ADHD

Hopefully the video of Meg and Hope walking will come through. Don't mind the fact that Hope is without pants! I finally figured out how to get videos and pictures off my phone!
We went back to the psychiatrist last week for her ADHD. Hope has an annual EKG to make sure that the stimulant medicine isn't affecting her heart. The medicine is not working well. The side effect is insomnia. She had 2 hours of sleep in 36 hours. I asked about a new medicine, she wanted to try a new sleeping pill first. It did nothing. She is now off the medicine. I had a behavior specialist out her yesterday (she normally comes out for our foster kids but I wanted to pick her brain on Hope). She agrees with the no medicine decision. ADHD affects your frontal lobe, the frontal lobe isn't fully developed until the age of 21 (Thank you Psychology class!). Taking stimulants will affect the permanent outcome of the frontal lobe. Whether the affect is good or bad is a crap shoot. The frontal lobe controls judgement and your excitement stimulation (If not working properly, you are more apt to do drugs, drink, sex, etc.). After being around Hope for a few minutes, she feels she was seriously misdiagnosed. Her attention to task is okay with certain activities. She feels she may be bi-polar or just some left over behavior issues. She is also teaching a class next month on how to navigate the fun state system for mental health. An area I definitely need help with! For right now, Hope is off medicine and just kind of hanging out. I took her off it about a week ago. She has been very mellow yesterday and today. Normally she is over active, bouncing off walls and not listening to a word that is said to her. The other issue is she isn't able to retain information. She will be mid sentence and forget what she was saying because her mind is already on the next task. So far none of that. The stimulate medicine only lasts in the body for 12 or so hours. There isn't a "detox" period from it. I am hoping she stays leveled out like she is now. I have her on a Diet Pepsi a day diet. It stimulates the frontal lobe (without sugar!) to give it the slow down that it needs. I think it is helping keep her centered and I can easily send it in her school lunch too! The challenge, with the ADHD diagnosis, she receives a lot more school funding for equipment. This will enable her to have a laptop and type work rather than write it out, which frustrates her. When she goes back to school they will retest her on everything, which is good. I believe a learning disability (LD) will come out of the test. If so, I can get the ADHD dx wiped out (hopefully) and still have the funding from the LD. The Behavior specialist also informed me that Hope can have an IEP and 504 plan at the same time. 2 sources of funding. The IEP changes the curriculum, where the 504 doesn't. Hope doesn't need the curriculum changed, just extra prompts and time to get it done. I will be heading back to Raising Special Kids in my spare time to take some classes on 504's vs IEP's. I also received 2 books about IEP's as part of my birthday present. I am still trying to find the time to read those! Hope and Meg are coming along nicely. We are still having some issues with Meg but all in all, they are doing well. They are definitely a perfect match! Right down to the burps that they both let off everyday! Meg is very protective of her little Hope and is always watching out for her. She still isn't thrilled with Hope's slow walking pace but it will come. We had wheelchair clinic to have new footplates put on Hope's chair. Her legs are tightening up and she kept getting her feet stuck behind the metal plates. She is about one growth spurt away from needing a new chair and I wanted new inserts put in at a different angle but they didn't want to pay for that. They custom made foot plate add on's, which are nice, but when they were installed they rubbed on the wheels. We had to wait until the cut them down more. So frustrating! I have one last idea on modifying the chair to last longer, but it will probably throw the center of gravity off and cause her to tip her chair more often. If not, I have to decide if I am going to fight insurance again or just come up with the 2k for a new chair. The hard part, I think she will need a bigger size wheel with a bigger chair and her custom hand rims are about 6 months old. I really don't want to fight insurance for a new pair of those either. I think those were close to a grand though. Anyone have a money tree I can borrow for a while? I am half way through my second semester. This next week I have 3 tests, an oral presentation, 2 homework assignments and Jury Duty. My spare time you ask, that will be studying. I am so looking forward to fight night next Saturday! A night off from thinking! YEAH! I have had a midterm each week for the past 3 weeks I think. I haven't gone out since the last fight night! I am still waiting on my new job. It is coming, just taking longer than expected. My position is grant funded so I guess there is a lot of paperwork that goes along with that. Meanwhile, I am volunteering at parent panels for them. I kicked butt at the last panel. I think my public speaking skills are finally fully restored! My self confidence is up now that I am dropping weight and lots of inches too. Still kicking life's challenges in the butt, for the most part! For those of you that know me well will get a laugh out of this one. I have started on line dating! HA! I think I might be done already though. I haven't been propositioned for sex so much in my life! It's just not my cup of tea. Too old fashioned I guess. If a guy exists that can put up with me and my life, he will find me! I have to go research some talking teacup piggy thing that my kid wants for her birthday and do some more studying now. Thank you everyone for your continued support, positive vibes and prayers!

Botox or not

Things have been soooo busy! Hope had Botox on Friday. I thought we were headed to ER Friday night. Thankfully, the allergic reaction to progress to that point. She had a low grade fever, itchy feet and red blotches, not hives, just blotches. Because Botox is a toxin and is injected directly into the muscles, an allergic reaction can lead to respiratory failure and paralysis. Haven't talked to the doctor yet; I need to schedule a 6 week follow up. Up until this point, she has only received a quarter of a dose, this was about 75% of what her weight tollerates. Never a dull moment!
Because the increase was so big, she may not be able to walk for a while. We should know within the next few days. I told her Dr that her knees are knocking really bad again, he did a range of motion on her, no problems of course. My little darling is the most medically confusing kid on the planet!!
Hope is officially a princess. I broke down and bought her a full size bed so Meg could sleep with her. We settled on the Princess bedding (I refused to spend $50 on a Hannah Montana comforter!!).
We go in tomorrow to have her braces adjusted. Since they were sized during her sprained ankle, we are having some issues. Hopefully she will be back in the stander tomorrow. I think the stander is our last option of hope. Unless someone wants to buy her an inground pool. Someday I'll be able to afford it.
Tomorrow, I will be receiving a phone call letting me know when I start my part time job. I will be working for Raising Special Kids at the Disability Empowerment Center. I love the company, people and the fact that it is in such a great building. There are about 14 companies in the building that serve the disabled population.
I would love to post pictures, however, one of our foster kids broke my camera. Not sure when I will be able to get a new one. New tires are the first priority!
That's all I can think of for now. Thank you everyone for your continued support!