Tag: PTSD

Blizzard on National Pi Day

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

Blizzard on National Pi Day

We got some snow this morning when I woke up in pain around 7. I went to the bathroom and then checked the conditions. It was barely snowing so I thought that was going to be it. I was wrong. Two hours later it was really coming down and the wind hasn’t stopped howling. We usually get a drift by our back door on our porch. Now it’s towards the wall as that is where the wind is pushing all the snow. Most of the shingles are covered in snow on that side of the house. It’s really cold and of course our heating system isn’t working right. My brother in law had to tinker with it so I am freezing in my room.

I haven’t been in a great mood most of the day. Suicide has been on my mind for some reason, though I don’t feel really depressed. I got a call from a therapist who referred me to another therapist. I will google her later. I am not up to searching for therapists. I have to get the spelling of her last name though so I might so a reverse lookup with the phone number he gave. He also didn’t specify what degree she was. Not that it really matters. You don’t need a PhD to be a good therapist.

My sister invited us down for dinner tonight. She is making lasagna. Not one of my favorite dishes but I will eat it to be polite. My mother is making a coffee cake and some asparagus. We have no idea how the asparagus came to us as she didn’t buy it. It was just put on the kitchen table. I know I didn’t buy it because I don’t buy vegetables. I always get yelled at because they are either poor quality or I spend too much for it. I have no idea what to look for when buying so I just leave it to my mother. She has to cook it anyways so better she buy it.

I took a nap after I had breakfast. I was dreaming about Richard Gere for some reason. If I was straight, I would be so after him. He is so handsome. But it wasn’t that kind of a dream. We were working together doing something though I don’t remember what. I woke up from the dream and wanted to make coffee. I was congested so was coughing up stuff and gagging on it. It was making my mother cold because I was just in a T-shirt. I didn’t care. It was cold in the kitchen and my brother in law was inspecting the heat. He says it’s on but it doesn’t feel like it is. The wind is making the house feel much colder.

Boston already cancelled school for tomorrow. I haven’t heard anything about my city. I won’t be too surprised because if Boston cancels, usually other cities and towns follows. It was good that not too many people were on the roads. The Lt. Governor showed a video of a semi wiping out on the Zakim Bridge. If there were cars in front of the trailer, they would have been smashed. It would have been a bad scene.

I have been following the Zero Suicide chat on Twitter that is going on in Missouri. One of my friends is tweeting about it and is being totally hysterical. It cheered me up some.

Despite having coffee, I still feel tired. My mother just called me to say that dinner is ready if I want to go down to my sister’s. I told her I would after I finish this blog. A lot of people have been reading my “Knackered” blog today and been commenting on it. It’s one of my most read blogs and I am very proud of it. It is also a chapter in my memoir, “Midnight Demon”. It makes me feel good to know that it helps people know that they are not alone with Cauda Equina Syndrome and its affects. I usually share my Facebook group or the website for the private Yahoo group. Some people prefer one or both to get support. I should probably create a support page but most people don’t read my pages unless it brings them to them via a search. Or they are just exploring my blog. I have a few CES pages up.

calm before the storm

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

Calm before the storm

It’s a nice day today, though it is cold. Sun is out and I was able to do errands after I had my coffee. I really wanted to go back to sleep when I woke up but I forced myself to make the coffee and then get dressed to go out. Even though it was cold, I was sweating by the time I left the store. It was wicked warm while waiting to be checked out. I am so glad I didn’t wear my heavy sweatshirt. I would have melted! Tomorrow we are supposed to have a huge snow storm. So figures today is nice and tomorrow will be hell. I bet they are going to close schools and stuff. They are already asking people to not be on the roads unless they have to be and to use public transportation when possible.

While I was out, I went to the store to get cocoa pebbles. They had Fruity pebbles but not cocoa. I was bummed. I got some granola square cereal instead. I hope it’s good. It’s new and expensive but I didn’t care. I needed good cereal. I should have bought cocoa puffs like I have been craving but the pebbles were a good substitute.

My psych got back to me and I have an appointment to see her Friday, which is good because I need a bunch of refills. She read the blog I sent her last night. It was one that I wrote last year about my depression and how I wish I could die from my illness like my father was going to die from his. This is what I wrote that really touched on the struggle with mental illness: “Waiting is something I should be used to with this thing but I am just like my father in that I want to be better now, not later. Unfortunately, that’s not how mental illness works. With my father, he isn’t going to get better. He is going to get worse and then die. I wish I had that luxury, too”.

I made a bacon sandwich for lunch. My ankle is not happy with me. But I don’t have to do anything else for the day. My mother will be making sausages and potatoes for supper. It’s one of my favorite dishes. I can smell it and it smells so awesome. It’s making me hungry. I guess the Neurontin I had last night is increasing my appetite. I just want to eat today. I might have some Oreos as my sweet tooth is being activated. I already had three pieces of dark chocolate but I still want something more. I hate when my appetite is out of control and I am trying to control it.

I called another therapist to see if he was taking new clients. If he isn’t, I am not calling anymore and will just wait to see what my psychiatrist can do. I have a feeling I might have to call the hospital triage line to get a therapist at the hospital where my psych works. That is my last resort.

Today is National Napping Day so I am going to take a nap after I finish writing this blog. I didn’t sleep well last night. I again was up until 0400. I just couldn’t settle down. I was in pain and was just waiting for my pain meds to work and then I got my second wind so it was hard to get to sleep. I had to take an Ativan to relax enough to conk out. I hope tonight is better but I don’t know.

