For 5 years teachers have constantly told me that Alberquando (note to newbies...Alberquando is the code name for my 12 year old son. (long story) ), is definitely ADHD. I knew it but really tried my best to avoid medication for a child. I thought between he and I, we could keep everything straight....as I've said before, "The blind leading the visually challenged".
He is very smart. He always scores proficient and advanced on his SOLs but struggles to pass due to lack of follow up and lack of focus...where does he get that from??
Well, the first 9 weeks of school are over and report cards have come home. At least he is consistent. SO, I bit the bullet and....bit the bullet? Why would one bite a bullet? I read that the phrase probably originated during the Civil War. Patients were given a bullet to bite on during amputations to help then not focus on the pain.....gee I bet that helped a lot. There was usually a shortage of ether and other meds so the patient "bit the bullet" and went along with the amputation etc. Speaking as someone that needs nitrous gas to get her teeth cleaned makes me realize that we have it just a wee bit easier than those men did.
Anyway, I bit the bullet..not really---I.E. I followed the course that I feel needed to be taken even though I wasn't completely sure it was the right thing to do. Then again, the alternate route hasn't been working out very well.
OK...ENOUGH OF THAT!!
Bottom Line. We are trying out the ADHD meds on Alberquando. (against his wishes) It has been about 2 weeks and I think I am starting to see some improvement. Not sure, but I think so. Doctor said it could take 2-6 weeks to work, depending on the patient.
All that said and done, there was one part of the conversation between the doctor, Alberquando and myself that just really stood out.
We all talked for about 20-30 minutes. Alberquando voiced his concerns and I voiced mine. The doctor gave us the pros and cons and I think he did a great job of explaining the meds, how they work etc.
During the conversation, I stated "I am taking the highest dosage allowed by the FDA and I am......" now before I was able to finish my sentence, the doctor looked me square in the eye-or was that rectangle in the eye, and finished my sentence for me, saying......"....... still very symptomatic?". Now, how did he know that I wasn't going to say "I am taking the highest dosage allowed by the FDA and I am very pleased by the results..or am doing so much better."? How did he assume my sentence was going to be " I am taking the highest dosage allowed by the FDA and I am Still Very Symptomatic"?
Ok, he was right and that was one of the concerns I was going to voice...but is it that obvious? THAT IS A RHETORICAL QUESTION! NO NEED TO ANSWER!...but still. Actually, I was more likely to have said something like "I am taking the highest dosage allowed by the FDA and I am still ..er..well..you know...kind of like...crazy."
ANYWAY, we'll see how things work out for Alberquando.
As for "Still Very Symptomatic"....well, I like the sound of that. it suits me to a T.
HHmm suits me to a T...not an X, not an R, but a T. Tailors used to use that phrase to describe how a suit would fit the prospective buyer. he would stand there in the suit with his arms out to the sides and the tailor would exclaim, "It suits you to a T!". Well, I'm not buying a new suit but I still think "Still very Symptomatic" suits me to a T.
I'm probably going to get a blog make over in the near future. Might even change from "Monkeys Are Funny" to "Still Very Symptomatic". After all, I really don't think monkey's are all that funny. I just love the comic strip at the top of the page...and it is a great response for when I lose focus. However, "Still Very Symptomatic"...I think that might just suit me to a T...and a W.
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A friend of mine has a son diagnosed with ADHD too and she ended up putting him on the meds. She said his school work really improved and he even said he feels better. Of course, you know about these things waay better than I do.
"Patients were given a bullet to bite on during amputations to help then not focus on the pain." I'm writhing in pain at the thought of this!
I had the second appointment in a series for root canal treatment today...lets leave biting out of it shall we?
It's a tough decision to have to make but you have to do whatever you feel is best for your child. I will pray that you see an improvement soon.
I sometimes think I have ahad. Or is it ADHD. I just don't know. I am with you on the Dentist thing. I need gas, lots of it just to have my teeth cleaned.
I give you a lot of credit for hanging in as long as possible with Alberquando, just doing the regular things. Putting your child on regular medication is not something you do without exploring every other avenue.
