My doctor appointment was today....

[McFortner]

Well, I went to the doctor today to see about my medication. My wife and daughter went with me. The wife because she could talk about things she saw and the daughter because she is only 21 months old and she would only make a mess while we were gone. And to top it off, today is our 10th wedding anniversary.

Anyway, the doctors office was backed up today, so I didn't get seen for my 10 am appointment until 10:30. They took blood to check my thyroid (I'm hypothyridic, aka under active thyroid which adds to the depression) and my liver functions (the medication for the thyroid can damage your liver). The doctor came in and we talked about what was going on in my life and how what I was on was causing problems. I told him that several people advised that Lexapro would probably be good for the depression and anxiety. He laughed and said he was thinking the same thing. However, Lexapro is not covered by my insurance.

The good thing is that Celexa, the parent drug of Lexapro IS covered by my insurance and should do just as well if not better. So he wants me to ease into the Celexa the next two weeks and ease off the Wellbutrin for the same time. It seems you really can't stop Wellbutrin cold turkey, and since they can be used together with no problems, I can use the old one to help ease in the new.

After getting the perscription filled, we went out to lunch together at Truits Grill (an upscale version of Chick-Fil-A that they are trying out here in their home city) and the three of us had a good time. Then, we went to Target to do a little Christmas shopping for the kids.

I'm still waiting for a call back on the other job, but I guess today went Ok for the most part.

Still here,

Michael

 

[farmer ron]

Good news Michael, glad to see you and family got out for some good quality time. Always good to hear that your medical will cover the perscription..keep us posted on how things are doing, even if you hit a bump in the road, give us a call and will try make that road of life a little smother...take care..ron..

 

[interurban]

That is a big hurdel out of the way Michael!! Meds are what will keep you going on an even keel.
Lets hope you get a call re new job by weeks end.
Praying for you all.

 

[MasonJar]

Good news...!

I am glad to hear too that the doctor asked about what is going on in your life. A good doc always checks everything before the final diagnosis.

Hope the job news is good too... (where is the smiley with fingers crossed? )

Andrew

 

[McFortner]

The doctor just called back with the results from my blood work. My thyroid levels are perfect, my liver functions are fine, my blood sugar normal, but my cholesterol is a bit high.

Ok, so that is an understatement. My blood type can now be classified as "Ragu Extra Thick". I can't help it, I'm a 1/4 Sicilian!

So he is calling in a perscription to the pharmacy for that and he wants to retest in 3 months. And so goes Day 2 of swtiching over my meds....

Still here and now only 95% insane!

Michael

p.s.: I don't suffer from mental illness. I'm finally enjoying every minute of it!

 

[farmer ron]

GREAT NEWS MICHAEL !!!!!!!!!!!! We knew you had it in you...keep up the great work..Ron

 

[MilesWestern]

Yay! You're (hopefully) getting beter and feeling better!!! makes me feel better too.

 

[TrainClown]

My goodness, Mc F! Has it been 21 months since your daughter said hello? Where does the time go? I'll bet she is growing like a weed. I remember you just moved into yer new digs too, about that time.

My gord, but we go from piller to post in this life. Funny thing is we are all different, yet we are all the same. My wife is battling depression too (she takes Prozac and, at night, Remeron) as well as a host of other ailments. I bought her 2 big sewing boxes just to hold her meds. We were looking for a suitable box and these sewing boxes were the nicest we found. I was on Zoloft for a while a few years back. Now I'm trying to quit smoking cold turkey and I may need the happy pills again.

Once I had a family of my own. A wife and 2 small boys. Long story short, she left and took the kids away. I moved into my car for 6 months. Didn't care if I lived or died. At that time to merely feel depressed was a good day. Took me 3 years to start to live again. That was 17 years ago. Now I'm in the best place I ever have been in my life!

My friend, this illness is just a phase in your life and one day you will look back on it from a different place. A better place.


TrainClown

P.S. I thought you would like this. I know I do.



