MrTwoSticks
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Hi - this has to be a very short introduction as it is getting to the end of a hard day and I go to bed early... but my wife and I have a lovely 15 yr old girl. Diagnosed with Juvenile Myclonic Epilepsy maybe 1 1/2 yrs ago; controlled by Depakote. Last Spring we began to suspect ADD. Her freshman year grades had started out with As and Bs but she was lucky she didn't flunk out at the end. A psychologist gave her the ADD diagnosis in July. We made an appointment with her neurologist to ask about ADD meds and had to wait maybe two months to get in. Meanwhile her Doctor prescribed Zoloft for our daughter's depression. But she got insomnia. Off Zoloft (which really helped with her mood), onto Welbutrin. When we finally saw the neurologist he led out by saying that she didn't have ADD, because he has just glanced at the chart and the TOVA was inconclusive. I kind of lost control, a bit of frustration and anger in my voice and said the diagnosis was from the whole history, circumstances and the TOVA was invalid in the 4th qtr.
The upshot of the visit was that the neurologist said he wanted communication with everyone involved: psychologist, therapist, family doctor and "come back to see me in 10 to 12 weeks."
Meanwhile our girl is again depressed, off and on, and her doctor -thinking as we do that the depression may be a side effect of the Depakote- doesn't want to prescribe to treat a side effect. Meanwhile her grades are again tanking, she doesn't like school; I've just followed up on a previous meeting with the school counselor, this time asking to get the ball rolling on a 504; we will be meeting at some time with a second neurologist and we are seeking out a good psychiatrist.
And this is all going SO slow, agonizingly slow. My wife and I are suffering both from what our girl is going through and the glacial rate of getting the help our daughter needs.
So that's it for now, longer than I thought but -whew- it does build up.
Personally: I have worked for 10 yrs with special needs preschool children, mostly language/speech delayed but with a wide range of disabilities and have worked 5 or 6 years, one on one in autism clinic with preschool kiddoes. Rewarding. Challenging. My wife has worked in health care for some 25 years or so. She is also a very talented theater director and I happen to be a very good actor and been in a number of shows she has directed.
Must go.
The upshot of the visit was that the neurologist said he wanted communication with everyone involved: psychologist, therapist, family doctor and "come back to see me in 10 to 12 weeks."
Meanwhile our girl is again depressed, off and on, and her doctor -thinking as we do that the depression may be a side effect of the Depakote- doesn't want to prescribe to treat a side effect. Meanwhile her grades are again tanking, she doesn't like school; I've just followed up on a previous meeting with the school counselor, this time asking to get the ball rolling on a 504; we will be meeting at some time with a second neurologist and we are seeking out a good psychiatrist.
And this is all going SO slow, agonizingly slow. My wife and I are suffering both from what our girl is going through and the glacial rate of getting the help our daughter needs.
So that's it for now, longer than I thought but -whew- it does build up.
Personally: I have worked for 10 yrs with special needs preschool children, mostly language/speech delayed but with a wide range of disabilities and have worked 5 or 6 years, one on one in autism clinic with preschool kiddoes. Rewarding. Challenging. My wife has worked in health care for some 25 years or so. She is also a very talented theater director and I happen to be a very good actor and been in a number of shows she has directed.
Must go.