Wife lost her job !!

My wife came home from work last night and informed me that she has just been laid off.
Not only are the both of us out of a job, but now we have no health insurance at the end of the month.
I haven't a clue how a schizophrenic wife and a bipolar husband are supoose to pay for their drugs. Hopefully I can find another job with health insurance by the middle of Feburary when all our drugs will be gone.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all.

Got insurance !!

Where my wife works they just offered all the employees health insurance. Its a pretty good plan at a reasonable rate. It's 80/20 of first $6,000 and it has the same drug prescription plan that I had at my job that I just lost. So at least we'll be able to afford all our prescription drugs !

I've been applying for jobs online at careerbuilder, monster and hotjobs.com. Doubt anything thing will become of those but you never know.

I'm also hitting the streets for the first time today. Going to put my application and resumes in a few places that will pay enough to support my present life style. I'm even going to apply at an employment agency.

I have to wait until the 15th of Dec. before I can apply for unemployment benefits. I'm also going to look into going to school since they pay for that also. I might consider going for a LPN degree. Always thought I would want to do that after I took care of my father-in-law while he was dying.

But life is full of changes and I get to experience it all first hand. Thank you to everyone that have left comments of encouragements the last few days.

I'll land on my feet. I always do.

Here's an update for you...!!!

Right at the end of my work shift today, I was informed that I no longer have a job ! Merry Christmas to me.

They have been getting rid of salary jobs left and right where I work. Seeing how I was the highest paid Supervisor there it was only a matter of time before my head went on the chopping block.

I've been waiting for it to happen for a long time. It really suks as I had 14years in there and life was good. Don't know what I gonna do now. I dont care about the new home we just built 3 years ago. I don't even really care that I'm out of a job and that I'll probably lose every material thing I have. Its all toys anyhow. I can live anywhere.
My greatest concern is being able to make sure my wife gets her meds and stays out of the hospital. I'll just quit taking mine altogether. I will learn to live without mine.

So when it comes to losing my job my only concern is my wife. Aint I just a great husband or what !!

Merry Christmas to me

Back from San Anonio...

Well we're back from our big trip to San Anotnio, Texas. It was really exciting to see our son again. It's amazing to see the change bootcamp and the military life has made in my son's life. He's really enjoying it. He left from bootcamp right into tech school at Keesler AFB in Mississippi. He's proud to be part of the military and we're proud of him ( and our other son also)
It also brought to mind how much we took our children for granted when they were living at home. It's good to see that they have both grown up as responsible adults.
It was also kind of nice to have nearly the entire family share in my son's graduation. My oldest son, my sister, mother-in-law, my brother and sister-in-law(who live in Ft.Worth/Dallas) were all there to share in the experience. I don't get to see my brother more than a few times a year now that they are Texans.
We saw all the typical tourist traps while in San Antonio. The Alamo, the RiverWalk, the Mission Trail, the AF base and hundreds of stores and shops.The Riverfront mall was nice as far as malls go. I highly recommend eating at Boudro's on the Riverwalk. We had our Thanksgiving dinner together there. A little pricey but it really wasn't that bad considering it was a FOUR course meal.
This was also my wife and I first real airplane ride.All the talk of the busiest day of holiday travel was highly over-rated. We had absolutely no trouble getting in and out of the airports. And yes there was no problems getting all of our crazy meds through security.
We came home exhausted and we left over $1300 in San Antonio. Hope they appreciate it.My son gets to come home in a few weeks for Christmas !
Now that all the excitement is over, I've seemed to have fallen into a deep depression. I know its from being physically tired and I am presently working 12 hr days for the next week to fill in for the guys at work who are now taking their vacations.I wish I would of had a few more days of rest.
I really don't care about anything or anyone at the moment. I don't even care about my job. Good thing I'm a supervisor and don't really have to do any physical work. I can just hide in my office until I'm needed somewhere out on the plant floor.
Oh well, I'll get over it sooner or later. I always do. It was all I could do to type this blog today, but I had people emailing me and leaving post telling me to write an update. So here it is.

Have a great day anyway...

The excitement builds ...

The time is nearly upon us. We fly out Wednesday morning @ 630am to go see our son in the Air Force in San Antonio, Texas. It's going to be a 13hr ordeal just to get there with the drive time to the airports and all the layover time.

We're really excited to find out where he'll be going for his tech school training and where he'll be permantly stationed.

Our son actually wrote us a letter, one full page, front and back on whats happening in boot camp. This kid has NEVER handwritten a letter of any kind. So it was kind of special to get that letter.

We've never flown before so we're pretty excited about that part of the trip also. The only real concern will be taking all of our meds with us. Wait untill the airline inspectors see all the pills we take in a five day period. We're hoping it doesn't cause any problems.It's really kind of embarrassing to even see a 5 day supply of pills altogether.

At least the weather is suppose to be great while we're down there. No rain in the forecast for those five days.

We plan on doing as much sightseeing as possible while we are there. My brother, who lives in Ft. Worth, is driving down to have Thanksgiving dinner with us and go to the graduation events. I haven't seen him in awhile so it will be good to see him and my sister-in-law.

On a side note- how bout them Ohio State Buckeyes !! Beat the team up north in their own house. Go Buks !! It's the greatest rivalry in ALL of college football. Don't even think about leaving me a comment that it isn't. I'll just tell you up front that you are wrong -LOL.

Just wish us luck, that a schizophrenic wife and a bipolar husband(me) make it through airport security alright with all our crazy meds (btw- thats a good website- www.crazymeds.org)

Talk to you all later after the trip...

Son got to call home !

Our son called home from bootcamp. This is the first we've heard from him since he left 32 days ago. He called in the morning but I was on the internet at the time and my callwave took the message. I was only online for 2 mins when he called. I was so angry that I was on the internet when he called that I could have put my fist through the wall. If I only hadn't been online I wouldnt have missed his call !

Boy was I angry at myself all day. I'm sure glad my wife was at work when this happened or she would have been really upset also.

When she came home from work tonight I told her what happened. She was more unhappy that she was at work when he called. I played the recording of his call and it sounded like everything was going well for him. His biggest complaint- he was bored with the daily routine of bootcamp.

