Pray for Andrew

Discussion in 'Christian Issues' started by Brenda, Jul 29, 2005.

  1. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    We received a phone call from the Child Adolescent Psychiatric Unit on Monday to bring Andrew to them for his assessment (on Wednesday) - we were supposed to take him last month, but we changed our minds last minute and didn't go. He had been home with us at that point for a month and we didn't see the blow outs that the school complained about all the time.

    Then the public school year ended and he has been with his two brothers ever since and the two of them needle him and taunt him like you wouldn't believe. We stopped one of this two meds when the doctor told us to - he might as well not be getting the other one, because without the dexedrine, the other one seems to be useless.

    Anyway, a week or so after he was supposed to go for the assessment last month I called the unit and asked them to put him back on the list - I realized that we really need the assessment to make sure we are 100% aware of all the diagnosis and then know how best to approach it.

    We took Andrew down to the unit on Wednesday (a three hour drive away from home) and it has been killing me since then. He has settled in really well (mind you they call this the honey moon phase and the novelty hasn't worn off yet). Because of the distance away, my work schedule and the cost of gas ($1.00/L which is about $4 something a gallon) we can't be there as often as I would like to be and then I answered three phone calls from the unit today making me feel rotten that we might not be able to get down this weekend ("No pressure..." was what I heard each time).

    Anyway, would you please be praying about this... Andrew seems happy each time we talk to him, Dad lives close to the hospital and will go to pick him up for an outing tonight. I am working on getting down there this weekend.

    Pray for protection and especially strength.

    Brenda
     
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  3. HeidiPA

    HeidiPA New Member

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    Brenda~
    It's tough when your child is seperated from you. When Ashley was off at summer camp a few weeks ago, I really missed her and longed to see her again. I'm sure that's how you're feeling.
    I will be praying for Andrew- that he will continue to be enjoying himself and not get homesick.
    And I will pray for you- that God will give you the strength and courage you need to withstand the seperation time.
    Hopefully all will go well, you will get good reports and good results.
    Thinking of you,
     
  4. mamaheffalump

    mamaheffalump New Member

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    Praying in the Hollow :D!
     
  5. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    Brenda: We are praying here in the South too. It's hard when your children are away from you. I know my girls have been gone all week to camp and I have this big lost in my heart. Best Wishes.
     
  6. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    :D The funny part of it all is that they told me they would also come up with a plan for the school to help manage his behaviour - and that's when I told them of our plans to keep him home... they wondered how he would do (he's done well so far and he has been begging me to stay home).

    They will do assessments that were supposed to be done through the education department - I regret that he had to go away to get them done.

    Tracy and I were talking about keeping him home through elementary then sending him back to middle school - WELL that was until I found out last night that the lady who filled in as principal last year at the elementary school is going to the middle school - UH! Andrew won't be returning to the middle school on my clock! :roll:

    When I talk to him, he is as happy as can be - Tracy commented that he's happier than he has heard him be in a long time (because he doesn't have two brothers yanging at him ALL the time :x ) - that has been such a blessing to me. If he were crying his eyes out on the phone, it would kill me more than it does now. Andrew knows that if he is co-operative with them and does the assessments he may not be there for the full 30 days - he could get home within three weeks. I did tell him this because he was struggling to stay at all. So right now, it's in his court - he can come home sooner if he works at it (and I know he is more than capable).

    So for now, we will take it one day at a time - some days one moment at a time.

    Brenda
     
  7. Anonymous

    Anonymous New Member

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    Praying for your family through this situation. :D
     
  8. Eeyore

    Eeyore New Member

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    Praying for Andrew and mom & dad, too. This has got to be such a tough situation. I am glad he is happy so far. I know that makes it much easier for you to bear. Praying that this will all end well & you will find some resolutions to the problems he is facing.
     
  9. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    We went to see Andrew today - we called the unit to ask them to tell him we were coming - they didn't, but it made the surprise all the better for him and for us.

    In the couple days he has been away, we have come to realize that the behaviours that got him there are mostly precipitated by his two brother's - they no sooner got into the car with Andrew and had started bickering :x Andrew was having a hard time coping... and wanted to go back, so we removed him from the situation and gave him some down time. We were out for about 3 1/2 hours...

    The nurses on the unit were amazed at how well behaved he is :D and said that normally children aren't allowed out on passes this early - but Andrew has been amazing - they even asked to keep him - I DON'T THINK SO!!!

    He comes home next weekend for the whole weekend - and I'm looking forward to it (so is he).

    Brenda
     
  10. mamaheffalump

    mamaheffalump New Member

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    I can sympathize with this one, Brenda. I have an almost 18 year old step-daughter that makes life hard on the Poppet when she visits :? . Sometimes, I think she's the one that needs "special" care :roll:... More hugs :D!
     
