My husband is a CPA in governmental accounting. He isn't paid as much as public accounting, but has good work-life balance and enjoys his work. I've decided to try to enter the field myself. His work does want employees to be qualified to sit (or have) a CPA. His agency does hire part time. How close are you to the educational requirements for the CPA in your state? I'm getting the accounting courses I need to sit for a CPA here through community college (and taking a few related non-accounting courses to update myself, since my previous education was 20 years ago). I'll have an AS in accounting when I'm done. Community college is much more cost and time effective than the university options I investigated.

One of the schools, my son's first choice, makes scholarship decisions based on weighted GPA. I never planned to give weighted grades/over 4.0. I suppose I could retro consider two (only two) courses he took which the provider designated as honors as honors but I'm not sure that's wise, given it is only two. I don't feel comfortable designating my courses as honors. Because of COVID, he has no de. I didn't realize homeschoolers could do AP. Mostly I feel like I've failed him. On the common app, I think there is an option to say you are weighted or unweighted. If I say he is unweighted 4.0, would that hurt him? Should I instead say weighted and give him a 4.0 anyway? Or give him two half credits..on a 5.0 scale (I think that is how it works).

I just became aware that schools my son is considering accept CLEP credits. Is there any downside to getting some general education (non major) college courses through CLEP his senior year? One hesitation I have is that I remember those general education courses giving me some "breathing room" in my schedule at times. He would be taking CLEP's after he has probably already begun the application process for schools he is considering. I assume that is ok.

My son does well with Lexapro. He started at a small dose and worked up. We tried Luvox first, and he had sleep issues with that one. The plus was it was obvious very quickly, so we were able to just stop. My son has medication anxiety too, and really reluctant to try. But we convinced him that we could stop if there were issues (which did happen...) He really wanted some help, but it took a long time until he was willing to try. I think I would try a bribe if you think that would work, along with a lot of reassurance that any side effects that are problems will show up and you can stop.

My son doesn't over-wash, but he has extremely sensitive skin and struggles with hand eczema. He washes his hands with Cetaphil cleanser, which I think you mentioned is already used. I really think that might be the mildest option, which is why my son uses it most. He sometimes uses with dove sensitive bar soap, and it's mild...but I think someone with OCD might have issues with bar soap. For shampoo he uses dove sensitive unscented or ecoderm in a foamer. I use them as hand soap, and both seem pretty mild to me. Ecoderm is the least expensive of all the liquids I've mentioned. My son moisturizes after any wash with CereVe moisturizer. At night he uses cotton gloves. I wonder if something like gloves in a bottle would add some protection. I want to add that Dr. Bronner's unscented is really low ingredient, but it it is just too drying/harsh here. It tears up my eczema son's hands. I'm sorry your loved one is suffering.

In our rural area, the Walgreens pharmacy we used for years reduced their days open and have had problems being open even on their set days. Twice it has meant we've not been able to fill prescriptions. Most recently: there was a mistake and insurance denied a refill for my son. When I went to pick it up on Friday the issue was discovered but they were closing early and wouldn't open until Monday. Then they were closed because they couldn't staff on Monday, but the recording said they would open on Tuesday. They were closed again on Tuesday and Wednesday because they couldn't staff! On Wednesday I drove 45 minutes to get to another pharmacy in the chain to get it worked out and pick up his prescription. I've switched all his prescriptions to a locally owned pharmacy going forward. I am hoping it's a better experience.

That's what I assumed would happen...but no, they age out at 18 (cold stop at 19). I didn't know it until I called about these issues! It's made it more complicated. Perhaps it has to do with just so few providers in this rural area. They are the only pediatrician office in town. I'm wondering if I should try the new provider and hope she'll continue prescribing or jump ship before we see her.

Oh good idea--I will do that.

I so appreciate feeling heard here. I barely slept last night. I think my flight or fight is still on 100% from yesterday. His pediatrician will do a few months as a bridge. I called an adult PCP my son's office recommended. The nurse told me that she doesn't typically prescribe ADHD medication (will do his SSRI), but that maybe she would consider it given he has taken it for years and his pediatrician prescribed. We have an appt mid July. I'm trying to find openings for psychiatric care. I am definitely willing to drive. There is just very little availability here. I found a place a little over an hour away that I think has openings. I filled out an online request for new patient information...but I see they are going to ask for his previous records. I requested his records today. I am concerned about what she might have written in them. After today's meeting and how she acted...it's just...I wish there was video evidence. This has been a nightmare.

