On a whole different issue, I have finally decided to take the boys to an attention disorders specialist in Salt Lake. Paying attention shouldn't be so hard and Aiden and Avery have real quality of life issues that it interferes with. They miss half of what's going on so they are behind in every way, not just academic. Tristan has had struggles in school but also impulse control in life choices that was really scaring me. This doctor has been doing this a long time and he does tests that others don't do, current technology that actually quantitatively tests and diagnoses disorders like ADHD. I never tried medication before because it seemed so random and not thought out. This guy is different. So Tristan and Aiden definitely have attention disorders but in different ways. They are both on a stimulant right now and while it's helped Tristan, he says he feels tired sometimes but does focus better. We are trying different doses to see what works best and then I have a non stimulant we can try over the summer to see if that works better. Or maybe if his thyroid improves a lot that will have an effect and he won't need meds. We will see.
Aiden though, oh my, I feel bad now for not medicating him sooner. It's like he has come to life. He is more social. I've had more conversation with him than ever. He says he's actually talking to kids at school. He says he actually knows what's going on in class and can listen. He is able to focus and finish assignments much more quickly. He wants that pill every morning. He was so giddy the first day with excitement. It makes me so sad, like he's been living in the fog all these years trying so hard to see but couldn't and now he finally can. We just started him on it this week so we will see how it continues to go but obviously something in his brain wasn't connecting and the medicine helps it connect. Maybe he will be able to learn to drive after all. I was beginning to think he couldn't because he couldn't stay focused while driving and went right through a red light a couple of times. We are lucky he and Cory were not hit! I can't beat myself up about the past though because I have prayed about these issues forever and I never felt good about it before but now that they are older I feel differently about it. There's more at stake now if they can't control their own lives. It's way more than grades. I can't justify it just for grades. That's not super important to me. I keep a close watch on them though and take their blood pressure and try my best to make sure they eat and drink enough. It can suppress the appetite and my boys can not stand to lose weight. I am also watching their sleep.
I haven't taken Avery to this doctor yet. I will this summer.
Lidia is doing well in school and about to graduate! It's crazy that I have an adult child. She wants to go on a mission in January. That means we start working on paperwork in August! She goes to mission prep every Tuesday night and several of her guy friends have just got their mission calls and leave this summer. With her going in January, they'll all get back around the same time. She's a super sweet girl. We are lucky to have her. I am glad she is not so into boyfriends like many girls her age. She has guy friends but she doesn't seem romantically interested in anyone. Good! lol She still plays pokemon with her little brothers. Hopefully she will get a job and her drivers license sometime this summer but I'm not looking forward to the hike in insurance costs.
