My ECT journey

Had my 12th session of ECT on Monday and will hopefully be discharged from hospital later today. I will be receiving a few more ECT sessions but as an outpatient. I think overall, it has been beneficial.

Hopefully the following won’t affect me as I stay in my room rather than mingle in the communal area, but the ward has been put on Amber alert as a patient and member of staff have contracted covid. I’m getting my booster jab on Thursday and I had a PCR test earlier today which I hope will show a negative result. Be Sod’s law though should it turn out positive

Last day was a bit of a whirlwind. The ward I was on got hit with covid (10 cases) and became a red alert ward. I tested negative and as I was an informal patient, made the decision to get the hell out of dodge. I've woke up this morning at home and did a lateral flow test and still negative, so looks like I dodged a bullet.

Yay!
Double yay!
Triple yay!

Thank you. Today has been tough, went to work (what the hell was I thinking) and though my colleagues were really happy to see me and took me out for a meal, I had sensory overload. I think I hid it well, but when I got home, I was vomiting and became paranoid that I did in fact have covid after all.

Did another test, and still negative. I think my system must have started to shut down and I went through faux symptoms.

Was pretty much abandoned by outpatient crisis who refused to take me on because I'd come from a covid ward. I'd contacted my psychiatric nurse and she hit the roof over the situation... called me back after she must have complained, to say the crisis team "had had a misunderstanding" and that they will be in contact with me later today (it's 1 am here now). This was after I'd been contacted by an ECT nurse and I broke down saying that I was seriously considering suicide and that on my last day on the ward I'd made an attempt which was stopped by a ward member of staff... she was really supportive and stayed on the phone with me to talk me down.

I've just been a total mess, Sadie (our dog) didn't leave my side this evening till I started coming round, then kept coming upstairs to check on me... it amazes me how perceptive some pets can be.

I'm to have my next ECT session on new years eve.

Sorry if this post seems disjointed.

Sadie knows.
I wouldn't be surprised if, in the long run, Sadie proves better "medicine" than anything the medical establishment can dispense.
Wishing you health and peace.

Thank you chap! Sadie is an old lady now, will be 12 this year and for her breed, 10 and a half is average (chocolate lab, seem to be the shortest-lived of the breed, but that's most likely because they are nuts and massively active compared to golden and black).

I have been feeling a bit better this morning. Crisis team will be supporting me over the Christmas period. Had my booster jab yesterday, so hopefully, that will relieve some of the covid paranoia.

Saw a dental consultant at the hospital to be matter of factly told that most of my teeth are screwed and will require dentures (meh). Will be considering implants as an alternative but that's an expense I'll need to explore and budget for.