Information and opinions on health from WordPainter at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/225395/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/225395/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/225395/index http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/107048/blessings Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:46:31 -0400 WordPainter I have a friend who wrote a poem about his blessings.  It is the inspiration for this sharepost.  There are many things that I count as blessings.  My relationship with my partner is close to the top of the list.  Also, interesting books and time to read them are up there too.  I am happy to see the sun rise every morning; it gives me another day to enjoy life.  Of course I enjoy when there is snow on the ground... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/107048/blessings http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106506/ssd-woes Wed, 17 Mar 2010 05:55:52 -0400 WordPainter I spent two hours online filling out my SSD application.  They finally got my application.  I had to fill it out three times before it would go through.  I got a call from my caseworker to verify some information.  Then my roommate got something in the mail to talk about my disability.  Yesterday I got a paper in the mail from SSD saying that I needed to see their pdoc on April 8th.  Now I am nervous because I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106506/ssd-woes http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106448/meds-reordering Tue, 16 Mar 2010 06:26:57 -0400 WordPainter I am the medication person in our family.  Every three months I have to reorder meds for me and my girlfriend.  I have to call for refills on lamictal, paxil, seroquel, trilipix, lithium, protonix and depakote.  That is a lot of secretarial work.  I have a notebook with all the meds and their reorder dates and the phone numbers to call.  Free meds are great but they can be a hassle. Like right today I have to call and... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106448/meds-reordering http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106318/lazy-day Sat, 13 Mar 2010 19:48:53 -0500 WordPainter I am having a lazy day. I am on a night owl schedule so I just got up. I take my morning meds at 7pm and my night meds and 7am. It sounds confusing but it is really easy to remember to take my meds. I take a midday (mid-night) dose of Lamictal; otherwise I become mean and negative so my partner says. :) I do my daily chores at night. Tonight it is cleaning the dishes. I have been cooking a lot lately and the dishes sure do pile up! I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106318/lazy-day http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106213/good-night Fri, 12 Mar 2010 07:23:27 -0500 WordPainter I had a great night tonight. I took my meds on time. That always helps. I am on an overnight schedule now. I wake up between 6-8pm and go to bed around 8am. This schedule fits me the best. So tonight I did the dishes, washed laundry and picked up around this huge house. Those are my nightly chores. They keep me busy while my partner is on the computer. I spend a ton of time on facebook and neopets. Those two sites keep me sane with... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/106213/good-night http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/105916/lost-job Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:51:02 -0500 WordPainter Well I didn't get that restaurant job. My former manager works at that restaurant and ran her mouth about me so no job! I decided to quit trying to get a job. I applied for SSD and SSI and state health insurance. Now the waiting game begins with regards to getting SSD. I don't know how long it takes to be approved or denied in my state. I was told 3-6 months. I should have applied last year! Oh well better late than never. So now I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/105916/lost-job http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/104298/job-woes Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:03:53 -0500 WordPainter I have not worked in over a year.  I will start my new job at a restaurant next week.  I will be working the first shift from 8am to 4pm.  I have not worked a day shift in 10 years.  I have been trying to adjust to this new schedule for two weeks now.  I go to bed at 8pm and get up at 6pm.  I have to have 10 hours of sleep a night in order to function the next day.  Still I seem to get tired around 8am and I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/104298/job-woes http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/101661/lack-sleep Sat, 23 Jan 2010 03:23:44 -0500 WordPainter I have been taking Seroquel for sleep for 5 years now.  In the past two weeks I have not been getting my normal 9 hours of sleep.  I increased my Seroquel to no avail.  I decreased my Seroquel to no avail.  Yes I had permission from my MD.  Now I am wondering if I should give up on the Seroquel and go to something like Ambien.  Does anyone take Ambien?  I just need to have my 9 hours of sleep back.  I do... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/101661/lack-sleep http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/100418/melancholy Sun, 10 Jan 2010 05:32:33 -0500 WordPainter Some moods, positive or negative, are as familiar and comforting as an old warm bath robe.  I had two dreams last night.  Both of the dreams elicited emotions that I am not comfortable with.  I do not have a wide range of emotions.  The emotions I do have I can't describe.  Anyway, the two dreams left me melancholy for several hours.  Now melancholy is a mood that fits me like a bath robe!  It is an easy... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/100418/melancholy http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/99840/hope-year Mon, 04 Jan 2010 01:21:47 -0500 WordPainter Every new year starts with hope for a better year than the previous year.  The main thing to remember is that change is a constant in our life.  If you want a better year then you need to do things a little differently.  Find hope every day.  Find triumph over struggles.  Nurture love.  Lastly, do NOT hide away from change and people.  Keep your hopes up throughout the year.  You may be amazed as to what a... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/225395/99840/hope-year