About 5 mins after I played the recording, the phone rang. I picked it up and here it was my son on the phone. This time we were both there to hear it. What a joy. My wife picked up the other extension and we both got to talk to him for 5 mins. before they made him hang up.

He said he is excelling in all the physical requirements (pushups, running ,etc.)and about the only thing hes getting yelled at is about how he folds his shirts. ( We could never get him to make his bed when he lived at home ! )

Anyhoo, It was a joy to hear from him. We will be flying down to San Antonio for 5 days starting on the 23rd to see him graduate. We can't wait. We'll even be able to take him out on Thanksgiving day to eat a good meal. I already have the reservations to a restrurant on the River Walk. We are very excited to go down and see him.
Then hes off immediaitely to tech school and we don't when or where we'll be able to see him again.

My wife and I both went to the pdoc. We are doing so well that he doesn't want to see us for another three months. The only trouble I'm having is not getting a good night sleep at times. I him asked to try Lunesta or Ambien. He gave me samples for Lunesta. I took a dose the other day. Didn't do a thing for me. Stuff is junk !. Guess I'll just stay with the Ativan. I'll just take 3mg instead of 2mg when I need it.

41 days without smoking !

Not sleeping and PVC's

The last week I haven't been getting my daily dose of restful sleep. I am constantly waking up throughout my sleep period. It's even worse on my days off as I then have to share the bed with my wife (I work midnights)

Now my PVC's (Premature Ventricular Contractions) are flaring up again. I havent been bothered by them in over 6-8 months. PVC's are nothing to be concerned over but it drives you nuts when your heart skips a beat ( actually beats too soon ). I just associate it with my lack of restful sleep. Guess I'm into a hypomania phase right now.

The wife and I are over the inital shock of our last child leaving home and it's actually kind of nice to have the entire house to ourselves. However we are still getting use to the quietness that comes with it.

31 DAYS WITHOUT A CIGARETTE !! (STILL ON THE PATCH)( I start step #2 - 14 mg on 10/31/05)

Being an empty nester ...

It really stinks not having any children in the house for the first time in 24 years.
My son called home today for the first and only time hes allowed to while he's at boot camp. He called to give his mailing address. We tried to talk to him but the DI was in the background yelling at him to get off the phone. They were only allowed to say the mailing address and thats it. We tried to circumvent the process by asking him only yes or no questions but that didn't work either. Our one and only contact with him for the next 6.5 weeks lasted a total of 60 secs. Then he was gone.

Now that we are offical members of the Empty Nest Society(ENS) we are trying to find ways to fill the void in our lives. My wife has chosen to fill this void by talking to me. Not just normal conversational talk, but yaking to me constantly. Like when I'm watching my favorite shows on television. Tonight I missed the plot on CSI Miami because she was talking to me. I was trying to tune her out like I have for the past 25 years, but now my tuner doesn't work. Maybe my son took the batteries with him when he left. All I could hear was her yaking at me. I even asked her to stop. But she couldn't. We ended up laughing at each other about it. I'm going to have to find her a new hobby or I'll end up having to have real conversations with her !

I'm just as bad. I don't know what to do with myself either. I've cooked, cleaned, washed, mowed, burned the trash, took out the garbage, etc. I seem to have boundless energy. I told her I must be going into a bipolar mania phase. The only phase I'm going into is missing my son.

I hope belonging to the ENS isn't going to be painful for much longer. On the postive side, this has really brought my wife and I closer together. We seem to have a special bond- like train wreck survivors!

And for the record- I haven't smoked for 17 days in a row. I can actually breathe better now.

Son preparing to leave home...

My son leaves on 9/10/05 for the Airforce. The last few days we've only seen him for 1/2 days at a time. He's going through the process of saying goodbye to all his close friends. He's hanging out with them, going to movies with them and just visiting them at their homes. I believe he is preparing himself for his soon to be life changing experience. He will never be the same once he leaves for bootcamp.

Our grief as parents is starting to grow a little also as we prepare for the empty nest and our "baby' leaving home. I worried about my wife taking it too hard, but I think its me that will take it the hardest. In private I get all teary-eye just thinking about him leaving. Monday will come too soon.

But as parents we've been through this once before. We gave our oldest son the "leaving to go out into the world' talk. We plan on doing the same with this son also. I feel it gives closeure to this episode in our lives.

We are very excited for him. The world is a large place for a farm boy. Hopefully he will find the Airforce an exciting experience. He's already got the mindset of making it his lifelong career. How many of us at that age could say that. He's very intelligent book wise and we're sure he'll go far.

Now all we have to do is let go.

But thats the hard part isn't it.... I dread Monday but am excited at the same time...

I'm a Non -smoker ..

I can honestly say I feel as I'm a non smoker for the first time in my life. My mental toughness is there !! I keep telling myself I will not smoke. Its been four days now.

The Nicoderm CQ patches are working wonderfully. I have no physical craving for a cigarette. The only mental weakness I have is with doing the things I previously associated with smoking a cigarette.

Driving in the car is the worst. Also when I take the dog outside. It'll probably mess the dog up as she knew once I flicked the cherry of the cigarette it was time to go in. Now I just let her go out all by herself.

The biggest change right now is that I CONSIDER myself a NON-SMOKER and plan to be that way forever. The real test will be when I go back to work after my vacation is over. When I beat that first week back I'll know I've beat the mental aspect of quiting.

Wish me luck....

eBay,Satellite Internet, and Smoking ...

Just started selling items for people on eBay again. I'm a trading assistant and at one time was an ebay Powerseller. Since summer is winding down, I now have time to start selling for others. It's amazing how many things I can sell once I announce I'm in business again. I have some big ticket items to sell for others this time so I should make some decent money for my time. eBay is really just a hobby for me, I don't overcharge for my services (which really means I don't make squat for the time I put into it)I really enjoy watching the items I list sell for lots of money.

Once of the things that really suk about being online is my internet connection. I live in a very rural area and my phone lines just plain suk . I'm lucky if I hook up to the net at a speed of more than 26k. What I wouldnt give for satelitte internet.