We're discharged from her care as of today. I told her not to fill his "step down" prescriptions. I am going to ask his pediatrician to bridge prescribe, and I know he will for a couple of months...but my son has to leave the pediatrician soon because he aged out. We're rural. It's hard to find any psychiatric practices with openings. So I'm feeling really stressed. My son's metabolic specialist felt whomever he gets as a medical provider post pediatrician would likely be willing to continue long standing prescriptions like these. So I'm holding onto that thought. This whole thing has been upsetting. Today was the capstone.

Well, this new to us provider, who is a replacement for the one we were seeing who left the practice, is really terrible. I met with her again today. She wants him off stimulants for his ADHD entirely. He is out of medicine and she will prescribe his morning (not afternoon) short acting dose for 1 more month, then nothing. She said ADHD should only be treated with non-stimulants because of the addiction potential and withdrawals (that's the other thing she is insisting..that people get addicted and have severe withdrawals..which is not at all consistent with our experience). She is insisting my son has to be addicted because he has taken the same morning and afternoon dose of 20 mg of short acting ritalin for all these years. He trialed all the non-stimulants first, because I didn't want to do stimulants if he didn't have to have them. They have made him so much more functional in every way. She also does not believe my son has OCD (dx'd by 6 previous providers..two psychiatrists and 4 NPpsychs) because she says true OCD does not cause anxiety but is, instead, only about control and also my son having autism means he cannot have OCD as well. It runs in the (non-autistic family) and my son has classic OCD symptoms. OCD certainly does have anxiety. She wants to take him off his SSRI and put him on pristiq, which does have addiction potential that does not treat OCD, along with an antipsychotic (to treat autism??). ("oh, now you're concerned about addiction, but not when he's drug seeking ritalin" she says today). So she is also prescribing only a step down of the SSRI he's been on for a long time. This experience with her has been beyond horrible. Because I will not change his medications, he now has no psychiatric care going forward...I am so upset.

We have had some really bad experiences with psychiatric care for my son lately. The new to the field person we just saw told me/my son that ADHD medications (he takes 20 mg short acting ritalin morning and noon) build tolerance and stop working. My son has been on that dose since elementary school and is 18 now. I think he may benefit from a small bump up in dosing, just because he's bigger now than when he started. She said we're probably just seeing tolerance and it won't help him long. She wants to ween him off instead. He struggles with both inattention and impulsitivity/hyperactivity. I wondered if others had experiences or thoughts about either dosing increases with age or tolerance to ADHD medications.

My husband works for the state government and this is not a day off for our state employees. Federal employees, though, did have Juneteenth off and local government offices were also closed. Doctors offices, the library, and most other places seemed to be open.

I had a dental cleaning scheduled in May during a vacation, so I had to call to reschedule. They rescheduled me in September. I'm in a rural area--usually they schedule you for your next cleaning right after a cleaning--so for an appt 6 months later. It surprised me when I first started getting them, but I do have to have a doctor refer me for a mammogram--I don't have a "regular" doctor, so I asked my gynocologist to do it (the one I hadn't seen in 5 years...his staff made me an appt and ordered the mammogram prior to the appt). It really ought to be easier.

I am so glad her surgery went well. Praying for her continued recovery (and for you, your dad, family).

I'm chiming back in. My son said "mom, I feel calm inside" when he finally got to the right dose...it was as if he was amazed/had never felt that before. We noticed much improved ability to complete school work--particularly heavy focus things like math. I remember noticing he could focus to sit and read more in a sitting...lots of academic changes (and, for him, also improvement in the hyperactive side). But my sister is primary inattentive. She told me she still, in her mid-40's, sees big differences when using ritalin to do work things like IEP reports (she is in special ed). I do think medication was key to putting my son in a place where he could better learn behavioral approaches to managing his issues. Medicine makes the biggest difference. Exercise (heavy aerobic) and mindfulness (both need to be routines for him) really help too. Sometimes building in (with his input--because this will be key when he is on his own, too) rewards for doing x can help a person build routines. My son now exercises regularly because he feels better when he does it and it's just routine. But, initially, I'm positive we had an exeternal reward tied to it.

