Re: Re: Dana, was :vaccines

[Guest guest]

dear Dana,

That's so funny - we, too, love medical technology and pharmacology now! I can't believe how much I've changed in two years. I am now willing to accept that ADHD is real, that stimulants help, that bipolar may be somewhere in our future, and OCD is just "normal" for us now! I was so offended two years ago when someone suggested that Annie may have ADHD - and now I am more convinced of that than her doctor is! And here I am, Ms. Organic Health-Food Vegetarian, feeding my daughter a drug for narcolepsy (Provigil) that I know next to nothing about (well - I've read everything ever written about it, but that's not very much) just on the advice of a doctor. What days are these...

It kind of makes me wonder where I'll be ten years from now?

[Guest guest]

Dear ,

I've got to say, cheerleading ranks at the absolute bottom of my list too. I remember when my sister wanted to be one, and my father said, no, you should be out there playing instead. That seemed to work for her. Annie keeps asking about the little girl cheerleading classes too, but I have said no to them so far. And always will. I've told her gymnastics is o.k., but cheerleading offends me to no end and I won't have her doing it. Which means - mark my words - that she will be on the high school cheerleading team and I'll be eating humble pie (again!).

It's my son that I'll have to worry about here. The top ranking entertainment for young men in Nevada is four-wheeling through the desert, tearing up the place as much as possible, while getting drunk and shooting at discarded appliances (and thereby starting wildfires! Whoopeee!).

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/01 2:06:42 PM Eastern Daylight Time, xslav@... writes:

, That's so funny - we, too, love medical technology and pharmacology now! I can't believe how much I've changed in two years. I am now willing to accept that ADHD is real, that stimulants help, that bipolar may be somewhere in our future, and OCD is just "normal" for us now! I was so offended two years ago when someone suggested that Annie may have ADHD - and now I am more convinced of that than her doctor is! And here I am, Ms. Organic Health-Food Vegetarian, feeding my daughter a drug for narcolepsy (Provigil)

ditto here! With (now 18, but ADHD struck as soon as he was born) - I was the 'hippy mother' - refusing to give my child ANY kind of brain/mood-altering drug.

Boy do I regret that now!!!! My refusal AND denial has created a kid that also refuses medication and denies his own condition. He just dropped out of high school -- with only his senior year left!!!! *big sigh* He says "nothing is wrong with me!" Oh well--- once he starts to feel uncomfortable with his ADHD/possibly bipolar-- he'll get help. I've planted all the seeds.... and it's up to him to let them grow or not.

simply could NOT sit (nor sit still) in the classroom another year.

He's going to try a GED. I'm so sad about this because it's his SENIOR YEAR-- the year that's supposed to be the BEST-- but I've done all that I could do. I'm not kicking myself too badly--- things were different back in the late 80's/early 90s when EVERY SINGLE BOY was being diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. I didn't want to face it--- that my son was being targeted like so many. But, now in hindsight, he WAS one of the *few* that truly needed medication.

I'm in awe of you and Dana!!! Good for you for coming out of denial and accepting the diagnosis!!! It will help your child in the long run!!! I wish I had started on medication and therapy a long time ago, but I did my best with what I knew at the time.

Joni

Mom of (20), (18, ADHD+mild OCD), and (10, OCD)

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/01 3:14:45 PM Eastern Daylight Time, lmconn@... writes:

There are actual cheerleading programs for 8 years old (how sick is that?) that several of her friends are in that actually cheer at the little 8 year old boys' football games

I'm so with you, ! It does make you want to GAG, doesn't it? Let the girls play FOOTBALL instead of cheering on the boys!!! (well, they do, but they don't last long) Luckily, we're seeing more MALE cheerleaders once they get into college, but they are still few and far between. I say it's time for another revolution! Let's all burn those (gel-filled) Walmart bras!!!

Joni (who, if she had a daughter, would probably be a Britney Spears clone just to piss me off)

[Guest guest]

I agree with y'all, Dana and ! When I think back on how self-righteous I was about not labeling kids, how ADHD was just a convenient label for lazy teachers and busy doctors, etc., I just cringe. I've certainly gotten my come-uppence! Now the only labels I fight are emotionally disturbed, as opposed to other health impaired. I was so worried when I was having Gracie tested for her preschool program for children with disabilities (PPCD), that I was labeling her "special ed". By the end of last school year, I had the 2 older ones placed under special ed also so they could get the services they needed such as OT and math help for Avery, and (ironically) Resource services for Ian so he could have computer access to work at his own pace ahead of his class.

I have had to get over myself quite a bit! I admit to having a strong bias against any school related football programs. I think they have no connection to anything academic and rob scant education dollars. The rabid feminist in me has also always had a problem with cheerleading programs. Girls in scanty costumes on the sidelines cheering for the mighty boys playing on the field has always bugged me. Now I appreciate that cheerleading has become much more gymnastic oriented since Title IX, and I don't mean to offend any former cheerleaders or cheerleader moms out there. I grew up and still live in Texas where high school football is a religion and cheerleaders are goddesses. Anyway, Avery loves all things related to cheerleading and cheerleaders. Her little escapade with the middle school football team the other night was partly because she's thinks they're so cool because they play football. (GAG!!!) I guess this is normal rebellion? All my lectures about all the other sports that she could participate in have fallen on deaf ears, of course. So I've finally given in and enrolled her in a gymnastics tumbling course that is basically cheerleader training. It was a compromise. There are actual cheerleading programs for 8 years old (how sick is that?) that several of her friends are in that actually cheer at the little 8 year old boys' football games. I'm hoping that it will at least be an outlet for some of her boundless energy. Of course, so far, she's driving all of us crazy practicing her new moves!

in TX

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 8/18/01 6:12:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time, danacar@... writes:

.........and to think I went through 26 hours of unmedicated labor at

home just to avoid transferring any drop of medication to my baby well

it makes me wanna take a tranquilizer right now!

Dana in NC

LOL !!!!!!! Dana--- I LOVE YOU!!! Have you considered a career as a stand-up comedian???

Joni

[Guest guest]

.........and to think I went through 26 hours of unmedicated labor at

home just to avoid transferring any drop of medication to my baby well

it makes me wanna take a tranquilizer right now!

Dana in NC

[Guest guest]

Hi and Dana:

Add me to the list of people won around from natural, organic, alternative

approaches to feeling major gratitude towards the pharmacology researchers

who discovered the psychotropic drugs that have given Steve his life back.

we started the OCD battle with SJW, valerian and kava kava and now are

living better with SSRIs! It feels quite odd for sure. I am not as brave

as you to think ahead to where I might be in 10 years!!!!

Take care, aloha, Kathy (h)

kathyh@...

At 02:05 PM 08/18/2001 EDT, you wrote:

>dear Dana,

> That's so funny - we, too, love medical technology and pharmacology

>now! I can't believe how much I've changed in two years. I am now willing

to

>accept that ADHD is real, that stimulants help, that bipolar may be

somewhere

> I was so offended two

>years ago when someone suggested that Annie may have ADHD - and now I am

more

>convinced of that than her doctor is! And here I am, Ms. Organic

Health-Food

>Vegetarian, feeding my daughter a drug for narcolepsy (Provigil) that I

know

>next to nothing about (well - I've read everything ever written about it,

but

>that's not very much) just on the advice of a doctor. What days are these...

> It kind of makes me wonder where I'll be ten years from now?

>