Tag: Bipolar

Boiling Inside

Boiling Inside

Today has been an “off” day for me. Nothing really felt right today. Everything was annoying me. It was even difficult for me to do the things that I normally enjoy doing. I kept pushing my emotions down, over and over again, I tried to keep a lid on things. I felt like a boiling tea kettle, pushed to my limits, boiling on the inside, just waiting some relief.

This doesn’t happen to me too often. Normally, I can brush off anything that annoys me. I guess that can’t happen every time. What I really need to do is learn how to set some boundaries.

Going Through The Motions

Going Through The Motions

I’m not exactly sure why, but for some reason I feel as if I’m just going through the motions. Nothing that I do seems to matter like it used to. I don’t care about things the way I did before. No matter what I’m doing, it seems that the only thing I look forward to is finishing whatever task or event is at hand. I wonder if there will be a time when positive things start to happen again in my life. Will I ever care about things like I used to?

So Many Meds

So Many Meds

Sometimes I feel like I take too much medication. I take Lithium, Tegretol, Clozapine, Cytomel, Mirapex, and Valium for my bipolar disorder and anxiety. I take Zofran, Cogentin, and Metformin because of side effects from my bipolar medication. I have to take hormone replacement therapy because of my hysterectomy. I also take Percocet and Elmiron for my bladder disorder. It’s a long list of medication.

One of the meds has to be taken on an empty stomach twice a day, but some of my other meds have to be taken with food. I take medication about 6 times a day, sometimes more, depending on when I eat. It feels like all I’m doing is taking medication. I hate the fact that so many of my medications are treating side effects of other meds, but I guess that’s how it goes.

I’ve been hoping that one day I won’t have to take medication, but realistically, I know that won’t happen. This is just something that I have to deal with. I think I wouldn’t care about it as much if the meds actually worked. My depression has improved, but my suicidal ideations are still there. In the end, I know that I’m a lot better off taking these meds than I am without them.

Sleepless Nights

Sleepless Nights

I lay here again, unable to fall asleep. Thoughts and memories flood my brain making it close to impossible to even close my eyes. This doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to occur. Maybe, once our new Sleep Number mattress arrives, this will happen even less than it does already.

My mind is racing fast, but it’s hard to stay focused on any one set of thoughts. How do I help myself fall asleep? All of the things I normally do have been unsuccessful. I think I’ll get up and stretch since my muscles are hurting. Even if I don’t sleep tonight, I’m trying to be grateful that this happens only a couple times a month now instead of several times a week. Improvement is a big deal.

 

The Dentist…

The Dentist…

I had a dentist appointment yesterday, which is one of my least favorite appointments to go to. Lying down in the dentist’s chair makes me feel so vulnerable. I can’t see who is walking up behind me and my reaction time is slowed because I’m lying down. These are some of my biggest fears. I have to use nitrous oxide to get through it without a panic attack lately. However, I think I want to try to do it without it next time. Maybe I can see how far I get before asking the hygienist to hook up the nitrous. It all depends on how I’m doing emotionally at the time of the next appointment.

This time, the hygienist asked me if I really needed it. I felt pathetic. He asked me if I needed it because of a bad dental experience. I told him no; he kept probing for answers. I told him it was PTSD from a bad relationship, not like it was really any of his business. He tried to give me tips on how to stay calm, but I cut him off. It’s not like I haven’t tried just about every trick in the book to deal with my anxiety/panic attacks. He wasn’t trying to be disrespectful, he was just trying to save me money; however, it wasn’t his place to say the things he said.

Psych Appointment

Psych Appointment

Yesterday was my appointment with my psychiatrist. It went really well. I brought a list of everything I wanted to talk to him about, so I wouldn’t forget anything. It was very helpful. He listened to everything I said as well as all of my requests.

I am now off Deplin, because I don’t feel that it has helped at all. He increased my Cogentin at night for the dystonia, just like I asked. He also said I could get off of the Inositol since it wasn’t working either.

I talked to him about the twitches I’m having in my hands that cause me to drop things. He said there was a name for it, but the only solution would be to go off some other meds, such as Lithium and Tegretol. I don’t want to do that at this time. I told him about the extreme nausea that’s been happening this past week, but we both agreed that it’s most likely from Elmiron, which I take for my bladder disorder. The Clozapine is causing the drowsiness during the day.

He is also going to check my thyroid level, Lithium level, Tegretol level, blood sugar level, and cholesterol. I’m very pleased with this appointment.

When I got home, I took a nap that lasted about 6 hours. I don’t know why that happened, but I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I feel better so far today.

Vacation Ending

Vacation Ending

It’s my last day of vacation, and I’m not sure if I’m ready to go home. There’s so much stress at home. Bills to figure out, a house to clean and organize (it’s probably a wreck since I’ve been gone over a week), errands to run, doctor appointments to go to, and so much more. Plus, I don’t want to go back to the horrible summer heat in Phoenix. I don’t want to deal with any of that, but I don’t really have a choice. Most of the time, by the end of vacation, I’m ready to get back home. Not this time. I wish I could stay here, just me and my mom, a while longer.

This vacation was great. I went out every day, and I even slept every night. I didn’t even take Valium every day. I’m really proud of myself for that. Cape Cod is extremely busy this time of year; people are everywhere. It was difficult, but I managed to go a few days without it. I only want to take it if absolutely necessary. I worry that it could become a problem if I take it too much. I have a history of addiction, so I don’t want to risk anything. I’m going to go enjoy my last day

Telling Myself To Be Positive

Telling Myself To Be Positive

Vacation continues to go well. My sister, her husband, and their kids left. It was great to see all of them, we had a wonderful visit. That leaves just me and my mom! That’s my favorite part. We can do anything or nothing together and we always get along, everything with the two of us is always simple. We got my weekly blood work done this morning and informed the pharmacy that they should be receiving my blood work results soon. My mom helped me get the courage to go in and talk to the pharmacist, and it all worked out perfectly.

During lunch, one of the things we talked about was how I struggle to say ‘no’ to anyone. She pointed out that I said no to a couple of things such as no more ECT treatments and no to IV Ketamine treatments. It’s so difficult for me to say no; I can’t do it without an anxiety attack. My mom suggested that instead of saying I can’t say no, say “I haven’t been able to say no very often” or “I have not yet perfected the art of saying no”. My mom always has a great perspective and input.

I know that when I say things in a negative manner, it makes that part of life harder. If I work at saying things in a positive way, it helps me actually be positive. I’m going to work at saying these things along with other positive thinking.

Day One: Enjoying Myself

Day One: Enjoying Myself

It’s my first day of vacation, and things are going pretty well so far. I went to the beach with my family. Normally, I just lay on the beach and don’t go in the water. I don’t like the water; it doesn’t matter if it’s the ocean, a lake, or even a pool, I’m just not a fan. I think it’s because I’m uncomfortable in a bathing suit around anyone and everyone. It was so hot out today, and I went into the ocean all the way up to my stomach. I was so proud of myself. I even had my mom take a picture so I have proof when I tell my husband about it.

I only stayed on the beach for about an hour or so; I don’t want to get a sunburn on day one. Now, I get to relax in the cottage, spend some quality time with my nephew, and maybe even take a quick nap (I still haven’t adjusted to the 3 hour time change). Then, we all had a nice evening out. We went to a great restaurant, did some shopping, and then went to get ice cream. I’m happy to be here with my family. I just wish my husband was here with me, but he’ll come out here with me next year.