So for years I've been telling various doctors and therapists that my normal weight was 110 lbs. (I'm 5'6"), and that I've gained 125 lbs. since starting Seroquel. They always have the same reaction...slight nod, vague expression. A bored an disbelieving, "hummm...".

It took me a few years, but today I got an idea.

I had an appointment with my pdoc. I took a photograph of myself taken 10 years ago to the appointment and I placed it on her desk. She picked it up and looked shocked. She even looked nervous. She said, "Oh! OH! This...I wouldn't have known you...I...OH..."

Yeah. Do you get it now, pdoc? These meds are poisoning me. Causing me to pack on weight, causing my blood pressure to spike, causing my cholesterol and glucose to go up. This stuff is killing me. Yes, some of it is necessary and okay, but some of it is unnecessary and a waste.


*I guess it's true that a picture is worth 1,000 words.*


Pdoc is titrating me down and off the damned Seroquel (I keep telling them it isn't doing anything for me except causing weight gain and making me sleepy all day).
She gave her okay for me to stop the useless Gabapentin. An absolute waste of a med for me.
I told her I don't want to go any higher on Lamictal because it causes a tremor and I cannot do art work with a tremor- and I think my dose is high enough, anyway. So I'm staying at 150mg.
She finally listened when I told her for the 75th time that Cymbalta is not helping me at all. She's switched me over to Paxil.
(Klonopin - another story. I've been taking it for over 20 years, so stopping it is going to be a huge undertaking. But at least the K-pin isn't causing weight gain or other health problems.)

I left feeling victorious. I no longer want to be unheard and overmedicated. I don't want to continue being in chronic pain from too much weight gain. I want to be able to do physical activities like I used to. I do not want to keep fighting not falling asleep every minute of every day.

From now on, I'm taking that photo with me to every doctor's and therapist's appointment until each one of them sees it and believes my truth.
I signed up for a free week at a gym in my town. If I like it, I'll join. I have hope and determination again.

I only wish I would have thought to take that picture to doctor's appointments years ago.