The New Phone Books Here! The New Phone Books Here!

So, there's a bad reference to The Jerk. I got some attention as people wonder just what the heck I am talking about. (Image courtesy of imdb.com)

Anyway, my "Day 1" came and went on Tuesday (24-May-2009) as I saw the doctor and I received an Rx for Vyvanse 50mg. I had it filled that afternoon directly form the appointment. Yesterday, Wednesday, I took my first dose in the a.m. Nothing to report as far as side-effects. Which is good. I have read some online postings of people having dramatic reactions within 30-minutes of taking the medicine.

So, I am sticking it out, as I did get the 30-day free trial card from my doctor. At least from a standpoint of the wallet, it is not costing me anything. It was a bit of a pain to activate the card, which I did from my BlackBerry at the pharmacy. It seemed to of course, be a lot of marketing questions. Give them all your data. Oh well, what is your data worth! =-) Ask yourself that, or pay for it. I think for the 30-day, 50mg, the cost was just a few cents under $192 U.S.

This morning, I took the next dose, still nothing to report on Day-2 of the drug (I am counting Day-1 as being the appointment and first dosage together). I am not trying to look for anything, as I do not want to imagine things, so maybe there could be slight differences I am not attuned to. I will call the doc after a week to let him know how I am doing and he will adjust accordingly (unless there is an issue). I go back for an appointment in a month.

Keep you updated on how the Vyvanse works.

If I can Stress One Thing, It is This

I wondered recently as I go through some added issues with work, if stress can worsen ADHD symptoms and even add to the ones previously experienced. I had tried the relax, breath deeply, dream you are on a secluded beach routine. No luck.

Anyway, I ran into this article on WebMD that seemed to have a bit of info for me. I am not a stress expert; nor an ADHD expert, so a real key pick-up here for me was one sentence:

"Stress becomes bad when it overwhelms your ability to act."

I feel more than normal that my reaction to the new stress has immobilized me when it comes to dealing with the situation. It seems to be on my mind constantly; but I cannot act on it. I cannot even concentrate on it long enough to figure out how to deal with it. When I try to delve into it to put it though to a solution, my concentration is lost. It is like my mind shuts down. Perhaps it is a mental roadblock. If I approach the train tracks, the gate closes. I will have to ask the doctor tomorrow what to do. I am certainly at a loss. I almost think I need to write a letter a piece at a time and then un-jumble it and fill in gaps later to make sense.

The one thing that has gotten me through life so far and made me have any success is a I have a bit of intelligence where I can assess situations rather quickly and make a pretty fair decision. This has helped me of course, as if I would have to dwell on something like I am now, it too would slip my mind.

We'll see what the good doc has to say.

Get a Grip

Been a tough week or so. The spouse has been a bit on my case, even though she has had the flu. Not sure how she has the energy to pick on my being unorganized. I am certain it is very frustrating to the ones you live with.

I did get an appointment with a new doctor for the 24th of March. So I will hopefully get an Rx then.

I did have to cancel an unrelated doctor appointment the other day since she had the flu and there were others in the house sick as well. I could not leave her here to take care of people. Just a bit of a 72-hour thing I guess. The challenge for me seems to be re-scheduling the appointment and the related follow-ups that were dependent on the results. It seems that when one thing happens it is hard enough to try and "fix" that issue; but then everything else is related, so you need to also handle those along with all the other things that pile up.

Always something more. I know, I sound like a whiner. Just wanting everyone to know that they are not feeling any different than I do, so there are others out there struggling too. Keep your chin up. Take a breath. Take a sip of decaf (though I prefer the extra-strength coffee). Now, what is the first step for you?

Go do it now...

Here is a start on helping with organization.

Day 1 - On Hold

It Was to be a Day of Freedom

Yes, the "Day 1" titled posting was the day of my first appointment with a doctor to prescribe a medication to help alleviate the symptoms associated with ADD/ADHD. I must tell you, I have not looked more forward to getting a prescription or having an appointment in quite a while. To me, it was going to be the start of some kind of regularity or normalcy to my life. (I am not even certain if those terms do it justice.) I wanted to track it as Day 1 with the meds so that anyone reading this and trying to gauge my experience, would have a timeline.

