Bipolar check-in #42

Happy Birthday !!!

I hope things can get sorted out for you soon

This is such a lovely post about the love of your current home. I hope I find such a place in the future.

Hi bizi. I'm sure you'll come up with the right decision about Lithium. I know of people whose thyroid at least partially recovered after stopping Lithium. I also know some, including myself, whose didn't. The lucky thing is that Synthroid is usually very effective with few or no side effects.

Tegretol XR (carbamazpine ER) is my main moodstabilizer and has been for a good 8 years. It serves me well along with Seroquel XR and my other meds. It's likely that Tegretol XR does a large percentage of the work. A negative about Tegretol is that it has several medication interactions, including with some of the other medications I take. I can still take them together, but dose adjustments are necessary. It's especially important for all doctors to know I take it. It has affected the type of birth control I've needed. The interactions are often Tegretol reducing effectiveness of other meds, but sometimes it goes the other way. I have almost no side effects from Tegretol XR. A little clumsiness, and if my dose is too high, bouts of double vision. Tegretol ended an almost one year period of musical hallucinations I had years back, plus more. I appreciate that greatly!

Happy belated birthday, Aurelius!

Hospital bills are indeed beyond outrageous!

Still feeling great bar my headaches that is. They suck I've been up since 3am with feeling sick and sever headache. It died down this morning so I went to my volunteering. I'm just chilling out before my 1st singing lesson eeek it's in 1.5 hours time at 7:45pm. It's crazy weather here we have sever winds and torrential rain. Just heard on the news the west coast of Scotland is severely affected. Schools and boat ferries were all closed eeek.

Happy birthday Aurelius!

Took too of the ambien and slept wonderfully. Dreamt I was back in college and books came with Star Trek clothes and toys. . Woke up early but didn't want to get up, it was great to just enjoy bed. Soft comfortable and warm.

Happy Birthday, Aurelius! It sounds like it was a good one.

Today I'm attending a Wellness group that my therapist is facilitating. I think it's all women. I have no idea what to expect, but JFC - at least it's a reason to get dressed and go somewhere.

Haven't updated in here for awhile.

So, things are moving along with the application process for the new apartment complex. I'm just waiting on one document to arrive in the mail then they said I'd be set to move in. I'm excited but stressed at the same time.

One of my cats is very sick, and I'm worried she might have cancer. I have to go to the vet this week to have her examined. She's an older cat, and I'm scared that it may be time for her to get put to sleep. I don't want her to be in pain though. She's such a wonderful girl, my little snuggle bug. She is the most affectionate sweetheart in the world. I love her so much.

I have a toothache so I have to go to the dentist to get that checked out tomorrow. Hoping I don't need a root canal.

I'm stressed, very very stressed. I want to go to sleep and just wake up in the new apartment with everything done and taken care of so I can settle in. And of course I'm very worried about my cat.

Feeling fat today. Otherwise Im good. Listening to the dryer run. Getting clothes caught up. N3 is taking over n2's old room and finding things! A ton of laundry that needs/ed washed and FOUR wheat pennies! My aunt collects them and has a lot. I give her the ones I find. Back on Thanks giving I had n2 bring me the two I had at the time but she lost them! Dont ask me how- no idea. A 5-minute drive and she lost them. She "put them somewhere safe". Anyway ... Now I have six! Yippee!

Been using my Keurig instead of Starbucks. I do need milk/cream in my coffee though but I have given up sugar in my coffee. On rare occasions, I drink it black.

I want a dog but can't afford the vet bills. You can get pet insurance but thats not easy either. My friend had it through her old job for her hedgehog.

I am getting my hair cut Wednesday. Im looking forward to having a tidy hair style but NOT the mirrors! They have mirrors everywhere! And its a new stylist as my old one for years apparently doesnt work there anymore?? She only worked 2 days a week but still we- kids, me, my mom and her husband- all liked her.

Finally fell asleep about 4 AM and slept until about 10, which is great, for me. Not psychotic or manic this morning, also great. Grateful for all that. Just basically holding on until my next pdoc visit in a day or two. We will try to get a game plan for everything--sleep, mania, pschosis, suicidality. No idea what he is going to want to do. Am also now having this bizarre, quite spooky neuro SE to my Abilifry, where my arms start shaking like crazy up and down when I am riding the bike. Cannot ride like that. Can't find any other reports of this anywhere. It is not TD and not a tremor. Just weird. I am so weird. Plus, I have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder now, so balancing all these neuro issues with effective treatment will be tricky. But Dr. C can do it. He's a genius.

