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I received an email from Nancy Thomas yesterday as a follow-up to our conversations at the ATTACh conference. She said I looked tired. She’s right. Next summer, I have the great fortune to be booked on a cruise with Nancy and her “cowboy” (who I have heard much about but have yet to meet) as well as my good friends (the therapists who worked with Dora at the ATTACh conference) and their families. My family will be along as well … and we are going to Alaska. Nancy Thomas promised to treat me to a massage … so I will most definitely take her up on that.
This morning I was talking to Julie about events unfolding in all of our lives. If you are reading Julie’s blog, you will soon learn that she recently had to hospitalize LuLu. I asked Julie how she was feeling and she said, “I’m feeling a little bipolar today …”
Now only in our crowd would someone respond in that way! Not, “I’m a little happy and a little sad” or “sometimes energetic and sometimes depressed”, but “I’m bipolar today!” What a testimonial to our lives. What a reflection of all that we are forced to learn and forced to address on a daily basis. Who knew when we ventured into the world of adoption that one day we would be experts on mental health disorders, attachment, trauma, grief, loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, cortisol levels, drugs of all kinds, etc. etc. etc.
Part of what makes me laugh about Julie’s description of her mood today is that once I was diagnosed by a psychiatrist as being bipolar. This feat was accomplished in 50 minutes in his office as he was supposed to be evaluating Tommy. The psychiatrist was so off base in what he was saying and doing with Tommy that I called him on it, and he decided I was bipolar … just because I had an opinion and wasn’t afraid to express it. Needless to say, we never went back to that guy again!
Yesterday I emailed the reporter who wrote the initial story on Nancy Bostock. The reporter called me and asked more questions, and there is a follow-up article today, as well as television coverage (click on “Adoption Dilemma”.) The number of parents who are coming out of the woodwork in Florida and calling Nancy Bostock or commenting on the article is indicative of how many of “us” are out there. Of course, there are the folks who don’t get it commenting as well, but the majority of responders are folks who understand Nancy’s plight all too well.
I have said it many times before, but I will say it again … I encourage you to join ATN, and add your emotional, financial and spiritual support to our effort to collectively raise our voices and generate support and resources for very tired parents and very disturbed kids.
Nancy, I can’t tell from a quick look at the website whether the SPT is a Gannett paper or not (I don’t think so) which would mean that this piece would be a likely pick-up for USA Today, but if it is not, a contact from you to the Associated Press might give it some national “legs”.
Oooo…I like the way Pat thinks!
That would be awesome!!!
still humming that song, “I’m not crazy, I’m just a little unwell”
How interesting – I just spoke to our state Senate president yesterday who is also an attorney. I explained the whole “victimizing the victim” thing that goes on with adoptive parents who take on tough kids and he “got it” immediately. We’re already looking into a bill in our state to alleviate some of the pain (but we’re just barely starting!) I know this could easily be a national movement to change federal law . . .