Hyper sorry

We made a big mistake - and now we're paying for it during our vacation in sunny Florida. Noah has ADHD with impulsivity (in addition to his bipolar disorder) for which he takes medication. Usually the pharmaceutical cocktail the doctors prescribe keep most of the symptoms in check.

But, we're now seeing what Noah is like without his pill to quell his hyperactivity disorder. We forgot to pick up the refill prescription at Shoppers' Drug Mart before we left. That particular task didn't make it to the long, pre-trip to-do list. That's our big mistake.

We had two pills in our possession when we arrived in the sunshine state. No problem, we thought. We'd go to a drug store near our rental house in Kissimmee, explain our delimma to the pharmacist and get the six little, maroon pills we needed to tide us over until we returned to London. I knew it'd be costly, but hey, I figured my drug plan would reimburse most, if not all, of the money.

Little did I know that Concerta is considered a controlled narcotic in the United States. Even the British pharmacist, who completely understood our situation of being far from home without the necessary medication, couldn't help us. She said every single pills is accounted for and monitored. While she would have helped us if she could, her hands were tied.

Our options: 1. Go see a doctor at a clinic here in Florida and get a new prescription. 2. Get an original prescription from our doctor mailed here. 3. Have Noah go without.

We decided for option number three. Now he does take another medication to control the ADHD (of which we have enough), but he's obviously on the Concerta for a reason. This morning, he went without and we noticed a difference. He was sillier. He had more uncontrolled energy. And he kept telling us he felt weird. He couldn't explain it, but he repeated that phrase three or four times.

We're trying to be more patient with him because none of this is his fault. But it's difficult. He can try the patient of a saint. He's like a boy with a stick continuously poking at a bee hive. He tries to provoke reactions with some of his actions and verbal responses.

But we'll continue to try to be patient.

Luckily, we saved the one last pill for the morning of the long drive back to Canada. The trip can be long and tedious enough without the uncontrolled energy.

Regardless, we'll make the best of the situation, be as patient as possible, keep him busy and enjoy ourselves. After all, it's not every day when we're on vacation.

Tina