In Cold Blood

They froze my blood by mistake!

My doctor’s office called this morning to tell me I needed to come back in and give more blood. I thought nothing of it and just took two hours out of my day to go and give more blood.

What the heck! If your doctor says he needs or wants something you just assume he has a very good reason for asking.

It was the lab technician that let the cat out of the bag. When she was prepping my arm to draw my blood she apologized for putting half my last sample in the freezer instead of the refrigerator.

She did say, however, that they were able to get my Lithium and vitamin D levels.
“You’re not even taking Lithium at all are you? Your levels are so low they barely register.”

“No. I’ve been waiting for my blood tests to be sent to my psych,” I said thru clenched teeth.

“I’m sorry. It will only be a few more days,” she returned.

So here I sit. The hospital won’t send my records and my doctor freezes my blood, while I get crazier by the moment.

That’s all I have to say for now.

Too Much of a Good Thing

I depend on Lithium to control my depression, but since the hospital episode I'm afraid to take it. (See previous post)
I can't sink back into the hell of depression. I can't. I won't.
This is what I found out about overdosing on Lithium. I was experiencing most of the symptoms. Why didn't my psych spot them?

Symptoms:

* Abnormal heart rhythms
* Breathing difficulties (x)
* Coma (x)
* Concentration difficulties (x)
* Confusion (x)
* Convulsions
* Drowsiness (x)
* Diarrhea (x)
* Increased thirst (x)
* Increased urine output
* Low blood pressure (x)
* Loss of appetite
* Muscle twitching (x)
* Rash
* Seizures
* Sluggishness (x)
* Slurred speech (x)
* Stupor (lack of alertness) (x)
* Tremors (x)
* Vomiting
* Weakness (x)
* Uncoordinated movement (x)

Too Much of a Good Thing

I depend on Lithium to control my depression, but since the hospital episode I'm afraid to take it. (See previous post)
I can't sink back into the hell of depression. I can't. I won't.
This is what I found out about overdosing on Lithium. I was experiencing most of the symptoms. Why didn't my psych spot them?

Symptoms:

* Abnormal heart rhythms
* Breathing difficulties (x)
* Coma (x)
* Concentration difficulties (x)
* Confusion (x)
* Convulsions
* Drowsiness (x)
* Diarrhea (x)
* Increased thirst (x)
* Increased urine output
* Low blood pressure (x)
* Loss of appetite
* Muscle twitching (x)
* Rash
* Seizures
* Sluggishness (x)
* Slurred speech (x)
* Stupor (lack of alertness) (x)
* Tremors (x)
* Vomiting
* Weakness (x)
* Uncoordinated movement (x)

Remembering?

A flurry of doctors and nurses hovered above my bed.
“Check this, check that. How’s he responding?”
Finally, “He’s coming out of it. He’ll be alright; you can move him to ICU now.

All this was a blur that I vaguely remember.
My first clear recollection was that of a psychiatric nurse standing at the foot of my bed asking me if I tried to commit suicide by overdosing on Lithium.

I really can’t remember. I don’t want to commit suicide. Since my depression is under control, I have too much to live for. I would never do something like that; would I?
I agonized; wondering if I did the unthinkable. Would I? Could I?

But what did cause my black out? I remember nothing after I went to bed Tuesday night. Sherry tells me I insisted that she go on to the bookstore without me the next morning. She tells me that she later called our daughter to go check on me. Our daughter and her husband let themselves in and went back to the master bedroom only to find me curled up in a fetal position at the head of the bed. Kimlin says that I insisted that Shaun dress me while she left the room. I don’t remember any of this; just waking up in ICU.

“But I’ve been taking Lithium for years and all it’s done is stabilize my mood. How can it knock me out after all these years?”
She mumbled something about kidneys processing and went on to grill me about wanting to die.
I didn’t want to die; I wanted to find out how Lithium could knock me out. I never did get a straight answer. Instead I got a nurse who asked me if I could write my name, write a check, write down my address, make change for a one dollar bar of soap, catch a cross-town bus; (I flunked this one because I haven’t ridden a city bus in 40 years). So she asked me if I could find my house from the hospital. I asked her about the Lithium but she didn’t know. I left the hospital two days later with my question still unanswered.
I continue to wonder.
What if it happens again and I don't wake up?