Update on how things are going.....

I would be lying if I said this journey was easy. It isn't. I have a much better appreciation for those who choose this route yet understand why those don't. It is hard. It is so very very hard.
I feel bad for Johnathon as there is not many things here he can eat. We make it work out.

Since starting the diet we saw improvements within 2 weeks. He used to bring home 4 smileys or less every day. His teachers would complain often of him being angry and not wanting to work. Now he is bringing home 8-12 every day. 12 is the most he can get. When he does get in trouble it is usually from talking so much. For those of you that know Rob and I you know that this is more from us than ADHD.

Johnathon has seasonal allergies. They are bad enough that his eyes will swell shut. We started trying different allergy meds to help him. Claritin wore off by bed time so we tried Zyrtec. The next 2 days at school he was bringing home 4 or less smiley faces. So we switched to Singular. Same issue. It is evident these medication cause behavior issues. We looked into Allegra but the children's pills have aspartame so that was out. The adult dosage was way too much so we went with the liquid Allegra.

Johnathon is back to bringing home 8-12 smileys a day so the allergra is working but yet another expense added to his treatment regimen.

He still has his moments when he can't concentrate and we are working on ways to teach him to get his mind back on track. He is learning geometry and cursive. He is having to re-teach me things. He is reading well well above what is average for his age.

It is hard. We struggle to buy the things he needs. When I look at him and I see how these things are helping him, it makes it all worth it. He is happy, healthy and marinating friendships. He is not making up stories anymore and obsessing over characters. He is doing his work and improving.

My kid is awesome! I love him more and more everyday.

Our search for treatments...........

I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I am scared I am making the wrong choice for him but I am scared of the alternative. You hear things about the drugs used to treat ADHD and you realize how common the side effects are, some are permanent.
Tics, psychosis, rages, mood swings, zombie likeness, growth being stunted and so so so many more.
Most people I know with children on these drugs have experienced one or more of these side effects and have to try drug after drug to find the one that is right for their kid...
Sometimes the damage is done and the effects are permanent.
How could I live with myself if something like that happened to my child? How, when I know there are safe methods that could help him. I can't do it.
In Feb I was so desperate I considered starting him on meds. He was doing horrible in school and I was crying daily. It was a very bad time and I was getting desperate to help him. I actually went to the dr and asked for meds and he refused. I am thankful now that he did.

I composed myself and finally hit a breaking point. I started pouring hours and hours into researching how to help him. I still stay up nightly to search for ideas. I realized why I wanted to go this route and stood firm to what I originally wanted.

I learned that some food allergies, metal poisonings, thyroid problems, food sensitivites and so much more can play a role in a child with ADHD. This leads to testing and eliminating foods and dyes.

About 2 weeks ago I took away all artifical dyes and flavorings, I took away about 85% of his dairy intake and started him on other minerals.

Johnathon takes special cookies to have at school and I pack his lunch for him and read labels before the school serves him food. It is hard but it is worth it.

In the morning he takes nerve drops, Attentive Child, magnesium, calcium, multi-vitamin and Omega 3 oil. At night he takes melatonin and Omega 3 and more nerve drops.

We have also started a new reward system with him. It has proven very effective and we are using it with Seth as well. He can gain poker chips for pretty much anything good he does but he loses them for anything bad even huffing about not wanting to do homework. In the beginning he lost 30 pokerchips in an hour.
When he hits 50 he gets a special toy or money. He even earns tokens for doing well at school.

Next week I will be talking to the Dr about testing Johnathon for metal poisionings and other things. I want a through exam done to rule out any other causes, even if the chances are slim, it is worth knowing.. We are waiting on the results of bloodwork to let us know if there are any food allergies affecting him.
He is also seeing the school counselor for behavior modification therapy. Soon we will start an IEP with the school to help him even more.


I am going to make a small disclaimer here:
I get that this is a struggle and not everyone believes this or has the time or it just didn't work for them. I don't expect everyone to be able to do this or believe this or whatever. I get that some parents choose meds and that is okay. I am in no way, shape or form, judging another person b/c of the choices they made for their family. So don't think that, don't feel the need to come at me with why you chose meds. You did what is right for your family and that is really all that matters.

The realization of a problem

I always knew something was not right with Johnathon. At 3 he started pre-school and never wanted to listen. He was violent with his teachers, other kids and never followed rules. At 4 he would have melt-downs at the slightest change in his routine. He was energetic and always talked a lot.
When he started Kindergarten he would have rages and throw things and rip up things. I asked teachers and counselors what could be wrong and everyone said he was bored and needed to be kept busy. He got suspended and couldn't concentrate on work and his penmanship was horrible. He was reading though. He was reading very well.

Halfway through first grade I took him to a psychologist who claimed he didn't sound ADHD just that he was too smart and didn't match well with his teacher. So of course I didn't push it even though I knew there was an issue. I mean he was reading at a 2-3rd grade level in 1st grade.

Finally I stepped in. I realized Johnathon was getting in trouble in recess and lunch mainly and that would set the mood for the rest of his day. I started spending every recess and lunch supervising and quickly realized he was already labeled as the bad kid and trouble maker. No one saw what was done to him, only what he did back. So I put a stop to it and made them realize he wasn't the one causing the issues. This stopped his rages almost instantly.

Johnathon started 2nd grade and the teachers were optimistic. I started him on Attentive Child and fish oils to try and help him. About 4m in it was evident it wasn't enough. He was talking back, not doing work and having crying spells. We worked on a plan to help him and I thought things were going okay. About a month ago I sat down with his teachers and they basically told me they were about to give up on him. They said he should be able to get through class without acting how he does. FINALLY someone was honest with me. FINALLY after all this time someone agreed something was wrong. So I made the dreaded appointment.

On March 11 he was finally evaluated for ADHD. It is so evident that he has it.

Our journey to help him began. I have spent countless hours trying to find ways to help him.

I have started this journal as an outlet for myself. I realized, during this process, that I don't really have any friends, here physically, that understand and that know what we are going through, and I really need an outlet so I can continue to help him.

I hope that this journal will help others understand Johnathon more and why we are choosing the path we are.

My awesome kid got himself dressed without a struggle today so I had a moment to sit down and write this.