Wednesday, March 11, 2020

MIA: One Brain

You guys.  I'd say what the hell, but unfortunately I know what the hell.  Once I hit 100mg, I've been increasing the dose on my anti-seizure medicine by 50mg each week.  Just to give you some perspective, I started out taking 25mg for two weeks, then increased by 25mg every two weeks.  So 50mg/week is a big jump and I am feeling it.  I'm stupid, I'm clumsy, I'm foggy, I can't remember words - not only is it a challenge to be me, it's a challenge to be around me. 

Yes I knocked over a full cup of coffee at Blue Baker and yes I knocked over a full cup of water at home.  Yes I drove myself to work but didn't turn the correct direction.  Not sure where I was going, but I wasn't going to end up at work.  And don't get me started with work - a couple weeks ago I finally felt like I was settling into a groove but the last week has not been easy.  I had a training session with the person who has been doing the insurance authorizations for my boss and let me tell you, that stuff is confusing.  There are so many instances where insurance pays this but not that and only after this has been paid and within a few hours I was in a fog.  We decided that I'd had enough for the day and set aside the cases where I needed to call the insurance companies the following day to get some clarification.

The next day I went into work (after having driven the wrong direction) and looked at that stack of insurance auths, and it was like the Men in Black had erased my brain overnight.  I had no idea what I should be calling to ask about.  It was not pretty.  NOT PRETTY.  I muddled my way through some but ended up needing help and I still have one case that I need to work on first thing next Tuesday morning.  Side note:  how can I have worked there for over two months and not know what a CPT code is? 

Anyway.  I am off work for the rest of the week because the clinic is closed for spring break.  So to celebrate, I stopped at Target after work yesterday to pick up some necessities as well as some funcessities...you know, the things you don't really need but would be fun to own.  Funcessities.  One thing was from the five dollar spot (dollar spot, pfffft...everything I like is always five dollars):
It is a bird feeder but when I saw it I knew my tiny clay pots would fit into it - so fun!

The other funcessity I was looking for was a new makeup brush.  The one I've been wanting to try out looks like a baby brush only smaller, and the lowest price I've seen it was about $20.  I hadn't bought one, but I had a three dollar coupon for beauty supplies so decided to treat myself.  There were two brushes I was deciding between - one being the style I'd wanted and another being different but the tester felt nice so I was conflicted and kept changing my mind.  Well, I finished my shopping, checked out, and remember thinking "dang, that was a lot of money" for things like dog food and boring stuff.  But I did buy faux Claritin and faux Excedrin, so that probably added up.  Once I was home and unpacking everything, I realized why the bill was so high:
That explains a lot...sigh.

Yep, I bought both brushes.  I did not mean to do that.  I didn't even notice that I was doing it when I unloaded my cart onto the conveyor belt.  I miss my brain.  If you see it, please tell it to go home.

Also, I'll be making another trip to Target to return the brush on the left.  Sheesh!

12 comments:

  1. Ugh to the brain fog. Do you have to take that high dose of the medicine? Is there an alternative? I'm foggy enough without medication!

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    1. As of today I've bumped up to 250mg/day and my doctor's goal is 400-500mg/day. He likens it to a bulletproof vest when dealing with seizures, and since I do not want to have another one, I'm doing my best to ramp up to that high of a dose. It sucks though.

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  2. Did the doctor tell you that eventually your brain would get used to the higher dose? I think that's how it works.

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    1. Yes he did. He also told me that I'd know when I'd be at my maximum dose because I'd have double vision and slur my words. So basically, kinda drunk. ::rolleyes::

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  3. And you know, to add insult to injury there's the menopausal brain fog in there somewhere too. It's just not right!! I think the insurance stuff is tricky anyway - or at least that's impression I get from the billing department at my job. I hope, as Debby said, that your brain will eventually adjust and things will be back to somewhat normal for you.

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    1. I forgot to mention that I drove to work in dense fog yesterday - I think the universe is trying to tell me something...

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  4. Oh my gosh that is such a cute way to hold your pots!

    With how the medicine's been affecting you and with how damn confusing insurance is to start with, you are NOT set up for success. :( And this is a typical side effect, right? Do you have any more jumps in mg coming up?

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    1. Unfortunately I do - I go up to 250mg/day beginning tonight, with the ultimate goal of 400-500mg/day. You are right, I am not set up for success. :(

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  5. I think you can get a pass on the confusing insurance stuff. That is confusing to people trained in the industry. I'm sorry your meds are causing you such trouble. What does your doc say about it?

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    1. He says carry on until I get double vision and slur my words, so...

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  6. How long will you have to stay on the medication? A guy at work has had a lot of surgeries lately, and it's obvious the pain medication is messing up his thought processes. I feel bad for both of you! I worked for insurance companies for quite some time, and I agree, the whole mess is confusing even without medications interfering!

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    1. Thank you for saying that about insurance, especially since you worked with it. It's so challenging! As for the meds, I'm supposed to stay on them for many years (at least that's the plan).

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