Christmas break

This is my Christmas break and I so badly needed it. I am exhausted. School is getting brutal but only 10 1/2 months to go. Countdown....
I had such as easy time at Stritch for my first degree in the 80's but I am now 50 and the brain doesn't work like it used to. Memorizing new material like serotonin and dopamine transmitters, psychopharmacology and DSM-IV is a challenge but I will complete grad school and I will pass certification and become a PMHNP. Goodness knows my children inspire me to know more about mental illness. 

But I will enjoy the last week of rest and relaxation before I hit the books again.

Not a tissue

I read the article about the teen on a show 16 & pregnant ( I have never watched) that aborted her 2nd child.  The show was trying to highlight that abortion is common, easy and a good alternative.

Speaking as someone who has heard about the devastating after effects of guilt and sorrow that can extend a lifetime, I would council young and not so young women to consider adoption if the baby is not right for you. You will still feel sorrow over the loss but at least you gave the child life and this is the greatest gift of all.

HT:Red State

Grieving mother to mother of son's killer.

"In case you didn’t understand it yet: I am the mother of the boy that was brutally slaughtered by your son"


Sometimes we forget who's human rights are really harmed. Read this mother's letter.

Fox News Viewers Are Misinformed Study, The Critique

This study shows the bias is really against FOX News.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! Peace and love to you and your familiy. Enjoy this link.

TSA abuse has risen to a new level of outrage!

I am outraged by this video. These people have just been unionized with the right to abuse us and not get fired. You are giving your rights to a $12.00 federal union thug. Don't tell me the ones you have met are nice, stories like this are coming out every day.  We need to take back our right and the TSA should be dismantled. I have written my nursing organization asking for their support. Please contact congress and the TSA and complain. I added the links to make it easier. I know we are all busy!

I hope those of you who agree that we should not be conducting naked body scans and intrusive pat downs please contact congress and the TSA.
To complain to Congress 

To complain to the TSA

Happy Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had a beautiful Thanksgiving. I am grateful to my God,  family and friends.

My son

What 10 years old looks like in my world

My son has turned 10. Physically, emotionally, spiritually he is not 10 but about 5 or 6. We are still working on helping him learn to read. Math is slow but we are about a 1st grade level.  We struggle every day with his attachment and acceptance of our role as his parents. Every day he tells us what new toy he wants. I tell him I could give you all the toys in the world and you would not be happy. You will only be happy when you allow yourself to trust mom and dad. ; and that is something that after 7 years he still can not do.

The Cartel - Local Spending

Orthopaedics vs Anaesthesia

Too funny!!!!!!!!!

Draft Sarah Palin

Draft Sarah Palin for GOP chair!

Attachment and the brain

 Here is a good clip on attachment and the brain.

HT:http://reactiveattachmentdisorderlife.blogspot.com/

Madonna - Ray Of Light (Video)

My life feels like a ray of light.

My beauty garden

The day turned itself around. All is calm and I did get to garden a little. Here are some shots from my beauty garden.

A long day.

We had plans for the weekend. I asked each child what they wanted to do that didn't cost any money. They decided that the wanted to go to the library and the park.


Great. My husband had to work part of the week end but we would still have time to attend a graduation party and have a family cookout, play in the small swimming pool and for me to garden.

I should have figured that if I spent time organizing, the plans would be sabotaged.

My son woke up pissing mad. Literally pissing mad with a wet pullup and he refused to take it off. He crawled in a box he was playing with yesterday and I let him eat breakfast in there.

I couldn't leave the kitchen because he was calling my daughter names, dissing me and when I stepping in the next room for a minute, he hit my daughter in the face.

Time out.

While I consoled her and made sure she was OK, I sent him to his room and his alarm chimes to tell me his door is shut. After consoling my daughter and have her complain that it's going to be a terrible weekend, I sent her outside to play.

When I went to check on him, the room reeked like poop. He had a finger full of poo and he had drawn on the wall, the dresser, the window sill, and the floor. He was swearing, threatening and unable to calm. My husband shut his door and went on door watch while I started calling friends and family. I dropped off my daughter at a friend who knows what we live like and has been great at last minute rescues.

When I returned home my son was cleaning the poop from the walls and my husband was supervising. I kissed him goodbye for the day and continued to monitor the clean up. After an hour of picking up the room, washing and bleaching the walls, furniture and windows, he was calmer.

Now we are outside and he is cleaning and vacuuming my car. In between, every few minutes or so, I have him stop and work on feeling processing sheets. They help him tell me what's wrong when he can't tell me what's wrong or how he feels.

We are on page 8 and he is calm, in control but continues to have NO insight on why his behavior is wrong. "Because you made me clean"

Dah, the poop you already smeared.

This may be a long day.

Sacred music

A pet peeve I have is the terrible music in the Catholic mass. This video helps understand what is sacred and what is not.

Reality

We're back on Concerta and life is better. Yesterday my son was sick. He woke up vomiting and stayed home with me. Alone, without his sister, he was so sweet and non-oppositional. What a roller coaster his emotions are, I truly feel for him.

Waiting

Can't get into the psychiatrist until Friday. I told my son I would like to keep him home but we need to be safe. If he continues to bother (terrorize) his sister I will have to have him hospitalized. The voices continue but he is safe at this time.

Terrible day

We had a terrible day. Our son was taken off Concerta this past week due to increased aggression and it really helped. But in it's place we have seen a more disorganized internally preoccupied self absorbed son. Today, he started the day verbally abusing our daughter and then on the way to church he pushed her on her face out of the blue. He was disruptive at Mass and I even asked him if he needed to go to the hospital. The day disintegrated into urine and fecal incontinence and a lot of fecal smearing. I even asked him to clean up the poop and when I came back he had drawn a smiley face in poop on the wall. I thanked him for the art and told him I was going to get the camera to shoot the "art" he gave me, he became aggressive, swearing and I started to get mad. I can't get mad with him because I have to be in control for his safety. RAD kids push buttons all day and at night when I'm tired I walk away or I'll want to spank him. My husband took over, we tag team when one of us needs a break. I came back 15 minutes later and they were talking. Our son finally admitted he was having constant and disturbing hallucinations. The voices and visions tell him to hurt everyone, hurt himself and smear poop because mom hates it. We are very confused. Is this a big story or is he really this psychotic? I will be calling the psychiatrist tomorrow.