My name is cindy. I am a 29 year old mother of two. My husband and I have been married almost 8 years. When my daughter was born 7 years ago, it was wonderful. So wonderful in fact, that we decided to try for another child right after her first birthday. From 12 weeks gestation until present, my sons story has been anything but typical. Long story short, he was born with a rare form of spina bifida called lipomyelomeningocele. Shortly after his birth I started suffering from depression. After 2 years of constant Drs visits and playing with meds I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After another year we found an effective treatment and I continued that for 2 years. During that time I gained 50 lbs and it had a negative impact on my marriage. Now I am currently trying, unsuccessfully, to manage my symptoms through exercise and a healthy lifestyle. I will be adding Christian based therapy very soon. I have joined this forum to try and figure out how to manage my symptoms with minimal medication, if possible, as well as to benefit from the support of others affected by this madness.