The Drama Never ends - ADHD

Honestly, I think I need to delete facebook from my computer. People tell me how witty my twin stories are: "Oh Betty you're hilarious!" yet, they don't make my blog.

I feel it's important to update the blog now for a very big change has happened in our lives at the Fry House. We got a therapist and put Sam on adderall for his ADHD.

I even feel like a bad mom typing that last sentence. We knew he had it. We're both educators and deal with it every day. I remember crying while very pregnant one night laying in bed. Mike said oh honey, are you cramping, does it hurt somewhere? I said no, he just won't stop. he never stops moving.....

we thought it was funny to watch him sleep as a baby because he moved so much.

at three, we nicknamed him 3 second sammy because you couldn't count to three before he moved- awake or asleep. it was astounding (is that a word) really because it was like a science experiment. and we grew as a family and learned to deal with the quirks of each other.

Don't get me wrong. Noah had his quirks too. I thought he was autistic as an infant. He wouldn't focus on us at all. Like he had no time for people. As he grew older, he started having attachments to things like CDS. He would even sleep with them. And the meltdowns.... wow. He has improved over the years, but he still has them. The worst was as a toddler, he'd throw his milk bottle over the gate and into the kitchen and then cry and cry and sob like he was going to die. We did different things. (this happened all the time). We tried repeatedly giving it back to him and he would get angry and throw in back into the kitchen. We tried saying too bad you shouldn't have thrown it and let him have his fit. but man they were bad. really bad. now that I'm typing this, maybe he just wanted into the kitchen....

back to Sam. They started kindergarten and he couldn't take it. Daycare was bad (except his last year. that teacher was a doll and loved him and had no problems with him). Pre-K Counts was even worse. So we knew kindergarten was going to be rough.

Well it just so happened the school implement a new PBIS system of positive behavior. Don't even get me started. Poor Kess. didn't clean her art supplies up quick enough. level 2. couldn't watch movies. couldn't go bowling. couldn't play kickball...... and sam. he racked up the red cards and the infractions. finally they gave him detention. in kindergarten. for making a face behind his teacher's back to get the kids to laugh. He was terrified. I sat in detention right next to him. Mike and I called and emailed separately and together many times the principal. I met with the superintendent. He is awesome. Used to live across from Aunt Leta and Uncle Ken. We wrote to the school board. and Mike even got scheduled to talk to the board, but I made him back out because I thought the principal was going to roll on the teacher and I can't be a teacher who beats up another teacher.

So the therpist at the first meeting suggested meds. Her kid is on them. If we don't like them, we take him off them no harm to foul. (she didn't even meet sam just went on our records)

So we called the peditrician (Sherri) and got some adderall. We started it on a Saturday. It was hard for us to see a difference except the 3 second sam (which kinda has been a six second sam now that he's older) thing was better. the next day we went to church and were impressed with the children's sermon, youth choir practice and sunday school. the next day was school and he came home with all green cards.l and the next day as well.

He eventually started backsliding a little and at the next appt the therapist said it's all good. just need to adjust some dosage and times, etc.... It's really a miricle what is happening. He's creativity is still there in full force. He just has the ability to be calm in his head.

He had some kind of stomache thing this past thursday and I had to take him home from school. so friday we were off anyway, I was worried he would throw up his pill so I didn't give him any. whew baby! the difference. I told matt, if I ever forget how powerful this is, tell me to take a day with no pill! we could hardly control him. after just a couple of weeks, I was getting spoiled.

I think this is going to help my stress as well.