A Beautiful Mind: Carson Ward

Carson had his appointment with his psychiatrists today and she said he is in what is called a hypomanic stage where he is showing symptoms of mania but he’s not in a full blown manic attack yet. She upped his meds and wants blood work done in two weeks and he’s also lost two more pounds putting him at 64lbs and that’s 17 pounds lost in two months.

https://www.bonfire.com/support-carson-ward-carsonsbeautifulmind/

Support Carson Ward #CarsonsBeautifulMind | Bonfire Carson is a 8 year old little boy who suffers from childhood mental illness . All proceeds will go towards Carson’s treatment, life skills and education.

Carson was once again hospitalized back in April due to being in a manic/depressive episode that had him hallucinating with homicidal idealization. Since being discharged he has been doing much better and seems to be on a good combination of medication. He started 2nd grade and has been doing great so far academically and behaviorally. Over the summer he played baseball and he just recently finished the fall soccer season and is currently playing flag football. This is the longest stretch of time that he’s been stable in a long time.I am going to try and keep this page/blog updated much more because childhood mental illness awareness is extremely important to me and I really want to advocate not only for Carson but for other children who are also suffering. Many children suffering with mental illness don’t have the love and support that Carson does. Thank you all for your continued support and prayers for Carson.

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As of yesterday my Carson is HOME! Our family and Carson still very much need the support of our Family and Friends. We have a long road ahead of us, a road that I’ve already been traveling with Carson for a long time it’s just now really came to light exactly how bad it is and how much I really have done trying to get him the help he needs from the BEST doctors that I can. Going on from his hospital stay will be even more added time to all of what I already was doing. Which I’m perfectly okay with doing whatever I need to do to keep him healthy it’s just a lot on a family of 5 with one income. I came to the realization a long time ago that it will be a long time most likely before I’m ever able to go out and have a career of my own because Carson’s needs are just too much for anyone else. There’s too many med reminders too many appointments and he’s just one of my children. Our 3 year old Cooper also has some delays. He’s finally just now in the past couple months started to talk so he has speech therapy and he will also be starting a journey at Dayton Children’s as well with developmental peds to try and get some things figured out with his social/emotional delays. Carly, who is my youngest also has a referral in to Dayton Children’s for Optometry due to concerns over her eye sight.
Then there are their regular run of the mill doctor well check visits or visits when they are sick, eye doctor check ups, dentist appointments which my youngest two have to be seen by a pediatric dentist because of their age so there again another hour drive one way.
In the midst of all this I am still dealing with the blisters/lesions that I get that get very large and fill with fluid and then turn to scabs and leave nasty scars. Today I had a pretty bad flare up which caused me to have extreme pain all over in my muscles and joints 😕 the worst part of it all is that I am STILL undiagnosed. Unfortunately it will probably remain that way for a while because I called all my specialists a couple weeks ago when we had no vehicle and all the problems i was having with Carson and it being almost impossible to find someone to keep him and the other two when I did have appointments. So I called them all and explained my reasoning but have temporarily put my treatment on hold. It’s just all too much for one person to juggle being torn here there and everywhere and my kids health and Carson’s mental health especially at this point is what’s important.
So yes the go fund me campaign is very much still something we could greatly benefit from but mainly keep us all in your prayers and continue to spread Carson’s story because I truly feel it’s something that needs to be told and seen.
Once again thank you all so much for all your support during this very difficult time 💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

It’s late but I didn’t get an update posted today and I wanted to make sure I did.
Carson is still at Cincinnati Children’s College Hill Campus and will be through at least a majority of this week. He is doing better but is still having some behavior issues that are NOT okay. They have more than doubled his Abilify which is one of his mood stabilizers. He was put on 2mg a day back around the end of March beginning of April and that really seemed to do the trick and bring him out of the episode last time. In three months of being on the Abilify he went from a scrawny 45lbs to a solid 65lbs FAST! So now with them upping him to 2.5mg twice a day they have also added Metformin which will be used to help control the weight gain that unfortunately is a side effect of mood stabilizers.
I checked out of the Ronald McDonald House this morning and then me and Mom went and spent the afternoon with Carson and while we were there he also got some more visitors! His Grandma Kimberly Sue Vandemark-Anderson and Aunt Chelsea Thompson and baby cousin Lydia came and seen him today as well. I could tell he was extremely excited to see some familiar faces and get more visitors. There were some issues today when I told him we had to leave and that I wouldn’t be back until tomorrow evening sometime. He almost always still gets hostile when he knows I am getting ready to leave but normally I am able to talk him into a smile but today was more severe. Of course I know there is no magical wand that can just make it all better and cure him but it is upsetting to see him regress like that when I’m seeing so much more of the Carson I know, of my little boy that is still so much a young child that he was delighted by the stuffed teddy bear and quilt I brought him that I made sure to spray with my perfume so it would smell like Mommy. The little boy that writes all over everything “I love Mome” (as he spells it lol).
Carson will have to have more therapies and doctor appointments added to ones that I already take him to many times a month. But whatever is necessary to get him the best possible treatment.
After our visit today tho I had to head home as I was unable to get me and Ty and the kids into another short term room at the RMH although I tried relentlessly there just wasn’t any available. It was absolutely heartbreaking for me to have to leave and know that I’m now so far away and he’s down there with nobody he loves or loves him close by. And I always stay until he falls asleep and either lay with him or sing to him and kiss him and tuck him in and I was unable to do that tonight. I should be on the short term room waiting list for the RMH which the short term rooms are much easier to get access to and have a must shorter wait list so fingers crossed I get a call.
Until that happens if that happens we are back to driving daily probably twice daily in some instances.
If anybody would like to donate once again his go fund me will be linked bu I’ve also had a few people ask me about sending him cards or making him cards which he would be allowed to have if I got them soon to get to him but if you would like to send them and maybe he could come home to some that would be great as well. Please private message me if you would like our address to send him cards. Once again thank you all so very much for al your support and prayers during this extremely heartbreaking and difficult time💙


https://www.gofundme.com/5r3epw0?sharetype=teams&member=533176&pc=ot_co_dashboard_a&rcid=42335f4768bd46cab0e614ca4feabb37

Carson is still admitted at Cincinnati Children’s Psychiatric College Hill Campus...He misses everyone and is ready to come home he says...