New Here ~ Brain Overload

[Calgon_Take_Me_Away]

Wow.
One hour is not long enough to diagnose anything.
My son was tested for ten hours, in two hour increments, and given every test under the sun as well as observed. I would still schedule a neuropsychologist appointment. and hope you get a complete evaluation this time. Trust me, it beats a school evaluation.
Whatever you decide to do, good luck.

My biggest thing is, "you see my son once a year and don't really see him" ~ the same goes with- the previous psychiatrist; "you see him for one hour every 6 - 8 weeks and you expect to know him?" I do know that psychiatrists in Iowa are few & far between. It takes months to get in ~ for example, the therapist referred us to one 45 mins away, I turned in the paperwork the mid/end of May, heard back from them a week and half ago that his appointment was scheduled for Sept 29. Last Tuesday we made an unscheduled stop for a talk about behaviors at which the therapist called the psychiatric's office and said we needed something much sooner because of the issues at hand so they got us in the next morning (Wed). I have mixed emotions on it because 1) it was video conferencing ~ we sat in a room watching the psychiatric on a tv while she was 7 hrs away watching us on a tv; 2) the whole appointment took 1 1/2 hrs ~ 10 mins was just GHG and the rest was just me. She talked to me while actually going through his file and asked a lot of questions. She switched him from Concerta to Vyvanse, said if that didn't work we'd try risperdal and if that didn't work we'd try Prozac. When I left the room, GHG was asleep on the waiting room floor. He went to bed at 9, up at 7:30 which is fairly normal during the summer (but it sure beats the going to bed at 8 and up at 4 to start the day like he used to).

Yes, it is a try this and that approach. The therapist is as confused as anyone else on an actual diagnosis. His words to me a while back were, "usually I can blame these types of behavior on parenting and environment, but in this case I can't". GHG will tell you all the things I've tried teaching him and totally go against every one. Last Thursday (because of medication switching) therapist saw GHG with-o a stimulant medication for the first time. He asked, "Is this what you go through every morning from the time he wakes up to the time the medications kick in?" Even though in the past I've told him the behaviors, he was floored at seeing them. GHG did the most "involved" talking while laying on the floor and his feet on the arm of the chair.

Something I have found that works great at getting confessions is fingerprinting. Last winter we were having lots of "I didn't do it" so I told the kids about police work and fingerprinting to find out who did it. Now all I have to do is get a plastic baggie, place the item in discussion in it and with-i minutes I have someone begging me not to take it in because they did it.

 

[BusynMember]

Egads! What a mess!
Well, I live in a rural part of Wisconsin, so we travel an hour for services. Do you have any university hospitals near you? Frankly, I think you are getting crummy services and I don't think the psychiatrist or the therapist have a clue. If he is already thinking far in advance about medication...that kind of gives me the shudders. What about interventions? Does he think he can medicate this away? Does he even know what he is dealing with?
We had to wait a long time to get into the neuropsychologist but it was worth the long wait because he knew what he was talking about (unlike (ahem) almost all the other professionals). In fact, Psychiatrist started blaming me when son wasn't better. It got silly.
I've been a patient myself since I have mood disorder problems, and I can spot a rotten P-doctor and t-doctor a mile away. I don't like being their guinea pig "(Ah, let me try thees knew medication...and see what happens...) I mean, would he medicate his own wife or child that way? Or would he want to know WHAT he is medicating? Bet you he'd make sure he saw a great neuropsychologist before he tossed the gamut of medications at his own loved one. I mean, he keeps throwing ADHD stims at your child (that aren't working) and now he's got him on a heavy duty bipolar medication (Depakote, which can cause cognitive dulling--and DID with my daughter) and he's thinking of Risperdal (and anti-psychotic also used often for bipolar) and he's thinking of Prozac (which can make bipolar worse and even cause psychosis). Does he have a list of medications he prescribes in an order? LOL. Sorry. Too many p-docs are like this. Can't tell you how many horrific reactions I personally have had to medication-happy doctors who didn't really know what was wrong with me.
Even if it's far away, I still recommend a THOROUGH neuropsychologist Evaluation. They take anywhere from six to ten hours, but you will get much more out of it.
To be honest, I'd be giving these guys their walking papers. Good luck, from your neighbor in Wisconsin

 

[Calgon_Take_Me_Away]

MM ~

That's what I'm saying, the "professionals" aren't seeing him the way the therapist and I do. The therapist is not a dr in any way and can't prescribe medications ~ he did recommend trying Depakote and it has helped in that rages went away and he sleeps with-o kicking, screaming and thrashing about.

So our developments today are I called the pscyh NP and talked to her about options available. She mentioned trying DHS. I went to DHS and they ultimately said it's the psychiatric's call to institutionalize, however gave me other information about a PMIC an hour away. DHS called the PMIC and called back saying that I could possibly get him in with the current issues of fire starting and trying to kill the cat and fear for his safety and ours. I called the psychiatric NP back to see if she'd heard anything yet and mentioned this place ~ she said she'd send the order to the psychiatric to see about her support of the order.

So in the next couple of days I'll have more information.

 

[TerryJ2]

I've got my fingers crossed for you all.
And for the cat.

Your stomach must be in knots.

 

[Calgon_Take_Me_Away]

Thanks Terry ~ it's been a long morning already when in reality it's been an hour.

Therapist told him yesterday that he gets to be my shadow. Wherever I go, he goes. He's not liking this arrangement, and has lashed out last late afternoon.

We went to a funeral visitation last night and difficult child sure showed himself unrespectfully.

 

[flutterbee]

Check this out:

http://www.nldontheweb.org/