Hey! I have thought about you a lot over the past year and wondered how you are doing, so I'm cleaning out the 500+ messages from my inbox - LOL - saw your name, and finally made myself stop and drop you a line. You know how those things go. I'm on 60mg of Vyvanse now and, though I'm no more organized (I don't think they make a pill that can accomplish that - lol), I am WAY more "awake"...both physically and mentally. I have learned so much about myself and I have realized that my husband is a selfish, self-righteous control freak with absolutely no compassion or consideration for my feelings. I told him that we need some serious counseling, but I know he won't go through with it, so I doubt that we will last another year. Oh, well. I've been through worse. I'm looking for a job now...back home, in either Baton Rouge or New Orleans or anywhere in between. I am SO tired of being here alone! 2010 really sucked, so 2011 is MY year. I'm taking it.
Oh yeah, the Institute keeps sending me bills for seeing Dr. Archer...at HIS rate. Nope. Sorry. I paid after I saw SARAH and I was under the impression I paid in full. They think they're getting more money out of me after all that crap? HA.
Would love to hear how you're doing. Write back when you can.
So she wanted to treat some things I don't have and not address my real problem? WTF? Other than the ADD, everything was fine before she started "fixing" what "ain't broke." Needless to say, I won't be making any other appts at the Institute. (Oh, and that guy Chris, the new patient intake coordinator? The one that told me that Sarah doesn't treat ADD? I saw a "help wanted" ad for that position in the classifieds a few weeks ago. Hmm...)
Meanwhile, I took a shot in the dark and e-mailed my GP, told him about my psyc eval, and asked if he treated adult ADD. He said yes, make an appt, I did, and talk about a total 180! He was thrilled to know that I had discovered it on my own and told me there are probably about 2.5 million people walking around who have this and don't even know it. I didn't even have to mention meds. HE ASKED if I had ever tried anything, I told him great results with Vyvanse for a few days, and he was delighted...said a lot of people do that to "confirm" their self-diagnoses and end up in his office. Said Vyvanse is the absolute best and he prescribes it to several of his patients with excellent results. So I have been on 40mg for about 2 weeks now and it is good! (Back to my Cymbalta and just waiting for the stupid Pristiq to get out of my system so the last of the trembles will go away. I might add that the same thing happened to me with Wellbutrin too.) Now all I have to do is call him every month and say I need a new scrip or I need to adjust dosage, which I may need to do. I may need to go up to 50mg, because as a stay-at-home Mom, I need more "focus time" than the average 9-5'er. You can probably relate to that one.
OK, so what's up with going to Houston? What happened to YOUR visit with Sarah? And tell me all about the dr in Houston. That was my next step if my GP fell through and I was dreading that. If the Strattera works, will you still have to go monthly? It's not a controlled substance, is it?
OK. Finally, I have some quiet time - some ME time - to sit down and "talk". Don't think I'm gonna fall asleep on this one. I did a bad, bad thing today...for me, anyway. I took a nap. LOL I know better than to do that. Oh well, that's life. But gosh, sounds like we both want to discuss Sarah, so here goes...
Wait. Let me start by saying that I got the results of my psyc eval and the counselor said that I most definitely meet all the criteria of ADD - inattentive type. (This eval was at another clinic, completely independent from the Institute.)
Hmm... Where do I start with Sarah? Well, I will give her credit for this - she was much more personable than Dr. P. Her "interview" was far more detailed and extensive for $75 than Dr. P's was for $200 and if she wasn't listening to what I had to say, she did a really good job of pretending at least. That being said, once again I was worse off after walking through those doors. Another "YOU'RE BIPOLAR." Only this time, per Sarah. there are 5 different KINDS of bipolar. (I looked them up on the DSM-IV and they are getting ridiculous. One type describes just about anyone who gets in a bad mood from time to time. So the entire world is bipolar?) The whole time I am sitting there thinking, "Here we go again. I AM NOT *BLEEP*ING BIPOLAR!!!" Anyway, she changed my Cymbalta to Pristiq (ACK!), DOUBLED my Topamax (for migraine prevention) as a mood stabilizer, and gave me low-dose Xanax XR to switch me off of regular Xanax...which I wasn't really taking much of to begin with.
Pristiq is the devil's spawn, I'm telling you. I took it for 10 days and every day I trembled more and more, inside and out. Monday night I threw that bottle in my meds "graveyard" and went back to my Cymbalta, because I KNOW it works. It is for mild depression, nerve pain (my nerve damage in my nose), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (That would all be ME.) Pristiq is for major depression, period. To be continued...
