Cindy Evanier Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) 8 minutes ago, Marigold Devin said: discuss anything with the receptionist. Every time I have to go, same story... "I will be in a wheelchair. I need an appointment with a doctor on the ground floor" Big 3 story house. Her: "yes yes I have noted that" I arrive, name called on bleeping screen so everyone knows who it is making a fuss... Dr on 2nd floor will see you now... /me starts stressing about having to draw attention to myself by going back to reception and calling them out on it... Then either I end up waiting longer or theres another moment of drawing attention to myself when a doctor has to come downstairs and direct me to an empty treatment room... Then says to ME you should have made it clear to the receptionist. That is when I start to rant and force the doctor to check my notes on his screen where it says WHEELCHAIR USER. GROUNDFLOOR APPOINTMENT Then I get an apology but the damage is done Edited February 24, 2020 by Cindy Evanier 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ajay McDowwll Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) Doing okay today, considering it's Monday. I leave in about 15 minutes for my first appointment with the ARNP at our local psychiatric clinic to go over my meds (currently Wellbutrin and Buspar) and see what could use some tweaking. I just want to feel normal again. And I'd kind of like to NOT feel that it's necessary to eat my weight in Cheez-its Grooves... that'd be cool, too. Edited February 24, 2020 by Ajay McDowwll 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 7 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: Even though mine are working well for me right now, my depression meds have always been prescribed by my GP. I have an appointment with a psychiatrist in April to just kind of make sure I'm doing what is best for me, and taking the best combination. I'd love to replace the Cymbalta with something else just because of the brain zaps, but that's terrifying to me when it's working well. I should have said psychiatrist instead of doctor. My GP doesn't want to touch my mental illness medications with a 30-foot pole because that isn't her area of expertise and I have complications to not being "merely" depressed. I respect her decision on that. Sadly, all too often the burden/responsibility does fall on GPs. I couldn't get in to see a psychiatrist OR psychologist for 3-4 years here, for various, all bad, reasons! I got on my original antidepressant as a treatment for IBS and prescribed by a gastroenterologist. I didn't tell her about the complications which make my GP say "not me" to prescribe, because I needed the antidepressant! Yeesh. Yay American medical situation. 11 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: And that other kind of chemistry is wonderful as well. I totally thought you were talking about pot at first, but gushy fuzzy feelings for another human being are even better! Oooooh, would that I could afford the pot! It has been eons (allegedly). Bad wine tipsy SL is fun (bad wine because it is all I can afford, if that), but pot SL? I'd die of the giggles. Sounds nice. But yeah, think I prefer the warm fuzzies and a bit of a leash. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 In happier news for the day, Harvey Weinstein is on his way to jail right now. That's fun AND funny. That makes me feel downright cheerful. (I was already pretty cheery today so now I'm chair-dancing at my desk) (Yes, to Taylor Swift) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marigold Devin Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 6 minutes ago, Cindy Evanier said: Every time I have to go, same story... "I will be in a wheelchair. I need an appointment with a doctor on the ground floor" Big 3 story house. Her: "yes yes I have noted that" I arrive, name called on bleeping screen so everyone knows who it is making a fuss... Dr on 2nd floor will see you now... /me starts stressing about having to draw attention to myself by going back to reception and calling them out on it... Then either I end up waiting longer or theres another moment of drawing attention to myself when a doctor has to come downstairs and direct me to an empty treatment room... Then says to ME you should have made it clear to the receptionist. That is when I start to rant and force the doctor to check my notes on his screen where it says WHEELCHAIR USER. GROUNDFLOOR APPOINTMENT Then I get an apology but the damage is done You see, I personally would not find working as a doctor's receptionist that much of a challenge, yet they seem to make quite a dogs arse of it really, from my experience. It is appalling what you have to go through on a regular basis, as if day to day life isn't challenging enough. My brother has complex needs, after suffering a stroke 17 years ago, and for his sins, he has me full-time as his carer. One of the jobs I have to do for him is regularly order repeat meds. I do this every month, and had done so for the 15 years since he had left hospital up to the beginning of 2019. So, when I eventually got through (because of course they are always so friggin' busy, and they put you on hold in a queue, which my brother is paying for on his BT line), I got Christine, who is the most charmless person on the planet, and immediately, she is putting up blocks, asking me why I am ringing for my brother's meds, and saying that he should be doing it for himself, and I explained why he doesn't, and I asked her to put me through to the practice manager. Gill, who I know very well, because she used to man the prescription line. I asked her if policy had changed, and she said no, that Christine needed some training and she would get that training. All well and good, but she tipped my mood into the dark place. Anyway, lovely Gill, who knew that we had recently lost our last cockatiel through old age, just said "would your brother like a budgie?" And I said to her, if you are having to give out free budgies every time your receptionist is rude or out of order, then there will be a national shortage of budgies! At my own doctor's surgery this week, I fell foul of "the system". I rang for an appointment, was sent a text message to confirm appointment, then on the day before I had the appointment, they sent another message confirming the appointment. I arrived at the surgery, and