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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by LynneDa on December 18, 2003, at 11:21:10
Lyssa - haven't heard from you in a while! How are you doing? How's the new med working? I hope you're doing well!!!!
~ Lynne
Posted by sfmom on December 19, 2003, at 16:42:28
In reply to SFMom - how're you doing?, posted by LynneDa on December 18, 2003, at 11:21:10
> Lyssa - haven't heard from you in a while! How are you doing? How's the new med working? I hope you're doing well!!!!
> ~ Lynne
Lynne,
You are so sweet for checking in with me! I'm still having a rough time, but at this point, don't know if it's due to the depression or the meds. I've been on Paxil 10mg for a couple weeks and it just makes me exhausted. Now I'm taking 150mg Wellbutrin in the morning to try to mitigate the Paxil side effects but I'm still exhausted all day. I'm sick of trying new meds just to go through the side effects and have them not work! Also, I have to go back to work on Jan 5 and am really scared about that. I'm sure my doc would extend the disability, but we just can't afford it. If I don't go back to work, we can't make our mortgage payment. And to add insult to injury, I turn 30 on January 1st and have no plans for New Year's Eve! Alex's mom is going to watch the baby (I guess I can't call my big two year old that anymore can I?) but we haven't found anything fun to do. In a previous lifetime, we would have stayed out all night doing drugs--then we had a baby--what do normal people do on New Year's Eve anyway?But on an upside, Hanukkah starts tonight and I have all my presents wrapped. And my daughter is really excited about Christmas too. (We are an inter-faith, inter-racial family.) She loves the Christmas tree.
So, I'm just trying to hold it together, do my part in therapy, and pray that I feel like myself again soon. Thanks for touching base with me. I really needed it.
Happy Holidays,
Lyssa
Posted by LynneDa on December 19, 2003, at 17:03:47
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing? » LynneDa, posted by sfmom on December 19, 2003, at 16:42:28
Happy Hanukah! I'm glad to hear from you and that you are holding it together. I'll cross my fingers that the Paxil/Wellbutrin combo will kick in within a couple more weeks - it seems to take about 5 or 6 weeks for any med change to really take effect.
As for New Year's Eve ... it is different once you have kids, isn't it? We usually get together with other friends who have kids and play board games while the kids go crazy in the basement. It's weird to think we've come to this, huh? For the first time in years, we'll have no kids (mine will be at my Grandma's - she's 84, but still can babysit! - and his will be with their Mom)so we're going to this big public party in downtown St. Louis. It's the anniversary of the 1904 World's Fair so they're having a bunch of activities in the park where it was originally held. You have to do something fun since it's your birthday & you have a sitter! A lot of bars and hotels around here have packages with dinner and live music. Getting out of the house sounds like it may be good for you!
Going back to work may be a good thing for you, too. Just take it hour by hour the first day . . . and day by day after that. You don't have to be 100% the first week back - if you know your job well, you could maybe fake it a little at first? :-). Just focus on each task, not on the whole concept of "going back to work" - that's too overwhelming! I'll be anxious to hear how you do!
We're baking cookies all weekend. The kids want to help (they're 7, 9 & 11). We'll see how long that lasts! Sounds really normal and I am so glad I'm feeling good enough to do it this year. Last year was a struggle to do anything holiday-related (not on meds then!).
Have a great holiday weekend and take some time for yourself to relax too!
~ Lynne
Posted by sfmom on December 19, 2003, at 17:14:46
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing?, posted by LynneDa on December 19, 2003, at 17:03:47
Thanks, I'll try to enjoy it. Geez, if we can't come up with something to do in San Francisco on New Year's Eve, then we really are getting old! The hotel idea is a really good one, maybe we'll go all out and put it on the credit card. . .
Enjoy your cookies, we're going to Mom's on Sunday to bake cookies!
Posted by LynneDa on December 23, 2003, at 10:26:14
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing? » LynneDa, posted by sfmom on December 19, 2003, at 17:14:46
Hi Lyssa - Hope you had a good weekend! Did you survive the earthquake? I have one friend in the Napa Valley area and now I know you, so I was concerned!
