An Update Instead of a Book Review!

I looked back at my recent entries and realized that it’s been a really long time since I posted much of anything substantive. I’m coming out of a long period of being nearly zombified thanks to one of my medications. I didn’t realize that was happening, as I’d been on that drug for years without that problem. Apparently, the problem was a combination of my dosage being increased last fall and interaction with other meds. Unfortunately, I found this out because of an irresponsible doctor who refused to see me as scheduled when I was due for refills, and wouldn’t give me refills without seeing me. Crashing off the maximum dose caused insomnia and seizures.

Yes, seizures. Something I have never experienced before, and I really didn’t need to add yet another square to my personal Symptoms Bingo Card. I fell right out of the bed during one bad seizure last week. We have a captain’s bed designed for a water mattress but have a regular mattress and box springs on top, so the whole thing is much higher than most beds. I have to use a step stool to get in and out of bed, so falling out was much more painful than falling out of most beds. Hitting my foreheard on the wheelchair and whacking my chin but good on the lap desk didn’t help. I have no idea what I hit with my right forearm, but it still looks like a person bit me. My left arm has funky bruising and a cut, both knees are bruised and carpet burned, and my torso is also bruised and sore. Lots of fun! Now my chin is actually black, making me want to wash my face every time I see a mirror. I’ve never been able to feel the swelling in a bruise as distinctly as this one, either.

I’ve seen a new doctor, who switched me to better medication. It’s helping to slow down the seizures, but I’m still having some. I’m still sleeping a lot less than I was, which is good. What isn’t good is that I’m having trouble sleeping well, period. Hopefully, that will go away soon.

Social Security is still messing around with my case and hasn’t paid out a dime yet, or sent me a Medicare card. If you ever have trouble with the SSA, don’t even bother trying to find anyone to take responsibility for straightening anything out. Just go straight to your Senator or Representative’s office. I’d been trying to get a straight answer from somebody, anybody, in the whole organization for about a month without luck. Less than 48 hours after contacting a Senator’s office, I got a message that my file is at the Baltimore payment office, that they have all the information they need to pay out the claim, and that we should see money very soon now.

I was really hoping to get the Medicare thing started in time to maybe have a powered mobility device before Dragon Con, which would let me go and enjoy the con for the first time in years. The last time I went, we rented a scooter, so if the money comes through before the con I suppose we might try that again.

In more fun news, we finished watching Torchwood: Children of Earth last night. Talk about depressing! Gwen and Rhys were the only ones who came out of that as heroes. And now I read that there’s going to be a fourth season? Who the heck will be in it?

I’ve slowed down on reading books, partially because I can actually do some other things for a change. The house is slowly improving! I’m hoping we can even entertain again before long.

I haven’t been keeping up with most people’s LiveJournals or anything else, so if there’s something I should have seen, I’d appreciate a poke in the comments here.