LifeontheIsland

Health Interests

bipolar disorder,  bipolar disorder treatment,  bipolar symptoms,  mental health

Drugs I am Taking

I prefer the term "Medications",  instead of "Drugs". I take Lithium. There is so much negative attachments to the word "drugs". People can be VERY judgemental about what medications I need and take. Most people I will not share that information . I just don't want to hear it - how "powerful" my pain meds are and how I "should" be dealing with my chronic pain issues (disk disease,  Fibromyalgia,  GI syndrome and more). Even Dr.s are very judgemental. I wish our medical and gov't systems were doing more for mental illness especially. We are the silent sufferers.

About Me

I was just diagnosed with BPD last June (2008), although I suspected I was BP for the last 2-3 years. I have much more anxiety at night, which is strange because the daytime used to be my 'bad' time. Being alone used to be terrible, and now I like it. I can cry when I want to, and not have to explain it to anyone. As if I could explain it to anyone who doesn't understand. I am lucky, though... most of the people in my life are supportive. Take a look through my pictures and you'll see many the different looks of me!

My BPD Blog
Feb. 22, 2009
I finally have a surgery date for my back surgery. It is March 9! Finally, a light at the end of the tunnel. I thought it was going to be in April, but I was lucky enough to get an earlier appt. due to a cancelation.

My Mom is flying here to take care of me when I have the surgery. She is staying a week. Hopefully I won't need her for longer. I'm really looking forward to seeing her, but I know that I won't be feeling good the whole time, which is a bummer. But I'm just glad to have my Mommy to take care of me. I'm lucky.

My back and leg pain is getting worse every day, so I'm counting the days (13) until surgery!

I quit taking Abilify and started taking Lithium. So far, so good - mostly. Going off of the Abilify is making me a little more manic and anxious, but mostly I am doing alright. Not great, just alright.

Back to my surgery... The Dr. is going to do a microdiskectomy at L-5/S-1. That is basically going in a clipping off the part of the disk that is herniating into my spinal cord and causing the pain in my left leg. I've already had a back surgery previous to this one and I ended up in the hospital for 4 days. This Dr. insists that I will be going home the same day, within hours of the surgery. I'm not so sure concidering my medical history of having to stay in the hospital for every surgery I've had in the last 10 years. We'll see...