Saturday, October 27, 2007

Keep us in your prayers

As many of you have noticed, I have curtailed my blogging activities lately. I have been busy helping one of our daughters with her family. This is likely to continue through Christmas.

This daughter is a single mother who works full time. She has four children. One of her sons has emotional problems that became worse when school started this fall. When several other problems erupted about the same time for our daughter, it became apparent to all of us that she had more than she could handle by herself. My husband and I decided it was time to pitch in and help her out temporarily.

Our daughter doesn't live that far from us (about 45 minutes). But she needs our help early in the morning, in the evening, and some in between. The distance and traffic are too much of a challenge for us under those conditions. Not to mention the cost for gas. So, we decided the only solution was for us to spend several days and nights with her during the week in order to help her out at those peak times. My husband is able to commute from her home to his work with a little extra time added to his drive, but it is tolerable. Our dog comes with us which eliminates the need for someone to take care of him in our absence.

Recently, our grandson's behavior reached an intolerable point at his school. The school felt he would be better off in another learning environment. So on Monday he will start attending an alternative school which is designed for children who have emotional challenges. There he will receive therapy on a daily basis. His story is a long and sad one that began when he was about four years old shortly after his father left his mother.

Our grandson has been on medication since Kindergarten except for about eight months when he was taken off medication for a brain imaging test. He did so well off the medication that the doctor kept him off. He behaved like a regular child during that time span. But when he changed schools after the family moved, the new school wanted our daughter to place him back on medication to make the adjustment go smoother. I have seen how the various medications have affected him all these years. It has been dreadful at times. In my opinion, the drugs have done more harm to him than good. From what I have observed and I have been very close to him, much of his undesirable behavior has been drug induced. This infuriates me. I have read up on these medications and I know what the side effects look like and how the doctors try to counter these side effects with other medications that come with their own set of side effects. What I could tell you.....

Anyway, I wanted to let all of you know why I have been absent from the blogs. Please keep us in your prayers, in your thoughts. Thank you all for the kindness you have shown me.

11 comments:

  1. Susie, I miss your insightful comments on my blog and others. Your posts on your blog are superb and very interesting. I understand your need to take care of your family though. You and your family are very close I know and you have made me feel like a friend of your family.

    I hope the school doesn't insist that he be on those drugs because I think you know your grandson better than the school does. I truly hope things work out well for him at the new school. I will say many prayers for you and especially for your grandson.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Jenni. I will be writing to you about all of this later on friend.

    ReplyDelete
  3. S_Q,
    I just saw this update over my Monday lunch break...

    I knew you were helping out with some hard family matters, and what you've described is difficult indeed. I have some experience with what you're talking about and I would agree that too many children have been "over prescribed." Many doctors are inclined to treat symptoms and not root causes. It's complicated, but how fortunate for all involved to have a caring Grandma and Grandpa coming to help.

    I have another thought. Last Year I met Dr. Tim Royer
    http://hope139.com/139_info.php?subpage=bios
    He used to work in DeVos Childrens Hospital before beginning his own very unique practice called Hope 139. We have begun this program at our school. This doctor is a very credible children's doctor in West Michigan. He begins by getting to the root of the problem, utilizing recent discoveries in brain research.
    Here is the website. I think you'll find the 4th and 13th testimonials encouraging.
    http://hope139.com/education.php

    The office phone number is 1-888-YOU-R-139. Dr. Royer's email is
    on the biography page of the Hope139.com website. He is not a "Mr. Fixit" but I believe he is on the right road. His presentations at our teacher in-service have been very eye-opening on the topic of decades of "over-prescribing" and what we now know about the brain and the sorts of problems you are describing. See film at
    http://hope139.com/neurofeedback.php
    Hope this is of some help or encouragement.
    We do miss you, but we'll be praying for you on this journey.
    Tom

    ReplyDelete
  4. SusieQ, you are in my prayers. As the grandmother of my own beloved little grandson, I know what you are feeling. You need to get him off the medications. Children are over-medicated nowadays.

    My daughter is a speech therapist and works with autistic children, and she is quite adamant about children not being prescribed drugs they don't need...!

    Please give him a hug for me, tell him this is from Josie, and I care very much what happens to him. Please keep us posted.

    God be with you and your family.

    Cheers,
    Josie

    ReplyDelete
  5. The science of addressing mood and behavior through meds isn't really much of a science at this point I don't think. It seems as though with children, especially, the results are all over the map.

    Out of sight definitely won't be out of mind.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'll put your family in my prayers.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'll keep you and your family in my prayers!!!
    {{{hugs}}}

    ReplyDelete
  8. SuzieQ, please let us know how everyone is doing.

    Josie

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dear Susie,

    Glad I stopped by today. It is truly difficlt when one of our own children, and grandchildren become ill. It is the worst of all possible pains.

    From my own experience, I can share with you what I have learned, which brings me a morsel of serenity each day: I put my children in God's hands and let go, realizing that I am not in charge of the world as it is. This is the best I can do every day.

    That being said, I will keep you and my family in our prayers as well.

    Blessings,
    BFC

    ReplyDelete
  10. SQ,
    I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. By the way, Thanksgiving is an official holiday, and you said you'd be back after the holidays (meaning Halloween and Thanksgiving, right?). I know you're doing the right thing, but just wanted you to know you're missed on the porches (or should I say hearths since it's getting cold) of the cyberhood.
    Hope you are having some good days as a family and that the comfort of drawing together helps shorten the more difficult days.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Dear friend...I just wanted you to know I was thinking about you. You have all been in my prayers and heart.
    Just know you are missed and we all look forward to the day your life will return to a more normal pattern for you.
    Take care of yourself.
    Many hugs,
    Sue

    ReplyDelete