booked in with the computer screen, as we are not allowed to actually talk to a receptionist face to face at the surgery unless there is a damned good reason, and I was told by the computer that the nurse I was booked in for a health check, blood tests, weight, the usual annual malarkey, would call me from the waiting room. Time passed, and I was at risk of developing DVT, so I had no choice but to ring the bell on the front desk, and eventually a lesser-spotted receptionist made an appearance, and she looked at her computer screen and said that my appointment had been cancelled! How confused I was. But she said they had tried to contact me with no luck (I have had no phone calls or text messages or emails or snail mails to say they want to cancel or change my appointment), and it was "the system" that had still automatically sent me the appointment confirmation. I kicked up such a stink, and have also taken it to a higher body. At the end of the day, the error that occured was not a system error. It was a receptionist not using the system correctly. It meant I had to waste an hour and a half of my time, and now have to go through it all over again on 4th March. P1ssed off, Moi, you betcha! And my surgery don't even give out apologies, let alone free budgerigars! 1 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy Evanier Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 omg @Marigold Devin I know the pain of part of the story but the rest of it made me seriously LOL. Thats why you got the reaction You really do have my sense of humour. Are you sure you aren't a scouser? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pamela Galli Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 My husband is severely bipolar, takes a huge cocktail of meds. But he is a lucky one because I keep him well supplied with cannabutter cookies because when he comes to me looking stricken, confessing the blackness of his mood, I just inquire whether he has had a cookie yet. Invariably he has not. He forgot., So off he goes to give that a try. And within the hour I hear him singing. Also I tell him this: when you find yourself in the bottom of a hole, look for the door out. It is there, and you always find it. Always. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kali Wylder Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Seicher Rae said: .... again, perky. So... better living through chemicals? As to the other kind of chemistry, after talking with what seems like every as*hat and tw*twaffle on the grid, one by one, and getting ghosted and meeting nice ZOMGRagingTrumpSupporter I may just have stumbled across a very interesting guy. Actually he stumbled across me, which is even better. Fingers crossed folks. It would be nice to have someone to hang out with and get up to pervy things with. I mean, listen to music with. Yeah. That one. Glad to hear your meds are working. I've been on Effexor (venlafaxine) since 1999 and it's always worked for me but never did I ever get perky. I'm jealous. I've played with the dosage but never tried a different drug because 1) effexor doesn't kill my sex drive or make me gain weight and 2)well, it keeps the despair away and 3) It gets me up to ok, for happy i have cannabis PS, I didn't want to use the laugh emoji on your post because chemistyr it serious stuff. But "It would be nice to have someone to hang out with and get up to pervy things with. I mean, listen to music with. Yeah. That one." made me LOL. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzevir Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Marigold Devin said: My brother has complex needs, after suffering a stroke 17 years ago, and for his sins, he has me full-time as his carer. One of the jobs I have to do for him is regularly order repeat meds. I do this every month, and had done so for the 15 years since he had left hospital up to the beginning of 2019. https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/electronic-prescription-service/ https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/electronic-prescriptions You don't need to go to your GP every month. " If you’re on eRD, you: don’t need to ring your GP or order a repeat prescription – your medication will already be waiting at the pharmacy for you when you need it" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 5 minutes ago, kali Wylder said: Glad to hear your meds are working. I've been on Effexor (venlafaxine) since 1999 and it's always worked for me but never did I ever get perky. I'm jealous. I've played with the dosage but never tried a different drug because 1) effexor doesn't kill my sex drive or make me gain weight and 2)well, it keeps the despair away and 3) It gets me up to ok, for happy i have cannabis PS, I didn't want to use the laugh emoji on your post because chemistyr it serious stuff. But "It would be nice to have someone to hang out with and get up to pervy things with. I mean, listen to music with. Yeah. That one." made me LOL. You might consider asking your doctor to add Wellbutrin in a small dose. It's a bit more of a mood lifter. It's like giving depression a one-two punch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kali Wylder Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Beth Macbain said: I'd love to replace the Cymbalta with something else just because of the brain zaps, but that's terrifying to me when it's working well. Effexor gives horrible nightmares and cranky, tearful feelings if you miss dose, I'm not sure what brain zaps are, but could that be simliar? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 minute ago, kali Wylder said: Effexor gives horrible nightmares and cranky, tearful feelings if you miss dose, I'm not sure what brain zaps are, but could that be simliar? No... it's literally like a zap to the brain. It feels like little electric brain shocks... over and over and over and over. Doesn't actually hurt, but it's very discombobulating and makes it impossible to think about anything else. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 5 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: No... it's literally like a zap to the brain. It feels like little electric brain shocks... over and over and over and over. Doesn't actually hurt, but it's very discombobulating and makes it impossible to think about anything else. Exactly the side effect I got, usually towards the end of the day (5pm maybe). 