Bipolar check-in # 66

Today is my cousin's son's open house. Wonder if there'll be food. Speaking of food, I got a letter from my health insurance company today that says I have to get my doctor to send a letter to them that states that I've met such and such criteria and that she can submit more information, ask to speak with a reviewer, or ask for an appeal. This is about Wegovi. Insurance companies suck. So many hoops that they hope you give up on.

This morning N 3 and I went to the botanical gardens. It was so busy there! We looked at cacti 🌵 and the huge koi in a rectangular pond. We went outside and walked the gardens. We saw a garter snake sunning itself until it got nervous and left. We walked down the trails and talked about family things. He had to take me home after because he had to pick up his gf's brother. As N 3 dropped me off, I thanked him for our morning together.

Edited to add:. The open house for my cousin's son was nice. Lots of food - I only had one trip even though I was very hungry when I got there. I did have a piece of graduation cake which was both good and bad- the chocolate cake was good but the white frosting not so much. My cousins' dad came over and kissed me on the forehead! I hadn't seen him for years. I mean probably 30! My other cousin and family came in from Seattle! I wasn't the fattest person there but probably number 3. Everyone else was thin. My cousin from Seattle was good about N1 (who wasn't there), using the correct pronouns. We discussed what my kids are doing. For the longest time I just listened to others talk. Eventually, my mom wanted to leave because she had a 45-minute drive back.

I tended to my new plant- needed lots of tlc- when I got home. Took a shower before we went to the party. Nobody mentioned that I'm bipolar- that I know of, anyway. When people asked what I'm doing lately, I said that I'm walking a lot to try to lose weight. When I left however, walking back to the car, this scene played out in my head of me back at the party screaming at everybody. I don't know why. Then they would take me to the psych ER. All in my mind about this party. It was like a memory playing back of something that really happened.

You should find and watch "Kathleen Madigan: Bothering Jesus". (The Jesus part is only a small part.). It's hilarious! She"s Lewis Black's best friend and he actually opened for her for this show. Lewis Black, if you don't know is also a stand-up comedian who is also hilarious.v Check them out. This is on Netflix.

@*Beth* hopefully the medication settles soon and your symptoms go away.
@Moose72 I'm glad you had fun at your cousin's son's open house
@Nammu I'm glad you were able to sleep.

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Originally Posted by Soupe du jour @*Beth*, I hope you will give the new med a fair shot. Perhaps the balance issue will ease as you adjust to it. I think most meds need at least three weeks before a firm judgement should be made. I've experienced some that took months for side effects to subside. Sometimes I learned it was worth the wait in the end. Patience does suck most of the time, though. Dang, have I had to learn it in my life!

Ah, yes...patience. I'm supposed to be learning about patience in therapy. I'm a slow learner.

I feel really bad about your trip not being too successful. Yes, France is expensive, alright. And not always so open to outsiders. I've always thought that Louis XIV set the tone, haha.

Heat like that is hellish, anywhere. When I started out I traveled in the summer. After a beastly stint in San Antonio (Texas) in August I decided to travel in the late winter/early spring. Home is plenty hot enough for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moose72 Today is my cousin's son's open house. Wonder if there'll be food. Speaking of food, I got a letter from my health insurance company today that says I have to get my doctor to send a letter to them that states that I've met such and such criteria and that she can submit more information, ask to speak with a reviewer, or ask for an appeal. This is about Wegovi. Insurance companies suck. So many hoops that they hope you give up on. This morning N 3 and I went to the botanical gardens. It was so busy there! We looked at cacti 🌵 and the huge koi in a rectangular pond. We went outside and walked the gardens. We saw a garter snake sunning itself until it got nervous and left. We walked down the trails and talked about family things. He had to take me home after because he had to pick up his gf's brother. As N 3 dropped me off, I thanked him for our morning together. Edited to add:. The open house for my cousin's son was nice. Lots of food - I only had one trip even though I was very hungry when I got there. I did have a piece of graduation cake which was both good and bad- the chocolate cake was good but the white frosting not so much. My cousins' dad came over and kissed me on the forehead! I hadn't seen him for years. I mean probably 30! My other cousin and family came in from Seattle! I wasn't the fattest person there but probably number 3. Everyone else was thin. My cousin from Seattle was good about N1 (who wasn't there), using the correct pronouns. We discussed what my kids are doing. For the longest time I just listened to others talk. Eventually, my mom wanted to leave because she had a 45-minute drive back. I tended to my new plant- needed lots of tlc- when I got home. Took a shower before we went to the party. Nobody mentioned that I'm bipolar- that I know of, anyway. When people asked what I'm doing lately, I said that I'm walking a lot to try to lose weight. When I left however, walking back to the car, this scene played out in my head of me back at the party screaming at everybody. I don't know why. Then they would take me to the psych ER. All in my mind about this party. It was like a memory playing back of something that really happened.

