Sorry I didn't update over the weekend. So here's the quick catch up. Jake was admitted on Thursday to St Vincent Stress Center. I was able to visit him every day. On Sunday night we had a parent group meeting with all the parents who had kids on the unit. Our visits were really nice and pleasant. We talked a lot and played Uno and Connect 4. He really connected with a few of the kids and I was happy to see that they would include him in their activities. Monday- we had the family meeting with his dad and he was able to come home that evening. :)
Last night at home was nice, we played Uno (with a new deck I bought him). Today was his first day back at school but he only goes half day for the rest of the week. From 1-5 he is back at the Stress Center for Partial In-Patient therapy. He did well at school today and said he enjoyed group tonight. I couldn't go to parent meeting tonight so his Nana went with him but I will go to the next 2 this week. I know we have a long road ahead of us. If he does well in Partial this week, he can go into the Intensive Outpatient program next week. Which will be 3 days a week for 3 hours a day. He will work on his coping skills and anger issues and behavior. We have to put together a couple of "plans" and contracts for us both to work on and follow at home and school. I have to write in a journal 2x a day in the am and pm to report his day for him to take to the therapist during Partial. He is also writing in a journal. Even if it's only one sentence, it's still writing.
I am starting to put myself back out into the social public but still being very low key on where Jake was and who I'm talking too. I am proud of him and what he has had to go through lately. He has handled it very well and is doing pretty well so far. I know he's not fixed and this is not over but hopefully this time with the extra time in Partial and Intensive Out Patient, the continued help he will be getting will be really beneficial for him. We both need to make some changes and be able to help each other.
I know that I need to stay strong and in control and calm and that I need to rely on my friends but most of them just really don't understand. I know they are there for me and supportive and that's important. But I just can't talk about some of this stuff with many people. I do have a few people who I can talk to about it, who don't judge, offer opinions or suggestions. I am grateful for that. I am working on it but it's going to take me awhile. I am happy that I have this blog and my outlets for the Bipolar parents.
2 comments:
Hi Kristi-I am the mother of an 8 y.o. diagnosed with BD this past year. I feel your stress, the questions. I also am a single mom, his father died almost 4 years ago. How I wish he was here to help me with this. I feel your loneliness, although I am a bit more talkative about his hospitalizations/diagnosis. It's a hard line. On the one hand, it is his story, and I don't want to have people prejudge him. On the other, it's this silence that keeps people from understanding. So I figure one person at a time we are educating. But I didn't feel that way right away. My son has also had two hospitalizations, October and February of last school year. HE had an earned an OSS, but before I could pick him up from work, they had called the police who had handcuffed him! We also found out it was the med we had given for his ADHD that had caused this blow-up. Anyway, I made the mistake of telling the school that he was put in the hospital, so the OSS didnt' start until he got out! HE was at Comm North. I hated the visiting schedule, or lack of it. St. V's sounds so much better. I am sitting here trying to decide whether to send him to school since he didn't get to sleep until about 1:00 am. But he is awake now, and wants to be awake, so he might as well go to school, right?
Thanks for sharing your blog. I will enjoy reading it. I would like more info about the red binder.
Thanks,
Rosie
Rosie- I posted a previous blog about the binder and it's contents and the books I used to put it together. One of the things I need to work on as a mom is better organization because I know that structure and organization are key to him being successful. So I started the binder. There is a lot of info out there if you know where to look but I could never get through it all. Thsi way I have it as a reference guide when I need it. I also have the Dr/School binder. This one has his school reports and medicine info in it since I always had a horrible time remember what meds he took 6 years ago and the dosages he was on. Every time we would switch doctors, I would need this and never had it. I just recently started this one.
Post a Comment