All is Well

(For Diva Challenge #33)

OK, now that the artsy stuff is out of the way, back to the post title. I haven't been posting much, and maybe it seems not as necessary to write when things are going well. And on all fronts (knock on wood).

On News From My Brother Front: Well, I'm holding my breath (and I haven't talked to my mom this week), but he seems to be improving. He has been in the state mental hospital since July 5, and while he was initially admitted onto the highest level of severity (I guess that's what you would call it) where they are simply trying to stabilize the patients, and no real therapy is done, he has moved up a couple of levels now. He has a new pair of glasses now, so he can finally see. And he is attending Anger Management groups. Possibly some other groups now, but like I said, I haven't heard any news from this week. I hope that he continues to improve and can stop this cycle of hospital admissions (13 since last December).

On News from the Brian Front: The summer definitely got off to a rocky start, and he weathered what would have been "L"'s 21st birthday pretty well. He's now deep into the process of entering the university world again. Classes start 2 weeks from now, and we still have paperwork to complete. I say "we", but I'm trying to get him to take care of most of it. Just little things like getting his health form signed, filling out the disability paperwork, paying the tuition (oops, guess we're doing that part).

The only snafu that has happened is his housing. Even though he is transferring in as a junior, somehow the Housing office had him classified as a freshman. You guessed it! He's in a freshman dorm. He has contacted housing, and they are now aware of his situation, but unfortunately there is a waiting list for upper class dorms. The housing woman felt certain he would get in an upper class dorm before school started (or shortly thereafter). While initially upset, he is fine with the situation now, and has a great attitude.

He actually has a great attitude about the whole thing. I think living at home with mom and dad for the past 10 months, albeit in the throes of a bipolar episodes (both manic and depressed) when he first arrived. Still when you're 20-21, you would really much rather be somewhere else. And that's about it. Lots of little details to sort out, but 2 weeks from today he will be moving into a dorm... of some sort.

Nervously excited,

Good News

In lives that are affected by mental illness, sometimes it can seem that you just can't catch a break. But we have!

I'm happy to announce that Brian has graduated from his treatment program (yeah, they call it graduating). No matter what you call it though, it's an excellent facility with an excellent and caring staff, and Brian really did learn a lot about his illness and strategies to deal with it.

Two or three weeks ago, he got a job, and that was a huge boost to his confidence! Last week, he got the letter that he's been accepted into University "C". He is understandably nervous about the whole going back to school thing, so we have a plan to help alleviate some of the nervousness, and boost his confidence even more. The plan involves kicking him out of the house, among a couple of other things.

Oops, that does sound harsh, but a few months of living independently (in an apartment, not on the streets!) will help him to discover where he needs help, and what he can do on his own, with his support team close by.

We're excited (and, sure, a bit nervous, too) to see where the next chapter will bring to Brian. I'll keep you posted!

To the Future!

College When You Are Bipolar

Is it even possible? [If you want the short version of this post, jump down to the next to last paragraph.]

If you read the post What do I have?, then you know a little about Brian's freshman year. Not a great year, academically, but in the scheme of things, not so bad either. He weathered a few storms, maintained a long distance relationship with his high school girlfriend, and made some friends. I'll write more about his sophomore year in another post, but suffice it to say that he completed his sophomore year with much better grades. A few bumps along the way, but nothing we felt was unusual, so we'll call that one a success, at least for now.

So now we're to the start of the junior year, where he headed back to school with a "secret plan" (his words). Again, the short story is that this time things did not go so well, and he ended up withdrawing in mid-October of last year, and moving back home. Let's just say that things went from bad to worse, and he is currently in a treatment facility as an Intensive Out-Patient (IOP).

We're to the point in his treatment where they have been talking future for at least 2 or 3 weeks. Everyone, including Brian, wants him to get a job. Not so easy in this economy, but he's trolling Craig's List and sending out resumes. And then there is the issue of completing his degree.

Initially, Brian was hellbent on returning to what I will call University A. His GPA puts him just under the minimum requirements that many (most?) universities have, and then there is a pesky social probation that he is currently serving. After being rejected from University B just 2 days before his psychotic break and hospitalization, he felt like his choices were extremely limited. Never mind that University A is highly competitive, and a pressure cooker in terms of academics, especially in Brian's major of Mechanical Engineering.

Recently, however, the option of a University C has cropped up, and after a call to admissions, I discovered that his GPA is not really a problem. It's only 2 hours from home, so geographically it is more desirable in terms of home support.

If you got this far, then the short story is that tomorrow, we're headed down to visit University C for a tour. I'm really proud of Brian for at least keeping an open mind about making a change when lately his life has really been nothing BUT change.

What I'd love to know from readers is... Is it possible to earn a college degree after being diagnosed with a major mental illness, bipolar I specifically? What do/did you need to do and expect as the student? And, boldly, I ask... can I interview you for the blog?

Wish Us Luck,