look at me still talking when there's science to do

Neuro/psych appointment took over four hours. Nearly two hours of paperwork, an hour and change seeing the actual doctor and the rest for blood testing. Five vials of blood + a urine sample; I go back in ten days for two hours of more paperwork (this time on computer) and to be fitted for an ambulatory EEG which takes place over the weekend.

...

wow.

He's tapering me off the paxil (among other things it's also interfering with my absorption of pain medication. good times) which I should be off of around Christmas. Replacing that with a lower dose of celexa and eventually something called buspar that I'm not familiar with. The rest will be discussed after the blood test/EEG results are in.

Brainmeats scorecard: severe atypical depression, moderate generalized anxiety, moderate social anxiety, obsessive rumination (no compulsion), profound insomnia, severe fatigue. Really nothing I didn't know except that the depression is worse than I thought, but that's why it's atypical I suppose.

All in all a satisfying day.

Dear Twits on the Phones at Outpatient Psychiatry:

If you cannot see the referral, then one of two things happened: either they lost it or you did. Considering your response when I asked you about this referral was, and I quote: 'are you sure that he sent the referral to our clinic? i have his name here, he's sent referrals to *iterates over six other clinics*. are you sure he sent the referral to our clinic? this is outpatient psychiatry.' I am betting that YOU lost the referral.

I am perfectly aware of what department I am calling, and my doctor is a BIG BOY who can WRITE HIS NAME NOW, EVEN ON REFERRAL SLIPS TO LOTS AND LOTS OF CLNICS. JUST BECAUSE HE HAS WROTE THOSE REFERRALS DOES NOT MEAN HE DID NOT WRITE MINE. IN FACT, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT IT DOES MEAN, EXCEPT THAT YOU ARE AN IDIOT.

I am half ready to call INPATIENT PSYCHIATRY just to get this DEALT WITH IN A TIMELY FASHION if y'all don't GET ON THE BALL.

L.

Crows stealing money from car washes.

Seriously, awesome. Crows are neat.

Random other bits from the afternoon:

Got hold of the ankle surgeon's people. The ankle surgeon is booking into JANUARY for consults. I have an appointment with the ankle surgeon to discuss tendon release. Also have rebooked appointment with spinal-surgery person at the pain clinic, for mid-September. (Just discussing the surgery at this point. Not actually getting implants installed yet. There'll probably be a trial, and - yeah. Hurry up and wait.)

At a rate of (when possible) no more than two appointments per week, I am booking myself into early/mid-October now. That said I think I only need to make one more appointment (rheumatology) and that will happen tomorrow. Awesome.

Current job: professional patient/fiction writer, apparently.

Have epic headache of epicness. lying down now.

Attempting to find (a) person to do the spinal pump surgery and (2) an orthopedic surgeon to look at my ankle and determine if it needs surgery also. Apparently it is easier to find a duck-billed platypus burger on rye bread. I have left what is, frankly, a ridiculous number of messages, and I am scarcely further ahead than I am now.

In conclusion: AUGH.

Boring appointment with pain management guy. He approves of the new treatment regimen (lidoderm patches as needed + diclofenac (a popular European NSAID, one does feel on the cutting edge) 2x daily) and wants me to see Primary Care Guy so I can take something for the damage which will inevitably be caused to my stomach by the pain medication. Plus I have to get blood work done every few months to make sure the whole bloody lot of this isn't slowly killing me. Look! An Outbreak of Medical Care! Awesome!

He wants to see me in two months - after I see the rehab guy, who I'm seeing next week - and approves of the spinal surgery thing or something similar. So we'll see what Rehab Guy says next week.

Whole Foods: Still full of Pretentious Nannies and Mommies, still overpriced, but they have a more reliable supply of glutenfree bread than TJ's does.

Am happy recipient of package! From tsuki_no_bara, who is made of win and awesome. (Seaners totally approves of the CDs, by the way, and so do I. He is Rocking Out in a very serious way (there is much jumping, bouncing, laughing and stimming.) Haven't tried the cookies yet, am hiding them from kid until after his bedtime: they have wheat in them, which is fine, more for me! THANK YOU SO MUCH, honey.)

Think kid may also have dairy sensitivity as well as gluten problem (and indeed think that dairy sensitivity may be worse than gluten problem). Totally forgot that he had to be on soy formula as wee baby because of dairy sensitivity then. Feel vaguely like lousy mother because of this. *laugh*

Apartment: disgusting disaster due to child being home on weekend. Hate cleaning, yes precious. Ankle feels like pain and death: can't put another patch on it for a while (they have to be 12 hours on, 12 hours off) so I'm just resting it.

Am trying to get good picture of cat playing with packing peanuts. No success as yet. Have several pictures of cat's butt though. Cat is obviously typical cat in that respect.