Tag Archives: health

Never say “last bad news for a while”

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You’re not going to believe this, I’m still laughing at the irony, but last Thursday, while walking to the train station from my first physical rehabilitation session – I fell down six or steps – and chipped my right lateral cunieform – a bone on the top of my right foot!

It’s a small chip and my orthopedist said I should be safe to put weight on it, if I can handle the pain, which I can. But damn man. That’s just too friggin’ ironic.

On a far lighter note, we’re looking forward to Emma’s first birthday next month. Just a couple weeks away. We have a small house, so the party will be just family, but it will be a great day. I gotta post some new pictures. You should see her walking technique – it looks like a martial arts stance 🙂

Liz Spikol: “She wanted to be well, like I did, but she didn’t know how.”

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Liz Spikol shares some of her story, commenting on Christina Eilman:

…It was the beginning of hell. Everything fell apart, but I finally went home to be with my parents, who saved me. I cannot imagine the pain of being Christina, trying desperately to get home, knowing that was safety, and not being able to get there. The frenetic phone calls to friends and family; the desperation of a mind clouded by odd thoughts and noise. She wanted to be well, like I did, but she didn’t know how. She was on the cusp of help, though, until the Chicago police intervened. Mind you, this is a police force that has been specifically trained to deal with people who suffer from mental illness. Hard to believe.

People feel for the parents, as do I. I think of my mother’s face when she greeted me in my altered state. I think of the tears in my father’s eyes. But I think more about Christina, and the strange feeling you have when the mix of lucidity and madness takes hold. You think, “I know I’m off. I know I shouldn’t be saying these things. I’m a freak. Or am I? Someone help me.” It’s utter despair. It’s no wonder so many people with biploar disorder commit suicide.

The years that followed for me included more manic episodes with more painful moments than I can bear to recall. Sometimes one of those moments will pop into my head, and I think, “My God. How did I live through that?” So many people who loved me but couldn’t save me. So many humiliations and disappointments. Above all, so much fear.

Some progress

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The amount of fluid in mom’s chest has gone down a bit so her doctor has considered against doing a Thoracentesis. During both my and Dante’s last visits mom was smiling at times, even laughing (and then coughing) at our attempts to cheer her up. Mom has a terrific sense of humor. I don’t know where mine is – but her’s is very healthy! She confirmed with Dante that what she really wants right now is a coffee. Being awake, she was really upset when I had to leave – it was tough to go home. No progress so far in removing the tube. I will have another update from her doctor today before visiting.

My mom is in ICU with pneumonia

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Having COPD, it is easy for her to suffer bouts of pneumonia, but she normally bounces back surprisingly fast. She’s tough. But this time they had to intubate her to assist her breathing. They are working on weaning her from the tube. We are awaiting results of a CT scan they did to look for more fluid and mucus in her lungs. She’s stable and doctors are hopeful for a good recovery. She’s lucid and aware of what’s going on, which is great. She knows we’re here for her I think. Still, not being able to communicate in a substantial way (she can’t write – she’s too weak, and she can’t speak of course) is disconcerting. I wish I could talk with her.

To Medicate or Not?

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ScientificAmerican.com: Cognitive therapy as an alternative to ADHD drugs:

To medicate or not? Millions of parents must decide when their child is diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)–a decision made tougher by controversy. Studies increasingly show that while medication may calm a child’s behavior, it does not improve grades, peer relationships or defiant behavior over the long term.

Consequently, researchers have focused attention on the disorder’s neurobiology. Recent studies support the notion that many children with ADHD have cognitive deficits, specifically in working memory–the ability to hold in mind information that guides behavior. The cognitive problem manifests behaviorally as inattention and contributes to poor academic performance. Such research not only questions the value of medicating ADHD children, it also is redefining the disorder and leading to more meaningful treatment that includes cognitive training.

Think I saw this first over at dangerousmeta.

Homeless

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I have a lot to say about this post by Jeff Jarvis. That’s obvious from some of the comments I left there. Part of me is insulted by the massive generalization he laid out: “…the real issue isn’t homelessness. It’s insanity. The laws in this country make it impossible to commit and help even the obvioulsy and often the dangerously insane.”. The other part of me is relieved to see any discussion that trods (plods?) into these waters since discussion of the topic is so rare. And for many very raw.