That "like a memory" sensation is such an odd feeling. I've had that happen.

Ooh, botanical gardens are the loveliest.

And insurance companies are wicked.

I often told my daughter when she was very young that patience is best acquired young, it’s elusive when you get old. She’d roll her eyes and say, yes mum. But she is very patient.

Paternal:
Belarus, Ukraine, Russia (Moscow).

Maternal:
England, Scotland, Wales, Norway, France.

My mother's father's (Scottish) ancestors landed in Massachusetts in the late 1600's & at some point came out west. My father's family came from Belarus/Ukraine to NYC in 1910.

Isn’t ancestry fascinating 🧐

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Originally Posted by Nammu Isn’t ancestry fascinating 🧐

It absolutely is! I knew (almost) all of mine because family members had kept track, but then my son gave me a DNA test as a gift. The one big surprise was French. Someone in my mother's mother's ancestry was French. None of us ever knew that.

It's also interesting, and very sad, that my paternal family had to escape from Belarus and Ukraine because of being terrorized by the Russian government. Nothing new under the sun.

Well kids, it's 1:21 a.m. The devil fools with the best laid plans. I was exhausted all day and intended to take the Caplyta, go to bed by 10:30, and sleep. Sidney's glucose numbers have been decent so when I did her bedtime blood test I expected a nice number and bed. But, her number had dropped too low. So I fed her high-carb canned food with a little blob of honey. That was hours ago and, although her numbers have increased they're still not high enough/stable enough for me to go to bed. I'll be testing her in 10 more minutes, see where we are.

Poor baby, she is such an intelligent cat and so cooperative about having her dear ears poked over and over. It breaks my heart, but it has to be done, as a hypo could become very dangerous. I'm still planning to take the Caplyta; if I end up sleeping all afternoon, so be it. Lucky it's a Sunday and Monday a holiday.

We got showered and dressed and out to the Cracker Barrel for a good meal yesterday. I had a great fruit and veggie plate. Yum! I also got some of my favorite jellybeans - buttered popcorn.

This morning, I already have my bathing suit on…..ready to go. I’m determined to get down to the pool soon. It’s been over a week since I floated. Hopefully, today is easier for both mom and I. Yesterday was tough. First thing in the morning is a good time and then the pain hits. I’m trying to gain ground where I can and help mom through it as well.

Mom has her dog - a Norfolk terrier. We’re thinking of getting a kitten. That will be nice.

I hope everybody has a peaceful day. Hugs to all.

Pain. Just... pain. Feeling like I've had an ulcer while making frequent trips to the toilet is... 🤬. Having the taste of bile in my mouth from nausea doesn't help either.

My initial plan to distract myself (power up the PS4 and play some games) fell through due to technical difficulties. A bad controller, hopefully. So, I took full advantage of my Roku and streamed most of a crime drama through the night. So, I've been up all night, although (somewhat) by choice.

I did contact the nurse line that my hospital had and explained my med situation and the importance of having those meds. They were able to swing a 7 day supply of colestipol. Downside: price. I don't have the funds at the moment, and the going rate for a week of colestipol is somehow 50% the price of a month of the stuff. Lovely.

