Bipolar Check-in #40

glad that is over with!
It's an icy day here. Lot of cancellations.
Catch up with you later!

Thanks for updating us. Glad to hear you made it through the test. I know it was a long drive and you had to leave super early. At least it is over.

I'm so happy the liver situation is stable and has not progressed. Is there a specific diet recommended for fatty liver?

Good luck with your T tomorrow. I'm sure you'll be able to prioritize and spend the time as best you can. Hopefully it will help your process some of the experiences you've had lately. I know it has been a lot.

Enjoy the weather. It Is beautiful here too. We plan to enjoy the backyard later this afternoon!

Well alot has happened this week. I went to a baby shower on saturday, hung out with my friend on sunday and saw both my tdoc and pdoc on monday. Im sooo exhausted. Supposedly the higher lithium dose is making me drowsy and now my pdoc doesn't want me driving until I see her on Monday. And on top of everything, I have my grad school interview tomorrow which is making me sooo nervous and anxious.

I'm glad to read that you got through the test, Christina. Hopefully in December you'll get something that makes a difference for you.

I'm glad your liver hasn't worsened.

Wishing you better sleep tonight without the extra X.

Thanks, Christina! I hope my brother can go home tonight, too. As I type, he is getting a scary procedure done. We will be here when it is over (we've been here since late morning). My sister may come soon to relieve us and take bro home, if he is released. My brother is obviously very scared and upset.

I had to cancel my therapy appointment for this afternoon. My brother is more important. Luckily, my husband is with me. I will definitely see my psychiatrist on Friday. As great as my therapist is, my psychiatrist is my second most important support, after my husband. He really knows me and my family situation.

Dad is officially at his assisted living. My sister is finalizing his outpatient details (dual diagnosis). I'll see Dad tomorrow. I hope my brother is out of the hospital to see our dad tomorrow or the day after. He'll then give our dad the "softened" version of what happened.

It's been a very good day, healing from my grotesque food binge of Sunday morning. Eating lightly and cautiously. Entrails still a bit sore.

Fantastic news: i tired a grocery delivery service today and it went excellent! I have more hope for the future knowing that i can stay in groceries now that i am not able to leave my home until my physical health improves. I cooked a chicken breast for the first time in decades! It was good and i only ate half. Yay protein! (Chronic trouble getting enough protein and it probably isn't helping my muscle-wasting and weakness.)

My doctor replied re my question about how to eat healthy (as my Overeaters Anonymous (OA) urges consultation with a doctor) and said about what i expected: make small manageable changes according to the Canada Food Guide. Glad he didn't insist on seeing me in person. Communicating with him online is really working out well!

I also texted a woman i like about being my OA sponsor. I really like her, she's got a nice gentle way about her. We'll see.

I emailed in three more documents re my travel cancellation insurance claim so i am inching towards having that resolved.

My mood is good tho i feel very quiet and fragile but that is just how i am at the moment. Looking forward to my building's coffee social on Thursday morning and a hockey game on Saturday afternoon.

@BirdDancer: Sounds like you are making progress with both your brother AND your dad. Glad your sister is helping. Sorry you had to miss your appointment today but i agree that your brother's crisis is the priority. It must be very hard for you right now and i am keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.

@~Christina: Glad you made it thru your pulmonary function test. I've had one and they are quite a workout! Sorry to hear you have to wait til December 16th for the results. Sounds like quite a long time. It sucks about the fatty liver but at least it's not deteriorating. Looks like we are in the same boat re weight and exercise. "Meh" is right! Your hair looks WONDERFUL! You really have A LOT of it! I'm not able to grow my hair long because i just get manic and go crazy with the scissors. Long hair on women looks so much more feminine . . . Wishing you good zzzs tonight!

I’m glad you are feeling a bit better. I felt so badly for you yesterday. I hope the pain stays at a tolerable level.

I’m back down deep and fighting with everything I have to turn it around. My NP wants to try lithium which I’m very wary of. I’ll give it a try. My medical test was good so we’ll treat the pain with medicine and physical therapy and hope that works.

Thank you for asking!
I appreciate you!

Thanks Fern!!!

Fatty liver is really avoid all carbs, sugar.. increase veggies which is never a problem I love them ! Also avoid alcohol, I don’t even drink, maybe one glass of wine a year.

As for exercise. Right now it’s impossible with my breathing being so damn bad.

I’m sure my T will help me figure what is causing me the most distress, he’s wonderful

Thanks BirdDancer

Yes I am relieved. I’m still taking an additional inhaler , it’s just wait and see until the Humira is fully out of my system and I’m expected to go back to normal breathing.

How are you today ??!

Oh boy, oh boy! What a long day. The social worker from the hospital called mum was released to the nursing home closest to her home. Yay! Drove over there no problem. Then when I went to get the car from the ramp this red light I've never seen before comes on and the car is stuttering and the other light starts flashing! Heart in mouth I drive around to pick up mum. She's trying to see the lights and I'm yelling at her to put her belt on. I texted my nephew and then stopped at an auto zone. The guy was really nice. Plugged in this machine and said it was safe to drive mum home.

