If the biggest symptom is mood/behavior...

[Worried_Dad]

Yep, exactly - 1000 mg of augmentin XR twice a day.

 

I'm having trouble finding the Saving Sammy book and not that I have time to read a book right now anyway!!! So when you say Saving Sammy dose of Augmentin how much is that? Is that the 2000 mg a day the other mom was talking about?

Ditto! Since starting the "Saving Sammy" dose of augmentin, we're seeing more of our son's "old" personality surface. He's been through so much - and it's been so long - that I don't think he'll ever be the kid he was before this hit. But in some ways, maybe he'll be stronger.

 

I just remind myself how poised and together Sam Maloney was during the Today Show interview. That gives me hope!!!

 

 

My dd's personality, now about a week into a 2000mg augmentin dose daily along with Advil, is coming back to the surface more and more. There are times I see her old self and I KNOW that she'll be okay eventually and that these problems are transient. Then the OCD rears it's ugly head and fear enters my heart again. But I HAVE to believe we'll get her back full time. My dh is a glass half empty kind of guy and he doesn't like to get his hopes up only to have them smashed so he's more cautious in his thinking but when I see those glimpses of her old self more and more, I JUST KNOW she's in there, waiting to be well.

 

Angela

[Buster]

Just feeling really sad that my child might not really ever be who he really is and wondering if he feels it too.

 

Your question really touched me as I too felt that same sense of despair when we were at the height of our dd symptoms. Our psychiatrist was encouraging our daughter to try to externalize the OCD and name it (like you would with any normal OCD -- if there is such a thing as normal OCD). She couldn't see it as being odd. She was saying it was part of her. I was thinking about this on the evening of June 13th 2008. We had just given our 9th day of azithromycin. I was tearful thinking how she was wasting away. She had OCD and Anorexia Nervosa with body image morphology in a 7 year old.

 

She looked up at me from the couch and a cloud had passed from her eyes. She said "I want to get better" -- that was it, she got up and sat down at the table and ate dinner. Her movement disorders, vocal tic, contamination fears, OCD questioning, ... all disappeared over the next month.

 

We had a blessed summer.

 

We did have issues 5 months later when she was re-exposed to strep multiple times -- but she is now fully back!

 

We once more have the lovely, caring, sensitive and insightful child. I wish you and your family the same recovery. It does get better.

 

Buster

[Guest Angela Shaw]

Your question really touched me as I too felt that same sense of despair when we were at the height of our dd symptoms. Our psychiatrist was encouraging our daughter to try to externalize the OCD and name it (like you would with any normal OCD -- if there is such a thing as normal OCD). She couldn't see it as being odd. She was saying it was part of her.

 

Buster, My dd has always said the same thing throughout all of this. It IS her. She could never separate herself from the OCD.

 

Her movement disorders, vocal tic, contamination fears, OCD questioning, ... all disappeared over the next month.

It is very helpful for me to hear that it took a month or more for these kids' issues to resolve. I want it to happen more quickly and I get frightened when it isn't happening more quickly. Then I just try to go back to today and live in the moment more...and time passes. My dd IS doing better. Last night was a tough night but it followed staying up very late with a friend the night before so she was very over tired. She was back to the couch, rather than her bed but she was asleep within an hour of TV watching without a lot of repeating...some sitting up and some reassurance questions, but not too bad compared to a month ago which was pure ######.

 

We had a blessed summer.

That is so good to hear. And I'm thankful today that you have stuck around to educate other parents. I'm still blown away that parents know more than doctors at this poing. Thank God for doctors who never stop looking for answers and for those who will "practice" medicine even when they don't have all the answers!

 

We did have issues 5 months later when she was re-exposed to strep multiple times -- but she is now fully back! We once more have the lovely, caring, sensitive and insightful child. I wish you and your family the same recovery. It does get better.

whoo hoo! So good to hear.

 

Angela

[T_Mom]

Thanks everyone! It is encouraging to hear. I feel like I can't even explain my son but you guys here are the closest to getting it for sure. He's doing fine in school, his teacher talked about his arguing but she said he is mature and respectful about it. I guess he can control it enough there. It's really clear to me that anyone I try to explain this to who isn't living it does not get it at all. I have heard I am making a big deal about nothing, just ignore him because it's for attention, he has control over what he is doing, he's just being a kid, I need to have better consequences.... just everything and it's from people who we care about and who care about us but ugh. It's got me in tears every time someone tells me that he's not being that "bad"... Yeah, what he is doing is not awful if it was a one moment thing but it's constant. It's not even all awful, he's a loveable kid but it's all "off"... even when he's being kind and mellow there is something that maybe only a mother can see.

 

Seriously, I thought I would handle this all better than I am.

 

Erica--I know the feeling--but you are handling it, you are searching for a solution, you do know that this is not "parenting" issues, it is an illness. My own sister has said some of the same things--until she saw the Saving Sammy video and saw the reality in someone else. I just want you to know I can relate--

All the best--TMom

[Suzan]

This morning, my dd8 was following me around the house. This is nothing new to me since she never wants to be alone. Today she laughed and said "I don't even know why I'm following you around!" I think it became a habit for her and now that she is feeling better, she can see that she doesn't need to do that any more but she has more healing to do and probably has to re-learn what she needs or does not need to feel safe and secure.

 

She is not 100% yet, but her mood and behavior is hugely better now. I have hopes that we can get through this and she will grow up to be a happy girl with successful relationships. She used to always make me laugh but there has not been much laughter lately. Last week at her doctor's appt, while we were waiting, she had me cracking up and really laughing from the songs she was making up and performing. It was fantastic.

 

Buster, thank you for your story and thank you for being here for us!

 

Susan