After years of wondering, it's official. It took almost 4 hrs of intake and 6 hrs of testing but they say "ADHD-combined, dysthymia, anxiety and PTSD".

How fun!

I go back next week to talk about medication options.

It is almost anticlimactic...after years of wondering, several weeks of intense anxiety over the testing process, as soon as they tell me that I was right...I don't care anymore. Amazingly, just knowing didn't mean that the laundry did itself or the papers miraculously filed themselves, LOL, I still get to come home and do all that.

We shall see what happens at the medication appointment. I'd like to try meds, from my research, ritalin seems like a reasonable option for me because I am nursing a young toddler. I was concerned but after much research and discussion with someone whose focus is on medications in nursing women, it appears that ritalin is found in the infants blood...but at only .2% (not two percent but POINT two percent) and with no discernable effect on the baby. We shall see if the good doctor agrees with my research. Hopefully my experience as a midwife with things relating to pregnant or nursing women will give me some credability and not make me seem like I am just so anxious to get my meds that I will risk my baby.

Anyway...still feeling like I am in the twilight zone with these diagnoses. I expected ADD. The ADHD and others were a bit of a shock but after thinking about it...they fit.

Good for you. You seem to have a good attitude about it. I'd like a readout like that. I can't figure out what subtybe I have or coexisting conditions. Just curious, what did that testing set you back or did insurance cover it? Not to be too nosy, but I've got a P doc appointment coming up and I cant figure out if I want testing or not. Ive heard all kinds of stories from talking for 5 min and throwing a script of dex at the pateint to wanting $1000's worth of tests. Did you see many Dr's before finding one that was worth anything?

We have insurance and the biggest part was meeting the deductible. That was done after one intake and three hrs of testing. The testing was about $75 per hr. The first intake was about $150 and subsequent visits (this is all pre-meeting the deductible) was $85. For us it meant budgeting about $100 a week. Not the easiest thing on earth to do, but in the end we are very glad that we did. Having to meet the same deductible yearly will be a pain, so hopefully we will get lots accomplished before the end of the year.