday season, when children's hyperactivity drastically increases (even if they don't have ADHD!)

His first appointment was scheduled for Jan. 24 & by the time it arrived, we were ready to throw in the towel. His behavior & aggression were causing so much chaos & tension in our home. These are just a few examples:

* playing Wii Fit, if The Princess' Mii came up, he'd change to another game

* purposely trying to get The Princess in trouble w/ The Saint, asking if she should have been playing w/ one of his toys

* complaining everytime we  went somewhere, esp. church or if it was some place that held no interest for him

I still remember the night before his first appointment w/ this new therapist. I was tucking him in bed & he seemed so down. We talked for a bit & he confessed to me that he didn't like his behavior. He wanted to change, but felt he had no control over his emotions at times. I hugged him & assured him that we were trying everything we could to help him.

At that first appointment, The Archangel & I sat w/ the doctor in her office so that she could assess our situation & come up w/ a game plan. I had printed my previous blog posts for her, knowing that they pretty much summed up everything through Nov. 2011. We decided to meet every other week, which I felt would be best for us financially. 

Because medications never worked for his hyperactivity, she focused on his impulsive tendencies. We decided to gradually wean him off the Risperdal.

During their appointments, she talked to him about his life between sessions, then gave him "tools" to help in similar situations that might arise. One such tool was a list of things he could do to remove himself from a tense situation & help calm down. He helped her come up w/ the items & she wrote them in bright colors. Once home, I took that sheet & made two copies so he'd have one visible on each level of the house...all places he would see frequently.

We continued sessions w/ this therapist for a couple of months. By the end of their sessions, he was completely off medication & was showing some signs improvement in how he handled his emotions. He still had outbursts of aggression & anger, as well as some animosity towards The Princess, but we (his therapist, Matt, & I) felt we were at a point where we could handle it at home.

(Yes, there's more...To Be Continued!)

Saintly Meme

I have been doubly blessed...My dear blogging friends, Colleen, at Thoughts on Grace, & Judy, at A Thankful Woman's Book of Blessings, both tagged me in the following meme.

Assuming you are a saint, and your cause has been executed, your miracles confirmed, your date on the calendar established, all that is required is select that of which Holy Mother Church will name you Patron(ess).

For this meme, you must name your patronage and then tag 5 other people who would like to play along. Link your answer to your nominator's post.

First of all, let me just say that I am far from being a saint at this point in my life! I know I fall short of God's expectations of me on a daily basis. Thank goodness for His everlasting mercy & forgiveness!

If by some quirky chance I do become a patron saint for others' intercession requests, I think I would be the patroness of mental health & neurological issues for children. This is based on our past couple year's experiences w/ The Archangel & his ADHD/aggression issues (& more recent issues w/ The Prophet as he is closing in on puberty).

I would join St. Dymphna in praying for those affected by the MANY mental & neurological disorders & illnesses, specifically focusing on children & their parents. My prayers have increased greatly as we try to find the right "chemical cocktail" of medication to help The Archangel. Even after all we've been through & tried, I STILL do not feel at peace w/ where we are.

So, now to tag some friends. Please forgive me if you've already been tagged in this meme by someone else. Also, if you have not been tagged & want to participate, by all means, please do! I'd love to hear your patronage!

Kristen at St. Monica's Bridge
Karen at Karen in Mommyland
Kate at Moments of Peace
JJ's Mom at Growing the Garcia Family
Lynn at Lynn Loving Life

Our ADHD Journey - Part Four

If you've missed my previous posts on this subject, you can click on the links below.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

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February 15 arrived & we went for the psychiatrist appointment. Before I go on, let me just mention that I'm not 100% confident in this doctor, as you will see...

I explained what happened w/ the Intuniv & refreshed the doctor's memory about our phone call when he'd said to stop it. He asked if The Archangel had been on any stimulants previously. Now, I've answered this question each time we've met w/ him & he's written in his notes - shouldn't he have read over The Archangel's chart before we got there? (Doubt #1)

He asked me several questions about what I felt needed more treatment - the hyperactivity or the anger/aggression. Each time I would start to answer, he would interrupt w/ another question. I felt like he was rushing the appointment & that I wasn't answering the questions in a manner that would speed things up. (Doubt #2)

For one question, I turned to The Archangel to see how he felt or if he had an opinion. After all, we're trying to find the best treatment for him - shouldn't we at least see how he feels. Once again, the doctor interrupted & told me that I would be the better judge. (Doubt #3)

Knowing we needed to do something, I felt the anger & aggression were the behaviors that demand the most immediate attention. He suggested Risperdal, an anti-psychotic used mostly for bi-polar issues & sometimes for autism. He gave us a prescription for .5mg twice a day. He said we could probably go w/ just one a day to start, but would most likely end up raising it. The biggest side effects are drowsiness & increased appetite...those we can handle, as his weight has always been at the lower end of the growth charts.

As soon as I got home, I looked up some information online about it. The average dose I initially saw was .5mg once a day. With The Archangel being so small, Casinodad & I made the decision to start him on just one pill a day, then increase later if needed.

