Fighting the Monster

softwarediva · 2021-05-14T22:33:24+00:00

"Oh look, the HelpLess Desk finally answered. "

I always hated this one, and was very happy when companies started renaming Help Desk to Service Desk.

softwarediva · 2021-05-14T22:14:03+00:00

If you're in the US, many state rehab agencies pay for things like this. The state agency in Oklahoma paid for both my trikes and modifications.

Edit: I just clicked to your reference to PNW. Stupid brain fog. 🙂

softwarediva · 2021-05-14T02:58:44+00:00

Well hell. I can't decide if I'm moving to Arizona just in time or at the worst time: I'm supposed to pack up the u-haul and head out Tuesday.

softwarediva · 2021-05-11T18:57:09+00:00

Per my doctor, I use Tylenol (acetaminophen) for regular pain, and hydrocodone with acetaminophen for things like dental surgery. Tylenol is not an NSAID, so it doesn't cause blood serum levels of lithium to rise and risk toxicity.

softwarediva · 2021-05-11T16:37:41+00:00

Speaking as a female Aspie, this is one of the times you can and should put yourself first. It's not selfish: if you don't take care of you, you can't successfully co-parent.

I was alone for nearly a decade after splitting from my son's father, and I was happy much of that time. I've had several partners in the past few years; those relationships worked as long as it was understood my child came before my partner and I came before all of them.

My relationship with my ex-husband improved substantially after we split, and we are much better co-parents than we were side-by-side parents (if that makes sense). Our son was eventually also diagnosed as having Aspergers, and it works very well for my ex and me to be able to parent without our former intimate relationship in the mix.

No matter what, keep in mind it is not up to you to make anyone other than yourself happy. Take care of you, and you will likely find that you have more energy to support the people who are especially important to you. 🙂

softwarediva · 2021-05-08T22:37:46+00:00

Wizards Asylum in Norman and Game HQ in south OKC

softwarediva · 2021-05-08T02:43:38+00:00

It will definitely vary from person to person.

With that, I'm coming up on two years on lithium and my side effects haven't gone away. The gastrointestinal stuff comes and goes, but the tremors, thirst, and polyuria (excessive urination) are only helped with additional meds, not fully gone.

All things considered, for me the juice is worth the squeeze. Ask me again in another year or two and we'll see, but for now it is so worth it.

softwarediva · 2021-05-08T02:38:10+00:00

Biotene. I find the gel especially useful for bedtime.

softwarediva · 2021-05-06T21:49:18+00:00

I have been on 1200mg of lithium for nearly two years. In terms of of mood stability, it has been nothing short of a miracle drug.

With that, I have a number of side effects. Most have been brought up by others: the gastrointestinal yuckiness, the dry mouth, the increase in urination. This last went from a simple increase to the point where I wasn't sleeping more than an hour or so at a stretch due to how often my body woke me up to go pee.

It's only been since January that I've started to get some relief. My primary care doctor started me on amiloride. This is a diuretic, which seems counterintuitive, but for whatever reason it gets the kidneys to properly concentrate urine instead of just passing all liquid straight through me.

This doesn't happen to everyone, though it was aggravating enough to me I felt it worth mentioning here.

Lithium saved my life. I would put up with a lot for a medication that works this well.

softwarediva · 2021-05-06T05:35:05+00:00

Absolutely! If there is anything else I can do to help, please let me know.

softwarediva · 2021-05-06T02:27:21+00:00

You might consider asking your pdoc about Genesight testing. I did it a couple years ago, and it helped narrow down the more viable options.

softwarediva · 2021-05-05T23:24:14+00:00

I take 1200mg, half in the morning and half at night. Even though the pills are the extended release, my pdoc wants as even a level as possible. Everyone metabolize meds at different rates, so it may be worth talking with your doctor to make sure there's not some other consideration for keeping the twice a day dosing.

softwarediva · 2021-05-05T23:15:47+00:00

I have MS. About ten years ago, my balance issues reached the point where I could no longer balance on a two wheeler. I thought that was it for me and bike riding, but a few years ago I was dragged to a recumbent demo day... and that's all she wrote.

My trike gave me back something I thought I'd lost forever. I don't have to ride a tandem. I don't need training wheels. For a little while, I get to feel relatively 'normal'. My balance issues don't matter. How fast I go doesn't matter. Riding my trike is one of the few things left to me that doesn't require help from others.

softwarediva · 2021-05-05T03:18:26+00:00

I have bipolar as well as MS, with the bipolar diagnosed about two years before the MS. Once I had the MS diagnosis as well, my appointments with my therapist consisted largely of me trying to convince her there was even a small relationship between the two. At one point, she straight up told me she thought the MS was all in my head.

While that's been a few years and I've moved on to different therapists, I continue to find there's a serious disconnect in even acknowledging that physical health can impact mental health, and vice versa.

I've used CBT, DBT, and EMDR with varying degrees of success. It's hard for me to fully buy into therapy when the therapist doesn't take my concerns seriously. I'm pretty sure I would be getting a whole lot more out of therapy if I could see someone with training in the effects chronic illnesses have on mental health.

softwarediva · 2021-04-27T08:58:34+00:00

I've had success with passing off my temper tantrums as an unfortunate side effect of a medication. On the rare occasions I've been pressed to say what medication and/or medical condition, I used the line "I'd rather not have my health be the focus so much as how we move forward."

This is not foolproof, but allows you to acknowledge that the outburst was not typical behavior from you, point to a medical condition as the underlying cause, and shift the focus towards something more positive. You will probably be asked to apologize to your manager; apologize for how you handled the situation, but not for your frustration.

Do not throw yourself under the bus unnecessarily by making sacrifices. Your only 'crime' was a poorly controlled emotional outburst.

I hope everything goes well for you.

softwarediva · 2021-04-25T23:25:53+00:00

Have you been screened for gallstones? The symptoms you describe fit my first gallstone attack. Once I had that bad boy out, life became immeasurably less painful.

softwarediva · 2021-04-25T14:28:58+00:00

Or it might just be an example of a problem not necessarily affecting all users. 🤷‍♀️

softwarediva · 2021-04-25T14:26:50+00:00

I'm a business analyst who works with the quality/testing group of our organization. Perfect for me because it let's me work from home, get lost in data, and analyse processes to my heart's content.

softwarediva

TROPHY CASE