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Just now, Love Zhaoying said: Exactly the side effect I got, usually towards the end of the day (5pm maybe). It's hell, isn't it? I've actually spread mine out - I take a 60mg in the morning and 30mg in the late afternoon so that I don't get them at the end of the day like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kali Wylder Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 4 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: No... it's literally like a zap to the brain. It feels like little electric brain shocks... over and over and over and over. Doesn't actually hurt, but it's very discombobulating and makes it impossible to think about anything else. Cymbalta sounds terrible! I'll keep my crazy dreams and crankiness over that. I think we all should preface our better living through chemistry posts with, "I am not a doctor, however" or "see your doctor if you have a serious medical condition, but" BUT, the doctors don't actually take these meds, and we do, and besides that it's so hard to get a hold of the doctor when you need them, and as long as we remember the we are just sharing our experiences, not prescribing, I think that it's ok. I'm luckier than most in that I do have access to a psychiatrist and we were working on my meds until last September when my dad got sick and I decided that I needed stability and the demon I knew rather than messing with my psyche at such a vulnerable time. I get to see her today (Yay!). I have so much to tell her. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marigold Devin Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Cindy Evanier said: omg @Marigold Devin I know the pain of part of the story but the rest of it made me seriously LOL. Thats why you got the reaction You really do have my sense of humour. Are you sure you aren't a scouser? I'll say thank you for LOL-ing in the right places. I think of myself as Yorkshire through and through, but some grandparents and uncles apparently were born in Liverpool ! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marigold Devin Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 36 minutes ago, Zzevir said: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/electronic-prescription-service/ https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/electronic-prescriptions You don't need to go to your GP every month. " If you’re on eRD, you: don’t need to ring your GP or order a repeat prescription – your medication will already be waiting at the pharmacy for you when you need it" Sadly that is a myth. My brother's and my own GPs do not allow this. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marigold Devin Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 28 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: No... it's literally like a zap to the brain. It feels like little electric brain shocks... over and over and over and over. Doesn't actually hurt, but it's very discombobulating and makes it impossible to think about anything else. I went "cold turkey" when on Effexor, remember the brain zaps very well, horrible. It was quite by accident, over a Christmas period, when I had extra things to worry about with my brother, just forgot to think about myself. Have tried to stay off meds, but am on a couple of things and get 10 Zopiclone at a time (carefully prescribed) when I get desperate for sleep. Frightened to sleep sometimes. Maybe I killed someone in a past life and am paying the price now. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy Evanier Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 4 minutes ago, Marigold Devin said: I'll say thank you for LOL-ing in the right places. I think of myself as Yorkshire through and through, but some grandparents and uncles apparently were born in Liverpool ! Makes sense then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Love Zhaoying Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 23 minutes ago, Beth Macbain said: It's hell, isn't it? I've actually spread mine out - I take a 60mg in the morning and 30mg in the late afternoon so that I don't get them at the end of the day like that. I haven't taken it since 2004 or so, luckily. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seicher Rae Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 (edited) 2 hours ago, Beth Macbain said: (I was already pretty cheery today so now I'm chair-dancing at my desk) (Yes, to Taylor Swift) Damn you, Beth! I read that as I was getting ready for my shrink therapist appointment and thought that sounded like just the thing. Then I got so involved with being perky and a fangurl that I ended up being five minutes late! :p Edited February 24, 2020 by Seicher Rae 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth Macbain Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 27 minutes ago, kali Wylder said: I have so much to tell her. Tell her we all said hi... lol!! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syo Emerald Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 How am I feeling? Low on energy. Just got a cold on the weekend and stayed home today. I may consider staying home tomorrow aswell, depending on how I feel in the morning. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsSeren Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Zzevir said: https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/nhs-services/pharmacies/electronic-prescription-service/ https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/help-nhs-prescription-costs/electronic-prescriptions You don't need to go to your GP every month. " If you’re on eRD, you: don’t need to ring your GP or order a repeat prescription – your medication will already be waiting at the pharmacy for you when you need it" Not all GPs in UK allow this; varies to where you are in UK. Like not all jobcentres have same schemes in place as my cousin suggested one that was available where she is but not where I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zzevir Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 I love you all and hope you get better and I don't want to offend nobody. But cluck me I'm the normal one here. That's don't happen to often. 3 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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