It's now been a little over a month since we started him on Risperdal. There wasn't a complete turn around in his behaviors, but within a few days of starting, we did notice some minor changes. After about two weeks & more outbursts than we preferred, we went ahead & raised the dose to two pills per day...one in the morning & one in the evening.

He still has occasional outbursts & can get angry easily, but they are occuring less frequently & last for shorter amounts of time. He apologizes quicker on his own. The biggest changes we've seen are that he is smiling A LOT more & he's been more affectionate...greeting us w/ hugs. And let me tell you...he has an amazing smile!

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So where do we go from here? Only God knows for sure. The Risperdal is not for The Archangel's ADHD, so at some point soon, that will have to be addressed. His is getting to be a lot more hyper. As his psychologist said the other day, he's feeling better, so he's got more energy to let loose!

As to the psychiatrist, because the medicine is working somewhat, we are going to stick w/ him...but I will be on my guard. We know our son better than this doctor who spends about 20 minutes w/ him every month, so we have the last say in what we feel is best for him. If things get worse, we will look into changing. The psychologist is in the same group & we really like her. She's given us some great tips & tricks.

We'll just take it day by day, praying for God's guidance & wisdom along the way. I've read a lot of books & websites & will continue to educate myself. We also try to keep our own emotions in check. It's tough at times to keep from exploding when he's in the middle of a fit, but we know that yelling back only escalates the situation. He just needs his time & space to calm down, then we can talk it out together.

It's also tough to avoid questioning our parenting skills. "Did he learn that behavior from me?" "How could we have handled that situation better?" "Was I too hard, too soft, or just right in disciplining that behavior?" "I'm so tired, I don't even want to face this right now!" The thoughts & doubts are endless, not different than any other parent. None of us are perfect & we all mess up MANY times! we try to learn from our mistakes & failings, relying on guidance from God.

I will continue to update here on my blog, sharing our struggles & successes w/ ADHD. If you have any experiences, please share. It's always helpful & comforting to know that we are not alone in this journey, even though each child is different.

Our ADHD Journey - Part Three

Part One
Part Two

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Our first day back to school went well, but day two was another story. He complained, got angry, threw his pencils...anything to express his negativity toward school. I, myself, was feeling quite emotional & sent both of us to our rooms. I called my mom to vent & ended up crying to her. I felt like a horrible mother & at the end of my rope, not sure what to do but wanting to just retreat into a hole & hope everything would pass on its own. She listened. She comforted. She tried to assure me that I was not a bad mother, no matter how much I felt I was.

She asked if I wanted her to have my dad (HandyGramps) call me. I said to not bother him at work. Well, she called him anyway & shortly thereafter, he called me. Now he is more blunt in giving advice so he balanced out my mom's comforting. He wondered why we hadn't upped The Archangel's meds already & said that should be my first step.

For the next week or so, we had him taking 2 mg of Intuniv per day. There was NO change. This med is not like other ADHD meds that can be started & stopped at any time. Intuniv needs to changed by steps. Knowing that the psychiatrist would have us stop it due to no positive changes, I decided to go back to just 1 mg until our next appointment in about a week & a half.

Finally, the day of the appointment arrived & we ended up rescheduling. It was very icy that day. Our van had been giving us problems, so I didn't feel safe driving it anyway, let alone in the inclimate weather. The rescheduled appointment wasn't for another month, so I had the receptionist transfer me to the doctor's voicemail. After he returned my call & I explained what had been going on, he said to stop the Intuniv & we would discuss other options at our next appointment. He also suggested calling the receptionist back to have her put us on a waitlist. That worked out well...she called an hour later & got him in Feb. 15.

In the meantime, he did have an appointment w/ his psychologist. I asked to speak w/ her alone first so that I could explain how things had been since starting Intuniv. When she talked to The Archangel, she drew up a circular diagram (EVENT - THINK - FEEL - DO) to help him see where his anger is coming from, how he reacts, & how it starts the process all over again. It was intended to help him stop & think before impulsively flying off the handle. Did it help? Well, it didn't change things straight away. So far, I think it's more of an "after the fact" aid - a look back & see how he got from calm to chaos.

(To Be Continued)

Our Family's ADHD Journey - Part Two

(If you missed Part One, you can find it HERE.)

Last April, when I took The Archangel for his annual well child check-up, I talked to our doctor about his (The Archangel, not our doctor's...LOL!) behaviors & hyperactivity. Based on my descriptions & The Archangel's constant movement & interruptions in the office that day, he said that it definitely was ADHD. We decided to try medicine.

I've learned over the past year that there are MANY medicines used to treat ADHD & they fall into four main categories: stimulants, non-stimulants, anti-depressants, & anti-hypertensives (originally for blood pressure). Doctors always start w/ the lowest dose & go from there. As you can probably guess, there is no quick fix, toss back a Ritalin, & be good to go! EVERY child w/ ADHD is different & many have other disorders, too (depression, ODD, OCD, Tourette Syndrome, etc.) Therefore, treatment is through a process of trial & error, lasting many months in most cases.

