hallelujah! one more year to go

almost the end of another school year. this year was a big one. junior year. so much promise, so much stress, a real roller coaster ride. and no i am not talking about this from my daughter's perspective. having already been through this once i thought i knew how to handle all the ups and downs and challenges of maneuvering through this maze of tough classes, SAT, ACT, AP, etc. last time though there was no ADHD in the mix.

it's a challenge adding that on top of this load of already stressful items. there is a lot to keep organized: assignments which become more challenging, registration for test dates, college visits, college follow-ups. in addition there are the friendship issues, boyfriend issues (yuk), teacher issues (not everyone with a degree has experience in this special field, but more on that another time) and of course the eternal "i am old enough to do what i want" teen issues.

while i am glad for summer's calmness, there is always too much time on her hands and that we have found isn't the best for anyone involved. summer job apps are in; now we just need the economy to help out by actually offering her one.

more often than not i catch myself saying "only one more year to go". i know i will be sad to not have my sweet girl here 24/7, but i will also be glad to breathe a little easier knowing i did all that i could to prepare her for that next stage and not have the everyday stress of all the "issues" 24/7 too.

Ignorance is bliss

A sweet little bundle of pink blanket, all soft and sweet. Those precious moments of peace just holding her and dreaming of what lies ahead. I remember wishing nothing but good health and happiness. She was supposed to be born on Friday, a scheduled C-section. But no. . . contractions began on Wednesday night and early, early Thursday there she was. Looking back, we all joke that this was the start of her controlling the situation and doing what she wanted no matter how well planned out the scenario was.



One of the biggest issues I think that has hounded me is what could have triggered all this. I reflect back on the baby years and just marvel at how sweet, how peaceful she was and that smile!!! I just loved all the cuddling and tender moments. There was a lot of juggling with a 2 1/2 year old running around, but for the most part it was just Life! Eighteen months was the start of some strong personality emerging. What the heck?? This threw a wrench in our pattern of how we lived. Nothing too extreme but it was a sign that the 2's were lurking. And then she became quite ill.



We had a good solid week of high fevers, vomitting, flu like symptoms that we had not experienced personally or with our other child. Scary times of heat emanating from her body, very dry skin. I thought of rushing her to the hospital, but she turned the corner. Two weeks later another flu hits her hard in combination with toilet training tantrums. Holy cow!! It took a lot of reading and looking for other doctors' advice before we got out of that one. "Damage" was done though. From that moment on, the defiance and "strong personality" was here to stay. So like most moms, I look back and go was that what triggered the ADHD and ODD? The flu incident? Vaccinations? (No, I'm not Jenny McCarthy, but I have had a few moments of wondering if all those shots at once triggered something). I look for something to blame, some explanation, but of course there is no blame in all this. It is what it is and God knows why this is part of your life. There is no fault and that is one of the hardest concepts to grab hold of.



So now comes the part where you begin self-realization. No more ignoring all the signs though God knows there was a lot of that! After all. . .sometimes when you ignore something it will go away, right?

A basic start

September is a great month to start off with a blog and today even more so. The first day of school. . .brought back such great memories for me of meeting my teachers, seeing my friends after a long time apart during the summer, new school supplies. I wasn't a brainiac, but a really good student who loved to learn. Now as a parent, I'm happy for the first day because my child is out the door and I can breathe a bit easier. Love her, don't like the mood swings and OD of her ADHD-inattentive persona.

This blog will cover a lot about being the parent of an ADHD teenage girl. Yes, you read correctly. Girls can definitely have it and as I have been learning, it is sorely underdiagnosed, misunderstood and not readily dealt with in schools. I hope to share the journey of misdiagnosis, school issues, friendship challenges and navigating through school beauracracy. You'll also hear about our personal struggles as a family as a whole, mom and daughter relations, counseling, high school years and hopefully the college process as we progress. There are joys also and I want to make sure to relate back to that even during the toughest times. I look forward to your comments and hope you enjoy the read.