I think it's easiest (and has been effective here) to start with short acting stimulants (like short acting, immediate release Ritalin). You will need to work up to an effective dose. But I like those forms because they leave the body quickly. You are less likely to have side effecrs like sleep impacts and, if something doesn't agree with her, it will clear the body in hours. My son takes a short acting ritalin with breakfast and another after that wears off (mid-day). When he has tried longer acting forms, he ends up having sleep issues. And, for him, sleep issues make his ADHD much worse. Once you know what works, you could always try some longer acting forms and see if they are good fit. My son is older and we have executive function issues still. But one thing that does help him is to have routines/habits. Forming them can be tough, but once in place they really do help him. He practices mindfulness (has to be a routine too...) and it really has helped I think. At various points he has used intermittent tones to try to cue him to focus. I love the idea (still), but he's never consistently used them.

Are you considering medication?

Praying

Has she had COVID at any point? If she has, I wouldn't bother with a booster. Natural infection followed by vaccination or natural infection after vaccination would mean a booster isn't needed. My teen boys hadn't have any infection, and they did get boosted. I can share our reasoning. The 2nd shot was too close to the first to spur good, broad antibodies. The booster is better spaced and results in a much broader range of protection. I wanted my teens to have that Their boosters also gave them good protection over holidays last year, which was nice for however long it lasted! I wanted to further reduce their risk of complication--particularly long covid or psychological impacts. We really don't yet know the long term implications of COVID infection at any age. I believe boosted hopefully lowers the chances of those types of things for them, even though we now know they are very likely to catch an Omicron variant at some point, probably soon. The thing that gives hesitation for teens is that they aren't likely to get terribly sick anyway, and even less likely when already vaxed. And there are some risks, particularly for myocarditis and similar for teen boys. (I knew that....but the risks after infection for more severe myocarditis looked higher than their risk after vaccines, at least when I researched it back when they were first vaxed) None of that would give me pause for a teen girl personally, especially as I would assume her risk of long COVID and similar are probably higher due to her being female. But I would probably let a typical teen decide for themselves. I think we have pretty good data on better immune response after boosters at this point. But we're all going to be "boostered" by this virus over and over in our lifetimes. So I hope continued exposure, by vaccine or natural, isn't an issue!

When my son got to the right dose of Ritalin he said "mom, I feel so calm inside!" He had noticeably better ability to pay attention and control impulses. It wasn't just school--he was able to sit and read a novel! For him ADHD has social impacts as well. I do think there are degrees of impact and severity of ADHD. If your son gets in school and struggles due to ADHD, do be aware that ADHD meds do not have the same risk profile as the SSRI's that you had issues with. They clear the body really quickly. If you do want to try medications for it, just to see, I strongly suggest you start with short acting forms. They will be in and out in a few hours. I don't think doctors will push medications if you are not wanting them.

Another voice saying you need Florastor. I have it on hand here because one son did pick up c diff and so he takes it all the time. But I give it to my family members whenever they are on antibiotics.

My son goes to those places--but he either doesn't eat at all or takes all his own food and dishes. It's a pain and sometimes people make it weird or awkward. But it's really not safe otherwise with anaphylaxis. I do not think it's kind to make the cake. If you do make it, I highly suggest she not eat or big precautions are taken with what she eats, when, and where. I know you don't want her harmed.

Thank you all for your information. These aren't the aggressive ones, so that is one good thing. They are all entering near a window. I really can't tell if they are coming from outside or were already living in the wall...though it's cocrete directly behind the wall so, so kind of confusing. We had a second swarm yesterday afternoon. I caught this one sooner and killed every one I found..felt like hundreds. Exterminator is coming this afternoon. I will use this thread to help me ask ?'s. I don't see how they can drill inside in the finished part of the basement...flooring is marmoleum throughout. I think it would destroy it. But I guess I'll know more today.