  11. Brooke

    Brooke New Member

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    Thinking of you here daily. The other two need our prayers as much, if not more, than Andrew maybe? Keep us posted, as I'm sure you will, on how we can best direct our concerns to the Lord.
     
  12. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    Absolutely do... they miss him (can't find anyone else to fight with maybe :x ), but when they're with him all they do is tease and taunt him. They know his triggers and so it's a matter of dh and I getting after them about it and starting from that angle...

    Now going to be easy (or probably any fun) but it has to be done...

    Brenda
     
  13. KrisRV

    KrisRV New Member

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    Brenda hang in there I am sure it's going to be tough but you are a strong women and get through this. We will keep all the boys in our prayers and hope next week end the visit goes well.
     
  14. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    Brenda, if his stress is coming from his two older brothers than is there a plan to get them to shape up? Are they teaching Andrew some coping skills to help him with his stress from them? I can't even imagine what you are going through. Not to sound rude or anything to anyone, but this is way different than sending your child off to camp. No offense anyone, it just is. I'm so sorry and will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. It must be truly difficult to be so far away from him and not be able to do much. Hopefully this will be a life changing experience for him for the better:).
     
  15. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    JenPooh - no offense taken at all - I understand what you mean...

    We know that his brothers are a trigger to him and they (the staff on the unit where he is) are working on helping come up with new ways of handling things, but at the same time, we have to work on these two here at home - I think it may be easier to bring Noah back in but Christian (the 13 year old) is going to make it a challenge for us - he's pushing it to the limit.

    Andrew did say they had to watch a Dr Phil video on bullying today (I think Christian should watch it too).

    This has been an eye opener for us and it has been tremendously hard as well - especially when he calls home and sounds SO lonely (and admits to being home sick). One day at a time is all we're taking it for now - that's all we can do.

    Brenda
     
  16. Brooke

    Brooke New Member

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    I hope this isn't prying, but I was wondering why this treatment wasn't offered to Christian. It seems he may be the one most in need of it. Not that you would want to another child away from you, I was just wondering if the staff had mentioned it.
     
  17. Anne

    Anne New Member

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    Praying for you, Brenda!

    Blessings,
     
  18. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    The treatment wasn't offered to Christian because he wasn't the one having all the blow outs at school (not that we're sending him back or anything like that). Only now do we see that the some of Andrew's problems at school were a direct result of his brothers but also to other triggers with in the school (other students and teachers).

    The goal of his treatment is so that he can face this kind of thing in the future and be able to face it head on without blowing out at someone, come up with new ways of coping and a clear diagnosis (they consider all aspects here - we had to fill out a lenghty family history for both sides of the family - MIL included - did I ever have fun with that one... so many things could apply to her, but nothing has been diagnosed).

    He'll come out of this a stronger person and that's been my hope and strength.

    Brenda
     
  19. JenPooh

    JenPooh New Member

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    I just didn't want anyone thinking that I don't think it's hard to say goodbye to your child at camp. Camp is camp. Hospitals are hospitals (or whatever you wanna call'em). I understand what others were trying to say by giving a personal example. I just feel very sympathetic for you and your family and I pray that everything turns out positive (praying smilie).
     
  20. Brenda

    Brenda Active Member

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    We met with the psychiatrist yesterday (along with the psychologist and the unit social worker). Some of the behaviours that Andrew was displaying prior to his admission are beginning to show there as well (mind you not to the same extreme as in school or at home, but he's starting to act up). Before we left the unit, Andrew almost managed to lose his pass- he was having a bit of a tantrum because he couldn't have his way and almost bolted from the unit when someone opened the door - I was right there and got him before he could get too far.

    Andrew is home for the weekend... his brothers are themselves and so we have a couple issues to try to tackle (the tattle tailing is unreal).

    The doctor said they are going to do an EEG on Andrew - checking for any kind of seizure activity. Andrew has been off his dexedrine for over a month and is still having tics - they were considering Tourette's, but he doesn't have the vocal tics (or not that we have noticed anyway) and so I think they might be ready to rule that out. For the time being, they are sticking with the ADHD, ODD diagnosis and given the interview and family history (more so on hubby's side) may look into mood disorders... Oh JOY! I don't think this is an easy diagnosis - there are so many things for them to be considering while he is there and now that they have the family history, they can further investigate other things.

    Their tentative discharge date is August 19, but that depends on how well he continues to work and what the testing results show... I will update as I know more (I'm trying to remember everything they told me - I was exhausted and didn't process everything)

    Brenda
     
  21. Lornaabc

    Lornaabc New Member

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    Praying in SC.
    Lorna
     

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