Woman to Woman: Enduring Health Problems

Enduring Health Problems

There are few things in life that are more difficult to deal with than health issues. Particularly if they are life-threatening or dibilitating health issues. Up to this point in my life, I feel very fortunate and lucky to have had to deal with very few health issues where my children are concerned. Of course there are the typical colds, flu bugs and the like that afflict us, and while they are happening they are miserable, but nothing that won't go away. Care Bear does have an eye condition called "amblyopia" which is basically lazy eye and has been wearing glasses since she was 20 months old. While at the time of diagnosis this was a heart breaking thing for me, I now can't imagine her without her glasses. They are a part of who she is and a part of her personality. Obviously, I would prefer it if there were a "cure" for her eye affliction, but as of now there isn't and at her most recent appointment, I was informed that she will probably wear glasses the rest of her life. If that is the worst thing I have to deal with in terms of health with her, than I will feel very blessed.

Anakin has ADHD. I could have told anyone without even having an official diagnosis that he was ADHD from about the first few months of knowing him. This issue is a little more difficult to manage because of the nature of it, and because it is not a physical illness in most senses of the word. Anakin has a great deal of difficulty focusing. He has a great deal of difficulty sitting still. He has an enourmous amount of difficulty doing homework and being able to sustain through an entire day of school. When he was first officially diagnosed with ADHD, his doctor prescribed Ritalin. We were a bit skeptical at first about giving him the medication due to what we had heard about it, but at that point, we were willing to do whatever it took. Within hours of Anakin taking his first dose of Ritalin, we saw an unbelievable change in every aspect of him. He was able to focus on things, he was able to concentrate in school, he was able to do homework without fidgeting and becoming overly aggravated. His teacher was beyond thrilled with the change. But shortly, the effects of the medication began to wear off. His doctor increased the dosage. And once more after that. At that point, we decided that we no longer felt comfortable with the constant increases in the medication. Despite the fact that it was helping him, we felt like we were over-drugging him. His doctor decided to try another medicine for him that is supposed to control symptoms of ADHD and with this particular drug, he only had to take it once a day. But after only a couple of days on this medication, Anakin was barely recognizable as himself. He was, simply put, a zombie. He had no personality, he sat around staring off into space, and it was hard to get his attention. This was not acceptable to us either. So we took him off of that drug. He hasn't been taking any medication since that time. For one, because two drugs proved unsuccessful, and for two, his biological mother is violently opposed to him taking medication for it. So the past two years since taking him off the drugs have been difficult in terms of trying to control his hyperactivity in other ways. His teachers have all almost begged us to put him back on some type of medication. But short of getting a court order, or a doctor to testify in court to his bio mom that he needs to be on medication, that isn't going to happen. So, we do our best. In some aspects, he seems to be outgrowing it a little bit. And he has wonderful teachers, two of which have also had children with ADHD and they know how to handle those types of kids. We are very blessed for the teachers he has had and the support he receives from his school, and that is where we are at this point. It just requires a little extra attention, a little extra help, and a little extra time.

I, myself, have never been the "healthiest" person around. I was diagnosed with asthma at a very young age and have multiple air-born allergies that about this time of year seriously wreak havoc with me. Due to the asthma, as a young child and still to this day, I contract bronchitis fairly easily and at least once a year I get some sort of illness that puts me out for a few days.

Four years ago, when little Care Bear was a mere six months old, I was hospitalized twice for pneumonia. The first time, I had gone to the emergency room in the middle of the night having extreme difficulty breathing and on the verge of passing out. The doctor who helped me was extremely rude, gave me a "breathing treatment" and sent me on my way. I was back three hours later and a kind doctor finally took me seriously, did a lung x-ray and admitted me immediately to the hospital. But at that time, they thought I had a blood clot in my lung. The put me on the blood thinning medication, Cumadin, and I was there for five days. After being back home for two days, I was still horribly miserable and couldn't even walk up and down the stairs of my town-home without getting extremely weak. Suffice it to say, it was very difficult to care for a young baby in that condition. I went back to the hospital, and the doctor who had discharge me listened to my lungs again and got an extremely worried look on his face and looked like he was going to pass out. He admitted me back in right away; diagnosis pneumonia. I was there for another ten days.

Twelve years ago in June, I spent 3 months in Arizona getting treatment for an eating disorder. I chronicled that journey extensively back in January. The whole story can be found here or by clicking on "My Story" in labels on the sidebar.

This has gotten quite lengthy. I guess I have dealth with my share of health issues through my 32 years, but thankfully none of them have cost any lives or permanent damage. Through all the health issues I (and the others) have endured and survived. It's never fun or easy dealing with illnesses or health problems. While going through them, they are very difficult, but once they have passed....if they do....they merely become a distant and unpleasant memory that I choose to try to forget. Until the next one comes along.....