Got to the nursing home and it's pretty basic. Sort of disheartening. Came home packed mum a bag of clothes and took a folding table so she had a table. Then went to hellmart and bought a cushion for the bed and a comfy comfortable bedspread and a little Christmas tree. My nephew stopped by and helped carry in all the stuff then came by the house to close the ceiling vents.

Tomorrow I'll be taking the car in to see what's what.

Sounds like a tough test. Glad it done but wish you'd get the results sooner. Oh yeah, it's easy for them to say excercising and diet will solve everything! :rollseyes:

A power bowl is a frozen meal that is the newest thing, grains and veggies. Pretty good and filling.

I sure hope the procedure went well. Hospitals are exhausting places. Glad your dad is settled now and hope he likes the IOP

Thanks I often want to chop mine off but I hand my husband my hair scissors and force myself to wait 2 weeks. By the Im I’m over the urge.

Well my Pulmonary appt is December 16th because Humira is what the Doctor feels has caused this breathing fiasco , he put on an addl inhaler so I just have to wait it out until Humira is fully out of my system. Half life is 3-6 months.

I’m looking seriously into the Keto diet since is really restricts Carbs, Atkins does also, just not as much. At least I’m going to see actual weight loss pretty quick, it’s not something I want to do long long term as high protein is hard on the kidneys. Metabolic syndrome just makes things more difficult. Loathe what psych meds can do to a body.

Hope your having a nice night

Oh yes yes you have certainly had a busy busy day. I’m glad your nephew helped.

I’m glad you got your Mom settled in and she can build up her strength.

I hope your car will be a cheap fix

Nammu

It’s just a stupid waiting game with my lungs, once the Humira is out of my system my lungs should go back to normal. So no reason to see the Doctor sooner.. Humira half life is 3-6 month!!! Argh ! He just added an additional inhaler.

I will have to see if my grocery store carries those bowls. Sounds good !

I am sorry I am going to have to cut back my internet usage as it is interfering....I can no longer keep up. I will post an update on my thread.
Thank you for your support.
bizi

I slept 8 hours

I woke up multiple times but I made it to 8 hours!

Here's my sleep graph for the past 7 days...check out the big drop (the line near the middle is 6 hours):

Awoke at 5am still feeling tired but not as depressed as I’ve been for the past 2.5mths. Treatment Resistance, Bipolar 2, Rapid cycler, Borderline Personality Disorder. Praying that the minutes, hrs, day stay good to me..😊

Meds:
Ketamine
Abilify
Wellbutrin
Viibryd
Synthroid
Imovane
Ativan
Foquest

to the bipolar PC

Well, I slept from 8 until 0230, which is unheard of for me. The Seroquel seems to be helping with that. The simplest thing would be to go back to the long-acting Ambien, but I sleep-cook and sleep-walk and sleep-email people on it and I'm sure, since people sleep-drive, that I could sleep-bicycle. It's just not safe, which is a shame, because it does work for me. So, Seroquel it is.

Yeah, Fern, IOP is a good idea. Just not sure about the payment part. I will call St. V's, wher it takes place, and see what the deal is. I did IOP there after my car accident and suicide attempt in 2007 and it was great. So, we'll see.

Sometimes psychotic, I don't know for sure that it is EPS. But my hand are just moving all the time. It's not exactly just a tremor. I don't really know what it is. Will look into your suggestions. Thank you.

Thank you, WC, for your positiviity and prayers. I am into prayer. That's perfect for me.

Just very brief period of voices yesterday, totally doable. Not seeing things. No spirits or whatever sliding under my door. No microphones or CIA people in the hall. So, better. Very grateful. I might be able to manage this.

What I am supposed to make of all this, I don't really know. I have a very serious mental illness and it can flare. Have to be vigilant, I guess. I do tend to crash to the down pole after a big mania, but this time, truthfully, it was more psychosis than mania. So, we'll just have to wait and see.

Again, so very grateful for all the support here. I am honestly not sure if I would still be alive if it were not for all of you. So, thanks. Forever indebted.

Got the green light to get outside. Going to go exercise and see how it feels. Hopefully, it will be a good start to a good day.

Thanks for the update. I'm glad things are continuing to move in a positive direction. It seems like you have a number of potentially very helpful things to try.

I'm happy to hear you are open to prayer. You will now be in my prayers in addition to my thoughts. I wanted to share that after I got sick my brother pointed me to a series of sermons that focused on renewal and health. They spoke about a daily renewal of the mind, heart, body and spirit. I now pray for this every day. It helps me to set a good intention that I can continually align with. This comes from Romans 12: 'Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.' Our minds are resilient and you will get through this.

Enjoy your time outside. I find it helps with the renewal process. Much love to you!

Fantastic!
Must be in the stars!
I'd slept more last night, too.
keep the Faith!

Hi Bizi!

It's been quite a treat to have you participating on this thread with us.
I do understand you are working on achieving balance, which is always a healthy goal!

just a side-note: It's entirely acceptable to share/respond here without responding to all posts.

I'll see you on your thread!
Keep on keeping on!

With Love and Appreciation!