The Intriguing Life of Jennifer Lisette Thomas

This is the life of a little lost bipolar girl looking for her place in the world. My life is a constant battle for adequate health care and sanity. Things rarely get too boring around here.

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28 February 2010

Very Much Alive

Posted by JennyT

I should probably make a note about medications first, since I had a brief moment where I was damn determined to quit all of them. Maybe a day or two after that post, I decided to remain on the lithium, but anything else was game for elimination. My pdoc agreed that I'd probably be best off of the other meds. Before we even got a chance to start tapering down, well..."shit happened," basically. I spent 17 days in a psychiatric hospital, where they decided that the other meds were probably causing my problems, so I got off of those.


I'm just on the lithium now, and I feel remarkably stable. I have a new therapist, since I walked out on the last one. Every time I brought something up, she basically said, "You'll get over it." Very helpful. Thanks. You get paid for this? Needless to say, we weren't clicking anymore.

So, I've got a new therapist and the same great pdoc. I'm pretty fond of the pdoc.

My brother, who has been diagnosed with PTSD and bipolar disorder tried to overdose before the holidays, so he spent a bit of time in the hospital as well. He's doing much better. I ran into him at Winn-Dixie when I went home for my dad's birthday last weekend.

On a positive note, I haven't hallucinated in months! I had a conversation with one of my friends, and we decided that in August 2010 (if I haven't had any hallucinations), "I should get Kroger to make me a cake. 'Happy One Year of Not Seeing or Hearing Shit That Ain't There.'"

26 September 2009

I Quit. Period.

Posted by JennyT

I'm quitting my medications. No, no. Don't try to argue with me. This is something I simply must do. I'm sure I'll be here more often in the coming weeks. I'll have plenty to tell.


Step one: Eliminate lithium. From 1200 mg to 900 mg to start.

24 April 2009

Woe

Posted by JennyT

I get to experience my first UTI here in college, and it is unbelievably terrible. I woke up three hours early in pain. I haven't gone to my classes, but I did walk to Kroger to get an antibiotic prescription. I would get the bacteria that is barely studied (because they have trouble isolating it) and pretty rare. Go me.

I'm always afraid to take more pills, even antibiotics with my medications. I have the pharmacist's assurance that I'll be fine, but there will always be that doubt.

11 April 2009

Growing Up

Posted by JennyT

It takes a lot of medications to keep me stable, but my brother, who suffers from PTSD, has a whole pharmacy. I worry about him because he's been mostly ignored by the organizations that should care the most about him. It's really sickening, if I get to thinking too much about it. I wanted to see him so much yesterday, but it was somewhat depressing in the end.

I also got to explain to my other brother's girlfriend that I have hallucinations. She accepted it very well, so I feel privleged to know someone so open-minded. Perhaps my brother gave her fair warning, but he learned a few new things, too. I wonder what it feels like to be the 'other sibling,' while my other brother and I have PTSD and bipolar, respectively.

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