His Doctor Agrees, Too
Well, in my search to determine if Anthony really has ADHD, I took him to see his pediatrician. I had already spoken with his teacher and she thought it was a good idea to have him evaluated. So off we went.
I was very nervous. I just didn’t know what to expect. No mom ever wants to hear that her child has something potentially wrong.
While at the peds office, Anthony never once sat still. He was on the table, off the table. Dancing in front of the mirror. Sticking his stinky feet in my face. Laughing, talking, being ornery. All in front of the doctor! Any other day, I would have been mortified and scolded him to knock it off or else. But, today, I let him…be him.
Right away the doctor mentioned medications to “help.” I told him definitely not as a first course of treatment. The thing I do love about his doctor is that he has never been pushy with anything and immediately went into what other options might be available if it was determined that this is what we were dealing with.
He asked me how long Anthony had been acting on the “wild side.” I told him ever since September 2004 (birthday). LOL None of his behavior is new, it’s just as he’s gotten bigger, it’s gotten louder and more disruptive. But he has always been “intense,” talkative, bouncy and emotional.
Towards the end of the appointment I point blank asked the Doctor to tell me if he was just acting like a typical 5 year old. He told me “definitely not.” He said that most kids would at least sit quietly through a doctors appointment and was amused by Anthony’s exam room antics. This made me both relieved and terrified. Relieved that I wasn’t imagining anything or trying to “blame” his poor behavior on my bad parenting. Terrified because this would change everything.
The diagnosis is not “official” yet. I had some questionnaires to bring home and have his teachers fill out. I am still waiting on those…maybe I’ll get them today and can fax them back. I’m not sure what happens next.
Of course, since I am a “digital mom,” I have been searching and reading like a mad woman online. I am researching diets and how they effect ADHD. I have to say, it’s no wonder that there is this epidemic in our children today! The food we feed our children today is horrible. Full of shit I would not feed my dog! And the most horrifying part is that I had no idea.
I learned that all those controversial food colors and preservatives are made out of PETROLEUM! Crude Oil people. The same thing that is used to run our cars. This is what we feed our children. Oil. Did you know that is what “Red dye #40” was or even some “anti-oxidants?” Yeah…me neither. Sucks, huh?
One such “program” is called The Feingold Diet. There are other “diets” that eliminate dairy. I mean, this is a much debated issue. My head is spinning! I got this Dr. Bob book at the store the other day and it is focused on eliminating dairy. This book actually doesn’t make as much sense to me as the Feingold Program that focuses on the preservatives and dyes. I guess this is just where it comes down to trial and error and finding what works best for my individual.
I’m going to start by taking out the dyes and preservatives and eliminating as much sugar as I can. We’ll go from there. Even if he ends up without the diagnosis of ADHD, eating this way is SO much better for all of us, ya know? I’ll keep my petroleum in my gas tank, thank you very much.
You know what this post tells me, Rhea? That you are an AWESOME mom and your boys are lucky to have you. I admire you for seeking “help” when you knew something wasn’t right, resisted the idea of medication as the first option and are doing research about what’s best for your son.
Kate @ The Shopping Mama´s last blog ..Ten Dollar Tuesday: Fabric Bunting
Rhea, I did a bit of research on hyperactivity and we found one thing that helped. We totally limit media watching. That means very little TV and very little video gaming. Its one of the most common things that causes hyperactivity in children. Also more Omega 3 fatty acids in diet. Eggs are a big part of that and fish.
Thank you, Sarah. For everything!! I bought some flax seed because I read that has good omega 3′s in it. I hid it in his yogurt this morning.
And he’s a good eater, so I know he’ll be okay trying new stuff.
I KNOW I need to turn the TV/games off. Actually, Ant usually prefers to go play outside and it’s the twins that are obsessed with the playstation. I’ve been trying hard to limit it just because it’s annoying…now I have another reason to turn it off.
I came across your blog by chance, following a link. My heart goes out to you – that is not a easy situation!