Now that brings up a good thing. I'm about to quit smoking again ( I know, you've already heard that before !) But this time I am serious. I'm getting more afraid of getting lung cancer. That should be a good enough reason to quit. But my wife sweetened the pot even more. As an added bonus of quiting, my wife said that if I can stay off the smokes forever, that after I've really quit for over 2 months that she will let me buy satelitte internet ! (its only $25 more a month than what I'm paying for dial-up). That really has got me excited. It really suks to surf the net at home or even think about downlaoding or uploading anything. At least the satellite connection will be super fast ! That will help me with my ebay selling, my home business site and even this stupid blog I have going here.
Now I'm really motivated to quit smoking for good. My quit date is now offically 9/30/05 . I start my 12 day vacation then. I will be away from others that smoke the entire time. We stopped at WalMart yesterday and I bought the nicotine patch program. I've also been taking Welbutrin for about 2 weeks in prepartion for the smoking cessation start date. My wife had a bottle of Welbutrin laying around that she used to take. I'm not on any antidepressant myself other than Lamicatal. I'm doing this without my pdocs knowledge. I'll mention to him when I see him in two months. However I dont think there is that many pills so it wont really matter. With the Welbutrin and the patch I should have a better than average chance of beating this nasty habit. I really BELIEVE I can do it this time.

I think even my wife believes I will quit this time also. I will NOT diappoint her for the 1000th time anymore. I WILL BE SMOKE FREE !! (I want satellite internet to go along with my satelite TV)

Empty Nester...

In just 3 short weeks my wife and I will be experiencing the empty-nest syndrome. My son has joined the Airforce and will be leaving for bootcamp the second week of October. I can't believe we've gotten that "old" that fast (43).

It was really strange that we didnt have to buy school clothes and all the other stuff that goes with it. It's weird now to even see "Back to School" commercials on t.v.

Our oldest son left home over 4 years ago. Now the last of the two is ready to fly the coup.

It's really going to suck in a selfish way. Now I have to burn the trash, take out the garbage, feed the dog, do the dishes, etc. I think we need to adopt another teenager !

Hopefully he will be stationed somewhere within driving distance to us and not half way across the USA. We're excited for him and I think he's ready to start this new adventure.

I'm going to do what I've been promising to do all these years, when the last kid left- sit around the house all day in my underwear !! And we're going to find out if our kitchen table will hold us. And we're going to travel around a bit more as time allows. And we're going to Disney World (not reallly).

But probably we'll just sit around and cry and whine about how quiet the house is for the first time in 24 years. With our baby leaving I know its going to be emotional when we drop him off at the recruiters office and turn him over to the government. Hopefully we make it through that moment without embarrasing ourselves.

But in the mean time, I going to make him do all that stuff I'm going to be stuck with in 3 weeks !! My last bit of revenge.

Hypomania ...

For the last few days I been in a pretty severe case of hypomania. I've really been hyper, have not been sleeping as well and have been getting alot done around the house.

I just don't know what to do with myself. On the negative side, I'm smoking twice as much. Not good considering I'm still thinking about quiting.

It's been awhile since I've been like this so I'm not too concerned about it. Maybe I wont just sit around doing nothing like I usually do. I plan on using this boundless (but irritating)energy to my advantage.

Today I power sprayed the inside of the garage, the entire outside of the house and mowed the front yard. Thats a ton more work than I would have accomplished in any given day.

On Friday I have a dentist appointment. Not looking forward to that at all. I have to have an old filling drilled out and replaced. I've been able to "taste" my filling for quite awhile plus I can't chew down on that side of my jaw. Dr. says that saliva is getting into the filling and tooth and thus the taste in my mouth.

Admitting you need help...

From www.mcmanweb.com (one of my favorite Bipolar websites)

The toughest challenge on the road to recovery is probably the first - that of admitting you need help. If you’re depressed, the guilt that may be a part of your illness may tell you that you don’t want to burden your loved ones, or that you don’t have a real illness worthy of medical attention. If you're hypomanic, the problem lies in the rest of the world and not you, and in mania you are beyond reason.

Then there’s the old denial factor. Who, after all, wants to admit they’re crazy? Who wants to own up to the stigma and the shame? Typically, it is only when we run out of options (and excuses) that we seek help. The best authorities on this are my own readers:

“What caused me to seek help?” writes Bill. “Almost losing my job and my wife.”

For most people, their default first port of call is their primary care physician. By far more prescriptions for antidepressants are written by this branch of the medical profession than by psychiatrists, often to people who insist on going to specialists and get expert lab work done for every other aspect of their health. Unfortunately, in a routine physical exam there is no time for more than a few cursory questions.

A 2001 UCLA study found that only 19 percent of a sample of depressed or anxious people they surveyed received appropriate treatment from their primary care physician. By contrast, 90 percent of those who saw a mental health specialist got proper care.

Unfortunately, for suicidally-depressed patients and floridly manic or psychotic patients, one's first contact with a psychiatrist is usually via the emergency room and a locked ward. Don’t be frightened by the prospect of being a prisoner. In all US jurisdictions, there are strict limits on involuntary commitment (generally only if you pose a risk to yourself or others), and it’s frightening how fast you’re no longer considered a danger when your insurance runs out after two days.

Those with premium health coverage are often encouraged to remain as inpatients for 30 days before they, too, find themselves miraculously recovered and sent out the door.

Hospital day programs may take up the slack, but again patients receive a clean bill of health the day their insurance runs out. Thereafter, psychiatric and talking therapy treatment is on an outpatient basis - that is until the next life-threatening crisis occurs.

Those who suspect they may have a mental illness are encouraged to make an appointment with a psychiatrist or talking therapist. A psychiatrist is an MD who has completed a three or four-year psychiatric residency. Emphasis is on on-the-job training rather than a formal curriculum. A psychiatrist is qualified to practice medicine and is authorized to prescribe medications, but there is no separate license to practice psychiatry. Psychiatrists, like other medical doctors, are answerable to state licensing boards for ethical violations and bad medical practice, but in practice this tends to be the psychiatrist’s word against the patient’s.

Psychologists are PhDs or PsyDs who have completed six or seven years in a doctoral program, comprising both a formal curriculum and supervised clinical work. They specialize in any of the hundreds of forms of talking therapy and (except in the state of New Mexico and Louisiana after taking additional training) are not licensed to prescribe meds. Psychologists are licensed and disciplined by state boards.

