It's a little heartbreaking for me to watch

We are having a really, really rough time with Thomas these days, and I'm having a really tough time watching it happen.  I feel so lost about how to help him, and it's painful.

I had suspected, pretty much since he started school, that Thomas had attention and focus problems.  It all came to a head last school year.  I remember him sitting with me, absolutely in tears, because he didn't seem to have a clue what was going on in math.  Math has always been something he is so good at, and when he couldn't even tell me what they were studying or how the routine worked (and we are talking 3/4 of the way through the year!), it was my "aha" moment.  Putting him on the medication was clearly the best decision we've ever made.

The downside though, is that the meds affect his appetite.  Thomas is already an extremely picky eater, and having a decreased appetite sure isn't doing him any favors.  The last two doctor's visits (we have to go every 60 days for the medication) he had actually LOST weight.  This is not a good thing for a person his age, especially one so tiny to begin!  We had decided that we are taking him off the medication for the summer in hopes that he will bulk up, at least a little.  We'll take anything at this point.

Another reason to take him off the medication is that I can see it isn't really working.  He is fuzzy again, and he's struggling.  It's hard for us not to get frustrated and want him to just "do it" and take care of things and be responsible.  I know that isn't how his brain works though.  We certainly can't increase the medication, because as we explained to him last night, nothing is more important than his physical health.  We are hoping that by taking him off the medication, it will help it to begin to be more effective again in the fall.

In the meantime, it's really hard watching your kid want to figure something out and want to do a good job, but feel so overwhelmed by everything he is perceiving that it just isn't possible.  It's also hard watching your kid look like he is becoming emaciated because he won't eat.  It's all just one of the many, many tough things about parenting.