Hey! Did my post from last night go through? I don't see it. My computer went berserk somewhere along the line and I got frustrated and went to bed. If it did, I don't want to repost and repeat myself. But I definitely want to hear your story and share mine. I wonder if they're comparable... FYI, Sarah's plan of action was not successful and actually made matters worse. Now I'm in the process of undoing that and hopefully succeeding!
Well, I don't want to set you up for a bad experience in case she is great for you. I will just say that I loved how she challenge some of the norms so I could express some of my concerns, but the jury is still out whether or not I agree with her results. I plan to discuss it further with Dr. Whiteman (the psychologist/therapist) who I feel more comfortable with. Please do let me know how it goes with you though afterward and maybe we can compare notes...Kateri
Wanted to share great news with you. I spoke with the VP at the Institute and by the end of the day, I had an appt with Sarah. Actually, within an hour, they said she could see me immediately but I had a horrendous head cold and no on-the-spot child care. Wow! I will see Sarah next week. (I am also getting my results from my other assessment on Tuesday.)
While I am at the Institute, I am going to arrange for some counseling. It is dawning on me that there are some serious problems in my marriage and I am not sure that they are reconcilable. I need a professional to help me sort through them, as it is all way too overwhelming for me to tackle on my own. Depression has set in hard, but it is totally situational.
How did your appt go? Would love to hear how your treatment is going! I hope you are doing well so far. : )
Encouraging news today! Sent Dr. Archer an email asking if he had talked to Chris yet & that I'm writing a letter re my dissatisfaction w/ how Dr. P treated me in our final appt & how offended I am by her accusation. This AM, he replied & told me to call his VP & let her know exactly what transpired, that he & I had communicated by email, & that he gave me her number. He was going to leave her a voice mail right then & said "we'll get this fixed." I need HELP dammit & and I don't feel like driving all over & starting over with umpteen doctors, & going broke to boot!
Who said it seems like it got even worse after the 2nd child was born? I was thinking about that & I agree. Mine seems to have done the same! Maybe because that was that much more responsibility piled up on me & I already couldn't juggle what I had to do w/ my husband, one child, & my own life. Now I need to find a job? That's why I'm in a bit of a rush to get this under control. Wouldn't be fair to commit to a job until I have my own world organized & my head on straight?
My Christmas was beyond stressful. Probably one of my worst-and I LOVE Christmas! I did EVERYTHING myself. My husband barely lifted a finger, & had the nerve to tell people "This may have been our best Christmas EVER! No stress, no pressure. Laid-back, no rush." I'm glad it's over & ready for Mardi Gras!
2 cars in 10 days? Ouch. I need a new one myself. Got to have a JOB first. I am very determined. I will move Heaven & Earth to get this mess straightened out. My Mom said, "You've been dealing w/ this most of your life. What's a few more months?"
Is your husband deployed right now? I hope not, but if so, I will pray that he's safe and sound and out of harm's way. My friend's son just came home for the last time before his first deployment. He is a SeaBee and is shipping out for Spain. Not a bad assignment, considering the alternatives, if you ask me. : ) At least it doesn't end in -stan or involve speaking Arabic. LOL
At 11:40am on December 30, 2009, Cajun Tiger said…
Hey... Sorry it's been so long. Got caught up in Christmas, which wasn't the greatest one on record for me, so I'm glad it's over. Whew. Haha, I'm now engaged in a battle with the psychiatrist, as she now seems to have everyone at the Institute believing that I am a "drug seeker". I tried to make an appt with one of the psychologists there and SHE wouldn't see me because I had already been "treated" by Dr. P. Dr. Archer himself told me to set up an appt with Sarah, but then Chris told me Sarah doesn't see adult ADD patients. Sound fishy? Only one of the falsehoods I have caught them in. I think it's time for another e-mail to Dr. D...
Anyway, I had myself evaluated by a psychologist at another clinic and will get the results next Friday. There is no doubt in my mind what the assessment will reveal. What I will do from there is another question altogether. Meanwhile, my very hyperactive 6yo son is driving my crazy over the school break and this lovely weather is not helping. LOL We got him a trampoline and a basketball goal for Christmas and darned if there has been a nice day yet for him to use it! (And HIS ADHD meds need some tweaking too...the "drug holiday" idea isn't working out too well for us.)
So how are YOU doing? I have thought about you a good bit and have meant to write several times. Of course you know how these things are...we're both in the same boat. : ) I have but one New Year's Resolution and that is to resolve this issue. I am not going to let one arrogant, very unprofessional doctor defeat me. I've just never been one to lay down and die without a fight.
