Living with Disease

[JennG]

Kim-It's great to see that you're up and feeling better today. Don't over do it. I get like that. When I feel really good, I push myself to do things until I start to feel like I'm going to crash. I try and slow down but sometimes I'll keep pushing myself and then I crash. I guess being a mom you'd think I'd learn but.....Anyways, I'm glad to see your up and getting around. *sending zapping noises to shoot out the cancer cells* Keep going!!

Debbie-Praying that you get some good news today. Sounds like you've got some vibes. *praying hard for you*

How's everyone else doing this week? I thought I was getting the flu Sunday night but it seems to have passed. But I may be getting a cold. No problem. Seven more days of work and I'm on vacation. WOOHOO!!!

 

[The Magic Taco]

L&B- Life sucks sometimes, eh? Wishing you the best of luck!
Debbie- Damn, that sucks. I don't know what all that medical stuff means, but it doesn't sound good. Tell us how you are as soon as you can!

I'm not good with words like everyone else. All I can say is that things suck. Suckity suck suck suck.
Lots of love and good wishes,
Taco

 

[suzilovespiggie]

Hello everyone. Been gone for abit. My asthma is acting up and had to go to the hospital for some treatments. My blood work for my thyroid came back bad. It's not working. I get so tired and somewhat depressed over it. I have been thinking alot of Debbie too. Has anyone heard how she is?

I am so glad others have a good report.
Way to go Kim with your treatments! Want to come over and clean your a** at my house? It's the pits. (Hee, Hee) I am very glad you are feeling so much better. Keep up the good work. I too am shooting cancer cells. Whew.... blowing the smoke off my pistol.

Jenn, what are you going to do on your vacation? Have a wonderful time.

Hope this finds everyone else doing and feeling better. For me this is my Friday going into my new week. I know for most it's the end of your week. Lets all have a good one! Suzi

 

[Lyndsay]

Wow, L&B, I wish you all the luck. I have been in a similar place to you, with your mother, accept it was with my grandmother. She is still living, but is in the final stages of Alzheimer's, and has been for the past couple years. I dearly hope that you will be able to have her come and live with you. I was a volunteer in a long term care facility for 4 hours every day for a semester, and I've seen some Alzheimer's patients that could possibly still be living at home. It's tough on everyone, and hard to grasp. I wish you the best in everything, and hope that you will have good news for us in a few days time.


As for being bi-polar, I also share a similarity there with you, I'm being treated right now for the manic part of it, but not the depressive. Evenutally, I'm sure they will just tret it as a whole. *Big hugs* I hope that things better start going your way.

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

Thank you all so much! I'm praying for everyone. That's all I can do to help you besides being here for you. I can't remember who posted what from the time I hit the reply button but know that I'm thinking of you all and am wishing you the very best.

My brother and sister have fixed up my mom's room at the assisted living home. They took her to see it yesterday. She didn't really care for it and wanted to go home. They are definitely going to put her in it this weekend. I let them know I was planning to fight for Mama. My brother just called me and asked me to give it 30 days to see if she likes it. He really thinks she will. After 30 days, if she doesn't, they will sign her over to me without a fight. We both agreed that is was fair. I just want to see her happy wherever that may be and so do they. He is going to start painting her home immediately and put it up for sale. My mom is heart broken. She just wants to live at home. Anyone ever have a feeling of calm come over you? Where you just know everything is gonna work out? Well, I have been having that feeling for each of you and now for my mom as well. Life is good! He asked me to wait until the 22nd to go get her and bring her back on the 27th so she can adjust to the place. Yep, things are gonna work out for the best for all of us!!! God bless you all!!!

Melissa

 

[Slap Maxwell]

As for being bi-polar, I also share a similarity there with you, I'm being treated right now for the manic part of it, but not the depressive. Evenutally, I'm sure they will just tret it as a whole. *Big hugs* I hope that things better start going your way.

I am dealing with this, too. Unfortunitely I am dealing with the depressive side. I have been fighting with depression and severe self mutilation for years now, I have been on a menu of pills but nothing seems to be working for me. I am type II which is more depressive, my mother has type I, which is the more manic bi-polar. I am taking Cymbalta, Abilify, Seroquel, Geodon, and Trileptol at the moment, the Geodon will be cut out in a few days.

 

[skirbo]

Melissa--Glad you are happier with the way things are going with your mom. I hope they continue to improve and that she actually is happy in the assisted living facility. Sadly, there comes a time for many people when they just can't live at home any longer, and I suppose your brother may be premature in making the move at the moment, but who knows.