Counselors, therapists, and specialized social workers are generally people with master’s degrees (MA, MS, or MSW) and two or more years of clinical experience. Licensing varies from state to state.

Some psychiatrists also do talking therapy, but even the most meds-oriented psychiatrist needs to be a skilled talker and listener, as his or her knowledge of your illness is only as good as what you tell him or her. Because neither depression nor bipolar disorder leave a readily identifiable biological marker that can be spotted in a lab test, blood sample, or brain scan, a psychiatrist is largely dependent on what you say. Under ideal conditions, an insightful practitioner can elicit all the necessary information from you to make a precise diagnosis and initiate the type of treatment most likely to work for you. But in practice, for patients with bipolar disorder, it takes many years and a succession of doctors to figure out what is wrong. The onus, then, is very much on you to get your story right, which is not always the easiest thing to do while in the throes of a killer depression or out-of-control mania.

I find myself suggesting to readers who have contacted me to put their concerns in writing before their initial or next visit, for, if nothing else, this is a good way to organize your thoughts. Think of those times you felt depressed and write down what it felt like. Did something bring it on - say a relationship breakup - or did it seem to occur out of the blue? Did you feel like you couldn’t go on living? Did you entertain thoughts of suicide? Did you feel like you couldn’t get out of bed? Or, just the opposite, maybe you couldn’t get to sleep. Are you eating more or less? Not feeling your usual self? What’s different? Are you doing a great acting job hiding your distress from your friends and family and colleagues, or do they think you’re acting a bit out of character, too? Are your work and family and personal relationships feeling the strain? Provide details. Are you less patient with people lately? Short-tempered, angry, aggressive? Or perhaps the very opposite, submissive, guilt-ridden, and ready to give up without a fight. How long has this been going on? Have you felt like this at other times in your life?

A good psychiatrist will be asking these questions, but you can save both of you a lot of time and effort if you have your answers ready. Your psychiatrist will also probe for personal and family history, looking for more clues. Now is hardly the time to talk at length about past trauma and abuse, as this may destabilize some patients at their most vulnerable. It is essential, however, to inform your psychiatrist whether you are a survivor of trauma or abuse, as this can have a bearing on your treatment. Later on, in talking therapy, you can try to resolve trauma and abuse issues.

You will also want to write down what it feels like to be normal. If normal for you is feeling constantly depressed, that’s a very good clue. Also try to recall what it’s like feeling happy. Some people may have felt a little too happy in the past, which may be the only way your psychiatrist may suspect you have bipolar disorder.

Many people suspect they have bipolar disorder long before they see a psychiatrist. But even people who merely think they have depression need to focus on all those times they didn't feel their normal selves or felt too much like their normal selves. You might want to go back over those times in your life you would rather forget - such as embarrassing yourself in public or attacking your spouse or walking off your job or getting arrested - or where you were unusually productive - working 20-hour days, cleaning the house in the middle of the night, writing a term paper in three hours - and try to remember what you were feeling during the time and the times that led up to these events. If you felt you were smarter than the rest of the world, describe it. If you were in a raging white heat, fill in the details.

Admitting that there may be something wrong with you is one of the most difficult tasks there is. Add to that fear and ignorance and stigma, and you begin to appreciate why so few people seek help or get a correct diagnosis.

When I ask psychiatrists what they find works best in treating patients, many reply establishing a trusting relationship with the patient. These are the psychiatrists I would hire.

Without this trust, those degrees on the wall aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on. Your end of the bargain is to keep your psychiatrist fully informed and to stay on your meds and other treatments. His or her end of the bargain is to be there for you in a crisis day or night and work with you in getting well and staying well. If your meds aren’t working or you are experiencing bad side effects, you inform your psychiatrist rather than simply quit the drugs on your own. Together, the two of you can work on new doses and/or new meds. If he or she suggests adding a new med to your cocktail, by the same token, you should expect to be informed of the risks and side effects as well as the benefits. If you object to that med, he or she should respect your judgment. And on and on it goes, mutual trust and respect.

Sometimes, though, achieving a good working relationship may involve auditioning more than one psychiatrist. Writes Melissa:

"I went through 10 psychiatrists in one year until I found one able to call down to rock bottom and tell me the footholds up. That was luck. Otherwise I'd be sitting in front of television waiting for the next meal, the sound of doors locking behind me."

Misty, who replaced a psychiatrist she had a bad experience with another who was “who was very good, nice, knowledgeable, and didn't pry into things that weren't his business,” advises, “don't be afraid to fire a bad doc.” Amen to that.

The Death Test...

I guess I'm to live to be 76 yrs old and die of cancer. At least thats what this online test says
Death Test

Sex, Drugs and No Rock and Roll ...

The thing I hate the most about my med cocktail is the effect on the sexual part of my being. I believe it is the Risperdal that is the main culprit.

My mind is willing, but with the mutted BIG "O" it almost makes it a waste of time for me. But just being together with my wife is what counts I guess. I dont worry about the diminished "O" that much because the making love part is better than the actual act itself. The drugs dont effect the sensitivity of touch, smell or the emotion of two people sharing a private moment together behind closed doors.

We've discusses taking a drug holiday before to see what happens. I have no problem doing this myself but my wife needs her drug regiment with her schizophrenia. I'm afraid for her to go off her meds at all due the her recent hospitalization. So we won't go down that road.

So I guess in order to function properly in life we must have to sacrifice other things in our life. I just wish it wasn't sexual pleasure ! But we know that at this point its a problem that we dont need to get too upset about...

Feeling so good that....

I've reached a point now in my treatment that I'm sure everyone in my situation has experienced... Do I really need to be on these drugs ?

I feel so good right now I am questioning the need to be on any drugs at all. Maybe I'm not even Bipolar. Maybe I was just going through a rough time in my life.

But in reality, I know it's the drugs that have gotten me to this point of feeling this good. I've done enough research to know that I would reach this point in my life. I also know it would be pure foolishness to stop my drug regiment.

