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.