Tag: fatigue

New PJs and other things

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, blogging, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders

New PJs and other things

I took a chance on getting a large as they didn’t have an XL in the new pjs I ordered. They fit and that is all that matters. I now have Superman PJs! I feel like a little kid. We didn’t have this stuff growing up so I am soaking it in. I would have bought new Sox jammies but I need to go to the store for it. They don’t sell it or advertise for it online. They will need to shortened because they are too long for me but I am just happy they fit.

I spent the afternoon with my father. He has unexplained neuropathy in his forearm and hand. I know what it’s like. It’s very unsettling and painful. My father doesn’t have a high tolerance for pain so we really don’t know what is going on. He just knows it hurts.

I have a splitting headache. I should have known I was going to get a migraine today because I was very nauseous this morning. I could barely move without the feeling of losing my stomach contents. There were no contents as I haven’t eaten much today. I did have a turkey sandwich that my sister made that she didn’t want. That and Ensure have been the only thing that I have had today. I just am not that hungry and having this migraine isn’t helping.

My sisters and I have been talking about end of life care for my father. It hasn’t been an easy day as we want answers from the doctor but he is remaining elusive. We really haven’t had a sit down with the doc because of his fluid issues and worsening liver problems. And of course, it’s always rush, rush, rush, when we see him. Sometimes I can barely understand him because of his Chinese accent. I hope he calls tonight with something but I don’t think he will. He isn’t the attending doc so “his hands are tied”.

I really didn’t want to see my father. I have been fighting the fatigue of depression for most of the day. All I want to do is sleep. Going out just made me more tired. I didn’t go to Starbucks like I normally would have because of the nausea. I really didn’t want something in my stomach that would come back up. I just wish I wasn’t so fatigued. I was practically falling asleep at the hospital. My father was sleeping until the pain woke him up and then I had to do something. What that something was, I have no fucking clue. All I could do was get the nurse, who of course at the time was with another patient. My father is an impatient man when he is in pain.

I have therapy tomorrow because I forgot to cancel before 1230. Maybe I can get out of Wednesday. I doubt it but I can try. I wrote my therapist a letter that I never got around to finishing. I haven’t decided what I am going to do with it. I might publish it as a password protected blog. I know I have been doing more of that lately. I apologize to my new readers as some stuff I can’t leave open. I am just paranoid the wrong person might read it and I will be in “trouble”.

Wednesday Blog

by Midnight Demon, posted in Bipolar Disorder, blogging, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders

Wednesday Blog

I brought so much stuff to my father’s appointment that I couldn’t do anything with it all. I did read some of Dostoevsky, but he annoyed the crap out of me when he started talking about Islam and Christianity. I had to put the tablet down because I knew he would just ramble on and on and I couldn’t deal. The appointment went faster than it did last week, which was good. We got out at a decent hour though the stupid doctor only spent a quarter of a minute with us. She just left it all up to the NP, which pissed me off.

After the appointment, my sister took us out to eat. I had a huge burger that was very good. But the fries were so so. They had garlic salt on them and I am don’t like garlic that much. I prefer to season my fries as I like them. I’ll know for next time.

I have been up since before the crack of dawn. I am now wiped out. For the first time in forever, I had to pee at least three times while I was out. I didn’t even drink that much but whatever. Each time it felt like my bladder was going to burst. I knew it wouldn’t because of the retention that I have but still, why stretch my bladder. Last thing I want is a big puddle. I can take leaking but not puddles. I don’t think physical therapy will help with that. I got to call tomorrow and see where I am going to go. The place down the street from me is having construction all around and I am not crossing the damn street with construction. I will have to go to Charlestown, which means speaking to voicemail machines again. I threw my back out while I was brushing my teeth this morning. It took an hour to get the kinks out.

I really want to nap. I am so exhausted from dealing with my father. I hope I got his new regimen of meds right. I had to count the days several times as the PCP has him on a TTSS schedule for his fluid pills. And then his INR is on another schedule. I was already fatigued when I got there so my brain just wouldn’t function. It was so frustrating.

My ankle is hurting really good. I didn’t wear heavy boots today just a slip on kind as the weather was mild even if it was cold. There wasn’t too much ice and snow despite it snowing flurries. People need to shovel their walkways or they get ticketed in my city. Only problem is that where the property divides, there is usually a snow bank, making it impossible to pass so you are better off walking in the street anyway.

I didn’t have to walk too much but I did have to wheel my father around the hospital because he is a fuck. He was tired today so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. My ankle still smarts from that walking. Now that I think of it, I don’t know why my sister didn’t wheel him. Oh well, next time.

I really am feeling lousy because I am so tired. I just feel really run down, though I haven’t done anything physical or mentally draining. I hope I am not getting sick. Think I will up my vitamin D just in case. D always makes me feel better. A nap always does too.

Another Lazy Monday

by Midnight Demon, posted in blogging, chronic physical pain, depression, mood disorders, suicidality

Another lazy Monday

I woke up at an odd hour and couldn’t go back to sleep. I was up half the night, partly because I was in pain and partly because the nap gave me some energy. I didn’t do anything today except pick up my niece. I watched her for about an hour or so until my other niece came (her older sister) and I went upstairs to my room to sleep some more. I just cannot get out of sleep mode. Granted the heat isn’t helping, but man, all I want to do is sleep.

