3 Attachment(s)
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Thanks everyone! I am home and healing well. It was a simple procedure, but still very traumatic.
Raincross drive was incredible as always My friend Jana & I were chatting with Kelly for a bit. He said "I'm gonna tell you a secret. Glenn Frey is my cousin". We told him we knew already. I was going to ask him if they were close etc. but my friend Jana is very chatty and I barely got word in edge-wise. I don't know if this will work, but I'll try. It's a video that Jana sent me this morning. https://www.facebook.com/100001016895315/videos/328905119324304/
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If not openable, I have this one that I took that night...if I can load it. If not here's a couple of new pics of me & Kelly. I'll keep trying with the videos. :):):)
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Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Glad to hear everything went well MJ56!
That stuff is nothing to mess around with. Any kind of heart arrythmia like SVT, A Fib, QT prolongation, etc is something to get treated. It's one thing to have some extra beats like PVCs or PACs or have a bundle branch block. Dad and I both have right BBB's so I know where I got it from! But so many people only think of the structural issues of the heart like heart attacks, congestive heart failure, valves, etc. That's only one side of the story that is the heart. You think of echocardiograms and heart catheterizations and and open heart surgery, etc. The electrical system is just as important and can be just as deadly if suddenly that abnormal rhythm turns into something worse like V Tach or V Fib which can kill someone so fast. Thankfully with the advent of ablations, medications, pacemaker/defibrillators, cardioversions, etc these electrical conditions are treatable.
12 lead EKGs in my humble opinion should be included as part of your yearly physical. Most of the time they aren't, but I think they should be. If you are getting blood drawn, you should also get an EKG. And compare them year over year. Any changes are significant when you have a new finding not on prior EKGs. EKGs should never change, especially on a year-over-year basis. Once you're an adult, your EKG should remain stable. Any change to the waveform has to be addressed. Especially sneakier things like prolongation of the QT interval. Because that can cause sudden drop death with Torsades de Pointes, a type of sudden V Tach. Related to it is things like the Brugada Syndrome and Long QT syndrome. In some people, it's genetic and congenital and it's caught early. In others, it can be coming from some medications you take and that is downright scary!
I think these Apple Watches will be a great big help for us in detecting people with underlying electrical heart disorders. Will it feed some level of hypochondriasis in some people obsessively running the EKG function looking for something that isn't there, sure, but the 5 or 6 that go in for "nothing" for every one with an actual problem will be worth the hassle if you can find one person with a life threatening abnormality and potentially save their life. Until EKGs are more annually administered, my hope is that the smartwatches will help us in getting more and more people accurately diagnosed, informed, and treated. And hopefully someone on the Android/Google side will step up to the plate for those out there who don't use an iPhone. Android smart watches can tell your pulse but the EKG and abnormal rhythm detection is nowhere near as good yet. I hope they catch up soon. That's just more people that can potentially find out they have a problem. Because Apple Watches do require an iPhone.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Glad to hear you are healing well, MJ. And great timing to get to see Raincross Drive. I couldn't get the link to work, but I love your pictures with Kelly.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Well, it's been a bit since I've posted an update. My life is a bit of a mess right now. My physical health has been hanging in there but unfortunately my mental health is not ok or should I say wasn't ok. I've been really struggling for a while now and so I thought I'd share in case others might benefit from hearing about it or not feeling alone. For years I felt like I was the only one who felt the way I did, something I learned isn't true.
Unfortunately, about a month ago I hit a really low point in my life that seemingly came on a bit unexpectedly. No major upset or loss. But I was feeling worsening anxiety, worsening OCD, and needed to check with my psychiatrist and my therapist for a tune up to say the least. Along the way I got put on some new medication and adjusted doses of current ones. One of the new ones tried sent me on a spiral to what had been the lowest depression I had had since the last time I was in the hospital (I've been twice for suicide attempts) which would have been in high school and I'm now 33. I was narrowly able to keep from getting admitted to the hospital because my family could watch me continuously for 24 hours while I was able to abruptly stop that medicine and get the suicidal thoughts to stop before having to be admitted if that didn't work. Luckily the medicine wore off and I went back to the doctor and was ok to continue with home care and my other meds. Unfortunately, some less than desirable down-in-the-dumps negative pessimistic (and frankly irrational and untrue) thoughts and feelings and some lack of interest/pleasure continued but I was no longer feeling suicidal/in crisis. I'm now feeling much better but still not 100 percent back to where I was before I started that anxiety medication.
The problem is - anxiety/OCD and major depression require two very different medications. What works for psychosis, mania, anxiety, or OCD is very different than what works for depression, catatonia, etc. And if you're unfortunate enough to have both, you know that delicate balance well. The old phrase "robbing Peter to pay Paul" comes to mind. Anxiety often requires what I'll call the "downers" or things to slow your mind down, lower your excitability, etc. Well as you might figure, depression needs things that do the opposite. They need some uppers or things that lift you up, get your neurons firing more, and put some spunk in your step. Unfortunately, either medication can cause the other problem to appear and boy howdy did it. The problem is I was getting so anxious that I was having meltdowns and periods where I felt like I was way overreacting, and I was desperate for a new treatment despite having tried so many drugs before. I don't respond super great to psychotherapy and so a lot of this is strictly medication management and therapy visits are just a place to vent rather than try to change my mind on things which doesn't go real great despite trying my best and have been for the past 20 plus years. So, I am now trying a different medication for anxiety, and I've been on it about a week, and I can say that while my anxiety isn't perfect, this medication isn't making me suicidal and it is helping it seems, if only just a little bit.