I should probably try to sleep eventually. I have places to be in about 5 hours.

I hope you feel better And I hope the med situation gets worked out

May I ask what your favorite games are from a fellow gamer? I play on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, I'd like to get a PS4 or PS5 someday, but don't have the money for it at the moment.

I play games such as: Animal Crossing, Pokémon, The Witcher 3, Skyrim, Stardew Valley, Fable, Zelda, Mario, Luigi's Mansion 3, a lot of the Lego games, The Sims 4, Shenmue, Red Dead Redemption, Rune Factory 4

How long have you been taking the Seroquel? I’ve never been on 25mg. I was on it for 10yrs mainly between 800-1200mg but I started at 200. I was tired the next day at the start and after dose increases but after a while that goes away for a lot of people who take it regularly. I was fine if I got at least 8hrs sleep. Problem was at the dose I was on I could (and often did) sleep for 12-15hrs. Anyway what I’m trying to say is maybe (hopefully) your body will get used to it after a while of regular use and you won’t be tired during the day?

I slept for about 12 hours last night. I put my phone in the living room so I couldnt use it. Then I just slept from about 5:30PM until 5AM. I woke up around 11 to eat a bowl of cereal. But I slept a long time. I felt pretty good when I got up. Today was my nephews last little leauge game and I haven't gone to any and the other day he asked why. They were all in the evening when I am asleep. This one was early and it was his last one so I decided to go to it since I was feeling up to it. Now I'm at home and my stomach is slightly slightly off after the avocado toast I had for lunch, but I'm not sure how bad it will get. I've had 2 bottles of water and some rice ramen without the broth and then the avocado toast. I also had an iced coffee and a 20oz Mountain Dew. So I did eat today and I've had enough water. Its just this weird gallbladeer issue. But at least I got out of the house to the game so I'm not seeming like too much of a grump.

Yay! Got down to the pool by 8:20 with mom in tow. Had a great time on a beautiful, cloudless day. It’s only 82 here so I got chilled big time and now I have a big pot of chili going on the stove. It smells delicious. Dessert is chilled watermelon and berries. Strange combo, I know, but it’s what I feel like.

Chilled watermelon and berries- that sounds heavenly!

My sisters families basement pipe broke this morning. So they have zero water. They got a plumber in on a Sunday but I guess the plumber can't fix it right now and the villiage had to turn off the water. So all 4 of them have to stay the night. The 6 and 8 year old are super excited. Their folks arent. My mom isn't totally happy to have to give up her room. I don't really like them here overnight just because I am a night owl who can be loud at times but my mom and brother can sleep through it. I also get up at 5:30 which won't work in a house of 7. But what happens happens I guess. I just hope my brother in law isn't too crabby tonight. He is bipolar as well and can get quite moody at times although never really directed towards anyone in particular, but just in general.

It's Father's Day. My sister calls our dad every day at 3 pm his time. So today we tried calling on a 3 way call to talk with him together but he didn't answer. Five hours- and many calls later- I looked up the non emergency police number for my dad's city. Oh- back story: he has multiple health issues. Now my sister has called them and they went to check on him but they went to the wrong condo!

Update:. The police officer who went to Dad's house called my sister and said he's basically living in squalor - his place is a mess and there are no sheets on the bed and he's soiled the bed he has no food in the house, his sink is full, etc etc. He already has a Drs appointment tomorrow. I hope he'll go. The police are calling Adult Protective Services to hopefully start the ball rolling. His doctor told him months ago that he needs to be in assisted living. I'm hoping that's where this ends up. My sister asked if there was evidence that he's been drinking. The officer said she didn't see any but that she didn't check his trash. He falls a lot and has hit his head in the bathroom. I don't want to see my dad die this way. Someone has to help him.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aurelius710 Pain. Just... pain. Feeling like I've had an ulcer while making frequent trips to the toilet is... 🤬. Having the taste of bile in my mouth from nausea doesn't help either. My initial plan to distract myself (power up the PS4 and play some games) fell through due to technical difficulties. A bad controller, hopefully. So, I took full advantage of my Roku and streamed most of a crime drama through the night. So, I've been up all night, although (somewhat) by choice. I did contact the nurse line that my hospital had and explained my med situation and the importance of having those meds. They were able to swing a 7 day supply of colestipol. Downside: price. I don't have the funds at the moment, and the going rate for a week of colestipol is somehow 50% the price of a month of the stuff. Lovely. I should probably try to sleep eventually. I have places to be in about 5 hours.

