Zen, it is absolutely reasonable to "interview and hire" a doctor whenever you have any choice in the matter. So is having a conversation with a doctor about the ways previous treatments and medications effected you (good AND ill), and what side effects you see as deal-breakers together with the expectation that you as a patient be treated as a person who has a brain rather than a subject with a collection of symptoms. Yeah, it would be a pain to have to go through this process again, but your health is worth the effort.
sj, if the new therapist doesn't love long-term anti-depressants, does that mean she is big on concrete skills and coping tools? The last therapist I saw was all into this Rogerian, just get 'em talking, doesn't really go anywhere with it, stuff that was not a good fit for me in the long term and I didn't know how to say it was not working for me. Either way, I hope you are able to work with this one and get what you need from her.
So much ~ma for Tim. May the doctors speedily and accurately learn what is going on with him, and be able to treat it skillfully. For you Steph, and for all here who are under strain, I bring this blessing from the Iona Community:
Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
The last line is explicitly religious, so feel free to skip it, but for those to whom it has meaning -
Deep peace of the Son of peace to you
Gah, medical stuff. I think all the moving shit and sleeping on a crappy bed have fucked up my left hip, but I don't have time for a doctor. I'm looking at a second floor apartment, and I'm hoping stairs won't aggravate things until my body gets used to a new bed and I can rest.
I am alternating between periods of being calm and being a stressball. So much to do. And yet not that much to do immediately.
Dana, we passed on a couple of houses because we didn't want the responsibility of a pool. Good luck finding the perfect place.
sj, if the new therapist doesn't love long-term anti-depressants, does that mean she is big on concrete skills and coping tools? The last therapist I saw was all into this Rogerian, just get 'em talking, doesn't really go anywhere with it, stuff that was not a good fit for me in the long term and I didn't know how to say it was not working for me. Either way, I hope you are able to work with this one and get what you need from her.
I'm hoping that will be the case. There was some mention of acupuncture and nutrition and lots of "inspirational" quotes on the wall, but like I said she seemed nice and I need someone to talk to and I think I can with her.
So far, 2016 is looking like the opening scenes of a disaster movie. (glares sternly at the year) Knock it off, 2016!
Meanwhile, here's a calm video, kittens being tucked in for a nap.
Very sweet kitties. I love a sleeping cat's face.
When I am stressed, I watch this. [link] I am not a mom, but something about it really goes deep. It works like a charm.
Babies! The Blue-point looks a lot like Harvey as a baby, and the two flame-points were like his sisters.
I'm trying unsuccessfully not to freak out. Tim had an appointment scheduled with the pulmonologist for October 11. Then this morning he had the echocardiogram and CT scan of his lungs. This afternoon the pulmonologist's scheduler called Tim and said the pulmonologist wants to see him September 12.
That...doesn't seem good. Why else move up his appointment?
Ooh. That is a little scary, Teppy. But also entirely possible it's something stupid like "oh, the doctor had an opening earlier and Tim was on the list" or "the note in the file said they'd prefer to see him before he starts new RA therapy, and the doc figures he should start sooner not later". If it were something horrible, they'd probably fit him in sooner than two weeks? I hope?