Wow! Thanks so much for replying! I just had a feeling you were somewhere nearby. I'm gonna take a wild guess and say you are military? The Institute is where I went to see the rude lady shrink. Was it by chance Dr. P? I am Facebook friends with Dr. Dale Archer, the psychiatrist who founded The Institute but now lives in NYC, and I sent him a brief e-mail about my situation, how I was "treated" (lol, no pun intended) by the doctor, and asked for any suggestions re where to turn next. He sent me a message this morning and said "What Doc did you see? That doesn't sound right?" THEN, I wrote him back and gave him her name and a few more details. I didn't want to sound like a whiner or a snitch, cause that's really not what I was writing him for. I really need help with this. Badly! But since he asked... : )
I am fine with meds and this is why. A friend of mine gave me two of her doses of Vyvanse and I tried it one weekend. (Yes, I know this is a no-no, but I did my homework and I didn't fall into any of the categories of people who "should not" take it. I have LOW blood pressure and my heart is fine.) Those two days were like a whole new world! I got more accomplished than I normally would in a week or more. I felt like a totally different and better person...more productive, less irritable, not so distracted and forgetful, more patient, the list could go on and on. It didn't make me hyper or bouncing off the walls at all and here's the wild part: my anxiety actually DECREASED! (I have depression and anxiety disorder - success with Cymbalta for those.) That weekend was the last bit of proof I needed to confirm to myself that I definitely have a pretty severe case of ADHD. After that, it was back to the old scatterbrained, time-wasting me getting nothing done. *sigh* (Of course, I didn't tell Dr. P that. Even if I had wanted to, I would never have gotten a chance.)
Thanks for the info about the diagnostician! Let's definitely keep in touch!
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Hey! I have thought about you a lot over the past year and wondered how you are doing, so I'm cleaning out the 500+ messages from my inbox - LOL - saw your name, and finally made myself stop and drop you a line. You know how those things go. I'm on 60mg of Vyvanse now and, though I'm no more organized (I don't think they make a pill that can accomplish that - lol), I am WAY more "awake"...both physically and mentally. I have learned so much about myself and I have realized that my husband is a selfish, self-righteous control freak with absolutely no compassion or consideration for my feelings. I told him that we need some serious counseling, but I know he won't go through with it, so I doubt that we will last another year. Oh, well. I've been through worse. I'm looking for a job now...back home, in either Baton Rouge or New Orleans or anywhere in between. I am SO tired of being here alone! 2010 really sucked, so 2011 is MY year. I'm taking it.
Oh yeah, the Institute keeps sending me bills for seeing Dr. Archer...at HIS rate. Nope. Sorry. I paid after I saw SARAH and I was under the impression I paid in full. They think they're getting more money out of me after all that crap? HA.
Would love to hear how you're doing. Write back when you can.
~terri~
Meanwhile, I took a shot in the dark and e-mailed my GP, told him about my psyc eval, and asked if he treated adult ADD. He said yes, make an appt, I did, and talk about a total 180! He was thrilled to know that I had discovered it on my own and told me there are probably about 2.5 million people walking around who have this and don't even know it. I didn't even have to mention meds. HE ASKED if I had ever tried anything, I told him great results with Vyvanse for a few days, and he was delighted...said a lot of people do that to "confirm" their self-diagnoses and end up in his office. Said Vyvanse is the absolute best and he prescribes it to several of his patients with excellent results. So I have been on 40mg for about 2 weeks now and it is good! (Back to my Cymbalta and just waiting for the stupid Pristiq to get out of my system so the last of the trembles will go away. I might add that the same thing happened to me with Wellbutrin too.) Now all I have to do is call him every month and say I need a new scrip or I need to adjust dosage, which I may need to do. I may need to go up to 50mg, because as a stay-at-home Mom, I need more "focus time" than the average 9-5'er. You can probably relate to that one.
OK, so what's up with going to Houston? What happened to YOUR visit with Sarah? And tell me all about the dr in Houston. That was my next step if my GP fell through and I was dreading that. If the Strattera works, will you still have to go monthly? It's not a controlled substance, is it?
Sorry so long. Long story.
Terri
Wait. Let me start by saying that I got the results of my psyc eval and the counselor said that I most definitely meet all the criteria of ADD - inattentive type. (This eval was at another clinic, completely independent from the Institute.)