For those unaware, I'm also on the autism spectrum, despite the high functioning realm. I have what used to be classed as Asperger's Syndrome, now known as High Functioning Autism. Coupling that with major depression, anxiety, and OCD means that I'm a tough nut to crack and it requires a lot of work on the part of me, my family, and the psychiatrist to keep me feeling well just like I very much rely on medical doctors like my endocrinologist or my internal medicine doctor or any other specialists to keep my physical health in check with my panhypopituitarism and making sure my bloodwork is always as it should. It's always a struggle from every angle being me, but I know I'm not alone and I'm grateful to have the family I do and the support network in place I do that keeps me safe from physical and mental calamities. Mental health is still health. Period. And while I'm grateful to not have something as severely debilitating or dangerous day-to-day as say, schizophrenia or manic-depressive/bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety and OCD are still a major problem for a lot of people in the world and definitely can cost you quality of life like a medical condition could. But there is treatment. I'm proof not everything works but in the face of adversity, keep trying to get better anyway.
Lastly, while at home hanging out, I watched some Eagles DVDs. After all it was the Eagles who saved my life with Hotel California back in the day. And I have to say watching Hell Freezes Over and Farewell 1, I was feeling better. It was good therapy and encouraged me to get my guitar out.
Take care of yourselves out there,
-Austin/WF88
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
WF: I am so sorry with all you have been suffering through lately. I'm sure it has been overwhelming. The human mind is so complicated, and difficult to treat. I have a close relative on the Autism spectrum. They have never been able to get meds right where they don't have extreme anxiety and explosive emotional breakdowns. So frustrating, upsetting, and exhausting. My mom has long tried different anxiety/depression/OCD drugs with mixed results. Over 20 years ago she had a brain tumor. Now she is 85 with rather bad dementia, and the DR. recently doubled her meds for that. But with her different issues, knowing what problems are causing what difficulties, and what medication needs adjusting is a mess.
I can certainly understand how terrible everything has been for you lately. I'm so glad you are better, and you keep seeking solutions and fighting! You are a very strong person, and we believe in you! Music is a wonderful oasis for the mind. I hope it continues to encourage you in your journey. My thoughts and prayers are with you!:hug:
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Thank you, FF.
It's been a real struggle for my mental health the last few years it seems but this year it has seemingly starting coming off the tracks and so it's something I had to take care of. Unfortunately in the process to get better I had to take some things that made me very unwell in another way but the tides are turning back. I still have tremendous worrying, anxiety, and stress but I have to be careful what I take to combat that. Hopefully soon I will be able to find something that is safe and that works for me. Fingers crossed.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Austin - I'm sorry for the slow response, but my board time has been very limited lately. As always, I wish you the best. Please take care of yourself and make sure that you get as much help as you need. Hugs and prayers for you.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Thank you for the update, Austin. By sharing the details of your menal and physical health, you give me greater knowledge - and hopefully - understanding of the world. For example, I had never really thought about the difference between anxiety and depression and that the treatments were opposite but after your explantion it seems obvious. I wouldn't have guessed that you were high-functioning austistic but I do know other people with this diagnostic and it's certainly not the first thing you would think of when you meet them. One of them wasn't diagnosed until she was in her 50s!
I hope you manage to find a good balance with all these conditions and treatments.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Thanks Dreamer and UtW.
It's a lot to handle at once and seemingly out of control, but I'm really hoping for a brighter future soon. Then again I feel I've been saying that even before COVID was a thing and lord knows that didn't help matters any. Seems like ever since 2019 my life has been pretty low. It's hard to be overly optimistic when you've seen year-after-year not much improve if not things getting worse at times. That said, I know in the big picture there are certainly people worse off than me. Does it make my symptoms and troubles go away no it doesn't. Does it make you not feel so alone and feel grateful for what I do have going for me, absolutely. I feel about 80 percent of my life that was tainted was done at birth with the health problems I was given that are life long calamities. The rest of it is a combination of school bullying, general life struggles, etc. I feel only a very small part, maybe 5 or 10 percent is actually something I can do something about. Which can feel destitute and hopeless, but remembering those children dying with cancer or those who are homeless and starving sure put things in a better and more grateful perspective. It doesn't make my suffering any less, but there are certainly those with even more than I.
Re: What's Happening In Your Life?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
WalshFan88
Thanks Dreamer and UtW.
It's a lot to handle at once and seemingly out of control, but I'm really hoping for a brighter future soon. Then again I feel I've been saying that even before COVID was a thing and lord knows that didn't help matters any. Seems like ever since 2019 my life has been pretty low. It's hard to be overly optimistic when you've seen year-after-year not much improve if not things getting worse at times. That said, I know in the big picture there are certainly people worse off than me. Does it make my symptoms and troubles go away no it doesn't. Does it make you not feel so alone and feel grateful for what I do have going for me, absolutely. I feel about 80 percent of my life that was tainted was done at birth with the health problems I was given that are life long calamities. The rest of it is a combination of school bullying, general life struggles, etc. I feel only a very small part, maybe 5 or 10 percent is actually something I can do something about. Which can feel destitute and hopeless, but remembering those children dying with cancer or those who are homeless and starving sure put things in a better and more grateful perspective. It doesn't make my suffering any less, but there are certainly those with even more than I.
I'm sorry you have to deal with so much, Austin. Hang in there! Big hugs to you. I'll be thinking about you and sending prayers and love.