Posted by shellir on December 31, 2001, at 22:53:21
In reply to Re: hi there » shellir, posted by Elizabeth on December 29, 2001, at 6:15:45
Hi Elizabeth
>
> > The only thing that is settled is an appointment the third week in January with Dr. Robert Hedaya, the "total" psychiatrist who teaches at Georgetown.
> That sounds like a plan. I think getting tests done is probably a good idea if conventional psych treatments haven't worked very well.The more I read and hear about this guy, the more optimistic I am feeling about the potential that he will be able to help me.
>
> > Meanwhile, first I was rejected for ECT at U of Penn (need therapy);
>
> What is with this therapy crap? Haven't you been in a lot of therapy already? And how is therapy incompatible with ECT, anyway -- why can't you do both?
>Because they are ass*oles. And yes, I've been in therapy and I am still in therapy (well, I was until my therapist told me I couldn't work with her again until I went through in patient habilitation for opiates before she would work with me again. :-0 So, I don't think I do have a therapist, afterall.
Anyway, I read one of your earlier posts which mentioned ECT where you mentioned that real people have real horror stories. Do you know if any of the reports of memory loss, etc. were reported by people who had unilateral ect. I've been looking into ECT as a real possiblity, only because I have been reading about the lack of significant memory loss with unilateral ECT. I also talked to a woman when I was at University of Pennsylvania Hospital who was receiving unilateral ECT (she had had five in a scheduled series of twelve) and thus far, she described no memory impairment. When I spoke to her she had received ECT four hours earlier and she had total orientation and conversational skills in tact.
I would have definitely said yes last week when I was "rejected" unless I was off of opiates for four weeks, and the week before when I was sent back to therapy. Now that I am back on methadone and found enough hydrocondone (I hope) for another few weeks until I see the new pdoc, ECT is starting to lose some of its appeal. But I am still waking up with horrible pain, heaviness and despair in my chest (how I experience depression) until the methadone kicks in, so it remains an option.
I'd just tell about the doctor in DC who prescribed them for you -- I wouldn't go into the previous self-medication with hydro, as it might make them distrustful of you
That's good advice, although it seems like whatever I say doesn't matter that much--it all just translate into "addict" and "rehab" is the answer. I can see going off of opiates if the new pdoc has better ideas, but I really can't picture going to twelve step groups and giving myself over to "god" in order to do it.
>
Medicaid is *very* hard to get here -- I wish they would just let me transfer it from Massachusetts, but here they actually require you to be approved for disability before they'll consider you for Medicaid!That's strange; I didn't realize that it varied so state to state. As far as I know, in Maryland, you just have to have a certain income: at least I don't think it's related to disability. With disability, though, you probably could get both medicare and medicaid, right?
visited my boyfriend in NJ just before xmas -- I hadn't seen him for a month or so. I hope that I can go up there pretty often, but it's pretty tricky (the last couple times, I've taken Amtrak from Union Station to Trenton after driving up to DC). That's pretty much where I stand now.Is that new? You got your license?
> I hope things improve for you. It's hard, but I know that you're strong.Things are seeming better. I was home for the last few days trying to get some work done, but I didn't feel strong enough to stay. Now I'm back in Philadelphia for at least the rest of this week.
Take care,
Shelli
poster:shellir
thread:87311
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20011222/msgs/88389.html