It's funny that I've reached this point. I don't think there is an article about Bipolar on the internet that I haven't read. I believe I've read 25-50 blogs about Bipolar illness. All of them lead to the same conclusion... Meds do work, and don't stop taking them just because you feel good. I don't want to go back into a mania where I don't sleep or feel bad so I'll guess I'll do the smart thing and keeping swallowing all the pills...

Mail Order Drugs...Risperdal Lamictal, Ativan, Klonopin, Cogentin

Today we received in the mail, my wife's and I prescription drugs for the next 3 months. It cost me $150. That is not bad considering the drugs cost over $750 in real cost. Once again- thank the Lord that I have good health insurance and a drug card.

When I opened the huge mailing bag, it made me sick to see all the drugs and bottles contained within. If I didn't, (and wife wife didn't) really need these drugs to live a functioning life, I would have thrown them all away. It just looked disgusting to see all those pills. I can't believe we have to take all those.
In the bag: Risperdal, Lamictal, Ativan, Klonopin,and Cogentin. All in large bottles, which is stupid as most only had 90 small pills in each. What a waste of plastic.

My wife and I are very med compliant, we take all our drugs are prescribed. The best thing is that they all work. I could probably quit mine and survive and just go back to not sleeping and being in a mania and depressive state. However my wife really needs hers and would once again end up in the hospital pschy ward without them.

I guess its health through pharmacology ! I have no problem with that. Other than the fact it cost me $50 per month for drugs.

To all of you who are on my case for starting smoking again- THANKS. Not only does my wife yell at me about smoking now I have "cyber wives" yelling at me. I hope to try to quit smoking again here in the very near future, maybe in the next week or two. We'll see how it goes.

Don't feel like writing...

I've worked 76 hrs of overtime in approx 2 weeks. I'm tired, my mind is mush. I haven't fallen into a hypomanic state, but rather a depression. I simply am just tired, so maybe its just not depression.

I don't feel like blogging at all right now, so I won't......

Fell off the wagon

Well it happened. I feel off the no smoking wagon. I started smoking again. I'm just like that cartoon commerical with the guy that climbs the line and fall back again.
I'm ready to give it a try again as soon as I'm done working all this overtime at the end of the month.

Working Overtime...

Another Supervisor just went on sick leave for the next two to four weeks. That means I have to work 12-14hr days until he returns. The extra money will be nice, but AAARRRGGG.

This will give my Lamictal a run for its money. Hopefully I won't go into a mania from being too tired.

So far so good...

My endevour to quit smoking is coming along nicesly. The withdraws are still terrible but I think I can make it now. I just have to be careful at work when I'm around those who smoke.

I WANNA CIGARETTEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!....

I WANNA SMOKE ONE- JUST ONE- COME ON- JUST ONE WONT HURT- GIVE ME A SMOKE- I'LL QUIT NEXT WEEK OR MONTH...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhh!

This is whats going on in my mind. Everytime I want to smoke I find something to take away the pain.. .Been drinking alot of cranberry juice to try and flush out my system.
So far I've been hanging in there but it is my days off so I'm not around anyone that smokes. Monday will be the real test.

Quit Smoking...

I quit smoking today for the thousandth time. Hopefully I'll make it this time. I'm just not willing to pay for the increased cost and I better quit before I end up with cancer. Plus I won't have to listen to wife complain about me smoking anymore.
Now she won't have anything to yell at me about-LOL

Thank you...

Today my wife said " thank you for supporting me and being there for me while I was in the hospital and for putting up with the illness".

I tell you this not to say that I'm a great husband, but rather that as being a husband and wife in marriage, that we need to be there for each other during times of trouble.
I didn't give it a minute of thought that I was doing anything out of the ordinary. We took wedding vows to be there for each other "in sickness and in health".
I wonder how many couples get divorced because one person in the marriage becomes "ill"
Yes it hard when one gets sick. Yes it's nice whenever everything is going well. But we must keep to our wedding vows.
Maybe it's been a long time since you last thought about your wedding vows. Maybe it's even time to renews those vows together if only in your heart.

Just a thought.....

Wife is now home.... Seroquel...

My wife is now home from the hospital. She's doing much better. One of the problems she is having is from the toxic effects of being on Risperdal for two years. She walks a little stiff. They call it extrapyramidal symptoms. Sort of like having parkinsons. Her muscles aren't reacting normally. The doctor put her on Congentin to counteract the Risperdal. This is one of the few times I'm having my doubts with her taking drugs. If the congentin doesn't work then we'll have to have a serious discussion about the side effects and what we can do about it.

I wasn't sleeping very well the last week or so. I mentioned it to my pdoc. He gave me some sample doses of Seroquel 200mg. I took one last night to see how well it worked. I already read on the internet that Seroquel works good for a sleep aid even though thats not its main purpose. I took the 200mg tablet at bedtime. Talk about kicking your butt!! I had to get up in the middle of the night to pee and it was all I could do to get there. I was so druggged up I couldn't walk. I had to hang on to wall to get to the bathroom. Once I did wake up the next day, all I could do was sleep. Plus I was sleepy until about 2pm today. It took a strong cup of coffee to help cut the drugged up feeling. The pages I read on the internet said the normal dosage of Seroquel is 50-100mg to start. I guess my pdoc wanted me to really sleep as it worked. I wont take another 200mg again. I'll go to 100mg if I need it again. ONLY if I need it again.!!

Schizophrenia and Bipolar....

It's been a tough week as my wife is in the hospital. I've also had to work 12 hour days, go home get a few hours sleep, then go visit my wife in the hospital. Repeat the process the next day. Her new diagnosis is "schizophrenia with severe depression; an eating disorder(not eating) and OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder)(she obsesses about life's problems). Shes in pretty bad shape and it looks like she may be in the hospital through the weekend at least.

My bipolar disorder is actually holding up rather well. Usually when I don't get enough sleep I slip into a mania phase. So far my sypmtoms are rather stable.I'll be done working all the mandatory overtime on Monday morning. I'm deep down hoping that my wife stays in the hospital through the weekend as I can't be home to support her mentally.