Well, they have called a snow emergency so schools and public libraries are closed tomorrow. My niece was home sick today so she gets another day off. I knew my city was going to freak out about the snow. Soon as the weatherman says the “S” word, the city goes nuts.

Sunday Blog 24

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

Sunday Blog 24

I didn’t get much sleep last night. I was up till 0400 or so. I couldn’t settle down because of pain and then my anxiety shot up because I was in pain. I had to take another Ativan to get to sleep. I felt like paging my psych but I knew she would just tell me to take an Ativan and try and get some sleep. I slept most of the day, though I was up in the morning. I finally had a BM, though now I am scared because when I woke up I took two more fiber pills before I went. That could be trouble.

I participated in BPD chat this afternoon. It was good and I got a couple of new follows. I don’t know if I will chat with these people but whatever. Lately my tweets have been centered around my pain issues more than my mental status. I have a friend on Facebook that wants me to try some lotion that she found on the site. I am weary because they don’t really work the way they say they do. Then you are on their email list forever.

I talked my mother into making pancakes for supper. It made me happy. I love her pancakes. They are just regular ones, not the kind I make. I think she double batched the recipe so she can have more to save for later. I got hungry afterwards despite have six pancakes. I really haven’t eaten anything all day so I am making up for it now. I had the leftover Chinese food from last night.

Pain has been up and down for most of the day. I had to take some pain meds when I woke up from my nap because I was really hurting. I woke up with a headache that I am still trying to make go away. I am not sure it is a migraine or not. But it is annoying me.

I emailed my psychiatrist late last night. I thought she would respond but she hasn’t yet. I really need an appointment with her as I need refills on a few of my meds. Actually, all my meds that I take for psych I need a refill on. I also want to ask her if I could take my BP pill as a PRN for when the PTSD gets activated rather than always using Ativan to calm me down. Ativan works, don’t get me wrong, I just don’t want to be dependent on it.

I got to take my meds soon, but first I need to fill my box. I meant to do it earlier today but never got around to it. It’s like if I don’t do things when I first think of them, they just don’t get done. I should have done it last night while I was up so damn late. I am just glad I didn’t turn suicidal. The pain was manageable but it was still causing me anxiety because my last three toes are numb. I couldn’t feel them when I touched them. That would explain why they feel “weird”. I don’t know why they are numb all of a sudden. I am not having any other symptoms of CES. I can’t move my toes on that foot because of the nerve damage I suffered. It’s worse now with the pain syndrome. The numbness really set off my PTSD and it took forever for me to relax and realize I didn’t have to go to the ER or have surgery or anything else that was running through my head at the time. It’s scary stuff going through something so life changing. It haunts you. If I didn’t have a time bomb of all herniated discs in my back, I wouldn’t be so worried. But all my discs are herniated and that is cause for concern because one wrong move or fall or something can mean more surgery and more nerve damage. I really don’t want that to happen to me. I think if I got CES for the third time, I would kill myself rather than go through a rehab process again or try to learn to walk again. Twice was enough for me.

PTSD anxiety is so much fun, NOT

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

PTSD anxiety is so much fun, NOT

I had a PTSD flare because of pain. It brought out anxiety. I tried to get a hold of a friend to talk to but she was not available. I paged my psychiatrist and we chatted for a bit. She said I am going through a lot and I am managing but she thinks the hospital would be better for me. Why, I don’t know. I really don’t want to go back to the hospital. It’s nothing more than a babysitting service.

I cried while I was on the phone with my psych. I couldn’t help it. I was so revved up with anxiety and I am not an anxious person. The pain was driving me mad and today being an anniversary day was just too much. I kept going through the red flags of CES, telling myself I didn’t have it but my brain just wouldn’t get it off it’s mind. No matter that I could walk, wiggle my toes, have control of my bowels and bladder, etc. it just wouldn’t calm the fuck down. The pain was really the trigger and I couldn’t go anything to bring the pain levels down. I had taken my meds but it would be a while for it to kick in. I told my psych this and she tried waiting with me about what to do to calm me down. She said to watch TV but I don’t watch TV. I read. So I read Huck Finn for a bit. I told her I was going to read 1984 but she said that might be too much. So Huck Finn it was.

I read four chapters of Huck Finn and then the anxiety went down a notch or three. I am feeling tired now. I have to call my psychiatrist tomorrow after my therapist appointment to let her know how it goes. I was going to email her but I think I will page her. Then we can talk about if I need to go to the hospital or not. I really want to see my psychiatrist on Friday so I really don’t want to go into the hospital on Thursday.

I have my bag packed but I think I might bring my suitcase with me instead of my backpack. It might be easier and then I will bring my backpack with me so I can bring my books and journal. It will also be less stress on my back. I will bring my Sox blanket with me. It comforts me when I am in the hospital.

I didn’t tell my psych that I had suicidal urges earlier this afternoon. She knows I don’t page her unless I am really in need to talk to someone and not having a therapist the last few months has really been a struggle. She says that I am managing well as I can be. It felt good to hear her say that. I know I should probably be in the hospital for supportive care but I really don’t want to go. I hate being in the hospital. I don’t sleep well. And I always have to ask for my meds when I am in pain. I have to be on their schedule, not mine. It sucks. And I won’t be able to get my strong pain pill should I need it. I am really sad about this. But this is a psych unit not a medical one.

My psych wants me at the hospital that I usually go to. I hope they have a bed. I am going to try and talk her into going in on Monday. That is when they have discharges and beds are more available. We’ll see. I hope it’s Monday but if she wants me in on Thursday, that will be okay too. I just need to pack a little faster than I need to.