December Part 3 (A.K.A When the Medication Began)

Way back in the beginning of the summer I started discussing the issues we were having with Boy 1.  I know I made mention several times that we were almost to a point where I felt we would have a definitive diagnosis.  We finally received that towards the end of November.

We have had four professionals (the psychologist, the psychiatrist, the intake worker and his weekly therapist) all agree and all diagnosis ADHD.  We are still looking to rule out a possible mood disorder and possibly depression but that is something we will closely monitor with time.

However, we now had an official diagnosis and we had been seeing his therapist weekly for just about 6 months; and while there had been some improvements in some areas - there were still some major struggles going on.

The final breaking point for me was when Boy 1 came close to getting suspended from school.  Basically, in a fit of anger and rage, he threatened to kill one of the student teachers.  We all knew that he would never act on it and it was just something he said because he was angry - but the fact that he said it at all was bothersome to many.

It was right around this time that I made the decision to go with the psychiatrists recommendation for medication.  I had held off on it for so long as my husband and I have always said we did not want to medicate him at such a young age but instead we wanted to be able to teach him the skills necessary so that he would be able to cope with it.

However, after many many sleepless nights, and watching the effects of his behavior not only on himself, but on Girl and Boy 2 as well as myself - I came to the conclusion that the best thing to do at this point in time was to begin the medication.

We began Boy 1 on this drug and we all instantly saw an improvement.  Yes, he still may get angry.  Yes, he still calls out.  Yes, he may still refuse to do something.  But really - what 7 year old boy doesn't do these things.  The difference is, while these things once use to be to an extreme, they are now not.

This was a very difficult decision to come to on my own as my husband was not here.  He ultimately told me that because he was not here, I had to make the best decision I could.  He trusted me to make this decision without him - and that alone was a ton of pressure.

Boy 1 has been on this medication for almost two months now; and I still standby my decision.  Until my husband gets home he will continue on the medication; when he gets home we will revisit the situation and come to a conclusion together on what the next step is.