I’ve achieved quite a lot this week so far, in quite odd ways.
Had an assessment at the counselling department on Monday lunchtime. They were really lovely and the woman I saw decided I should be referred onto the mental health adviser, and probably see a counsellor at the same time as “there are a lot of things going on at present”. I have an appointment to see her at 1pm on Tuesday for an hour as an assessment to see if I need ongoing support and/or counselling or referring onto more specialised mental health services.
After I came out of the appointment and went to get the Tube I went really, really breathless and felt light headed. I finally decided something was up with the chest pain/breathlessness so I went to A&E where I was seen almost immediately, put into resus on a monitor and had bloods taken. My oxygen saturation levels (SATs) were really low so they put me on oxygen and decided to admit me overnight. They put me on the medical admission unit on oxygen and kept an eye on my SATs. They came to the conclusion (as a friend had done that morning) that it was respiratory depression caused by ingesting too much codeine and sleeping tablets (not in an overdose way but sustained). This has meant that my referral to the substance misuse people has been brought forwards which is good.
I haven’t however told my parents the entire truth yet, but then they’d probably just put me into private rehab and then go on holiday. I’m on a bit of a downer with my parents at the moment as my Dad is being the bastard that he usually his and just throwing fucking tantrums like a bloody 3 year old, but he’s not 3, he’s grown up and has the strength and power of a grown up. Rant over.
Despite having to cut down on the codeine and sleeping tablets I took 2 zolpidem last night to try and sleep. I know I shouldn’t have done but it did work, didn’t wake up ’till 5:52am this morning!!
Ruth
Fighting The Urge 
January 23, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I’m so glad you went to get the respiratory problem diagnosed. i probably wouldn’t have. That’s good to know what it is even though it doesn’t solve the problems in the first place.
I hope your appointment on Tuesday goes very well.
I’m glad you say it’s “good” that your referral to the substance misuse people has been brought forward. I don’t really know what that means – if you had already applied and were having to wait. I don’t know how your systems work (and your meds have different names).
I’m sorry your Dad is throwing tantrums, and I hope they respond the way you need.
I want to use a photograph of a rainbow in a dark sky for my header temporarily, but I feel like I’m copying you. I certainly was inspired by you, but it’s symbolic of other things for me too here. I hope you don’t mind. I haven’t found one yet.
January 23, 2008 at 11:28 pm
Howdy.
Throwing tantrums is fine so long as that is all he is throwing, don’t want anything getting broken now. Probably best just to keep your head down til the tantrums are over.
Keep yourself surrounding with good people and beating the habit will be, as we so delightfully say in Scotland, a piece of pish.
Take care darling, and no more trips to A and E m’kay?
January 24, 2008 at 8:24 pm
+PHc – absolutely no problems with you using a rainbow at all, I have no copyright on a meteorological phenomenon. I had been referred to the substance misuse people, after I came out of the psych unit towards the end of last year, but because it wasn’t having any impact on my physical health and wasn’t a “serious drug problem” I had been pushed to the bottom of the list. This bumps me up the list. As for the drug names, I always use pharmaceutical drug names, not the generics.
Exactscience – no comment about the throwing things. I am trying to keep my house down but trust me, noise travels in a London town house. I’ll try not to end up in A&E, I think UCH and the Chelsea & Westminster will be sick of me soon!
February 8, 2011 at 11:08 am
I would like to use this theme on my site, what is it?