I didn’t eat too much today. I am still feeling bloated from the meal I had the other night. I finally figured out why. I am constipated. I realized sometime last week that I didn’t put in my senna in my pill box. I have been going but the last few days I have not, hence why I am bloated and my stomach is not feeling well.

My mood is still in the gutter. My therapist wants me to meet with her Thursday but I don’t think it is possible. I would have to see my father early, get home, then pick up my niece. With the way my energy levels have been, I doubt I could do all that. I rather just have one appointment this week anyways. I really don’t seem to get why we need to meet twice a week when it’s not really helping me at the moment. Plus, I am seeing my pdoc Friday so that should count towards something. I also emailed her about the difficulties I have been having. I might email her again with this tiredness that won’t go away. I am so sick of being tired all the time and I am not increasing or taking anything to make me sleepy so I don’t know what the hell is going on.

I haven’t heard from my father’s PCP’s nurse. I am going to call tomorrow and make a stink if they haven’t given him a month’s supply of his medication. We don’t see the doc until next week but he will be out come this Thursday. I hate when doctor’s think they are smart and really, they are stupid.

Because of my sleepiness, I haven’t written anything or edited anything. I haven’t even read my book. I just don’t feel like doing anything. There is no baseball game tonight as they are off. They are back in town, which is good. I hope they can keep their momentum up for winning.

I wish I could write what I was feeling. But I don’t want to be too triggering for people. I still want to end my life, though I think I probably won’t go through with it. I want to try it though, to see if it would work. Thing is, it is the week my therapist is on vacation. She has made it very clear that I should not do anything while she is away. I on the other hand, think it will be perfect timing because she won’t know and she will be away. I don’t know the hold she has over me that prevents me from going through with my ideas on ending my life. I guess there is a level of trust there and I don’t want to break it. Because if I say I am going to be there when she is back, I mean it. I don’t give my word and take it back like some people do. I am so torn though. I really want to end my life and don’t want to see the light of day anymore. The ideas I have about ending my life keep ruminating around my head. I see myself preparing and acting on what I am planning. But will I actually do it when the day comes around? That is the question. I will be very sad if I don’t go through with it. I always get really depressed when I plan a date with death and then don’t go through with it. It just makes me really sad.

weather and nerve pain

by Midnight Demon, posted in cauda equina syndrome, CES, Chronic pain, mood disorders, suicide

4 feb 2011

 

This week in Boston we got hit with heavy snow. Actually, we have gotten more snow in January than I can remember in my lifetime. So Saturday night after my shift at work, my left leg was really aching and sore. I was the person that was moving samples to be spun, taken over to heme, aliquoting, and running the electronic version of myself, the MPA. I thought it was sore and achy because of all the running around during the 8 hours plus I did a few more hours before my shift as I had to pull some specimens for a study that was to be shipped out on Monday.  However the pain stayed with me the next few days and when the snow started which was Tuesday, I was in really bad pain as I could hardly bear weight on my left leg. Ten years ago this week I was first diagnosed with CES and had similar pain and problem so I was freaking out big time. Wednesday I paged my pdoc because I was in major PTSD mode and my therapist was unavailable due to being snowed in.  She said go to the ER but by the time she returned my call, my leg was feeling a little better and when the snow stopped Wednesday evening, so did my pain.  I was shocked because usually my back goes out. I have never had leg pain due to the weather. It was the weirdest thing.

I told my neurologist about this and we increased my neurontin to help with the nerve pain. I love this drug more than any other drug out there. It’s not a narcotic and doesn’t have any “high” properties but it kind of just zones you out at high doses and leaves you feeling great the next day because you sleep so soundly. Least it does for me. Now I am NOT recommending anyone should take a high dose of this drug for this purpose. But my nerve pain seems to diminish for at least 24-48 hrs at a time, usually with one or two doses in a 24 hr period.  And that in and of itself is blissful.  No burning of the soles of the feet, no feeling like snapping turtle are nipping at your toes. No zapping feeling.

The only down side of this drug is that it makes you hungover. It’s so hard to wake up the next day and get moving. But even though I know this, I still feel something is wrong with me.  My fatigue level has increased in the last few weeks. I can only be up a few hours before I need a nap. I lose motivation for working and then need to come home and rest. I am just so exhausted.  Take yesterday for example. I got up around 11:30 am because I had an appt with my psychiatrist. She had cancelled because the weather was bad but I didn’t know this as she emailed me at 6:30 in the morning.  My car was buried in the snow and there was no way I was shoveling out so I hung out with my niece for a couple of hours watching her and her mother play on the Wii (video game) and had lunch with them. By 2 pm, I could have gone back to sleep I was completely exhausted. But I had to go to work because I thought there was a sample waiting for me.  I struggled past this exhaustion, get to work and find that the pt that was supposed to get drawn got discharged. I came to work for nothing. I was not happy! I might go to the doc next week to find out why I am so damn tired all the time.