So, by now I am sure that anyone that reads my blog is aware that our daughter, Jessica has a Mood Disorder, with mild Tourette's. Jessica was diagnosed at the beginning of her Kindergarten year, at the age of 5. I found an excellent article online tonight and although I was unable to copy and paste it in full, here is a link to the web page:
http://movingmountainsforkids.com/mooddisorders.asp
I cannot begin to tell you how very difficult it has been to try and explain and/or describe Jessica's illness to friends and family members. Jessica is now 7. She is a very bright little girl who struggles greatly with a chemical imbalance that affects her emotions, moods, body, sleep patterns, school work - you name it. In her First Grade year, we are starting to see how the disorder affects her ability to learn in school and how she relates to other kids. Ironically, with Tourette's as the secondary diagnosis, her tics, which are vocal in nature, have garnered more attention that her other symptoms. Reading this article tonight had me nodding my head in agreement, and my hope is that it will help to better the understanding of her illness. I know I am not always the best one to try and explain what is going on, as I am often overwhelmed and just trying to get through the situation of the moment. I have appreciated the support of our friends and family so much over the past few years - I know several of you keep Jessie in your thoughts and prayers and Chris and I appreciate it so much.
I love when friends and family ask questions about Jessica's illness. It tells me that you're thinking about her and trying to understand our situation. I think that is why I found the above article such a great resource. It fills in a lot of gaps and it very detailed, without being to technical. I am sure many of you know we struggled with the idea of starting Jessica on medication to stabilize her ups and downs and I think this article addresses the need for medications quite beautifully.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and for keeping Jessie in your prayers!
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
2 comments:
Sue, Jessie's a wonderful kid and you're doing a great job with her. I can't think of anyone who could handle your situation with more grace - you are a wonder to me. You're just awesome. :)
What a great article. Laura's right. You're a wonderful mother and Jessie is so lucky to have an advocate like you. :)
Post a Comment