HOLY CRAP!

HOLY CRAP

http://health.discovery.com/tv/psych-week/episode-guide.html

Scroll to the bottom to the one titled Bipolar Mysteries. Thats our family in the picture....

Then this next one is a video clip...

http://health.discovery.com/videos/health-promos-bring-change-2-mind-kristen-patterson.html

pics only

Aimee and Uncle Kevin Chase playing Air Hockey during a visit.

Chase and his favorite girl, Samantha. (cousin) She brought him a Goofy Darth Vader stuffed animal from Disneyland. He LOVES it.

Easter and pics

Today was Easter and I only got to spend it with one of my babies. I spent 3 hours with Chase last night, but spending Easter without him really hit me hard. Instead of being sad, I'm going to post some happy pictures from the last week.

This is the view from Chase's room. The ocean is ight beyond the last row of houses.

This is Chase's room from his doorway. And my mom on his bed.

Front of the RTC main building. The RTC is over 100 years old and is beautiful.

Below is a picture of my toothless kid! I took this during our visit last night. My boyfriend was there too and his relationship with Chase is a constant reminder of why we are a good match....

I just took this picture a few minutes ago. It shows how little Aimee is compared to our giant cat, Dax.

I was supposed to have 3 overtime shifts this week but there were a bunch of releases at juvenile hall so they canceled most overtime shifts. I needed the overtime, but I guess God is reminding me that I also need to take care of ME.

That's all for now. Happy Easter everyone. God Bless.

honeymoons

Chase has been at the RTC since wednesday. As much as I like the place, it is becoming clearer and clearer just how mentally ill Chase really is. That sounds awful. Mentally ill? Sick? What is the right way to say that? I wish I didn't have to say it at all.

The RTC is amazing. It seems like a really cool boarding school but with a seclusion room on each floor and plexy-glass windows. You can see the ocean waves from Chase's window. I'll post pics soon.

I have heard from many bipolar kids parents that their kids experience "honeymoon phases" when placed in a new environment such as a hospital, school or RTC. Apparently Chase doesn't go on honeymoons... He is raging on nearly every shift at the RTC. At least they are getting a good picture of the illness and can address it. Two weeks isn't a long time to address such big issues, but thats no one's fault but the school district.

I'm working 14 days straight so I need to rest while I can. Tomorrow after work I will have a long visit with Chase.

IEP results

Chase is in the RTC. He got there around dinner time tonight and settled in quickly.

The IEP was really hard. I was an emotional wreck and it took everything inside of me not to strangle the necks of the women from the county mental health. After two hours of blah blah blah, we did have one good result.

Chase will have a TBS worker when he comes home, even though its a service that is generally not offered except to Medi-cal patients.

"Therapeutic Behavioral Services (TBS) is a short-term supplemental service offered in coordination with other mental health services. It helps in decreasing behavior or symptoms that are jeopardizing a child’s current living situation or by assisting in a planned transition to a lower level of placement. TBS helps the child learn new adaptive behaviors and skills to replace dysfunctional or dangerous ones, is cognitive-behavioral based, and is delivered in the child’s every day living environment. Therapeutic interventions that occur in locations where children experience the greatest problems; and a fade-out or transition plan to consolidate therapeutic gains. "

Basically we will have a TBS worker in the house for up to 20 hours/week. I hope this works. I don't want Chase to have to go to longer term RTC but I'm willing to try whatever help they send our way.

Curve Balls and Tequila

Life has a way at throwing curve balls. Right? Here's a couple that got chucked at my head today:

*Chase will be transferred on tuesday AFTER the big important IEP. Yikes.
*In order to pay my bills for the next month, I have to work 2 overtime shifts each week. That equals two AM shifts, two PM shifts and three GRAVEYARDS each week. Thankfully overtime is available on the graveyards.....yay...
*No one bothered to mention to me that mourning for the loss of my daddy could jump up out of nowhere and knock me down without warning.
*Child support paperwork arrived that reminded me that my kids haven't seen their dad since mid november. By their dad's choice. Pathetic. Heartbreaking.

Just thinking of the plans for tomorrow (well technically it's already tuesday) is making me anxious.
1. Wake up with Aimee.
2. Have big talk with Kevin about my expectations while he lives with me.
3. Go to pharmacy to pick up Chase's meds and my refill of Ambien
4. Chase's IEP in Concord. Tune in...to see Kristen act like a angry mama bear...
5. Drive to Vallejo to pick up Chase.
6. Drive with Chase to the new RTC.
7. Tour of RTC and get Chase settled.
8. Cry on the drive home while I miss my boy and question each decision I have ever made.

Tomorrow will be busy so I'd better shut my eyes now. I'm out of Ambien. If I can't sleep I might just resort to a shot of tequila. Don't judge me :-P

Pics and Disneyland (not together)

I think I mentioned in another post that my animals, Sara and Dax are slowly getting used to each other. See the pic below for proof. Lately they both sleep in bed with me. I only make a huge deal out of it because in October they wouldn't be in the same room.


Aimee was not happy to go to bed tonight but when she finally went to sleep, she curled up like little bear surrounded by books.

My boyfriend and I had a great visit with Chase today. He was smiling and laughing and showing us how he builds "structures" with Magnetix. We are still unclear on the transfer date but at this point it won't be before Wednesday. Monday is tomorrow and they can't move him until the intake doc accepts him. And tuesday is the big IEP that cannot be rescheduled. I wish we could hurry up and get him to the RTC. Chase doesn't do too well with transitions so lets get it over with already!

I know its too early to think about, but I plan on taking Chase to Disneyland when he comes home from the RTC.

Can I just go to sleep and wake up in a week or two?