I think it’s great that you are looking for alternative options before considering medication. Certainly avoiding chemicals (even in household products), sugar (and also any white flour products) could be very beneficial. And I agree with Sarah that seriously limiting TV and videogames could go a long way. I’d also have him tested for any food sensitivities/hidden allergies, and try to correlate any immunizations to the beginning of his behavior. Finally, check out Immune Matrix (http://www.immunematrix.com). The founder, Anna, has quite amazing results with little kids. She gets lots of cases where doctors don’t have a good solution. I’ve seen a little boy being completely transformed after she worked with him. Best of luck!
Thank you for the link! I was told by someone else to check out acupuncture (one of their things listed) and I thought he was being funny. LOL Maybe I’ll look into it some more and check out what else they say. Thanks!
I hope the diet changes work for you–I think it’s great that you are looking for other options before going the medication route. If it HAS to be medication, fine, but if there are other solutions to the problem that’s even better. And I love the picture…I know his antics frustrate you but he really is just too darn cute
He is SO cute! That’s the thing…he’s such a neat kid and I don’t want that to change. I just want him to be able to follow directions (as well as a 5yo can) and focus so that he isn’t irritating everyone all the time. I want him to be able to control his outbursts so that he can make friends, too.
I want everyone else to be able to see how amazing he is!
I think you are a very strong woman. I have to be honest, if my doctor mentioned medication, I would have probably said, “YES – PLEASE!!”. But that’s because I just don’t have the patience to try different diets, etc. I like a quick fix, but I know medications have horrible side effects and can hurt our children just as much as what we are feeding them. My 12 year old son started suffering from severe anxiety along w/depression the beginning of 7th grade. I took him to our doctor and a psychiatrist and both suggested medication. I REALLY didn’t want to go that route and resisted as long as possible, but finally decided to try it. I, along with his teachers, monitored him to see if the meds made him change (for better or worse) in any way. After about a week or so, my son wasn’t arguing with me or throwing major fits over every little thing anymore. And best yet, he wasn’t telling me he wanted to kill himself anymore (like he would do very dramatically when we would argue). He told me his anxiety was gone too. I DO NOT want him on meds for the rest of his life and told both doctors this. They both reassured me that some children going thru puberty suffer from depression and/or anxiety and they only need to be on the meds during this time period. And when I went on line to look up signs of puberty, one of the signs or signals that your child’s body/mind isn’t dealing with it well, was depression. Anyways, I hope diet works for your son, I truly do. It’s a very hard decision to choose medication, especially with the stigma attached, but you need to choose what you feel is best for you and your child. Good luck!
[...] you read here at all, you know I am working on cutting out preservatives, food dyes, sugar and everything else that is artificially added to my boy…. Horizon Organic Chocolate Milk fits perfectly with this [...]
I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child when this was a new concept. The doctor put me on Prozac when I was 4. My mother hated it and instead, weaned me off and put me on a sugar free diet. I was allowed honey occasional, but other then that NO sugar. It worked. She was a single mom of 4 and it worked. I got over it. My best friend has a now 8 year old boy who was just as you describe your son at 5. She accepted the prescription as his issues tended to go more towards ADHD with anger control issues. He was medicated for less then a year, that’s how long it took for him to learn how to control and process his emotions safely and sanely. They weaned him off when they moved and had to change doctors, and he’s never needed it since. They used the meds as a tool to teach him how to control himself, and it worked. ADHD isn’t a bad thing. You have an active kid.. active kids make for driven and successful adults! If meds are what end up happening, be thankful that they are available and know, it isn’t a failing on your part ( OR his!), it is just an opportunity for him (and you!) to learn how to work WITH his active little mind and body. It isn’t forever.
[...] seen her in a while with having baby’s and all recently. She asked me about the ADHD questionnaires that she had filled out and was wondering what the doctor had decided/recommended. She [...]
[...] excited to try out their organic beef burgers (you know, since I’m trying to cut out all preservatives in our house). I was a little bummed that they did not carry the organic burgers in my local [...]