Category: medication

The things I’ve been through…

Darren LongLeave a comment

Okay… It’s been awhile. Let’s look at the previous entry from way back in August. Back then, I had started seeing a new Psychologist. This is just something that I just felt needed to be done. No big deal…. right?

Well… it was working with this person to “change medications”. Honestly, this was a dumb idea and I should have denied to do it. Instead, I went ahead and agreed to change one… or some… or all. Whatever. No big deal…. right?

It IS a big deal. I’ve been taking these medications from my Neurologist for years and was asked by the Psychologist to just entirely drop one. The reasons for this medication I was taking was seizures (by a Neurologist) and I was using the SAME medication for another reason (by a different doctor). Well, this new Psychologist told me to just drop it because… well… I honestly can’t remember the entire reason for that. SO, what happens to me when I just “drop” a seizure medication?…

I have a bad-ass seizure on the day-after Christmas.

I was lucky that my awesome son is with me at the house. He finds me on the living room floor and calls an ambulance. I have no memory of this and the next thing I know is that I’m opening my eyes hours later in the same hospital where I got the brain surgery done. SHIT! At that time I could see and hear, but I just couldn’t speak. I was told that my brain was not working enough to get words all the way through and out my mouth, so the doctor will be back later. Thankfully, after an hour or so, I was able to talk when the Neurologist returned.

I was told that earlier (but don’t remember) that I had been put through enough brain scans to look further. It’s still there… what little is left (haha). I was just basically told to GET BACK ON the medication that I had stopped, but only getting on it SLOWLY. Started this all over again directly after getting out of the hospital, and I AM STILL slowly getting back on these pills in April.

Okay. Side effects of this medication that I had gladly gotten away from before having the seizure: “increased tremor” and “getting less words out of my mouth”.

I’ve always had a tremor in my arm/hand since the damage to my brain 35 years ago. With this med, it is just worse.

I have always been able to think about and know exactly what I want to speak. I just don’t have the luxury of getting everything out of my mouth on the medication. I can get all my words out when I RAISE MY VOICE (done with a different part of the brain), but I just can’t when I speak “normal” as easily.

So, that is where I am at today. Have not had any more seizures (thank God), but the tremor in my arm is getting worse. I’ve forgotten how bad the tremor has got while on this medication. Bummer….

A Pill is gone, because of….

Darren LongLeave a comment

About a week ago, I was calling over to the hospital to speak with my new Neurologist about the newest medication I’ve been on for awhile. The one thing that I hated with it is that it had to be taken 3x a day.

Well…. one of the side-effects was REALLY kicking in last weekend. Oooohhh…. That thing was making me sooo tired. I’d get up, take pills, eat breakfast, and was so tired that I just had to lay back down. I was OUT. Woke up at noon, took a pill, ate lunch and just had to lay down again! Woke up for dinner…… on and on and on…..

I finally told myself NOT to take anymore Sunday night or Monday morning. Monday, I called over to the office of my new Neurologist and spoke with the nurse about the problems for the weekend. She told me just to stop the Morning and Noon. Uh, no. I told her that I was wanting to COMPLETELY STOP the pills all-day. She said that was fine. I was only taking them for the reason of stopping the tremor in my right arm and hand. Made it “better”, but the tremor was still there (not as bad as before). If the pills were COMPLETELY getting rid of the tremor in my arm, then I would be concerned with getting off it. I didn’t want to change the med. But I could be just sleeping all day with it EVERYDAY! ARGGGG…..

So, I got completely off that pill and now my right-hand (and arm) has the bad tremor back. It really bothered me when it started coming back. But after a few days, I have just gotten used to it (I guess that’s kinda the way I’d put it). I’ve had this before, so I have gotten used to again.

I was told on the phone that the new Neurologist should call and discuss. That wasn’t happening. So, here’s where I am: The one prescription is removed. Not feeling like I just want to sleep 24 hours a day. Tremor in my arm/hand has returned worse than before.

Other than all that, everything is great again as far as the THINKING and TALKING goes. I can just stay this way until another surgery (someday) would help. That’s where I am.

😉

Woah!!!!!

Darren LongLeave a comment

Ehhhh…. Need to REALLY make sure that you’re taking the RIGHT amount of medicine. I have been taking ONE of these new pills @ 3x a day. Well, FOR SOME FREAKING REASON, I thought it eventually had to move it up to TWO freaking PILLS @ 3x a day. UGH!

That was an ignorant mistake. My head has been spinning! Aaaaaaaaarrgg!

Straightened everything out last-night, as far as getting the right amount back into my system. I’m WAY better.

Don’t do that…. Things can always happen that you don’t know about. MAKE SURE YOU TAKE THE RIGHT AMOUNT!

The Psych…

Darren LongLeave a comment

Well.. with the new Psychologist, here are the things to be done. What I originally thought is that a is there would be new medication to help me with the psych-things (whatever those things are called). I learned that his idea in mind was what to prescribe to me was a medication that I WAS ALREADY ON.

He suggested to INCREASE a med and help with needs. Seizures (one thing it’s good for) is what I don’t need it for anymore. Um, but I have been trying to get that medication LOWERED by using another medication.

Being put back ON the medication that I worked hard to get off by getting this brain surgery??? HELL NO! The whole reason (to me) to have this brain surgery was to get off the stuff. I need to speak with someone else, or something like that.

Need to think about what to do next….

Morning after new medication…

Darren Long2 Comments

I got out of bed this morning (finally) at 10:00. It’s true that I went to bed a bit later than usual, just because I wanted to. Eh. No more of that. Previously, before this new medication, sleeping from midnight to 7:00 was just fine. Now, it was midnight to 10:00. I need earlier.

Sitting here this afternoon, I’m so tired.

Then again, it might be partly because the long time shopping and walking.  Eh…

I’ll go to bed earlier tonight. 🤔