And to top it off tonight, I hit a deer about 100 yards from where I work. It hit me broadside on the drivers side. It busted out the drivers side rear view mirror. No other damage to the side of the car because I drive a Saturn L200. You can hit the side of a car with a hammer and it pops back out with no damage. Dont know what its going to cost to fix the stupid mirror. Todays deer makes the 5th deer I hit with a car. Luckly there is no real damage this time.

It amazing how life can throws things at you. Sometimes you just gotta laugh !!

Day 10 of Paxil Withdraws

Nearly all my dizziness is now gone. Still not sleeping very well but that may be due in part to having to hospitalize my wife. Her relapse made it nessesary to have her go into the hospital for awhile. Sure is lonely at home without her. The visiting hours at the psych ward helps somewhat but it will be nice once she returns home.

My pdoc said he doesn't want me on any antidepressants for now. He wants to take a wait and see approach. He thinks the Lamictal will do the job.I feel pretty good right now. Hopefully it will stay that way since that means once less pill to take per day.

Day 6 of Paxil withdraws...

Day 6 isn't any better than the other days. Right now it's even hard to type as my head is spinning. Dizziness is really bad today. I also just realized how tired I am due to not getting much sleep. I've been having very vivid dreams that have disturbed my sleep. I'm still making it to work everyday. Good thing I have an office where I can go to when the withdraw symptoms get really bad . One of my employees just caught me sitting at my desk with my head in my hands because the room was spinning around. At least he asked if I was alright. I can't really see where the step-down method of cutting the dosage each week has done a thing for me. I figured the withdraws would be over by now, but I don't see any end in sight.I go to our pdoc on Monday. Hopefully he can offer suggestions.

Day #5 withdraws...

Day #5's withdraws are just as bad. No let up on the symptoms at all yet. I'm getting tired of being dizzy.But I miss what Paxil did for me. The getting too fat factor was the reason for getting rid of it. If I'd known ahead of time that the withdraws were going to be so severe I'd never have taken it. But in reality, I miss what it did for me.

Good new today is that my wife got called back to work-seems they laid off 6 people too many. She goes back to work today.

Day 3 withdraws...

Not only am I more dizzy or whoooosing feeling than yesterday, but now I'm having gastrointestional problems if you know what I mean.Also I could only sleep for 3 hrs so now I'm tired on top of it all.

And oh ya, my wife was just permanently layed off from her job today.

When it rains, it pours.... You just gotta laugh sometimes at what life throws at you...either that or go insane...

The terrible withdraws have begun...

This the is second full day without taking any Paxil. I'm extremely dizzy and have a woooooosh feeling in my head.My vision is kind of fuzzy when I move my head. I'm still functioning ok.(I'm at work typing this...90% of the time I'm at work blogging my posts) To make matters worse, my wife who is schizophrenic is going through a really bad time right now mentally. Yes we're a wacko family. I knew my wife was schizo when I married her. Shes only been hospitalized three times in the last 10 years. If it wasn't for her meds I think I'd have to hospitalize her right now. Even with her meds she is teetering on the edge.

It's taking everything out of me right now. With her sick and me having withdraws.... sort of like the saying " I picked the wrong week to quit drinking"
No I dont drink....

We'll make it through all of this somehow. But I not going back on Paxil. We see the pdoc next Monday.

Obsessed with Paxil....

I not obsessed with Paxil but rather getting rid of it. Tommorrow I start my 10mg dosage, down from the original 40mg. (was on 37.5mg CR but since the feds busted GSK and couldn't get CR anymore he put me on regular release 40mg)
So far I have NOT had any withdraw symptoms from the reduction of dosage. This week it'll be 10mg then the following week- ZERO.
We'll see what happens. Withdraw symptoms, if any will be listed in my blog.

Stigma...

I kept my bipolar diagnois a secret from everyone except my wife for months. I finally did tell my mom and dad and my mother-in-law. Right away they had a denial about it and said I just need to think positive thoughts.

I looked up everything I could find about bipolar on the internet and then choose the top 5 resourses and sent them links to them.
Amazing, once they read about bipolar from independant sources on the internet how their attitudes have changed.

Now they even ask me how I'm feeling (overall pretty good) and how well my meds are working (very good).

So don't be in dispair if your loved ones don't understand the nature of a mental illness. Educate them as much as possible. The internet can possibly teach them more than you can.

Eleanor Rooselvelt once said,"Nobody can make you feel inferior without your permission"Don't let peoples ingnorance of the facts effect your self esteem.

Nobody can steal your joy- You have to give it away !

Getting rid of Paxil....

I told the pdoc that even though paxil works great for me, I can't stand the weight gain that came with it. To date I've gained over 30 pounds in the last 6 months. I cant stand to even look at myself in the mirror. I was already over weight before the paxil and now the med has me looking like a water ballon thats ready to pop.

He agreed that we can start the withdraw from paxil and then see what happens. He knows I'll still need some sort of antidepressant, but will cross that bridge in 4 weeks.
For now I'm to cut my dosage in half each week for the next three weeks then quit it altogether. My guess is that I'll end up on Wellbutrin or something similar that doesn't have weight gain associated with it.

How I feel 

Vacation and Paxil withdraws...

Enjoying my vacation- went fishing and worked around the house the last few days.
The only downside so far is that I ran out of my paxil for 2 days. Talk about withdraws- got extremely dizzy and shaky. Paxil is tough on you when you dont have it. Today I got my prescription in the mail so I'm good for the next 90 days. As soon as I took a paxil and it got back into my system I started feeling better right away.

Much needed rest and relaxation...

Last day of work. Now I'm on vacation for the next 14 days. Whoo-hoo !
Plan on doing some fishing, camping, biking and other activities that I like that I haven't done much of in the last year.

It sure can't hurt my attitude and stress levels.

Hope I didn't depress you...

I was just re- reading my last post ... It sure sounds depressing. I hope I didn't bum you out.

I'm done working the overtime and got my much needed sleep. How much sleep I get is in a direct correlation to how I feel.
In my case I tend to feel more hypomania when I get less sleep. When I'm feeling a depressive phase I tend to need more sleep. I try to not oversleep as that makes me feel worse and exhausted.

