Members Update

[jj]

I thought it would be nice to have all our current members post information about what brings them to this site. I know I sometimes forget how old someones child is and what they were DX'd with plus it would be helpful for our new members to get to know a little more about us.

So I'll start:

I initially started looking for more info about ADHD when my niece was DX'd with it a few years ago. She is now 12 and is home schooled by her Mom. My niece is currently on Ritalin but my sis isn't seeing much improvement. I go back and forth on whether there is more going on than just ADHD.

Years before my niece was DX'd I had custody of my grand niece DX'd ADD (without the hyper) but at the time I was so ignorant and for some reason did not pursue more knowledge. Fortunately, the schools were terrific working with her. She is now grown and has babies of her own.

In addition I have two nephews - one that is Aspergers (I think) and the other who is still very young but seems to act just like his brother. They also have a sister who is HYPER but again, too young to be certain. They are also home-schooled and none of them officially DX'd with anything.

Last but not least I have two step-sons (not ADHD) who are grown. (Yup, I married into a ready-made family when I was still a baby - LOL)

Oh, and after doing all the research and learning about ADHD I am quite certain I am ADD with a little H thrown in, although not officially DX'd, and I probably will never get a DX because I think I have learned to cope with my issues. Don't ask anyone else what they think.

[crazyhouse]

Oh good this time when I make my introduction I won't sound overwhelmed and ubrupt.

I have a five year old boy who was diagnosed by his ped at 2 and a half with ADHD. We are in the process of taking him to a mental health facility for a nuerologist and a psyhcologist to give us a little bit more detailed diagnosis. He is so sweet and helpful one day and the next day he is the demon spawn from well you get the picture I'm sure

I also have an 11 month old boy but he is way to young to have problems yet. Thank goodness!!!! The odds are stacked against his favor with this illness.

I also have a husband who was diagnosed as a child with ADHD in the early 80's when it was not a very well known illness. He no longer bounces off the walls or hangs from the chandeliers as my mother in law puts it, but he leaves stuff EVERYWHERE drives me nuts.

As for myself I have gotten worse through the years but like jj I score really high on the self test somewhere around 330. My life is very chaotic with a husband gone 60 hours a week and to kids to chase I loose focus alot. I doubt I will ever go in to be DX'd because my kids do enough damage on my check book with the RX's and the doctors and thats with health insurance. Some days you want to know where the light at the end of the tunnel is. I know it is there but it's just so far. It's always nice to have someone to talk to about the same problems you have day to day. People that understand and don't ras you for not being a mean mom or to nice of a mom.

[katiekat]

I have 2 boys 10 and 6. My 6 year old is currently diagnosed ADHD but lately we've become concerned that there is something else going on.
As for the rest of us we have no letters!

[misty]

My daughter is ADD inattentive/impulsive with 2 LD's ...1 in math, 1 in Language arts. She was in a private school, but I transferred her to public school in 5th grade so she could get more help for the LD's.

Shes now in 6th grade & made high honor roll for the first time ever! She's finally being taught right.

We don't medicate her. We have in the past, but the side effects were too awful. We give her Omegas & vitamins & she takes melatonin occasionally for sleep issues.

I must say, my daughter has come a LONG way. She still has problems but she's starting to learn ways to deal with many of them.

Now I'm just starting to get nervous about all the changes coming up next year when she starts middle school.

[puzzled]

Chase was dx in March of last year, and I had no idea that there were people like you guys online to talk with and compare notes and solutions with. I muddled through on my own until early October when I stumbled onto the ClubMom message board.....that one was not very large and largely unhelpful, but one day ADHDnews popped up and I was instantly hooked! Within days, I read a post about appetite issues and I had battled these for months with Chase with no success. I googled and researched and then bullied my ped to try Chase on the med suggested. It has been great since.

When I had trouble with paying for meds, people helped me, when I need to vent, you are there. I found this site through an invite from jj, and the moderators were kind when I told them that I wanted my daughter, who 'followed' me to the news site, to not be 'invited'. I needed a safe place that she did not frequent. Thankfully, the newness has died down for her on posting and she does not even go to the adhdnews site often anymore, so I think that I am safe here.....silly of me but true feelings...

Chase is ADHD inattentive with anger and aggression issues thrown in "just for fun" as I like to put it. He is on 60mg ritalin LA and 4mg periactin, 3mg guanfacine daily. This combo seems to be helping....for now at least.......he is a gifted student that while on meds is making honor roll each grading period. IF I can just keep him from being suspended from fighting.......

[charliegirl]

My son is just shy of 12 now and is ADD-inattentive. I pulled him from regular school just before Thanksgiving and am homeschooling him. Its a challenge getting him to realize that school is school even if he doesn't leave the house to go to it but we both enjoy working together on it once he starts.

My daughter is 23 and has twin boys who are toddlers.

I have ADHD and I believe my husband also either has it or one of the conditions that mimic it.

[John]

I was DX with ADD about 3 y/o, I recently switched from Rit to Concerta (it's smoother, longer lasting AND taste great to !).
I also see a Therapist at least twice a month, using the Cognitive Behavior Therapy [CBT] model, believing that the combination of Med's & Therapy increase the ability of functioning and coping skills that many ADD'rs have trouble with.

I have a 16 y/o daughter who has traits of ADD [un-dx], a 13 y/o son with a higher % of ADD traits [un-dx].

[marja]

Hello everyone, I can see you´ve swithced on to a new site.... you´re not gonna drop me off thou

No seriously, I use to pop in every now and then and when I did it today, I realised that you were not there anymore

My ds is 11y dx adhd about 4 andhalf y ago, was on concerta for 2 and half year and is currently medfree and doing fairly well like that

Nice to see you all again!!

[charliegirl]

Its nice to have you here Marja!

You'll find its basically the same as the old site. The main change is the url is now officially our site name.

[misty]

Marja! I was hoping you'd make it over! Great to see you here!