So, to start, a bit of levity. This shares the day-to-day trials. You have to laugh at yourself before you can keep your sanity. I was able to download the pre-registration forms for the appointment to put in my symptoms, insurance info, etc. from the practice's website. Somehow, in the very act of filling out the form, I lost my pen. I had not even gotten up from the desk. Leave it to me to be able to lose the pen while actually filling out the form. After recovering by finding a new pen nearby, I was ready to leave. As soon as I grab the folder with the results of my day-long battery of ADD/ADHD testing. Uh-oh! I put it in a real safe place...where I would not lose it...where the kids would not see it to draw on it...CR@P!

So goes me. I am able to have all of this happen to me while trying to get to the appointment to help me with organization, memory, and all that stuff. Talk about coincidence or irony...why not. Another moment in my day. As I look at it now, it is pretty funny to me.

Got to the doctor's office, on time, I have about a 45 minute chat with her where she asks me some questions that simulate some of the more simplistic tests which were done in the full-day testing.

• Remember the following three words for me "Apple, 26, Penelope".
  
• What did you have for dinner last night?
• What is today's date?
• Name the last four Presidents of the United States. (To show I had my full faculties, I named Barack Obama first which seemed to really irritate her. I was still going to include the prior four, I just did not want her to think I was out of touch.)
• A couple more questions...
• What were the three words I asked you to remember?

She had also asked a personal history, of course, regarding my childhood to now. She mentioned only one drug by name, Strattera during the 45 minutes. So the time had come for my prescription at last. I was happy to know I could start to get some relief and get my mind back in the barn (uh, menaing it wanders).

'So, I cannot prescribe anything today as we need clearance from your cardiologist to make certain there are no contra-indicators as you are being treated for hypertension. If you can get that, I will see you back here in two weeks and we can discuss medications, therapy and treatment.'

Ka-thud! (Those were my hopes hitting the floor.)

Day 1 is now on hold until the 26th and today is about getting my cardiologist to write a note. More on my Pre and Post Day 1 later.

The Daydreamer

So, a child grows up in the 60's and 70's and never does too well in school. Can't seem to keep his mind on any one thing for too long. He is a daydreamer. Smart and able to pass quizzes, tests and exams with some ease; just cannot sit still enough to do homework and classroom assignments.

Report cards come around and there are a lot of comments about the boy acting out in class, not completing assignments and being a general pain. Though, the teachers seem to like him enough.

Parents are great "heart-of-the-nation" types from the farm country of western Illinois. Father grew up with lots of responsibilities on the farm and went into the military. Mother and father try to instill discipline and get the boy on the straight and narrow path. Just, why is it not working with him? Why can he not be responsible enough to do his work like he is supposed to?

Don't they know how within the first five minutes of trying to sit at the kitchen table and do a homework assignment that his mind wanders and it is impossible to sit and do the math sheet to completion. After school, the son's friends do their homework in 30 minutes (or in later years, an hour or so to do homework) and are already back outside and playing before dinner. For him, after 30 minutes he has completed maybe one of the 12 problems. He has played with the dog and his mind has been so many other places then math problems. He has been around the world, to the beach, to space, played football, sank a basket as time expired and won the war single-handedly. In his mind, here and now can be anywhere and anytime. Certainly not on a single sheet of paper.

This kid does not do his school work. He will not succeed at this rate. He needs more discipline. Punish him. More chores, no TV, don't leave the yard. Still, the problem gets no better. Is he just a bad kid? As the 60's turn to the 70's, certainly a pair of parents from the farms of Illinois do not see there is more to the problem. The Fairfax County School System; one of the richest in the nation and world can not see it. The boy does not know why he is not good with his school work like the other kids. ADD/ADHD? Hello, the 70s are calling, could you say that a little louder as they did not understand! Right, I never heard those terms back then. Did anyone?

That kid was me, of course, and no one uttered them to me anyway. I was just a bad kid who ended up in the principal's office or guidance counselor's office quite often during the week. I just would not pay attention. How dare I not conform!

The next morning..."Oh, the dog ate my homework".