Kim-- Glad the chemo wasn't too hard on you this time.

Anybody heard from Debbie about how it went yesterday?

Sarah

 

[Lacy&Buttercup]

I am dealing with this, too. Unfortunitely I am dealing with the depressive side. I have been fighting with depression and severe self mutilation for years now, I have been on a menu of pills but nothing seems to be working for me. I am type II which is more depressive, my mother has type I, which is the more manic bi-polar. I am taking Cymbalta, Abilify, Seroquel, Geodon, and Trileptol at the moment, the Geodon will be cut out in a few days.

I am so sorry Slap! I know what you are going through. I have dealt with self mutilation as well but not severe. I am very experienced with all kinds of meds. I have been on almost all of the meds you are taking. My old doctor would try to treat my constant depression with different meds and only treat my mania when it would happen. I was up and down several times in less than an hour. I "cycled" quickly. I spent many years depressed. Finally, I decided that I needed to change doctors. I knew people lived normal lives with depression and I wanted to be one of them. My new doctor said the key was to be on a mood stabilizer all the time. I am now on Zoloft- for depression, Lamictal- a seizure medication that works as a mood stabilizer, Abilify- (can't remember what it does), and Provigil- a narcolepsy (stay awake) med because all of my other meds make me sleep all day. Are you satisfied with your doctor? If not, I would STRONGLY suggest you change doctors. There IS a way to live a normal life and actually be happy! DON'T give up, there IS a better life! You just need the right combination of meds and maybe some counseling if you aren't already. You are in my thoughts and prayers. If you ever want to talk, just PM me, I've been there and completely understand. I am here for you!

 

[skirbo]

Wow, Slap, don't know how I missed your post... I can't even begin to understand what you are going through, but I know it is a very difficult road to walk down.

I don't have anything else to offer, but if you ever find yourself in a place where you need someone to talk to, I'm here for you.

Sarah

 

[Lyndsay]

Thats intreseting Slap, I've only been on one type so far, and I can't remember which it was at this moment. They are more trying to stabalize my mood, cause it was sooo crazily up, and down all the time, and yes I've done the self mutilation as well. I never told the doctors that, eventually will have to tell my psych. Then they will probably put me on a new set of things. It's frusterating, and I try not to let it get to me, but sometimes the meds just don't cut it. I hope all of you, Slap, L&B, and whoever else suffers from a disorder like that can find comfort in knowing that we are here for them. Cause I know that it's not fun being in those types of moods, and self mutilation, or in my case, addiction to pain, isn't right. :ashamed: I'll be here for anyone who needs to talk. Just pm me.

 

[dirty hippie]

I am dealing with this, too. Unfortunitely I am dealing with the depressive side. I have been fighting with depression and severe self mutilation for years now, I have been on a menu of pills but nothing seems to be working for me. I am type II which is more depressive, my mother has type I, which is the more manic bi-polar. I am taking Cymbalta, Abilify, Seroquel, Geodon, and Trileptol at the moment, the Geodon will be cut out in a few days.

Hey there. I know exactly where you're coming from. I dealt with severe SI for years and years - over 15 inpatient stays because of it, and numerous nights spent in the ER. I've been SI-free for three years now. (As a Christmas present, my parents are paying for plastic surgery.) So if you ever need to chat, my PM box is open.

Just out of curiousity - for someone who is bipolar II, you seem to be on a lot of anti-psychotics and mood-stabilizers. Have you talked to your psych about that?

I don't know if my experiences really "count" as a chronic illness...I guess I've never considered it like that. Right now I'm struggling with my anorexia again. (I recently got out of the hospital and am at my highest weight in years.) I've had 20+ inpatient hospitalizations for things ranging from parasuicidal self-harm to depression to anorexia. My official diagnosises are Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression recurrent, and Anorexia purging-type.

I dunno. Blahblah. I could go on forever, but I'll spare ya'all details that you probably don't want to hear.

 

[Lyndsay]

Dirty Hippie, actually I would love to hear the details. Pm me, please, I suffered through anorexia as well, but that was about 3 years ago.

