cin Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 So today we had my 4yo dd birthday party. These have always been stressful occasions for me. Like little short circuiting wires in my brain. I could almost feel the impending fire from the sparks. First, there's the cake. OMG, bake it, ice it, decorate it. THEN, Clean the house. ACCCK where do I start???? Then what the heck to do with these kids that are running around like nuts?!?!?! Fast Forward a year. Which includes 10 mg of Adderall 3X/day. The cake was baked Wednesday, with the first icing that afternoon. Thursday I ptu the top icing on. Friday afternoon, I decorated it. Nicely. With the 2 girls watching and editorializing the whole time. Last night I straightened up the house. This morning, the girls were playing and I was sitting on the front porch waiting for the guests to arrivce. Totally unstressed. We hooked up the sprinkler and blew up one of those jumping things and the girls played outside for awhile. DH was out taking pictures and video. I made the pb&j sandwiches and called them in for lunch. I asked them what they wanted to drink and passed out the drinks. While the girls were eating (and talking and giggling and chattering) DH and I discussed the workings of the new candy thermometer I had recently purchased. Then we opened gifts. Then had cake and icecream. And then I turned on music and the girls danced. And I SAT AND WATCHED. I was not wandering around the kitchen fretting. After the girls left, I went into the kitchen and realized that there was NOTHING TO DO. I had actually put the stuff away AS I WENT, so the only thing I had to do was wipe off the table. NOTHING ELSE. There was not a pile of dirty dishes, paper plates. It was ALL. DONE. And, I knew how to use the new thermometer. (So I scarfed a piece of cake and some ice cream, and went up to the bedroom to read/eat/relax). I am actually LOOKING FORWARD to 6 yo dd party in a month. Did I just say that???!?!?!?! It is incredible how much 10 mg of something can change your life. It seems like such a small amount, but it has made me such a better wife and mom. I am not posting this to brag (well, maybe a little bit!) or to get kudos. I am only posting this because there have been several posts recently about Adult ADD, and I wanted to share how different this b.day party was, compared to some in the past. I hope this benefits someone out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I am not posting this to brag (well, maybe a little bit!) or to get kudos. I am only posting this because there have been several posts recently about Adult ADD, and I wanted to share how different this b.day party was, compared to some in the past. I hope this benefits someone out there. Interesting. I'm not much for meds unless absolutely needed....but it sure sounds like it has changed your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPair Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Wow! That's really cool. How were you diagnosed with ADD? Did you suspect you had it a long time before you sought medical help? How did the dr. determine Adderall would help? I'm just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.:) As a side note, does your Adderall help your fatigue level (if that was ever a problem for you)? I've heard some people with medical conditions taking Adderall for fatigue, which I thought was interesting. Congratuations on your party and good luck with your next one! How wonderful for you and the girls!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in Orlando Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Congratulations on a great party. A woman I know (through the kids' friends) fought medication for her adult ADD for years. She started taking something (not sure what) about 2 years ago. The difference in their lives is absolutely amazing - and I'm just a casual acquaintance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Interesting. I'm not much for meds unless absolutely needed....but it sure sounds like it has changed your life. I'm the same way. I tried fish oil and some other stuff. And then I finally tried the meds. And I am sooo much more calmer now, and I think it's because of several things. First, instead of seeing the large task, I can actually see how to get there. For example, instead of seeing THE KITCHEN NEEDS TO BE CLEANED. I can see, put the dishes in the dishwasher. Put the spices away. Toss the empty can of spaghetti-o's. Put the bread away..and so on. Secondly, because I can see the steps it takes to get somewhere, I can work on them in a more timely manner. The cake was done several days ahead of time instead of baking it, waiting for it to cool, and then icing it way too fast. And thirdly, I'm not fighting the chaos in my head. My girls chatter constantly and their extra noise, plus the stress that I was bringing upon myself (but being unable to avoid it) and the negative thoughts about myself, was making me a mess. I was stressed because the house had to be cleaned before company arrived in 15 minutes, I was mad at myself for being such a sloppy person and horrible housekeeper, the horrible example I was setting for my girls, and on top of that they would be chattering and playing like girls their age do, but then I would get impatient with them and snap at them. Now, the house is fairly clean most of the time so if company is coming, we can just do a quick run through and things are fine. And if they chatter, I just chatter with them because my stress level is SO MUCH LOWER. Life is Better! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cin Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Wow! That's really cool. How were you diagnosed with ADD? Did you suspect you had it a long time before you sought medical help? How did the dr. determine Adderall would help? I'm just curious. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.:) As a side note, does your Adderall help your fatigue level (if that was ever a problem for you)? I've heard some people with medical conditions taking Adderall for fatigue, which I thought was interesting. Congratuations on your party and good luck with your next one! How wonderful for you and the girls!:001_smile: I never suspected ADD, I just thought I was an inpatient, disorganized mom. One of my friends teased me about being just like her son who has ADD but was undiagnosed for several years because he didn't have the hyperactivity. So, I did some research and discovered that I had ALOT of the traits. I found a counselor who works with adults with ADD and went to get tested. The testing showed mild ADD. My MD uses adderall with adults, so I went along with it. He started me on the lowest dose and it worked well. We tried upping me to 20 mg, but that sent me into overload. I was high. And it was not fun. Palpitations, shaking...it was funny, but bad. I guess with the medication I just got lucky. The first one we tried worked great. And it has helped with fatigue. I'm not sure if it's because it is amphetamines or because life is not so chaotic for me now. I use to take a nap every afternoon when the baby did. My older daughter had 'room time'. But now I don't feel as tired. Honestly, I think it's because my brain is not expending the energy it use to, just to get through the morning. I still take a break every afternoon, but I usually just read for a little while and then resume life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I think my dh is undiagnosed ADD but it's not interfering in a big way so I'm working on tolerance. It's good to know that there are options if it becomes a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*anj* Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 I was stressed because the house had to be cleaned before company arrived in 15 minutes, I was mad at myself for being such a sloppy person and horrible housekeeper, the horrible example I was setting for my girls, and on top of that they would be chattering and playing like girls their age do, but then I would get impatient with them and snap at them. Now, the house is fairly clean most of the time so if company is coming, we can just do a quick run through and things are fine. And if they chatter, I just chatter with them because my stress level is SO MUCH LOWER. Life is Better! Oh my gosh, Cin. Have you been peeking in my windows? Seriously, that's what I have going through my head pretty much all the time. Knowing that things need to be done, but then feeling that the task is just too big and it's easier to give in to paralysis than to figure out where to start chipping away at that mountain. I'm so glad you're getting better. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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