I've been blog surfing via blogexplosion.com. Some of the sites have really nice layouts. I hope to get rid of this format when I get a chance. Generally I've been blogging at work. Wouldn't my corporation love me if they knew I was doing this ! I guess they could bust me if they took the trouble to read the log files on the main server. I've been surfing the web from my office for years and I survived 4 periods of management layoffs. I still have my job. Besides- they could always cut off my internet connection to my computer if they really wanted to.

I'll try not to be too depressing in the future. However I guess thats what blogs are for. Writing what you feel at the moment. I've only been bloggging for approx. 3 weeks now so its all new to me. I want to get back to taking nature pics with my digital camera and start a blog with them. We'll see if that comes into being. If it does, I'll provide a link in this blog.

Can't remember when...

... the last time my wife and I did something just for the fun of it all
... the last time I had overactive hormones
... the last time I had a good laugh
... the last time my brain didn't feel like mush
... the last time I had a relaxing vaction
... the last time I was able to turn down overtime work
... the last time I had any disposable cash to blow on something totally absurb
... the last time I had a true friend (other than my wife)
... the last time we were invited to go somewhere
... the last time I weighed less than 180 pounds (215 now)
... the last time I felt good about myself
... the last time cigarettes weren't part of my life
... the last time I got to read a good book

... the last time.......................................................

Working Overtime- grrrrr....

Found myself having to work 3- 14 hrs days this weekend. I'm tired already and it's only the second day. So far my mind is holding up ok as I've been getting 6 1/2 hrs sleep.

I was worrried that I might shift back into hypomania from the long hours but that hasn't happened.

Gotta work extra to save up for our vaction this summer. (airfare,rental car, hotels, food) It won't take long to eat up all the extra money that I'm going to earn on overtime....

My soul was dry...

I've just now noticed that I haven't been reading the Bible like I normally do. It just kind of fell by the wayside. As a result, my soul was getting dry from lack of a daily refreshing from the word.

In Isaiah 35:6-7 - ...for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. And parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habititation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.(KJV)

Even in my dry soul which has become desert like, the Lord will bring forth rivers of water which are there the bring new life to a dead area(my soul)
This is why daily reading of his word is so important. I need to rely on him more.

Hypomania!!!

Last few days I've seemed to switched into a hypomania phase. I don't know how many people have told me to "shut-up" or that I'm talking too much

My symptoms aren't as severe as they once were. I believe the Lamictal is help out in that regards. My sleeping pattern has dropped to less sleep also. Been a bit more irritated with those that are close to me. But today I feel pretty happy and good about myself. It's been awhile since I've been strongly in a hypomania phase. Only down side is the lack of sleep. But I'm still getting all but a few hours of what I normally get.

I have alot that I want to get done. Hopefully the "hypo' phase will stick around long enough so that I get get those things accomplished !

Don't forget to take your medicine...

I was really sick feeling yesterday. Felt like dying there for awhile. Today I realized that I din't take my med cocktail because I had slept longer than usual (+3hrs more). Got my meds back in me today and I started feeling better rather quickly. Maybe just a placebo effect or I really was having withdraw symptoms.

Makes you wonder- how much of any pill works because you believe it will work ?

As many times as I have stopped taking anti-depressants over the years I can tell you that they work, because I always get more depressed without them. (or is it a placebo effect -LOL)

Went to the pdoc today...

I went to my appointment with my psychiatrist today. Covered the medicines I am on. My Lamictal has been at its full dosage for 4 weeks now. My mood at this time is "normal".
He was pleased to hear that. I'm still having a little bit of trouble with "avoidance" at work. As a supervisor it's my job to go where the problems are and take corrective action. Many times I still just bury my head and stay in the office hoping the problem just gets solved by the employees. ( It usually does, but I still should be there.)If I can just overcome this withdraw then maybe I'd feel better about my self esteem at work.

But overall, the last few weeks I have felt much better. My depression is not as heavy and my mood has stabilized alot. I hope the Lamictal is the answer to some of my problems with the depression and anxiety.

I'm praying I dont suffer "drug poop-out" like I have with many other medications.

I'm also glad that I have moved away from my family doctor as my primary care physican to using the psychiatrist as my primary health care provider. It's good to have somebody that specializes in the problems I am having.

My family doctor was treating me for depression only and thats why the meds only worked for a short period of time and then we'd try a differant drug. My pdoc said my main problem was that I wasn't just depressed, but that I was bipolar and that I needed a mood-stabilzer in addition to an antidepressant. What a differance the Lamictal has made.

So, I hoping for better moods now and in the future. We'll see what happens.....

Thank God for Prescription Drug coverage !

The company I work for has great insurance. Problem is that they have layed off over 250 people over the last 2 years. Thankfully I still have my job.
I sat down and went to my insurance company's web site. I can find what the prescriptions will cost me out of pocket and what the cost to the insurance company is.
Here's what I found for the drugs I'm currently on:

Lamictal - my cost= $10/month.... Real cost= $125/month
Risperdal- my cost= $10/month.... Real cost= $180/month
Lorezopan- my cost= $1.60/month.. Real Cost= $29/month
Paxcil CR- my cost= $10/month.... Real cost= $97/month

Total= my cost= $31.60/month.....Real cost= $431/month

If I lose my job at anytime in the future I guess I'll have to do without my meds. Thats a scary propostion....Make you feel bad for those who aren't fortunate enough to have good health insurance..

So appreciate it if you have good health insurance...don't take it for granted !!

If only that drug existed.....

"If we could sniff or swallow something that would, for five or six hours each day, abolish our solitude as individuals, atone us with our fellows in a glowing exaltation of affection and make life in all its aspects seem not only worth living, but divinely beautiful and significant, and if this heavenly, world-transfiguring drug were of such a kind that we could wake up next morning with a clear head and an undamaged constitution-then, it seems to me, all our problems (and not merely the one small problem of discovering a novel pleasure) would be wholly solved and earth would become paradise."

ALDOUS HUXLEY

Some helpful web links for Bipolar 2

McMan web site for Bipolar and Depression

Bipolar World

Bipolar.com

National Institute for Mental Health

Psycom.net

Famous People with Bipolar Disorder

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

The down side of being Bipolar 2

Since I am Bipolar 2 there are certain medicines that I need to be on. The downside of these meds are sexual disfunction side effects. Forget about mind blowing orgasms ever again. Everything is dulled. Don't get me wrong- I still have a mighty stick, it's just that you can go and go and go forever and then when you finally have a Bipolar 2 orgasm it's not much to brag about. I guess if you were a premature shooter, then being Bipolar 2 and being on the med cocktail is the thing for you.

