More about us

 

 

As I wrap up this first week, it occurs to me that there are some important and relevant topics I have left out . Hopefully sharing everything with you will help to create a more complete picture of us: 
 

1. Sam has a brother who is seventeen months older. His name is Ben and he’s nine.  How to concisely describe this other favorite child? Challenging to do but let’s give it a whirl – he’s athletic, social, bright, creative, persistent and filled with energy. He has bright blue eyes that sparkle with enthusiasm for whatever the day brings.  Certain things worry him and his anxiety is just like mine. Maybe that’s why it’s so easy for him to push my buttons.

Ben and Sam’s personalities are so different and yet they’re beautiful together. Most of the time they adore each other. They love sleeping in the same bed. They have the best time teaming up against me. They each thrive on making the other laugh. Then they laugh even harder and I can’t help but chuckle too.

2. There’s one more in our family who you should know about. Her name is Daisy and she’s an Old English Sheepdog. I'm obsessed with her and too often I am convinced that she’s my best behaved child. Sam is gentle and kind to her in a way that warms my heart. He has a lot of love to give and Daisy is lucky to be one of the primary recipients of it.

3. Sam is on Zoloft.  Some of you may be rolling your eyes and shaking your head in disapproval. And if this makes you like me less or not want to read on, I understand and make no apologies. 

He used to go through blue periods when he wouldn’t like himself. Things that roll off his back now, didn’t then. The self loathing was hard to watch and potentially dangerous for him. Zoloft keeps the sadness away. It allows him to work hard on making himself stronger without hating the way he is.

4. Sam has ADD. Notice there’s no H. This means that he doesn't bounce off the walls. Instead he has a hard time paying attention and keeping himself organized. He started taking Ritalin at the end of kindergarten and it has improved his life. On it, he loses less and focuses more. His teacher at the time couldn't believe the dramatic change. She said it was like a light went on and she had a new student in class. Of course there are still times that he gets lost wandering in his head but it doesn't happens as often.

Brain Balance doesn’t promise to get him off these medications but they say there are kids who have gone cold turkey by the end of the program. I hope that Sam is one of the lucky ones but if not, he will continue taking them for as long as he needs.

So now you a bit more about us. Tomorrow is Monday and the start of Week 2. I'm concerned that 1/12th of the program has passed already. While a small part of me can't wait for it to be over so we can have our lives back, most of me is worried that he won't have made as many changes as I want in just eleven more weeks. Oy. See I told you I worry like Ben.