child suicide

Sunday night in Discipleship Training our discussion got around to children who commit or attempt to commit suicide. We were led toward this discussion because a 2nd grader from a neighboring county had attempted to hang himself in his closet. The consensus of many in the class was that he attempted suicide because of the violent TV he watched or because he had horrible parents. Normal children do not think of such things as such a young age.

I tend to disagree and today I had the opportunity to talk with a young man who gave me his viewpoint on this topic based on personal experience.

MN is a young man who co-owns a nursery business and landscape business.
M is ADD/ADHD and says if it weren't that his mom is a teacher and had tutored him nightly, he wouldn't be where he is today. He graduated high school and college and has a landscape business also.

He takes Adderal for his ADD/ADHD, and because of Shandi, I am always asking him stuff about his ADD and I get answers from the adult viewpoint, answers I can understand.

Here's the interesting things about our conversation today. He brought up the fact that anxiety and depression go along with ADD/ADHD. Then he goes on to tell me that even as a 4 year old he knew about suicide. He says he does not remember this incident but it is what prompted his mom and dad, who is a lawyer, to get him some help. They tell him he came down the hall dragging the shotgun and when asked what he planned to do he told them he was going to kill himself with it. He says that he doesn't want to think crazy thoughts, but he'll be driving down the road and seemingly out of nowhere comes the thought--now if I hit that tree just so then I will be gone, dead.
He said he could be at a water park having a blast and suddenly the thought comes >>>>>>> This is only going to last a short while. In 30 minutes we'll be leaving and all this fun will be over, then what? He says he can go to bed feeling fine, not depressed, and wake up in the middle of the night thinking suicide thoughts.
He says he battles them all the time. He loves his job. He enjoys life, but from time to time throughout the day these thoughts of suicide or what's the use, or what's next comes to mind.
Imagine my surprise that he came today and not only that he came out today, but he brought up the suicide topic. But then, why would I be surprised. God always gives the answers I need.

He said diet plays a huge part in how he feels too. Plenty of water, few soft drinks, more veggies and raw is better, and little meat and bread. Of course he doesn't stick to that himself, but he says he knows he feels better when he eats right.

I know we talked for 2 hours about ADD and I learned so much. He says that kids who do attempt suicide today, and those who succeed don't necessarily do it simply based on what they watch on TV or their family life. He had a wonderful family life according to him. Mom is a teacher, dad a lawyer, he has an older brother and older sister and a younger brother. They lived reasonably well but not extravagently.

Deflux/Reflux, it all runs backwards

All these years I've called Shandi's kidney problem kidney reflux. It isn't reflux, it's deflux.
Six of one, half a dozen of the other.

Today we say Dr. Charles, a pediatrician in McComb. Wow is all I can say. We are so totally blessed, I believe.

When I called I made sure the receptionist knew why we were coming--to discus Shandi's ADD/ADHD and her medication and learning problems. She assured me there was sufficient time set aside to do all this.

Wrong! Pat, the nurse was a totally frustrated, chicken with her head cut off.
What's the problem, she asked. We start to tell her about the UTI. She cuts us off saying, "So, you're here for a follow up."
"Yes, but also to discuss her ADD/ADHD medication," her mom says.
"Did you tell them that when you made the appointment?", Pat asked.
"Yes." Stacie replied.

Hurriedly she grabs a slip a paper and makes the order for a urine sample. Shan and I head out to the lab while Stacie waits in the room. In the lab, we meet up with a very bubbly nurse, who gets us in and cheerily tells us what to do.

After waiting a bit, Shan is able to produce the required specimen. Back to the doc's office we go to wait.

Shan lays down on the exam table and closes her eyes. Doc walks in and announces that he believes we have a possum in the room. Shan doesn't blink. Looking at us, doc asks again, don't ya'll think we have a possum in the room? We agree with him and he walks over to Shan and starts to pick on her, at which point she breaks out in a giggle.

He begins to exam her all the while making noises as though he's passing gas. Shan gets tickled. Then he needs to examine her bottom, but, he warns her to not pee on him. She giggles. He pulls down her pants and as he's checking her, he makes the sound of peeing.....then he says to her, "Now sweetheart, you promised to not pee on me". She is laughing so hard she can't talk.

Then he sits down at his little deskette and says to us....."I'm concerned about these kidneys. If the balloon procedure was successful, she should have NO infections. Did they do a culture?"

I tell him I'm not sure, so he checks, returning with the news that there was no culture done. So he orders one, tells us that now they know to do a certain test at least 9 months following the procedure. He says that if the culture grows anything, then definitely we will have this test done--they insert a catheter and dye into her kidney and then they do a sonogram. Then he says even if the urine doesn't grow a culture, he would like to have one done to find out why she still has UTI's.

He asks questions about testing for dsylexia....saying the psycholigist should have done that. When I tell him that they were only in the room for less than an hour, he concludes that Jolly didn't do the dsylexia test. He asked why I changed doctors. I told him that I felt the other doctor would prescribe whatever I requested. When I told him her name, he agreed with me. I told him I wanted a doctor who was concerned, who would work with us and Shan in finding the best possible helps for her situation.
He asked about special ed and we briefly touched on that problem. He understood the hoops we jump through.

Then he said that first of all we needed to get the kidney problem cleared up. We needed to come back in 10 and he then left and went and personally made our appointment....including sufficient time to sit down and discuss Shan and what is going on with her. He told us that we would finish up his day.

God has truly blessed us, I believe with finding this doctor; actually finally listening to Sylvia's advice and making the appointment. She has encouraged us to try him for months now.

Yes, Sylvia, I hear you.