RJ2 does not have ADHD, but her special teachers continue to remind me that I should be speaking with her physician about the possibility of medical intervention for her issues. I am not ready to go there yet with her. Have not exhausted all non-medical possibilities. Not yet.....
But, when you do reach a point in which medication is tried (if not actually works!), then you can be satisfied that you have tried another intervention to bring out the very best in Alberquando--because that's why we do this stuff in the first place.
I kind of like "still very symptomatic." And, sometimes, when I have lost your blog website address (thank goodness it's on MY blog now!), I would try "monkeys are funny" and end up in a completely different place. Just let us all know when (if) you are moving, or else you won't have many chatters in your chat room!
Thanks for sharing....hang in there!
I hope this all goes well for your little boy. I know it was a hard decision to have to make.
Okay I'm calling you on the "fits like a t" comment. I googled it as your explanation seemed fishy to me. You made that up. I can hear people all over the US & Australia (your millions of readers) quoting the "origin" of that saying incorrectly. LOL!!
Still Very Symtomatic - but still very funny. Just like those monkeys.
CK- Nope. I didn't make it up. I goggled it. BUT, I'm going to re-google it now for alternate origins.
His Princess- OUCH. Good Luck. No biting the bullet for you....squeeze the arm rest!
Sue J- You can tell I was pretty set on NOT giving him the meds. I read so many books on the pros and cons that I even had a notebook with notes about it. But after this year starting off just like the others, with him and I both REALLY trying and still not having good results...I decided to try it. I was avoiding meds for his sake but now I am going at it with the attitude of I am giving him the meds for his sake. If he can do every day things without struggeling so much it will be a blessing. (ie...go to the bathroom to brush his teeth and come back 15 minutes later saying "what was I supposed to be doing?")
Alot of people say not to use the meds or what did they do before the meds. I thought that was a good arguement but you could say that about anything. What did they do before eyeglasses...squinted. Also I know ADHD is over-used/diagnosed and didn't want him to be "labeled" as a problem child, because he isn't. AND, the newer meds only need to be taken once every morning which means he won't have to go to the school clinic every day to take his medication. If the effects are negative, then we'll just try another route....speaking of medication....I think I forgot to take mine this morning....
Well, we love your little symptomatic self.
Edie-I've heard more people respond with positive results than negative.
(another reason they "bit the bullet" was that bullets would give enough to not break the teeth but still were hard enough to bite down on. Maybe I should try that instead of a night guard to keep from grinding my teeth.)
Greg- My dentist says the amount of nitrous it takes for me is unbelieveable. He says a 300 lb man would be almost unconscious and there I am still carrying on a conversation.
Mrs P-thank you. it was.
Even if you changed your name, I think your comic strip would still fit in.... to a "T", in fact.
"Stop a moment. Have you heard it in that form, or might you be mishearing to a T? I haven’t come across your form and can’t be sure it’s the same phrase because you haven’t given its meaning. Just to keep the ball rolling, I’ll explain to a T.
To say to a T means that something is exactly or precisely so. An example appeared in a film review in the Fresno Bee on 30 September 2005: “As Oliver, Barney Clark fits the description to a T: He’s small, angelic and suitably cowed by all the world has to throw at him.” And Jerome K Jerome had some fun with it in Three Men in a Boat in 1889: “Harris said, however, that the river would suit him to a ‘T’. I don’t know what a ‘T’ is (except a sixpenny one, which includes bread-and-butter and cake ad lib., and is cheap at the price, if you haven’t had any dinner). It seems to suit everybody, however, which is greatly to its credit.”
You can see from Jerome’s usage that the expression is quite old. In fact, it was first written down almost exactly two centuries before. That rules out the possibility that it’s connected with T-shirt, which has been suggested as the origin, but which isn’t recorded before about 1920. Finding out where it came from turns out to be rather difficult — there are several candidates, but nobody knows for sure. The obvious suggestion is that it comes from a tee in golf (or just possibly curling). Another is that it refers to a T square (a term that appears at about the same date), or to the correct completion of the letter t by crossing it. No evidence exists that links any of these to the expression.