Hmm... Where do I start with Sarah? Well, I will give her credit for this - she was much more personable than Dr. P. Her "interview" was far more detailed and extensive for $75 than Dr. P's was for $200 and if she wasn't listening to what I had to say, she did a really good job of pretending at least. That being said, once again I was worse off after walking through those doors. Another "YOU'RE BIPOLAR." Only this time, per Sarah. there are 5 different KINDS of bipolar. (I looked them up on the DSM-IV and they are getting ridiculous. One type describes just about anyone who gets in a bad mood from time to time. So the entire world is bipolar?) The whole time I am sitting there thinking, "Here we go again. I AM NOT *BLEEP*ING BIPOLAR!!!" Anyway, she changed my Cymbalta to Pristiq (ACK!), DOUBLED my Topamax (for migraine prevention) as a mood stabilizer, and gave me low-dose Xanax XR to switch me off of regular Xanax...which I wasn't really taking much of to begin with.
Pristiq is the devil's spawn, I'm telling you. I took it for 10 days and every day I trembled more and more, inside and out. Monday night I threw that bottle in my meds "graveyard" and went back to my Cymbalta, because I KNOW it works. It is for mild depression, nerve pain (my nerve damage in my nose), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. (That would all be ME.) Pristiq is for major depression, period. To be continued...
While I am at the Institute, I am going to arrange for some counseling. It is dawning on me that there are some serious problems in my marriage and I am not sure that they are reconcilable. I need a professional to help me sort through them, as it is all way too overwhelming for me to tackle on my own. Depression has set in hard, but it is totally situational.
How did your appt go? Would love to hear how your treatment is going! I hope you are doing well so far. : )
Terri---
Who said it seems like it got even worse after the 2nd child was born? I was thinking about that & I agree. Mine seems to have done the same! Maybe because that was that much more responsibility piled up on me & I already couldn't juggle what I had to do w/ my husband, one child, & my own life. Now I need to find a job? That's why I'm in a bit of a rush to get this under control. Wouldn't be fair to commit to a job until I have my own world organized & my head on straight?
My Christmas was beyond stressful. Probably one of my worst-and I LOVE Christmas! I did EVERYTHING myself. My husband barely lifted a finger, & had the nerve to tell people "This may have been our best Christmas EVER! No stress, no pressure. Laid-back, no rush." I'm glad it's over & ready for Mardi Gras!
2 cars in 10 days? Ouch. I need a new one myself. Got to have a JOB first. I am very determined. I will move Heaven & Earth to get this mess straightened out. My Mom said, "You've been dealing w/ this most of your life. What's a few more months?"
Is your husband deployed right now? I hope not, but if so, I will pray that he's safe and sound and out of harm's way. My friend's son just came home for the last time before his first deployment. He is a SeaBee and is shipping out for Spain. Not a bad assignment, considering the alternatives, if you ask me. : ) At least it doesn't end in -stan or involve speaking Arabic. LOL
Anyway, I had myself evaluated by a psychologist at another clinic and will get the results next Friday. There is no doubt in my mind what the assessment will reveal. What I will do from there is another question altogether. Meanwhile, my very hyperactive 6yo son is driving my crazy over the school break and this lovely weather is not helping. LOL We got him a trampoline and a basketball goal for Christmas and darned if there has been a nice day yet for him to use it! (And HIS ADHD meds need some tweaking too...the "drug holiday" idea isn't working out too well for us.)
So how are YOU doing? I have thought about you a good bit and have meant to write several times. Of course you know how these things are...we're both in the same boat. : ) I have but one New Year's Resolution and that is to resolve this issue. I am not going to let one arrogant, very unprofessional doctor defeat me. I've just never been one to lay down and die without a fight.
Just curious...where are you from originally?
I am fine with meds and this is why. A friend of mine gave me two of her doses of Vyvanse and I tried it one weekend. (Yes, I know this is a no-no, but I did my homework and I didn't fall into any of the categories of people who "should not" take it. I have LOW blood pressure and my heart is fine.) Those two days were like a whole new world! I got more accomplished than I normally would in a week or more. I felt like a totally different and better person...more productive, less irritable, not so distracted and forgetful, more patient, the list could go on and on. It didn't make me hyper or bouncing off the walls at all and here's the wild part: my anxiety actually DECREASED! (I have depression and anxiety disorder - success with Cymbalta for those.) That weekend was the last bit of proof I needed to confirm to myself that I definitely have a pretty severe case of ADHD. After that, it was back to the old scatterbrained, time-wasting me getting nothing done. *sigh* (Of course, I didn't tell Dr. P that. Even if I had wanted to, I would never have gotten a chance.)
Thanks for the info about the diagnostician! Let's definitely keep in touch!