Hoping for a Change for the Better

-
I called my neurologist's office this morning and asked if they could change my prescription to something different. I haven't broken out into a horribly deadly rash. I haven't been contemplating suicide. I haven't even had a seizure recently. But life has been hard for me these last three weeks.

At first I wasn't sure if I wasn't just coming down with a cold or something. But day after day, I've felt tired and drained... and a bit spacey.  I felt like I would on a fast Sunday when I've gone without food and water for 24 hours, except that I've been eating and drinking normally. I've felt like I do when I'm sleep deprived, but I've been getting the same amount of sleep as I normally do, if not a bit more because I've been so tired.

A few days ago it occurred to me that the seizures I am experiencing are a symptom of some condition of which the doctors don't have a clue, and that I am taking a medication daily that is having a draining effect on me just in case I happen to encounter this annoying symptom that day. I had this image pop into my head:

I had a talk with my bishop yesterday (he is in the medical profession and knows stuff) and he convinced me that different seizure medicines affect people in different ways and that another medicine might be better for me. I might have to try a few before I find a good fit... which isn't a good prospect either. 

But at the moment, hardly a day goes by that I don't think about how tired I am...
...and how difficult it is just to think...
   ... which is because of the medicine that I'm taking...
      ... which is because of the seizures that I might have if I don't take it ...
         ... and I don't want to think about the seizures every day of my life. I want to be able to forget about them. I want them to be swallowed up in just another pill I take before I go to bed without pondering on the reasons. 

I heard back from the doctor... rather than change to a different medication, she wants me to go back to a half dose. Apparently I'm sensitive to new medications and it will take me several weeks to get used to it, so while I will need 200-300 mg for the medication to be effective, I can only be on 100 mg /day right now so my body and brain can get used to it. And the medication I'm on right now is one of the milder seizure medications out there... Yay.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Talk about Gratitude

-
I recently told my bishop that I enjoyed giving talks in Sacrament Meeting, and it is true. I didn't expect, however, that I would get an email from a bishopric member on Thursday last week to say that his talks for Sunday had to leave town, and would I be willing to speak? Here is the talk that I gave on Sunday, May 27th, 2012: For my topic today, I was given a talk which was given by President Monson in 1992, entitled “An Attitude of Gratitude”. In his talk President Monson begins by telling the story of the 10 lepers. I would like to share it with you. In Luke 17 we read: And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” And when he saw them, he said unto them, “Go show yourselves unto the priests.” And it came to pass, that, as they went,
Read more

How Clean is Clean Enough?

-
Image
How clean is "clean enough"? I realize this question is loaded and the answers are very individual, so for a moment, think about yourself and your home and consider, for you, how clean is "clean enough"? What is the difference between a "quick clean", a "daily clean" and a "deep clean"? At what point do you consider your home "clean enough"? Does "clean enough" mean having a clear path from the front door to the other rooms in the house? Is it having the clutter picked up and the floors vacuumed? Must it be dusted every week, every month, or at all? Is it a quick swipe on the surface to remove the dust or crumbs? Is it a scrub with disinfectant? Is it clearing tables and desks, or delving into cupboards and drawers, purging and organizing?    Does it depend on the day of the week? Is "clean enough" on a weekday the same as "clean enough" on a weekend? If not, is it more clean, or less? Is there a
Read more

Crochet Keychains in my Etsy Shop

-
Image
 I'm nearing the one year anniversary of the start of my Etsy shop:  Lady M's Menagerie ! Many thanks to those who have supported me in this endeavor!  I'll confess that my enthusiasm for the shop waned a bit over the last few months. My enthusiasm for most things was dampened as I was dealing with a thyroid related hormone imbalance. I had no energy for anything and just felt tired and blah all the time. Thankfully, about a month ago I met with a new endocrinologist who took me seriously when I told her I was tired all the time in spite of my bloodwork showing I "should" be fine. She altered my prescription and added a new one, and finally I am starting to feel a little more energetic. (Yay!)  So with that newfound energy, I wanted to add something new to the shop... the question was, what?  The first weekend in October I spent several hours watching General Conference and crocheting mini animals. An oft repeated question was, "What animal should I make next
Read more