~ Lynne
Posted by sfmom on December 23, 2003, at 23:36:47
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing?, posted by LynneDa on December 23, 2003, at 10:26:14
Yes, we're fine. I actually slept through it but Alex said he felt the earthquake and the aftershock from the living room. But it wasn't very bad up here in SF, we're about 150 miles from the epicenter. I've been trying not to watch the news or read the papers because I just can't deal with the fact that people died. Okay, a little denial never hurt anybody right?
What are your Christmas plans? We're going to Alex's mom's for Christmas Eve, then to my mom and dad's for Christmas dinner. Yes, my mom is Jewish like me and my sister, but my stepdad and my other sister are Catholic so we celebrate both holidays. Are we the cliche California family or what?
I'm pretty concerned about how Geri is going to get through the holidays. And I really appriciate you always having prompt responses. Sometimes I can't check my e-mail every day, or am just not able to put any coherent answer together. I'm just exhausted all the time. Last night I went to sleep at 11, woke up at 7 to get Rosalie ready for daycare, crawled back in bed until 11:30, then took another nap from 3:30 to 5:30! I don't think this is normal. But the problem is that I can't tell if it's from the depression or the Paxil. And the Wellbutrin doesn't seem to be working at all. It's supposed to be "activating" but I take two every morning and still sleep all day. Anyway, I guess I need to talk to my pdoc. Do you have any suggestions about what to try next. I need something that will give me some energy.
Thanks for letting my vent a little and thank you for checking up on me. It really means so much to me. If I don't hear from you, have a wonderful Christmas with your family!
Posted by LynneDa on December 24, 2003, at 9:45:16
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing?, posted by sfmom on December 23, 2003, at 23:36:47
Hi Lyssa - I'm glad to hear you're okay! I figured you were pretty far away from it. I'm sorry to hear you are so tired all the time still. That just makes everything else harder. I thought the Wellbutrin would've helped. I guess you've been checked out physically to be sure it isn't your thyroid or low iron, etc? I don't have a lot of experience with other meds, but from the posts here it seems like there could be some other "cocktails" to try that may get through your fatigue. Are you eating okay?
Christmas should be fun. It's Christmas Eve and I'm at work, although not working obviously! We close at 2pm. My daughter is with my grandma today since day care is closed, and she'll spend the night with my Aunt & Uncle. They don't have kids and my parents don't live here, so they've taken on my daughter as their grandchild! It's very, very wonderful! They've never woke up with "Santa" on Christmas morning so, before Elizabeth stops believing (she's 7 1/2 and wavering this year!), I wanted to let them have that fun!
We'll pick up my step-kids & Elizabeth in the morning and have Christmas at our house, the relatives will come over for dinner. I couldn't have done guests and dinner without the Lex :-). I just sort of floated through the last couple of Christmases.
I love the name Rosalie, it is so sweet! I can just picture her, does she have curly hair? Here in St. Louis, there are lots of Jewish people and Catholic people, therefore we have lots of mixed-religion families. I celebrated Hanukah and went to many Seders and Bat Mitvahs with friends over the years!
I hope Geri does okay, too. I wish we knew more about her situation. I have so many questions for her, like where is her Mom in all this and does she have other siblings besides her twin (that was a surprise to hear!). I'm off work til January 5th, so won't be on-line very regularly, but will try to do so a few times. I know this is terrible, but my husband is not supportive of the general concept of mental illness. He feels you just pull yourself up by your bootstraps and move on. He's been very depressed this year but says, "Once this changes and that improves, I'll get better." So, getting on-line just starts a discussion I'm tired of having with him! He's a good man, but I guess he's old-fashioned or something. Odd that I would marry someone like that since I am so into psychology and "new age" type stuff. We just got married last year.
Well, I've rambled on quite a bit. I really hope that you find some peace and joy this week - and medication that perks you up :-). My best thoughts will be with on January 5th, if I don't hear from you before then. You deserve the best, don't give up!!!!
~ Lynne
Posted by LynneDa on December 24, 2003, at 9:57:36
In reply to Re: SFMom - how're you doing?, posted by sfmom on December 23, 2003, at 23:36:47
Lyssa -
One more thing. I was just reading some other posts. A couple people mentioned prozac and effexor as being more "activating" - not sure if that means energizing. They also said that wellbutrin at too low of a dose can make you tired, but upping the dose seemed to help. Maybe a solution to try? Good luck :-)
~ Lynne
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