Tuesday, January 29, 2013

No More Meds! Wow!

Still holding my breath and saying a prayer but it's been three weeks since Bobby's last Ritalin tablet. It all started during Christmas vacation, with constant stomach pain. As the days passed, the pain increased. After multiple medical tests turned up absolutely nothing, I suddenly wondered if his medication was creating this pain.

Never in the past 6 years had Bobby suffered with stomach pains associated with his meds which is probably why we were certain he had something serious like appendicitis or some other affliction. Very reluctantly we took our boy OFF HIS MEDS. There are people who are adamantly opposed to kids using adhd meds & would likely give three cheers for Bobby being off meds. I do understand this thought. Those are STRONG drugs. No question there are unwanted side-effects and no good mom or dad really wants to "drug" their precious child. Things aren't always black and white with adhd & even if you walk a similar road with your child, you aren't on the same path as other parents may be.

Bobby is off medication. Has been for 3 amazing weeks! He shows not one sign of being in need of strong meds like Ritalin. He is a strong-willed, oppositionally-defiant middle school boy. Not sure any pill cures THAT line-up!

He soars high in Social Studies, History, Science and Reading but is several grade levels behind in Math. He hates Math. But this doesn't qualify him for adhd meds either. He's getting a summer Math tutor. He has requested she be a beautiful young lady.

As this is an on-going blog on the experience of one family working with our "wild guy" I will continue to update honestly. If this "no-meds" thing blows up in our faces, we'll be here sharing this with the world. Or the 34 people who follow my blog! This is all a journey for us & what a journey it is!