Blogging = daily effort. Missed a day, turned into a week. Here's the quick catch up:
Friday 5/7, normal dose, no update
Saturday 5/8, was excited to spend the whole day w/Zeke instead of giving him meds and sending him off to school. However, I noticed no change in his behavior. Conversation was still repetitive. Chores still needed multiple reminders. The day seemed the same as any other day.
Sunday 5/9, based on previous day, I made the decision (on my own) to not give Zeke any meds and see how the day went. I dropped him off at Sherri's in the morning so Lucas and I could go to the climbing gym (not Zeke's favorite place). She reported that he was cranky and agitated. It should be noted that he was up late the night before and woke up early that morning and had a change of plans thrown at him. After picking him up, we spent a normal day together and his behavior was in line with what I typically see. After a lengthy conversation with my mother that night, I agreed that my decision to not give Zeke the meds that day served no good purpose and will continue to follow the daily dosage plan.
Mon 5/10 - Today, normal dose given every morning (5 mg). Sherri and I plan to discuss when to up his dosage to 10 mg.
Friday 5/14, note from school: Zeke did his Math Maps test today in the small group with Ali helping him stay focused and on task. His score has gone up from 194 in the fall to 214. Grade 4 median for the spring is 211...so he is doing great! More importantly in the fall and winter, Paula or Ali had to do it in two portions so he could take a break and come back to it later. There was lots of blurting and disrupting others then but....
Today, he stayed with it for 54 minutes continuously, did no loud blurting or yelling, and no break was needed! YEAH!!! I’m excited to see if that happens for reading also.
Just a note for feedback with the dr. It seems that his attention span really decreases in the afternoon as the day goes on.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
5/6/10 - Thursday
Update on drug itself: upon closer review, we have the generic version of Adderall, which is called Dextroamp. So, I think Sherri and I will need to review Zeke's prescription coverage through his medical plan. One of my bosses has the same prescription for her daughter and is paying $25/fill vs. the $282 we were hit with.
Sherri left a great comment on yesterday's post about Zeke's behavior at dinner last night before I picked the boys up. Mind you, his dinner time behavior was 8-9 hours after he took the meds, which should have worn off by that point.
My note about yesterday is that Zeke ate the same amount of lunch as he usually does - loss of appetite is a commonly reported side effect.
Today's dose taken at 8:50 am.
Sherri left a great comment on yesterday's post about Zeke's behavior at dinner last night before I picked the boys up. Mind you, his dinner time behavior was 8-9 hours after he took the meds, which should have worn off by that point.
My note about yesterday is that Zeke ate the same amount of lunch as he usually does - loss of appetite is a commonly reported side effect.
Today's dose taken at 8:50 am.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
5/5/10 – Wednesday
Gave dose at 8:50 am w/apple sauce in two bites.
Today is starting without Zeke’s Olympus. Batteries died yesterday after school and he had a fit over it. He has been dependent on the Olympus for a couple of weeks solid now. So, I am imposing a break from it due to last night’s episode.
Zeke also had a ½” long splinter removed from his hand last night, which he got from his bed frame. He has developed a habit of dragging his teeth along the frame and it has created splinters in some areas. To pull the splinter out, I had to squeeze his hand and get part of the sliver to come out of the entry point. As I asked Zeke if this hurt, he responded to me with the same question. “Is this hurting me?” Fortunately, it was a quick process, but a sliver that large HAD to be somewhat painful. Zeke really only flinched from the language of it.
Today is starting without Zeke’s Olympus. Batteries died yesterday after school and he had a fit over it. He has been dependent on the Olympus for a couple of weeks solid now. So, I am imposing a break from it due to last night’s episode.
Zeke also had a ½” long splinter removed from his hand last night, which he got from his bed frame. He has developed a habit of dragging his teeth along the frame and it has created splinters in some areas. To pull the splinter out, I had to squeeze his hand and get part of the sliver to come out of the entry point. As I asked Zeke if this hurt, he responded to me with the same question. “Is this hurting me?” Fortunately, it was a quick process, but a sliver that large HAD to be somewhat painful. Zeke really only flinched from the language of it.
5/4/10 – Tuesday
First day of giving meds; plan is 1 pill per day (5mg each). Med instructions say he cannot chew pills or contents – MUST BE SWALLOWED, recommends apple sauce as a carrier.
Zeke has a field trip today, so school will not be normal on this first day of meds.
Gave to him at 8:45 w/apple sauce in two bites.
Today is also an unusual day because typically on Tuesdays, Zeke is at Sherri’s house after school and overnight, but for this one week, he is at my house M-W and F-Su and he is not very happy about that fact.
Zeke has a field trip today, so school will not be normal on this first day of meds.
Gave to him at 8:45 w/apple sauce in two bites.
Today is also an unusual day because typically on Tuesdays, Zeke is at Sherri’s house after school and overnight, but for this one week, he is at my house M-W and F-Su and he is not very happy about that fact.
5/2/10 - Monday Doctor's Appointment
MR. BEAN’S VILLAGE
I have started to journal about the beginning of giving Zeke medication as prescribed by his doctor, Patrick Mueller of Park Nicollet. He has been given about a month’s worth of Adderall XR in 5 mg capsules. The capsules can be opened and the contents are little beads that can be added to food. The prescription is for the brand name of the drug. According to online sources, there IS a generic brand that should be significantly less expensive. This should be inquired about on a follow up visit.
My intent is to journal/blog about my observations of Zeke’s behavior as we begin the medication process. Adding notes about changes in his routine will be helpful to determine if the drug is having an effect or if another factor may be a cause for observed behaviors. I will be inviting Sherri, Zeke’s team at his elementary school and all other caretakers to participate in this process.
It takes a village…
I have started to journal about the beginning of giving Zeke medication as prescribed by his doctor, Patrick Mueller of Park Nicollet. He has been given about a month’s worth of Adderall XR in 5 mg capsules. The capsules can be opened and the contents are little beads that can be added to food. The prescription is for the brand name of the drug. According to online sources, there IS a generic brand that should be significantly less expensive. This should be inquired about on a follow up visit.
My intent is to journal/blog about my observations of Zeke’s behavior as we begin the medication process. Adding notes about changes in his routine will be helpful to determine if the drug is having an effect or if another factor may be a cause for observed behaviors. I will be inviting Sherri, Zeke’s team at his elementary school and all other caretakers to participate in this process.
It takes a village…
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