"The Gods Of The Copybook Headings" by Rudyard Kipling, (1865-1936)

As I pass through my incarnations in every age and race, I make my proper

prostrations to the Gods of the Market-Place.
Peering through reverent fingers I watch them flourish and fall,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings, I notice, outlast them all.

We were living in trees when they met us. They showed us each in turn.
That Water would certainly wet us, as Fire would certainly burn:
But we found them lacking in Uplift, Vision and Breath of Mind,
So we left them to teach the Gorillas while we followed the March of Mankind.

We moved as the Spirit listed. They never altered their pace,
Being neither cloud nor wind-borne like the Gods of the Market-Place;
But they always caught up with our progress, and presently word would come
That a tribe had been wiped off its icefield, or the lights had gone out in
Rome.

With the Hopes that our World is built on they were utterly out of touch.
They denied that the Moon was Stilton; they denied she was even Dutch.
They denied that Wishes were Horses; they denied that a Pig had Wings.
So we worshipped the Gods of the Market Who promised these beautiful things.

When the Cambrian measures were forming, They promised perpetual peace.
They swore, if we gave them our weapons, that the wars of the tribes would
cease.
But when we disarmed They sold us and delivered us bound to our foe,
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings said: "Stick to the Devil you know."

On the first Feminian Sandstones we were promised the Fuller Life
(Which started by loving our neighbour and ended by loving his wife)
Till our women had no more children and the men lost reason and faith,
And the Gods of the Copybook Heading said: "The Wages of Sin is Death."

In the Carboniferous Epoch we were promised abundance for all,
By robbing selected Peter to pay for collective Paul; But, though we had
plenty of money, there was nothing our money could buy,
And the Gods of the Copybook Heading said: "If you don't work you die."

Then the Gods of the Market tumbled, and their smooth-tongued wizards
withdrew,
And the hearts of the meanest were humbled and began to believe it was true
That All is not Gold that Glitters, and Two and Two make Four-
And the Gods of the Copybook Headings limped up to explain it once more.

As it will be in the future, it was at the birth of Man- There are only
four things certain since Social Progress began:-
That the Dog returns to his Vomit and the Sow returns to her Mire,

And the burnt Fool's bandaged finger goes wobbling back to the Fire;
And that after this is accomplished, and the brave new world begins

When all men are paid for existing and no man must pay for his sins,
As surely as Water will wet us, as surely as Fire will burn,
The Gods of the Copybook Headings with terror and slaughter return!




​

 

[jon-monon]

Mac, you don't want to stop antidepresents, steroids or hormones suddenly. What happens is you take it to suppliment a deficiaency, then your body stops producing it naturally as it is provided by the pill. So if you stop the meds suddenly, you end up with a super-deficiency.

High cholesteral, triglicerides and blood sugar can all wreck havic on mood, energy level and general well being.

Dr.'s have a nasty habit of slipping anti-depressives into our diet, as they get some big kickbacks from phamra. It took welbutrin to quit smoking, and IMHO it's a nasty drug. Folks, always, always ALWAYS get the data sheet with new meds or look it up in a PDR. Your doc has one in the office, ask for it. I have twice been slipped antidepressants with ill effects.

 

[McFortner]

Well, a little followup on what happened after I posted yesterday and went to bed. My wife was taking my daughter to the doctor for a bad cough and when she was stopping at a restauruant and some idiot in a SUV didn't look when backing up. She hit the car right where my son was sitting in the back seat. He had a window view of spare tire when it hit. Looks like the kids are ok, just my son shaken up. My wife may have hurt her shoulder.

The car is pretty dented up, but since I was trying to sleep for work (didn't work too well last night) my wife didnt' tell me until I woke up. I think the fear of me going balistic and not get back to sleep over it ate her up, even though I wasn't going to go nuts over it.

Now the car keeps crab-walking every time a SUV pulls up next to it!

96% insane today. No forecast for tomorrow's insanity index yet.

Michael