BRADEN
Fall 2019
After breakfast, I take my spoonful of applesauce with my focus meds sprinkled on top. I don't like to swallow it. It doesn't taste very good and the little pellets feel strange.
At school, I focus better when I take my meds. I feel awake and like I'm faster at everything. If I forget to take my meds I feel tired, not focused, and everything takes longer.
As my focus meds wear off, I start to feel tired. This usually happens when I'm at the rec center after school. When they wear off, it makes it harder to deal with other people too. Too many people are too loud and I don't like that.
On weekends, I don't take my focus meds. I like taking a break from them. When I don't take them I get to slow down and relax.
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I want to stop taking my focus meds. But I want to focus when I'm at school.
HAYLEE
Fall 2019
I get up each morning and get my coffee going. While that is brewing, I prep all of our vitamins and meds. Each of us takes an iron supplement and multi-vitamins. Braden also gets a half-tablet of Lansoprazole and 10 mg of Adderall sprinkled on top of a spoonful of applesauce.
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He doesn't like taking the Adderall. He will hold it in his mouth the whole way to school. I've told him he can learn to swallow the capsule so I don't have to sprinkle it on a spoonful of applesauce, but he has yet to be successful with this.
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I appreciate that he is able to focus while he is on his meds, but I don't care for the attitude that comes with the meds wearing off. I know it's caused by the loss of stimulant effect because he doesn't act like that on weekends when he doesn't take meds at all.
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He has asked me about when he can stop taking the meds. I told him that when he wants to stop taking them he can. I've also told him that we need to work on developing some focus skills so he will be able to focus without the meds - preferably before he stops taking them.
GRAN
Fall 2019
My grandkids are my world! I want them all to have wonderful lives and I especially want them to have wonderful childhood experiences to look back on.
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I'm concerned that Braden will look back on his childhood and only remember taking a medicine that makes him feel fast when he's on it and slow when he's not. I worry about long-term effects too.
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I want him to stop taking Adderall.
SHANNA
Fall 2019
My love to spoil my nieces and nephew. I want only the best experiences for them.
When I think of my nephew taking an amphetamine every day, it worries me. He has to get his blood pressure checked periodically and it can stunt his growth - and he's already short. Not just a little short either. His 5-year-old sister is only 6 inches and 14 pounds from matching him.
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I wish Haylee would stop making him take it.
PRE-SURVEY
Whom do you feel most connected to?
After reading the introductions to the characters in Braden's story, do you feel Braden is right to keep taking medication to help while he's at school?
Do you feel Haylee is right to keep him on medication?
Do you feel his Gran is right and he should be off medication so he can be a regular kid and not feel slowed-down and sped-up?
Do you feel Shanna is right by wanting him to not be impacted by side-effects?
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Pick one or more that you feel drawn to.