Anyhoo, just holding on. I can make it. I've made it this far.

Sending hugs and love to everyone.

I hope your kitty will be OK after seeing the vet.

Hoping your tooth is just a minor fix.

How does the coffee (or espresso) taste from your Keurig? I have a Tassimo and the espresso we buy for it is really great. It is a huge savings. Sometimes I think about going to the cafe just to have somewhere to go, but then decide not to because of the price...and really the taste is so comparable.

When I go to the hair salon, I don't wear contact lenses. Then I don't really see anything until after-the-fact when I put my glasses on. It's usually always nice. It better be since I spend big $$$ there.

bpcyclist, I'm glad to read that your mood is a bit more level today. That sucks that Abilify affects your cycling. I used to bike, but on certain medications I feel a bit off balance. Not that I couldn't bike, but it makes me anxious. That, and I sometimes get so distracted that I end up in a ditch.

Today was OK. When I went to the grocery store my friend (who also has bp1) was working. I asked him how he was and he said he was really tired. He looked tired. I, on the other hand, could honestly say "OK" unlike several days before today. I was happy that I planned my shopping trip very carefully to include lots of sale items, though only ones that I actually wanted/needed. Between "on sale savings" and "PPC & Str Coupons" I saved $45! That represented almost 30% savings total than if I had bought the same items without sales/coupons. I was proud of myself! I bought an on sale bottom round roast and cut it up into beef stew cubes and vacuum sealed it all for the freezer. Then I compared the price at a discount grocery store, per pound, and my efforts saved me about 50% compared to if I had purchased pre-cubed beef. I done such things with chicken, but never with beef for stewing.

I wanted to go to this gourmet shop and buy one of their big oatmeal raisin cookies. I have REALLY craved an oatmeal cookie. But instead of paying $2 for their big cookie, I came home and made a 1/3 batch of my own homemade. That gives me 9 medium-sized cookies for a fraction of the price. They look just as yummy.

I am bound and determined to cut our grocery spending this year!

I went to the pharmacy. As predicted, she tried to give me my Latuda without applying the coupon savings card I gave them about four months back. They tried to get away with that last month. With the coupon savings, my co-pay is $15 per month for Latuda. Without, it is $85. Last month I was fresh home from Florida with bronchitis. I went to the pharmacy with my husband, but he was paying. Luckily my husband noticed the astronomical price before we left. We demanded the coupon be applied. The pharmacist didn't know what he was doing so made me come back the next day to get the refund. I just HATE having to run back and forth to the pharmacy numerous times per month!

What if I had paid that extra $45 at the grocery store and $70 extra copay at the pharmacy? Who here can easily spare an extra $115 in a given day, for no good reason? $115 is more than I paid (after coupons/sales savings) at the grocery store today, and I got a whole lot!

You have to be vigilant!

My colon gaurd kit was delivered this morning and I dropped it off at 4:30. So, that's that done. All my preventive physical stuff is done for a year. With any luck I'll not have to see the doc until 2021. I think my eyeballs are due in July or August tho.

Oh hun so much going on at once!

I so hope your apartment goes through. Ack toothache! Ooo I hope it’s nothing.

Your fur baby maybe she’s got a urinary tract infection that can make them feel just awful.

Good thoughts to you both

Pennies showing up are good luck signs !!!!

Are you allowed to have a dog in your home?? One thing you could consider is become a foster “ most” places pay for food and any vet care. Sure it can suck if someone does decide to adopt he or she but I’ve known people who have had a “ foster” for over a year. Just a thought

Hope the new stylist does a good job

Great job BirdDancer !! I have made it a game to see just how much money I am able to save while still having a good variety.

Fantastic start !!!

Glad you are getting everything done and out of the way !!!

Saw my Pdoc today routine follow up in and out in 6-7 mins... refilled meds I haven’t taken since last year and see him in 3 months. Quick easy fast.

I’m in a annoyed irritated mood today. Not sure why... I slept a bit last... just going to try and stay distracted.

My husband hasn’t had another episode but if he does he’s defiantly going , but I might call and ask them for an order for a potassium level anyway. Despite being on prescription strength back in August it was low. Unknown reason.

Edit : Oh yeah my brother that’s been dealing with that ulcer on the bottom of his foot, that they want to treat with IV antibiotics 24/7 for 6 weeks but his cost was over 200.00 a day He sees his Doctor this week he’s still on oral meds but he will finally be able to afford to get the MRI , imaging place wanted over 690 up front with last years insurance so now more informed decisions be make.