The Journey Begins Here

I'm now 43 years old. I am Bipolar 2 (manic depressive). This blog page journeys my life history into the world of being bipolar.

As a teenager, I always knew there was something not quite right with me. At times I was shy, withdrawn, backwards. At other times I was outgoing, popular and thrill seeking. I would bounce back and forth between these two worlds. However most of the late teen years was spent in on again, off again deep depressions. At the time(late 1970's) I really didn't know about depression. This was even before Prozac hit the market.

The one bright spot in my late teen years was my girlfriend (later to become my wife). Problems was is that she had as many dark secrets in her life as I did. She suffered abuse by a relative among other thing. But we loved each other deeply and our similar problems brought us even closer together. We did all the things that teenage couples do and on the outside we each were very happy together. But inside we each had our own problems. We just buried them deep inside so as not to bring the other person down.

I experimented with drugs in high school. Mostly pot and acid. I loved getting high. It was a great escape from the pain in my life. I got high as often that my limited income would allow.
After High School, I went away to college. Not just any college, but one of the top ten party schools in the country !( Brutus is their mascot)
But this fun was short lived. I finished my freshman years with a solid "C" average. I don't know how I did it.
However, I couldn't afford to return to college. I had to give up my dream of that college degree. But at least I had "fun" while I was there.

Since I couldnt afford college, I figured I do the next best thing. I asked my girlfriend to marry me and she accepted. The joy had returned into our lives (for now)......................................

We were married for only 2 months when my wife became pregnant with our first child. We were thrilled, as we wanted to have children early so that we would still be "young" when they went out into the world on their own. What I found out at this time was that I was becoming more irritable and depressed inside. As both of my children(3yrs apart) grew up, I was pretty much a prick with them as they grew older. I didn't abuse them or anything like that but when the made childhood mistakes I treated them as they were adults and should have known better. Inspite of this both children grew up to be happy well adjusted adults, and we are a very close family.

When my children were about 4-5 years old, I started having physical problems. I developed irirtable bowel syndrome, digestive problems, and sleeping disorders. I then went to my family doctor for help. The doctors basically blamed my problems on diet and stress. I took the medicines they gave me and generally felt better. The problem was that in reality I was growing more and more depressed each month. I was in a funk. I guess I didn't really realize that I was suffering from depression.

On a follow up visit to my doctors some months later, I notice a poster hanging up on the doctors wall that asked if you had these certain symptoms. They were symptoms of depression. It was at this point that I realized what was going on with me. When the doctor came back into the room, I asked about the poster and said that it sounded just like what I had. The doctor asked a few more questions and agreed that I had depression. He prescribed me Prozac.

What a wonderful drug Prozac was. It made my moods better, I finally felt the best I had in years. The only problem was is that it quit working in about 6 months or so. I just experienced Prozac poop-out. I basicaslly deceided at that point that medicines were useless so I didn't pursue it any further with my doctors.

I was feeling ok for quite awhile after the Prozac incident anyway so I just went about my business. Of course in time I started feeling bad again. I dropped into a deep depression that hung over me like a rain cloud. I still went to work everyday and did my daily chores, but I was once again in my funk.I didn't realize it at the time but I was just about to begin a 20 yr journey that would ultimately lead me to where I am today.

After I started really feeling bad again, I went back to my doctor for help with my depression. What happened now was for the next 20 years is that I would be put on just about every antidepressant known to mankind. They all had the same effect: They'd work for a few months or so then quit working. I'd get frustrated and stop going to the doctor. Then I'd repeat the cycle- feel worse- goto the doctor- new pill- works awhile then quit working- quit taking drug all together- and repeat the entire process over again. Boy how 20 years of this process flew by!

About this time my father-in-law died. My wife took it really hard. Losing her father was the worst thing that has ever happened to her. She basically had a nervous breakdown. I had to put her in the pschy ward for a week.
She was diagnoised as having schizoaffective disorder. This explained alot of the things that my wife had going on in her mind all these years. I always suspected that she was schizo in many ways. Through her hospitalization she was helped with medications. We were fortunate enough to have the head of the pschy ward as her pschyiatrist.
Over time he has helped her through medications overcome her problems. Not that shes 100% but she is now doing great.

What happened to my wife was the best thing that also happened for me! After many visits with her pdoc, I finally built up enough courage to ask to be evaluated. We made an appointment for a evaluation. Boy, it sure was very detailed. Hundreds of questions,etc. The nurse was very good at her job also. Did a complete medical workup on me also. After all the evalations, I met with my wife's pdoc. He explained to me that what I had wrong with me was that I was BIPOLAR. Thats why the antidepressants didn't work. I also scored high for stress levels and for depression. He explained in detail what it meant to be bipolar. He gave me the scientific DSM-4 definitions and he also described in plain english what it meant. He told me that I wasn't Bipolar 1 but rather Bipolar 2. Bipolar 1 has more mania than Bipolar 2. But Bipolar 2 has more and darker depression. The information the pdoc gave to me was an exact definition of what I was going through. It was like a great burden had been lifted from my shoulders!

He explained that what I really needed was a mood stabilizer in addition to an antidepressant. He put me on Paxil and Lamictal. He also prescribed Risperdal for my mind and Ativan so that I could sleep better. Over the next 5-6 weeks I started feeling great again. It takes that long to get up to the full strength of the Lamictal. I also slept the best I ever had in the past 25 years.

I read everything I could on the internet about mental health and Bipolar. It seems that I'm a text book case. What a great relief to finally get the right diagnioses.They say it takes on average 11 years from the time you see a doctor until the time you get a correct diagniose of being Bipolar. In my case it was more like 20+ years.
Now that I'm on the meds I feel pretty good most of the time. I still have my ups and downs, but it is only temporary.

This blog will now keep you updated on how I am doing. At least you know my story. Now follow the rest of my journey.......