I'm so sorry you're stuck in such a cruel situation. That anyone should have to be without medication is appalling.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jennifer 1967 Yay! Got down to the pool by 8:20 with mom in tow. Had a great time on a beautiful, cloudless day. It’s only 82 here so I got chilled big time and now I have a big pot of chili going on the stove. It smells delicious. Dessert is chilled watermelon and berries. Strange combo, I know, but it’s what I feel like.

Not at all strange - the fruit sounds divine.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unlived How long have you been taking the Seroquel? I’ve never been on 25mg. I was on it for 10yrs mainly between 800-1200mg but I started at 200. I was tired the next day at the start and after dose increases but after a while that goes away for a lot of people who take it regularly. I was fine if I got at least 8hrs sleep. Problem was at the dose I was on I could (and often did) sleep for 12-15hrs. Anyway what I’m trying to say is maybe (hopefully) your body will get used to it after a while of regular use and you won’t be tired during the day?

I was on 12.5mg for a year or so, then 25mg for a few months. A while ago, for 7 years, I was on a higher dose of Seroquel. I had plenty of side effects, but no benefits - except good sleep.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mountaindewed My sisters families basement pipe broke this morning. So they have zero water. They got a plumber in on a Sunday but I guess the plumber can't fix it right now and the villiage had to turn off the water. So all 4 of them have to stay the night. The 6 and 8 year old are super excited. Their folks arent. My mom isn't totally happy to have to give up her room. I don't really like them here overnight just because I am a night owl who can be loud at times but my mom and brother can sleep through it. I also get up at 5:30 which won't work in a house of 7. But what happens happens I guess. I just hope my brother in law isn't too crabby tonight. He is bipolar as well and can get quite moody at times although never really directed towards anyone in particular, but just in general.

Uuuggghhhh

Well, that was a tough night, but thank the Universe Sidney is okay. A dear woman in the Feline Diabetes group stayed online with me all night, giving me encouragement and good suggestions.

At 4:15 a.m. Sid's glucose had finally picked up to a good number and had stabilized (stayed at a good number for an hour). So she and I, and the other four kits, finally turned the lights off and went to sleep at 4:30. I did take the Caplyta, btw.

I slept for a couple of hours, then had to re-test Sid, give her her insulin shot and feed everybody. Went back to bed and slept. At noon I needed to re-test my girl and feed her. I drank some orange juice and decided it was a good idea to sleep some more. I did, dreamt I was with Vincent Van Gogh, and awoke at 4 p.m. feeling pretty rested.

Great news - I don't seem to have any side-effects from the Caplyta. Well, except that it does make me feel hungry, so I have to watch that. But no dizziness/off balance feeling. My plan is to be in bed by 10:15 tonight (after taking my meds, including Caplyta) and see how it goes. My hope is that it quiets my mind in addition to helping me to sleep.

Thank you again for your encouragement about the Caplyta.

Noah and my other N., my daughter, called David today to wish him a happy Father's Day. My daughter is out here from New York to pack up her belongings and finalize her divorce. She had her gallbladder removed last month, but is having severe stomach pain. I'm very worried about her. Of course, she refuses to communicate with me. From best buds to this, and I still do not know why. Neither David nor I believe her lack of communication with me is understandable - or healthy for her.

I told David that if she is hospitalized while here I am going to see her whether she likes it, or not. She's planning to fly back to NY in 10 days, but she's having such bad pain. Something's not right.

So. That's my update.

Love all around~

We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet.
-W.B. Yeats

Oooo Beth you were with Van Gogh! What a great Person to share a dream with!