Information and opinions on health from Purple Flamingo 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/433327/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/433327/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/433327/index http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/144024/make-background Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:32:24 -0400 Purple Flamingo Summer vacation is finally over and I have the computer back.  So the question is, why didn't I try to report back here for so many months?  Truth is, I couldn't tell you.  All of a sudden I emotionally fell to my knees.  I struggled out of bed, I dragged my feet, I spent the summer taking the kids to their psych appointments (lots of those), and I didn't have a thought in my brain.  No inspiration or irritation to write... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/144024/make-background http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/132270/mention-bipolar Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:05:07 -0500 Purple Flamingo My oldest daughter, now 15, was finally "officially" diagnosed and medicinally treated as Bipolar back in August.  Yes, I realize it has been months before posting the announcement.  I just got sidetracked with my own pharmasudical roller coster.  I think her sickness started years ago.  When she was 5, she convinced her kindergarten teacher that she had a baby brother.  The teacher was a bit dumbfounded when I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/132270/mention-bipolar http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/124317/invega-risperdal Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:27:00 -0500 Purple Flamingo Invega is an endangerment to me.  My apathy was a waving red flag to an already stressed bull and fights have ensued for the last two weeks.  Big scarey fights, teetering on the verge of out of control.  And I have to say it wasn't all that terrifying to me.  Just confusing.  But the fact that I should have been on the defense and taken the outbursts seriously instead of trying to find out why we were fighting and what... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/124317/invega-risperdal http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/122563/9mg-invega-find Thu, 21 Oct 2010 09:15:49 -0400 Purple Flamingo I had a dose bump from 6 to 9mg Invega for nearly month now.  I feel exhausted most of the time, I'm procrastinating on important things like doctor appointments and grocery shopping, and I lost my vocabulary.  I thought I just lost my creativity ( I really, really miss my creativity) but I'm stumbling over words and I'm nearly in tears.  I don't feel up and down (good).  I don't think I feel much of anything (bad). ... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/122563/9mg-invega-find http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/119531/sleeptalking Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:53:46 -0400 Purple Flamingo I'm still here. I didn't want to be, not in June. Everything went wrong in June.  I'm just getting back on my feet, and on my computer. I've missed you guys.   So, I talk in my sleep.  I'm told the conversations get weird.  But sometime back in May I was getting past weird and into hurtful, unconventional, and out of character.  I had extra stresses, true, but I've had to deal with other things in the past and I... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/119531/sleeptalking http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/112238/kinks-risperdal Sat, 22 May 2010 12:12:51 -0400 Purple Flamingo Wow! There's a few drawbacks, but I really think 2mg risperdal is working.  It has been a crazy month: sick, monthly bill, sick, and an extra kid for two weeks.  I haven't had a normal scheduled day in over five weeks.  And some poor foolhardy parent asked me to watch over her teen while she left the state to bury a family member.  Two weeks with three teens really tests your strength, especially emotional... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/112238/kinks-risperdal http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/109786/riding-risperdal Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:53:32 -0400 Purple Flamingo Good mOrning, my bp family! >grin<   I have to say I am at a crossroads with risperdal.  I don't feel the need to pace back and forth in my cage.  I still have energy to get through the day, but I've had a few short naps the last four days.  I am getting used to the pain now.  I still feel weak in my elbow (of all places, eh?) but I don't hold my chest so much.  The growing pains still hit; I just push past... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/109786/riding-risperdal http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/108901/risperdal-rescue Sat, 10 Apr 2010 10:15:02 -0400 Purple Flamingo I am more than ready for the rain to come.  Someone alert Noah; the pollen count is killing me and I'm ready to vote for 40 days and 40 nights.   For the last two weeks, I've crawled around under the influence of anti-hystamines.  That's another plus for risperdal... the benedryl is working double duty.  But enough about the pollen forecast.   Yesterday was my Doc day.  Doc wasn't upset about my chicken run from... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/108901/risperdal-rescue http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/108059/family-lithium Wed, 31 Mar 2010 11:31:25 -0400 Purple Flamingo First, thank you all for responding so quickly, so warmly.  I feel good with all of you and value your ideas.  Second, fear must have foreshadowed my weekend.  The day after my posting, the pollen count shot through the roof and I was miserable for the last few days.  I had to take all kinds of meds to beat the beastly thing... meds which would not have been allowed with lithium.  (I recalled Doc saying no pain meds... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/108059/family-lithium http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/107633/vetoes-lithium Sun, 28 Mar 2010 11:30:40 -0400 Purple Flamingo I'm briefly throwing a few words out here while the dog goes to the bathroom, so bear with me please.   It was kinda sweet, actually.   Yesterday, I picked up my lithium prescription and brought it home to show the folks.  My family (the one I grew up with and the one I made for myself) got together and everyone discussed my lithium dilemma.  Online research, medical inserts, whatever the pharmacy printed out; all of this... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/433327/107633/vetoes-lithium