crosinski
crosinski's JournalSkipping pills because of the weather ... not good.
We’ve been snowed in for a few days and our psych drugs have run out. I’m 71 and my husband is 73 so we can’t shovel snow like we used to. I’ve been without my main drug for several days and I’m starting to feel it. My husband is now out of his main medication too. I’m bipolar and he has depression, so we’re both a mess without our meds.
Because we couldn’t get to the drugstore to pickup our meds on time, we’re going to have to reorder them, so I’m feeling stressed and worried.
You were all right about my cataract surgery. :)
A couple of months ago I wrote about how worried I was about my upcoming cataract surgery. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to see close up after the surgery. I was especially concerned that I wouldn’t be able to draw super sharp detail anymore. Well, I’m happy to report that my doctor has made me a little less nearsighted in one eye, and my other eye will be done in a couple of weeks. I can see super sharp close-up detail with my new eye and, surprisingly, things look much brighter through it too! The surgery and recovery was painless and I’m looking forward to having my other eye done. Thank you all for reassuring me!
OMG That's Me by Dave Mowry (Bipolar II)
I just read a good book about bipolar type II called OMG That’s Me by Dave Mowry. It’s a short book based on a series of the author’s blog posts. It goes over some things that bipolar II types have in common. It mentions how anxiety goes hand in hand with bipolar II, from childhood through adulthood. This helps explain my childhood, and it’s something I’ve never considered. It also talks about how most bipolar II types have a period during their adult life when they can’t work or can only work part time. This was also true for me.
The author writes about other bipolar II traits that are interesting too, such as making to-do lists but never completing them. Taking up meditation. Easily triggered flashbacks. Realizing that there is no reason for your current mood, and many more.
Because I seldom talk to other people with bipolar II, it was reassuring to find out my personality quirks aren’t unique. It also makes it easier to forgive myself for some of my oddest life choices.
Have you read any good books about bipolar type II or bipolar in general? If so, I’d like to hear about them.
Depression over cataract surgery
I just found out I’ve got to have cataract surgery on both eyes. I’m depressed about it because I draw. I draw with my glasses off and my nose nearly touching the paper because I have super close-up vision. The absence of hatch marks and a gentleness of tonal transitions are my trademarks. From what I’m reading, when they do the surgery I can choose ‘close up’ vision, but it won’t be nearly as close as I’m accustomed to.
I’ll be seventy one in August, I thought I’d have more time. But, to keep my driving license, I must have the surgery. So, I’m depressed, and a little fearful.
Anxiety can trigger bipolar mood swings.
I just learned that anxiety can trigger bipolar mood swings, even if you’ve achieved a good balance with your medication. I must have missed that part in the beginner’s manual, because I thought the medication handled mood swings.
I learned this the hard way. For a couple of weeks, I was extremely anxious about some work I had said I’d do for a friend, and I felt myself slipping into a depression. My friend found someone else to handle the work, and my depression eased. My psychiatrist says that it’s well known that anxiety can cause bipolar mood swings, but I’ll post this here in case it’s news to someone else, too.
Bipolar Two with Anxiety
Hello everyone. I’ve hung around this forum for at least a year posting now and then. I’ve decided to dive in and introduce myself. I’m a seventy year old woman with bipolar two and anxiety. My bipolar is controlled fairly well with a combination of drugs. Even though I take a medication for my anxiety too, it’s still a problem. For the last few months I’ve been meditating regularly. I think it’s helped with my anxiety because I’ve noticed a decrease in my fear of driving, which has always been a huge problem for me.
I’ve only been taking medication for my bipolar problem for the last few years. I wish I’d been diagnosed earlier! My life would have been different if my moods had been more stable. For example, I would have been able to hold down a better paying job and my husband and I would be better off now financially. I try not to dwell on this too much.
That’s me in a nutshell. Hope to talk to you soon.
Tara Brach's free online Mindfulness Daily meditation training class.
She teaches it along with Jack Kornfield. There are forty sessions in the class. She teaches mindfulness meditation with emphasis on feeling and accepting your emotions. The sessions are ten to fifteen minutes long which is enough time for you to feel as though you’ve accomplished something.
After working through the sessions, I feel as though I have a much better grasp of what meditation is and how to practice it. I especially love knowing that things I used to consider distractions, such as sounds and thoughts, can become part of the meditation.
https://courses.tarabrach.com/courses/mindfulness-daily
Medicare Number Scam - I fell for it!
Got a call from someone who said they were from our local pharmacy, which they mentioned by name. They said they were updating their records and proceeded to ask me a few questions, like who my primary doctor was. When I said Dr. Soandso, they said, Dr. Mary Soandso? I said yes and answered several more questions because I thought this person was legitimate.
When they asked for my Medicare No., I gave I to them. When they asked for my height and weight, I gave it to them.
What finally woke me up was when they asked me if I had any medical problems, and then named a few … bad back … bad joints … etc. I said I had arthritis in my knee, and he offered to send me knee braces AT NO COST TO ME!
Well, that's when I realized what a fool I’d been, hung up, googled Medicare fraud, and called 1-800-Medicare. The person I talked to was very kind and professional. They offered to start the process to give me a new number, or flag my number so that they could monitor it for fraud. I decided to keep my number for now.
That's where I am now. Feeling like a fool a hoping that I didn’t give out so much info that someone could fake an ID and charge my account for all sorts of things.
Healthy diabetic snack ideas.
My husband is 72 and has been using insulin for a year and a half. We would appreciate it if you more experienced folks would share your diabetic snack ideas. Thanks!
Profile Information
Name: Carol RosinskiGender: Female
Hometown: Michigan
Member since: Thu Jun 24, 2010, 10:47 PM
Number of posts: 668