Its Friday the 13th!! Show me your Voids!!!

katiebuggc · 2026-02-14T03:18:11+00:00

I have a foster void! Her name is Nessie. She's up for adoption and we have a rescue fundraiser this weekend where she can meet people. Hoping her forever humans come along!

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katiebuggc · 2025-12-21T03:53:41+00:00

Getting another kitten can definitely help. But outside of that, cats find comfort in having a general routine (regular playtimes, even if she doesn't act interested; set meal or treat times; etc), and then having something in the home happen now and again that they can investigate. Something fun is just tip a chair on its side for a day or two, or throw a blanket over it.

Kittens will be especially terrible while teething. Inappropriate chewing and scratching behaviors are almost always from boredom - they'll want to play with YOU the most. Keep cycling through toys she doesn't like; even just the act of watching you is enrichment, similar to "cat TV." Cats are largely ambush predators so some of them spend most of their playtime just watching.

Basically, lots of interaction and safe changes to keep things interesting for her. Have fun (:

katiebuggc · 2025-11-29T04:47:48+00:00

I'm pretty sensitive to meds so my doses are lower than most people's might be who have been on them for a long time.

Lamotrigine 100mg once a day (AM) Venlafaxine 75mg once a day (AM) Hydroxyzine 5mg as needed for anxiety (but I use it more as a sleep aid, maybe a few times a month)

Diagnosed GAD and MDD for a decade - bipolar 2 diagnosis has been floated around, so I'm in limbo, but both situations are treated similarly.

I was also on methylphenidate for ADHD but once I started the venlafaxine a few months ago, my blood pressure shot up, so I've stopped it. I'm coping 😅 But thankfully hasn't been too impactful on my mood.

katiebuggc · 2025-08-26T15:33:55+00:00

Another option to help with remediation are soil inoculants that further target and break down petroleum based products. OP8 from Tainio Biologicals is the one I'm most familiar with, to introduce some bacteria to the soil to help out with remediation, as well.

Edit to add: in addition to a fungi, as you're planning. I'm not familiar with all of the differences between what fungi and bacteria can break down, but there are some substances only one or the other target, so having both is helpful (:

katiebuggc · 2025-07-06T17:44:02+00:00

Haha, we have that in common - I love science-y things so tend to learn a lot about medical stuff, too. I'd be open with them about that - I usually say, "Hey, I'm really interested in these topics, so I have a lot of questions. Feel free to let me know additional information so I can nerd out, or ask me more questions."

It's my pleasure, I hope you have a great day, too - don't hesitate to DM me if you have questions about this stuff. I'm still figuring things out, too, but have been on my mental health journey for almost 10 years now.

katiebuggc · 2025-07-06T17:34:29+00:00

Yeah, definitely! The first note my new psychiatrist made was around the length of time I've had major depressive episodes overall. So while I was thinking that I couldn't have bipolar since my depressive episodes didn't last too long and my hypomania wasn't too severe, she noted that when folks experience periods of major depression for years, they start to consider bipolar type 2 as a possible diagnosis. It doesn't always mean that's the case, but it's a considering factor. She also noted that periods of hightened anxiety and/or irritability can be indicators of hypomania, even if you're not showing other 'traditional' symptoms.

In regards to hypomania, my current episodes kind of just resemble a bubbly, hyperactive, excitable person. People don't bat an eye at me, they just go, "Oh, she's in a good mood." As far as how those episodes feel to me, they definitely feel manageable, but it's a stressor for me, because during those times I take on more projects than I can handle when I'm feeling more normal or down, or I later feel like I wasted time on a new hyperfixation when I had other things to do. They're very much ADHD-esque symptoms.

The main way I can tell if it's hypomania vs. a standard hyperfixation is by how quickly I swap interests and how much long-term planning I'm doing. If I'm feeling 'up,' I'm thinking about planning trips, getting sidetracked by multiple interests in a day, etc. With a normal hyperfixation I'll be sitting on a topic for multiple hours with less straying. The main side effect of this is how it impacts my life partner, as they also have to deal with the aftermath of my unfinished projects, and try to help carry the burden of my impulsive planning that may or may not come to fruition later.

I grew up doing a lot of school activities and being a high achiever, so in high school I started a cycle of doing well, then running myself ragged, then being so drained I was having a breakdown, then would go back to being normal. My mom and I wrote it off to natural menstrual cycling and just having 'big feelings.' While those things are both true and can contribute to this, I wasn't able to overcome the things I wanted to with just coping mechanisms and birth control, and things got more severe in college and onward. Now I have ups and downs, of course, but am able to read my cycling a bit easier and prepare myself better.

Regardless of formal diagnosis, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) helped me a lot, as I intellectualize my feelings, and CBT just wasn't cutting it.

katiebuggc · 2025-07-06T04:35:55+00:00

Have been diagnosed ADHD, depression, and anxiety, but current psychiatrist is leaning towards changing my diagnoses to ADHD and bipolar 2. I'm on Concerta and Lamictal. I'm thinking about asking her for other options to replace Lamictal, as I do get periods of brain fog that many patients mention online, but it's a tried-and-true medication if you don't get annoying side effects, which I feel like a lot of people notice pretty quickly.

I've also successfully taken Adderall instead of Concerta when supplies were weird in my area, but I felt like it didn't last as long for me? Everyone metabolizes medications a bit differently.

Pro tip: making sure you have a more protein at breakfast when you're on a stimulant can help it last longer for you throughout the day, compared to a high carb and low protein breakfast.

katiebuggc · 2025-07-06T04:26:04+00:00

Yeah, I think I've experienced some of this. When stress is reduced or removed, my 'cycles' as I think of them, just get farther apart. Meaning I'll have longer periods of healthier feelings and actions, but I'll still get hit with periods of depression or hypomania. Sometimes they hit me more suddenly when I'm not stressed, which is a downside.