The origin that most experts point to, rather cautiously, involves T being the first letter of a word. If this is the case, then tittle is easily the most likely source, since to a tittle was in use in exactly the same sense for nearly a century before to a T appeared (it’s first recorded in a play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher of 1607 with the title Woman Hater: “I’ll quote him to a tittle”).
We know tittle now mostly in the set expression jot or tittle, meaning some very small amount and in which both words refer to a tiny quantity. Jot comes via Latin from Greek iota, the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet, which we also still use to refer to some minuscule amount; tittle is from the same Latin word that has given us title, but has usually been taken to mean a small stroke or mark in writing, notably the dot over the letter i."
World Wide Words is copyright © Michael Quinion, 1996–2008. All rights reserved.
http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-toa2.htm
Sorry for the long post - just quoting the info I found. :-)
What a hard choice. I pray for you that it works...my SIL has it and uses supplements, but..eh...mixed results. Symptomatic--yah, that's her. the other day while driving with my 15 y/o he was trying to tell me about something that happened at Kung Fu. He interrupted himself no less than 5 times to comment on something else that caught his fleeting attention. He even laughed at himself and said, "I think I have ADD." At one such juncture, I commented (thinking of you) "Monkeys are funny." He looked at me with this dawn of comprehension like "WOW!" and said, "Yeah, monkeys ARE funny...especially the...oh yeah--back to story." I laughed with him but am wondering. I think it's probably just normal 15 yr old too much energy drink and kung fu adrenaline, but...I will be praying for you and Alberquando (sp?). (I live in Albuquerque, so he holds a little spot in my heart).
You share something so serious and yet can still find the humor in it. Sounds like you are carefully navigating the waters with Alberquando.
Your chat room just cracks me up.
Your blog title is just a detail cause you are the bomb-diggity. Now can you explain that term? LOL.
The bomb-diggity. LOL! I am so using this. ADHD is the bomb-diggity.
I like "The Bomb-Diggity" for a title. LOL.
Me too, Edie!
HOw about:
The Bomb-Diggity - She's gonna blow! LOL!
Bombing - bad
The Bomb - good
Bomb-Diggity - excellent
Too much good times and fun go on here. A blog makeover....this could be kinda sad...as I enjoy the title...okay I know its not all about me...so you have my blessing to change if you need to...again you don't need my blessing...but I will grieve a little when the title is changed as I had a SERIOUS phobia as a young child of "monkers" what I called monkeys...anyway I would like to think that you have brought healing and restoration through your blog for me...again NO PRESSURE change the title if you think its time to change...I will just work through it!
;)
Regarding comment from On Purpose: No stress there eh ADHD-Jo? Ha!
I like The Bomb-Diggity because it accentuates the positive, it fits you to a T, ...
... and it's fun to say. :D
A&OX4- I LOVE that you said Monkeys are Funny and that it clicked with him! Most people just look at you like you're crazy if you say it, but when your mind is everywhere and you keep getting off track, it is perfect. It's like saying...OK, I am so off topic that I am going to start over. Also, if you have to explain it...well..it just isn't going to work.
THE BOMB DIGITY, according to the Urban book of Slang believes this term originated in the 60's.
It has a number of meanings but the last one was the kicker,,,
extremely cool
tight
phat
voluptuous
fantastic
Marvelous
hip
happenin"
Totally the awesomest
fantastic
marvelous
But here's another one definition that made the list:
Bonb Digity is..... The stanky of old cheese that is found in old men's trousers. ugh.
Considering the best ine that is closest to me would probably br the bottom one and WE CAN'T GAVE THAT! Not to mention, I couldn't go around calling mtself the Bomb Diggity. Is is a god name though.
On Purpose-I'm thinking of considering sticking with Monkeys Are Funny. As long as people realize that I don't thing Mondys
really are all that funny.
I'm going to have to figure how to "Still Very Sympomatic
I've GOT to start getting to bed earlier. I'm exhausted!!
Could you really handle it if someone called you Phat?
Note to self--No Typing after Midnight! Maybe I'll decipher after kids get on bus.
CK- Nope. Not even P-H-A-T.
What drugs did you take before typing this? LOL!
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