I Changed My Mind on Meds – Because I Can

I’m back.  I’ve missed you all. How have you been?

I’ve been busy Ebaying and organizing my office. I’ve been swimming in Great Grandma Stella’s pool. I’ve been attempting to get in shape and get more sleep and pray and laugh and maybe, just maybe, I’ve been obsessing a teeensy bit more than a boatload of elephants at a circus parade about my decision to keep Stink off focus medication.

To be more specific than last time – because it’s just easier to not be cagey (like those poor elephants in the previous paragraph and shut up about that joke it was funny) – the idea of high functioning Aspergers came up at our last UCLA meeting. As I mentioned also, combined with many visits with teachers over the past few years, I decided to look into it more via a UCLA diagnostic study.

Shock of all shock, Stink fits the description for being “on the spectrum” and is a candidate for their drug study – one that uses Intuiv.  Intuiv is used for ADD and UCLA wants to see if it helps kids deal with Asperger symptoms.

I found this disconcerting for a few reasons:

1. I don’t feel the diagnostic was in depth enough to warrant a diagnosis

2. These labels are super overlapping. It could be ADHD. It could be nothing. It could be everything. IT’S ANNOYING!!!!!!!!!!!

3. Even if Stink reall does have Aspergers, it’s high functioning enough that do I really need a diagnosis? What happened to just having a kid with some quirks? Do you think next year he’ll be diagnosed with EPID? Extreme Pistachio Intake Disorder. I mean, he does eat them by the fistfuls. It could be considered compulsive. Call the shrinks at Costco! He might need meds!

I’m irritated, because while I will of course help my kid any way I can, I’m also annoyed at how quick we are to throw pills down our kids’ throats in this culture. I want my son to be the best he can, but he loves himself the way he is – tics and all. He’s happy. He’s content. When is that enough? What is the balance between “getting the best for our kids” and “this is too much?”

This all stated, and all my ramblings aside, we’re going to go ahead with the study after all. It’s only 8 weeks. What if the medication really makes a difference? What if he goes from being fabulous and all over the place to uber fabulous and focused and he can write my blog for me!? It’s time to find out. This has been a very long journey for me. I’m ready to try something different.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to take a pill. I suffer from DAYS Syndrome – Drinks A lot of Yuban. It’s a real sickness. I better call UCLA.