Day 1

Well, we have made a huge decision. We decided to try Grace out on some medication and see if it helps her out at all. When she was first diagnosed we were on the fence about her diagnosis. We both felt at 18 months it would be pretty hard to come up with a concrete diagnosis. We did know, however, that something was up. At 22 months we received the same diagnosis from a different evaluation. If you have read my blog then you know our story. One of the first decisions I made was to never go the route of medication. I agree with my husband it quickly becomes a slippery slope. I also know first hand the frustration of being forced to take medication (as a child I was "diagnosed" by a Dr with ADHD and as an adult was tested. When I was tested the Dr. laughed at the idea anyone could have ever said I had it!). I am a firm believer in teaching children to learn to handle their emotions. I have also seen my child regress significantly lately. How can I teach her to handle her anger, when I spend all of every meltdown she has protecting her little sister, and protecting her from herself! I believe we have come to the point where we need to seek more help than what we have been able to provide. After meeting with her behavioralist, whom I have great respect for and feel does an amazing job, he offered us the option of a medication we could try. It is called guanfacine. It is an old blood pressure medication, that is now used for ADHD and other issues. In Grace's case we are hoping it will decrease her aggression and also help to just calm her down a little bit. We are not thinking she has ADHD, she doesnt display the signs of that at all, but we do want her to be able to have a speed other than 110% ALL the time! In general medication for ADHD actually contains a stimulant. This is not an option for her as she has a heart condition that prevents her from taking any sort of a stimulant. I am nervous but prepared to try this option out and see where it takes us!

Today was the first day she took it. It is an incredibly small dose, I have a hard time believing it will even have any affect at all! On the other hand, part of me is very scared to do this because I worry it will change her. Today we did not notice any changes at all other than the fact that she was very thirsty (one common side effect of the drug is that it causes dry mouth). I would expect it to take a couple days before we notice any differences, but I am hoping to record any of her changes. This is a hard step for us to take, one I know a lot of parents struggle with! My goal is to post at least once a day and let you know how this process is going for us, in hopes you can share some feedback on it, or maybe you are in a similiar position, and we can help you out with what we are dealing with!

On a different note, we are waiting on test results from her cardiologist, and GI Dr. Her issues with that will in no way be affected by the drug (we had prior approval from both before taking it!), but it certainly adds another layer to what we are looking at! I look forward to sharing with you tomorrow!