Out of Network

Out of network is my new favorite phrase. It seems you can get the help you need – when you need it, if you go out of network. Trust me – we needed help! For the next 3 months I went to the “talking doctor” with our daughter. They would play. Then the doctor would tell me what a bad mother I was. Then she would give us a script for Risperdal. I have a love – hate relationship with Risperdal. I was told our daughter had gotten “stuck”. Risperdal “un-sticks” kids. It also caused our daughter to gain 15 pounds in 10 weeks. Things were getting better. Then our doctor moved out of town and would not fill the Risperdal script.

First of all – how dare you take a child off an antipsychotic med cold turkey! Secondly, where was the follow through? We didn’t even get a doctor referral. What would we do now?

At this point I had a mini nervous breakdown. (That’s all I was allowed!) I came home, went in my room and took my calendar. 110. That was how many school meetings, doctors’ appointments, and therapy sessions I had been to in 12 months. No wonder I was loony. And that was just the beginning.

We were sinking faster than the Titanic. We were referred to an awesome facility called the Affinity Center in Cincinnati, Ohio. They specialize in ADHD, and mood disorders. I went there for an appointment with our son and begged them to treat my daughter too. It took about a year to stabilize both kids’ moods, ADHD, learning disabilities and anxiety.

Now I had labels to work with to help us find long term answers. We had a “team” working in the best interests if the kids. I was NOT happy with the big pharmacy bills or the actual meds the kids were on, but our family was working again. And the kids were learning.

During this time both kids qualified for IEP’s and we found a few other disabilities in processing speed, working memory and dyslexia.