Isaac

For months, Isaac has been struggling in school; we would study and study spelling words only for him to miss half the answers on the test. His handwriting was terrible and everyone had trouble reading it. He would come home with is normal homework and then a packet that was supposed to have been completed in class (Isaac would have only completed the 1st page of 10)...this is not to mention that his regular homework would take him over 2 hours to complete because he was so distracted from everything that he could not focus on his work (his homework should take no more than 15 minutes, so imagine the challenge it was to then do the work he didn't do in class!). Tony was having difficulty even being around Isaac, he would tell me that he is soooo frustrated with Isaac he can barley stand to be around him, and he felt guilty for even saying that. After several times of moving him in the class room, his teacher came to me and said "I think Isaac is having trouble seeing and that is why we are having so many issues." I took him right to the eye doctor. The doctor checked out his eyes and looked at me, he said "Has anyone suggested that he is inattentive; his eyes are perfect."

I googled the word inattentive....it pulled up ADHD. I thought, no way is he ADHD, his behavior is sooooo good in class; the quitest, most passive child. Then I looked up the symptoms of ADHD; Isaac had all of them! A trip to the pedatrition with my parent evaluation and teacher evaluation the docter said I needed ended up with startling results.... "Mrs Rupley, based on these evaluations, Isaac needed to have scored a minumum of a 3 out of 9 to have the diagnosis of ADHD, he scored an average of an 8. Your child is suffering from ADHD."

I know have a son, and a husband who suffer with this condition; torn about medication, I went ahead and decided to try it, along with family therapy. What a difference!

Isaac is quickly gaining confidence as his work is done on time and with few errors, friends are wanting to play with him again, Tony is rebuilding his relationship with him and they are loving eachother again...I am soooo excited for the whole family.

ADHD comes with a price. I can't tell you how many people have told me they can't believe I am medicating him; that it is wrong, that I should be able to control it through diet. I have even heard that it is just his age. One friend of mine even told me I was wrong and that she thinks these medications border on abuse.

Then I got this book "Super Parenting for ADD". Chapter after chapter, it has addressed every issue I had; especially worry. It said that parents with children of ADHD take worring to the extreme...they worry their kids will grow up to be delinquents, they will have a weak social like and struggle having relationships, we worry about giving the medication we never wanted to give our children, but without it, we see our children suffer to extremes, and then we worry and worry some more. And then the book said this line and I cryed, "Remember to love and love your children, because out in the world, they are loved the least." I cryed because I know Isaac is difficult and it is frustrating to continually be on him to stay on track. It is hard for kids to like Isaac becuase he is soooo quarky and does strange things; I know that people aren't compassionate towards him...heck, when he first exhibited signs of ADHD, he was in at recess every day, got a detintion, and we finally had to switch schools.

So, at the end of the day, I LOVE HIM....even when the world and situations don't. I medicate him, it works for him, I take him to therapy so when the meds wear off, he can still function to some degree and at least recognize his behavior and gain some control of it (it is some control, he can't get total control).

This is my biggest challenge,and now I know it is my biggest gift. I love my Isaac and all of his quarkyness!