Whatever meds we would go with, we had to watch side effects. The most common w/ many of the meds is a loss of appetite. The Archangel has always been a little guy, barely on the weight growth chart at times. He's grown steadily, just not a lot & he's also been a VERY picky eater. Add that to the fact that he's always on the go, burning off those few consumed calories, you can see our concerns.

The first med we tried was Concerta, a stimulant. For one month there was no change in the hyperactivity, but the anger/aggressiveness increased drastically. We returned to the doctor & this time tried a non-stimulant (Strattera). While the anger/aggression went back to how it was previously, three different doses had absolutely no effect on him. Four months down...how many to go?

At this point, our doctor felt it was time for some psychological intervention & referred us to the behavioral department of one of the smaller branches of our local children's hospital. For the first month or so, The Archangel met w/ a psychologist every other week to talk about his feelings & discuss ways to help calm himself. After a couple of months & her assessment, we decided to try another med. This required yet another doctor...a psychiatrist.

After speaking to the psychiatrist, he suggested a fairly newer med, a non-stimulant called Intuniv that is supposed to be good for hyperactivity & aggression. The lowest dose is 1 mg & it usually takes about a week before you see any changes. The biggest side effect is drowsiness, which I figured would be manageable. Being homeschooled, he could take a nap if he needed to in the afternoon.

Let me say that the first week on Intuniv was Hell! Days one & two weren't bad, but by day three he was on the biggest emotional roller...EVER! The tiniest thing would set him off, sobbing uncontrollably for at least 20 minutes at a time. One instance in particular stands out.

He was in the basement playing w/ his siblings & The Saint took his bag of Lego mini-figures & dumped them in w/ the rest of his Legos. The Archangel came stomping up the stairs in tears, even though The Prophet offered to help him sort the Legos back out. He curled up on the couch, sobbing. After about 20 minutes of this, he finally cried himself to sleep. Many people get grumpy or emotional when they are tired. I think, in his case, the drowsiness hit him like a ton of bricks & he didn't know how to handle it. He did not want to be touched or consoled. No one could talk to him or even go near him. When he woke up about a hour later, he was still upset, but would at least let me hold him some.

After a couple more days of emotions (& they usually occurred around 3pm), his system started to get used to the medicine. We had a few outbursts here & there, but the hyperactivity didn't change one bit! The psychiatrist said that we could raise the dose to 2mg if we felt the need, but I hesitated. It was the beginning of December...Advent & Christmas preparations were in full swing, & all of the munchkins were excited & hyper. We decided to continue w/ the current dose until January when we returned to our school schedule.

(To Be Continued)

Our Family's ADHD Journey - Part One

Here & there, I've mentioned that The Archangel has ADHD. I decided to do a series of posts to share our struggles we've faced as we try to find the balance between peace & chaos in our home.

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For as long as I can remember, The Archangel has been a hyperactive child & I've told people that he was constantly on the go - physically & verbally! I was told not to worry, he's a boy. Last year, I came across a list of ADHD symptoms put together by the American Pediatric Association (APA). The DSM-IV (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4th Edition) breaks ADHD into three categories - Inattention, Hyperactivity, & Impulsivity. Those w/ ADHD can have one, two, or all three parts. When I compared The Archangel to the symptoms listed he fit:

2 out of 9 for Inattention

6 out of 6 for Hyperactivity

3 out of 3 for Impulsivity

Other qualifications are that the symptoms present themselves before age seven & occur in two or more settings. Yep, that fits!

In addition to the hyperactivity, he is also quick to anger. We've joked in the past that he has a "Jeckyll & Hyde Personality" - kind & loving, getting along w/ others one moment, then mean, spiteful, & argumentative the next. Most days we feel like we're walking on eggshells around him, wondering what will be the next trigger to set him off.

The anger & aggression really increased last year, during his first grade year of homeschooling. Many were the days (& still are) when I would set an assignment in front of him & before I could begin an explanation, he'd say it was too hard & couldn't do it. He'd break his pencil or throw it across the room, tear or crumple his paper, &/or stomp off, pushing over any chairs in his way. Once he calmed down enough to complete the work, he'd say, "That wasn't hard!"

One evening, he became angry w/ Casinodad & The Prophet because he thought they had skipped his turn on a computer game. He stomped to the couch, crying & threw his glasses...which landed by my feet in the next room.

While he argues & fights w/ all of his siblings, The Princess seems to be the one on the receiving end the majority of the time. He talks down to her, calls her names, & says that her songs/stories/creations are dumb. He belittles her & has to disagree w/ anything she says, even it she's expressing her feelings on a subject. If she's doing something that he perceives to be even slightly annoying, his impulsivity kick in. He will begin to yell at her, call her names, push or hit her, kick whatever toys she's playing with, etc. I do have to say that there are times when the two of them play VERY well together. Although those moments are few & far between, we do take the extra effort to recognize & praise the behavior.

With all of his anger & aggression, I began to wonder if he might also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder. After all, he fits all eight of the behaviors listed in the DSM-IV. One thing that distinguishes him from someone w/ ODD, though, is that their actions are intentional & they show no remorse. The Archangel's behaviors at times can be intentional, brought on by the impulse to react in various situations (especially w/ The Princess). However, most times he will apologize on his own & say that he loves us.

(To Be Continued)