 

[fourbwabbys]

You all are so strong.
I don't think I can really compare with some of the things you all deal with every day. In the past 2 years I have had 2 surgeries and 4 hospital stays. I had ovarian cysts that were removed. I didn't even know I had them until I had a sledding accident in 2004 that burst one of the cysts. They couldn't figure out what was wrong with me for months until they got more and more oppinions. In the first surgery, I had my left ovary and 1 durmoid cyst and one terratoma removed. The second surgery, in April of this year, I had a stage II immature terratoma removed from my right ovary. (Stage I is benign, and stage III has potential to become malignant, so I was right in the middle.) That's how I got my guinea pigs. I had been researching them for years, but my mom didn't want them. She finally agreed to it as a get well present. Hey, it was all good for something. Since then, all of my catscans, MRI's and ultrasounds have been clean. Well then comes today. I woke up with really bad stomach pain on my left side where my ovary was removed. I went into the ER and they did an ultasound and couldn't find anything bad, but they found another cyst on my right ovary. They don't know if it is going to pop on its own or continue growing. I was on ortho evra to supress the ovary and keep the cysts from growing, but I had to go off that last week because it gave me complex migrains. So I'm finally back home and have to go back to the hospital if it gets worse. They're still not sure if it's related to the past surgeries. And keep in mind that I'm not even 18 yet. (Can't post my age) I could use some cheering up now, as I'm worried that they cyst may not go away. I know it's not as severe as some of your illnesses, but I thought I'd share.

 

[mom to cujo]

Being young and dealing with illness, either physical or mental, must be so difficult. You are just learning how to get around in life and illness is really a curveball that you shouldn't have to deal with. Keep telling yourself that you have youth on your side as far as recovery goes. You need to vent as often as you need to and be sure you always have someone that you can talk to about whatever is on your mind.

Before my cancer diagnosis I had been caring for my brother who is psychotic and paranoid. He brought this on himself by abusing cocaine and crack. He up and left his life, moved to Florida and smoked himself into insanity. He is on a multitude of meds now (I got him home, got him hospitalized, found him an apartment down the hall from our condo) and is slowly trying to climb out of the hole he dug for himself. The medication has made him obese, he doesn't care aobut his appearance, personal grooming, or anything fr that matter, but he is in treatment and has been sober since 3/4/05. Since I got sick he is devastated. I just tell him if he wants me to fight then he needs to fight as well. He had a drug problem 20 or so years ago so I figured he would have learned, but this time it did brain damage and he thinks people are out to kill him. It is heart breaking.

I want you all to know that you are all in my heart and prayers. We are all much stronger than we are aware and we will all be okay!

Much love and hugs to everyone!
OXOX

 

[Slap Maxwell]

Hippie- I know. I don't know why my doctor keeps adding them. I take the Abilify for my unrealistic thoughts, and the Seroquel I take to sleep.

I have been inpatient once and had to do rehab for eight months in a PHP. That was the worst for me, so I have not gone or lied my way out of ending in the hospital when I go to the ER.

My mom had to get plastic surgery on her face to fill in her scars. I am happy you have been SI free for so long, I relapsed a few months ago after about six months clean.

Lyndsay- do tell someone about the SI. As long as you are not doing it now it is confidential.

MTC- I am so sorry to hear about your brother. I can't say I know what it feels like to have to deal with that.

Sending positive vibes to everybody.

 

[suzilovespiggie]

My son is being tested for Bi-polar. He has such mood swings, ups downs and he self medicates. It has been very hard on his family. I do not know much about it, but I guess I will be learning to help him.

 

[Slap Maxwell]

How is he self medicating suzi? My self medicating is the SI and TSing.

 

[suzilovespiggie]

He uses drugs, pot and alcohal. What is SI and TSing? I may have misunderstood. I thought self medicating was to take something to help cope with what is going on. Not always the right medicating. Like I said I know so very little. I have suspected Bi=Polor for awhile in him. He has agreed to go in for testing and be put on real meds if need be.
He is a child of after VietNam. His father suffered from Agent Orange Poisoning and I was told it effected my son. The whole marriage thing was not so stable and wholesome either. Alot of the problems in him are showing up now. The depressions, mood swings, highs and lows. His wife is happy he has agreed to be tested and we are all trying to learn more about it so we can all help him and each other.

 

[BabyGrl]

SI is Self Injuring.

 

[Lyndsay]

fourbwabbys- ovarian cysts are not fun to deal with and I'm hoping and hoping that I never got those genes passed to me. My chances are very low though, every single girl on my fathers side, sisters, cousins, of the line have gotten them, and I've had problems with certian issues around those. Nothing nearly as serious, no surgeries or anything. I hope that they figure out whats going on with you, and that they can treat you without any serious side effects. I wish you the best, and send some cheering up vibes your way. *hugs*

Slap- I have another psych appointment next week. :ashamed: