Bipolar check-in #44

How is everyone's medication supply? I've done an inventory and am trying to be sure that's covered. I know (or hope) pharmacies will remain open through the whole covid-19 risk period, but doctor availability seems to be an issue for some.

I don't have to worry about meds. My pharmacy works with my clinic. Everything is electronic. If I'm out of a refil the pharmacy calls my doc and takes care of it. Except for my sleep med everything is 90 days. It's coming up soon. They told me to just write a note and stick it in the drive through saying that I'm deaf and I can use the drive though and not have to go in. This is one of my silver linings.

I have no upcoming appointments so dont have to worry about that either.

Really hoping that Ritalin helps you out, Wander. But just in case it doesn't, remember, sometimes when it isn't helpful. Adderall (not sure what brand name is in Au) and Provigil (modafinil) might work. Ritalin was awful for me--made me dysphoric and feel yukky. But Adderall and Provigil are both great for me.

Sending you peace and strength. You will make it through this!!

We did the same thing with our food. Isn't it funny how we are much less conscious of waste when things are well? I'm personally grateful to this experience to opening my eyes to how much more we can stretch what we have by making some minor adjustments. Silver linings playbook

In the benzoo..
(benzos at night for sleep and am going to have to cut down..)
Hoping I do not need seroquel which I have not had for some time..
Grrrr
(in the prehistoric forest I live in (irl) things “work” - or don’t, differently...

Hugs and respect to all

God, I wish the president would not accept questions! He's off the cuff and that's always bad. Just give updates and go back to tv watching. Geesh

I mentioned in Miss Laura's thread that my pdoc called and said the upcoming session will be a telephone or video call session. I'm still waiting to learn which it will be and the platform. That appointment is next Wednesday. I'm now almost 100% sure his trip to Europe will be cancelled. I'll ask him next week.

I found toilet paper somewhere. We actually have a somewhat reasonable supply, but I thought I'd get a bit more, just in case. I haven't seen any in the two local grocery stores. None in the CVS downtown. I did find some in a Walgreens. That Walgreens is not a busy place, a pharmacy I never go to, normally. That's likely why they had some. Not our usual brand, but such luxury of choice is gone right now. I also bought a couple other things...just in case...like dish washing detergent and more freezer containers and gallon bags for soups, and such. I'm really accumulating a lot of soups and homemade broth. I also have a variety of muffins I've frozen. I read that yeast is now gone from many stores. I bought plenty before the worst of the rush started.

I started the corned beef this morning. I forgot to make it yesterday. So we have it a day late! It makes a lot of meals and though I bought the smallest brisket they had it's going to make several meals. I'll freeze 1/3 of it immediately and use 1/3 to make home made hash. So this is one meal I feel comfortable about spreading out. Next week when we get some room in the freezer I'm gonna make a pot of vegetables soup, that freezes pretty well too.

YumYum! Send some by, please -- I LOVE corned beef hash! -- Couple of over medium eggs, and I'm a VERY happy camper!

Which, actually I AM a pretty happy camper in the midst of this situation. I love my room, and am getting to all kinds of things I normally don't have time for. And I'm making a point of having fun.

Here is a funny thing I hadn't seen in awhile...


From Wallace and Gromit's Nick Park, an earlier project with animals being interviewed. Funny stuff.

It’s been a few days. I’ve been trying to lie low for the most part. I know they say isolation is horrible for mental health but sometimes you just want to be alone. I don’t use much social media. My mom keeps me up to date on family/friends and what’s going on. Right now, there is apparently a big rift in my family right now over this coronavirus. My brother is known to have strong ideas – just as my mother does, but it’s getting outrageous as they spat over facebook apparently. One constantly fights and bickers on facebook that the coronavirus is nothing but a mild virus not worth the attention it’s getting, and the other is highly concerned about its spread. This is one of the reasons I’m glad I don’t do facebook. Haha.

Long story short, I’m hearing these conversations happen and it makes me upset. Everyone is entitled to their opinions but when human lives are part of the equation, some tact and respect are kind of due. Comments about how it’s *only* killed X out of Y people in the world or x% of the infected. It these comments that really kind of upset me. As if their lives are insignificant, and this “mild” virus is nothing to concern yourself with. I don’t think the families of those affected or those who have died from it would see it quite the same. It’s killing people. It’s disrupting lives. There should be a healthy level of caution towards the virus. I’m not trying to persuade you to a side or a point here – I’m not exactly interested in giving my own perspective beyond saying that lives matter – and we shouldn’t lose sight of that. Take something that is personal to a lot of us and make a statement like that. Imagine someone saying to you “9/11 only killed like 3000 people.” – does that sit well with anyone? A terrorist attack is not a virus, but it took lives and disrupted many more. It was a time we put differences aside and came together as a nation. Why can’t we understand at the end of the day it’s people and their families that are being affected?

In other news. I have to go back to work today – this is my last attempt to be able to handle this. If I don’t make it through the night I will have to quit. I don’t have any other choice at this point. I have to pick the lesser of the two evils. Not having the job means getting *****ed at for being pathetic everyday – but I can hide behind a door and cry with that. I can’t handle a panic attack every moment a phone call comes in at work. I have to face facts here.

Anyway, That’s it.
MarcusAurelius.

Thank you, Marcus!

I can't tell you how grateful I am for your very thoughtful post.
Each life is very "significant,' as you have reminded us.

I hope work goes well for you.

Nice to hear from you! I'm surprised you have to go in at all with COVID-19. I hope it goes well!

Good post. I agree that each life is very ''significant''

hugs and respect to all

I use samples of Vraylar since I can’t afford it or get patient assistance. My NP called today and said they are pulling sales reps out of the field so samples are drying up. She has put aside some of what remains for me and I will pick it up tomorrow. For now, I’ll take a Vraylar every other day. A little concerned since that’s the med keeping me stable. I could hear the concern in her voice.

I don’t know why but I’m in a really good mood today! I was headed out the door to the doctor’s office and my daughter called me in tears. No contest, I calmed down my daughter. Karma responded for missing that appointment. Nose bleed as I was driving to the store. My car and clothes looked like a crime scene. Lol!

Later I bought groceries, checked out and my card would not work! Walked out empty handed after all that trouble. I verified that I had money in the bank. A fluke I guess.

M is not coming for spring break at my request. I don’t know when I’ll see her. It could be weeks or months. I requested regular FaceTime which she hates.

And now this Vraylar complication.

Still I feel positive and think we will get through this. I wish everyone peace and love.

Picked up my vraylar samples. As of now I have 6 weeks worth. And my other meds are being mailed to me. Except one I had to go in person to pick up because it's a controlled substance. Thought I'd share that for a limited time CVS is doing free prescription deliveries in case anyone needs that

I have food, my fridge and cabinets are fully stocked. I was able to go to the food pantry and get a lot of stuff and my sister helped me out some as well.
So I'm all set to not go out the next couple of weeks. I saw my psychiatrist yesterday and she said if they close, she doesn't think they will be but if they do they will offer telehealth, they're not just going to abandon their patients during this, which is what I was worried about.

I'm feeling better, some stress has been relieved. I have food, have meds, so I'm good to go.

Hello everyone

Well I called my Pharmacy and asked if they could check and see if my Xanax and Xeljanz could be filled a bit early 5 days for one and 8 days for the other... Yes !

This is all about our insurance companies allowing it.. So it might be worth a call to see if you have any meds due in the next week or so.. Im sure each insurance plan has a window since this pandemic is going on..

My Daughters ridiculous Scientologist CEO that said this can be cured with lots of vitamins and everyone will be fine in a day has changed her tune, finally The VP of the company made the decision and starting Monday everyone will work from home.. So I am grateful and very relived.

I have no idea what my Pdoc and T plan to do during this time. Im at a bit of a bad spot. My internet wont support any online telehealth and I do not have enough of a cell service here to even answer the phone.. I am going to try and call them tomorrow and see what they are planning.

I truly hope people will take this situation seriously and not play " oh I'll be fine if I catch it" Yes maybe someone young and healthy might do fine, but they can be infecting so many other people before they know they even have it..

My county has posted on there Facebook page pleading everyone and especially young people to please follow social distancing and to stay home unless they HAVE to go out for there job or pick up groceries/ meds. They are also making plans to have a drive though set up next week for anyone running low on food.

Its a rain free day today We have barely seen the sun in the last month.. So I have been outside enjoying it

Hugs everyone

@~Christina Our prescription insurance is dropping the early refill restrictions for right now. I just got the email not long ago.

Reading all posts... Been home all day. So has n3. Doing dishes, laundry, basic stuff. Took a shower. I love that after-shower dressed-and-refreshed feeling! Talked with Caleb for while. This is really teaching me not to eat because I'm bored. My mom said I've lost weight. Yes- when you have to save your food as much as you can, you might lose weight. My mom is making corn chowder and going to give me some. Yum! I got my scripts refilled yesterday. Luckily, its a tiny pharmacy, so there's not usually anybody there but the pharmacist who knows me. No drive through though. I splurged on linguine last night. Boy was that yummy but I passed out in a pasta coma at 6 p.m. Got up a couple hours later and watched Will and Grace. There are five seasons with 4 dvds in each season so I've still got a lot to go. Is anybody here not doing Amazon or have they closed down too?

My daughter sent pictures of her local Walmart, the grocery section is bare! I keep wondering how much food is gonna be thrown away from this panic buying people are doing? Unless they're also panic buying freezers how are they going to keep it all?

Good point!

Hi Nammu. I didn't go crazy with shopping, but did do a bit of understandable stocking up. I've tried to be strategic with what I buy. As for quick perishables, I have a plan for them in the coming couple days. I've been trying to plan out meals so as not to let anything spoil. For longer term, I tried to buy stuff that has a long shelf or fridge life. For examples, with just some exceptions, I tried to buy plenty of root veggies, winter squash, and the like, that really can last for weeks without spoiling, if stored properly. I have several cans and sealed jars of various stuff in my garage and basement. My pantry is VERY well stocked with dry goods.

I bought a number of veggies that went into soups. We ate a bit fresh, then I froze the rest. I bought a number of those plastic disposable freezer containers and gallon size freezer bags for things like leftover muffins. Right now, I have five different homemade frozen soup options (plus homemade chicken broth), and three different frozen muffin options. Certainly meals like chili, goulash, or Bolognese sauce freeze well, too, as do meatballs, meatloaf, etc. I have various frozen dumplings and pierogies, frozen grilled Buffalo wings, frozen shrimp and tilapia, and other stuff. I bought sealed kielbasa and hot dogs that can last for a long time even in the fridge (yea, sodium nitrate). Pickles/sauerkraut stay long, too.

I confess that in addition to my regular fridge/freezer, I have a dorm fridge upstairs, and a chest freezer in the garage. I've had all of these for quite a while. They're just especially coming in use nowadays. We bought the chest freezer because our fridge had had issues a while back. I keep plenty of bags of frozen veggies and fruit there, plus vacuum sealed meats that I split up from value savings family packs. I even vacuum seal cheeses. They last four or even five times longer that way. I my Foodsaver vacuum sealer! I like the dorm fridge upstairs to keep beverages in, so I don't have to fall down stairs in the middle of the night. Between my Seroquel XR and Tegretol XR, I'm prone to being clumsy. I'm simply always thirsty.

12 Ways A Vacuum Food Sealer Can Save You Money

The ECT coordinator contacted me today saying they're trying to get permission to treat me next week or the week after. I kinda wonder if my pdoc (whom I saw on Monday) called my ECT doc and told her how bad things are going in my head. She mentioned calling and though I didn't ask her to go ahead with the call neither did I ask her not to. So I may have ECT sooner than I was expecting. Even my T (whom I saw today) thinks it's absurd that ECT is considered an elective procedure, i.e. non-essential.

That’s great news! I hope everything works out.

My school has shut down to students, but we are still required to report to the building. We started our disorganized remote learning program today, which involved calling each student multiple times in the course of four hours to go over their assignments (from their textbooks that they brought home on Friday and packets that haven’t even reached them yet as they were only mailed out yesterday). One problem is we only have 20 lines going out of the building, so only 20 of us (out of a staff of 50-60) can be on the phone at any given time. We are supposed to stick to a strict schedule, but there’s no way when there’s only 20 lines. Besides the fact that there’s only maybe 30 actual phones in the whole building. We have to rotate. So in reality, students are only getting10-15 mins of instruction time for each subject. I guess that’s true of ALL schools right now though.

Many of my coworkers are upset that we are still being required to come in. I’ve heard through the grapevine that some are calling the governor’s office to report the situation, as he has ordered all non essential businesses to close. We are considered non essential, being that we absolutely could be doing work from home if the hospital (my school is affiliated with a behavioral health hospital) would allow it. I guess they’re not seeing the need for it as the hospital itself is obviously an essential business. Anyway, it’s only a matter of time before our governor orders a total quarantine like Italy, based on the fact that cases are at least doubling, if not tripling every day. So...

Anyway I have a LOT of anxiety about this situation and I’m sure all of you do too, this has been my dumping ground but I realize not everyone wants to hear about it so after this I will not be talking about it any more. Hope everyone stays safe!