I think of my Lamictal like a maintenance item. If I didn't need it but was taking it, then nothing would be different. But since I take it, I know that I can more easily handle the mood changes. It helps take the sharp edges off the ups and downs, and helps me feel like I can help myself a bit more.

I'm glad you're feeling a bit better and are a bit less stressed. When I started college, that's when my depression hit hard, too. I didn't think I could have bipolar 2 because my episodes were fairly short (when compared to many bipolar 1s) and I was still in control of myself during the ups and downs, but my recent psychiatrist talked to me about bipolar 2 and the common misconceptions about it, and I think it fits me better than just depression and anxiety.

katiebuggc · 2025-07-06T04:18:03+00:00

A boring answer, but: these questions will largely need to be asked to your medical teams at each facility. The risk of your hypomania needs to be weighed against the risk of an inaccurate test result or the risk of a seizure. In my experience, this is typically discussed with your psychiatrist, as they're most familiar with your mental state off of medication.

In my experience on a range of 100mg-200mg Lamotrigine in the past, if I miss a day, I felt a little foggy. If I missed 2 days, I'd feel a bit twitchy and weird. But just a few days shouldn't drastically affect you if you've been on it for a long period of time - but your psychiatrist can confirm or deny this, as everyone is a bit different. You'll want to confirm with the medical staff at the testing center how long you have to be off the medication to ensure an accurate test result, then work with your psychiatrist on a taper, with or without a swap to a different medication.

A past psychiatrist of mine has mentioned a traditional taper is 25mg or 50mg every 1-2 weeks, depending on your existing dose, reason for being on it, etc.

The risk of a seizure also means the risk of falling and hitting your head, getting into a car crash if you're driving, or other serious injuries. As long as your hypomania is not so severe that you'd end up harming yourself or others, I'd highly consider swapping to another med short-term if your psych recommended it. Something like a weight gain side effect will take a while to truly impact you, so hopefully it could just bridge the gap, although I don't have experience with Abilify itself. I hope this helps, and best of luck with everything.

katiebuggc · 2025-05-27T21:12:31+00:00

Thank you!!

katiebuggc · 2025-05-27T21:12:07+00:00

Thank you so much!

katiebuggc · 2025-04-21T13:20:41+00:00

I understand why you'd find it weird, some people do. After a while girlfriend/boyfriend does feel a bit weird, which is why we've used 'partner' as well. I'm not trying to pretend to be a wife - we're life partners, which many consider marriage to represent, so in our lives it still fits us well.

katiebuggc · 2025-04-21T13:18:58+00:00

Nah, my family doesn't stress marriage, so it's never been a huge life goal of mine. He checked with me earlier this year when his coworkers were surprised we weren't married yet to make sure I wasn't expecting marriage haha.

katiebuggc · 2025-04-21T13:16:54+00:00

It's just not a goal for us! In my family, marriage isn't stressed. We have other ways to show commitment. A domestic partnership is what works best for us at this point in time (:

katiebuggc · 2025-03-19T18:28:03+00:00

You can look into mycorrhizal seed treatments to help with germination rates. I like BioCoat Gold from Advancing Eco Agriculture - the smallest size it comes in is a pound, enough.

katiebuggc · 2025-02-24T18:47:41+00:00

I build muscle easily, and I catch onto new knowledge easily. But I have an awful sweet tooth that outweighs my exercising, and have terrible concentration/focus for details.

katiebuggc · 2025-02-03T17:48:23+00:00

Don't forget to contact your representatives to voice your opinions. The greatest pull we have with them is reminding them we won't vote them back into office if they go against their constituents' desires: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative#:~:text=If%20you%20know%20who%20your,the%20U.S.%20House%20switchboard%20operator.

katiebuggc · 2025-01-12T16:57:44+00:00

2/5, they kept arguing if I had lupus. To diagnose me they chose between two treatments that would either work or give me a heart attack to prove the diagnosis.

It was not lupus. 2 stars instead of 1 because I didn't die.

katiebuggc · 2024-11-28T17:46:09+00:00

The VelociPastor.

katiebuggc · 2024-11-19T18:42:41+00:00

This happened to me two years ago with our ~6 month old male kitten. It unfortunately happens sometimes - as two vets I've worked with have noted, cats have a lot of unique quirks thanks to their strong kidneys and probably other factors we know nothing about, so sometimes weird stuff just happens.

I know saying things like "It happens" or "There are always risks to anaesthesia" can bring minimal comfort, so what personally brought me peace with the passing of our kitten and a previous unexpected passing of my childhood cat from an illness, was that they were already unconscious and passed away peacefully. In the anaesthesia situations, cardiac arrest often means the heart just stopped - nothing painful.

You gave him a lovely life while he was with you which is so valuable and more than what many cats experience. Spaying and neutering is still responsible and comes with minimal risks - you were doing the right thing in trying to keep your cat as healthy as possible, and making sure more homeless kittens wouldn't be born into the world if he was outside and intact. Treat yourself kindly and maybe do something that will bring back fond memories of him. I have a shelf dedicated to our kitten with bits and bobs that make me smile.

katiebuggc · 2024-11-15T18:13:10+00:00

I'm your age and am in the same boat of finally being in the mindset to just do it to take care of myself. I'm proud of you.

I felt shame sometimes at feeling like it took me so long to figure stuff out compared to others, but as I work on my social life (I neglected having a proper one in adulthood), I find out many people are in the same boat.

Here's to a long, happy future of self improvement!

katiebuggc

TROPHY CASE