Dear Mark:
Hi. A lot has happened since February 2014.
I completed a workshop called "Healthy Living".
I am now just starting to read the very large book
that came along with the workshop. The book is
about managing your symptoms of physical and
mental health issues. I am also going to see a
Nutritionist tomorrow. I need to lose a lot of
weight because I am obese and the obesity is
just making my physical and mental health
conditions worse.
I am still attending classes and workshops
and support groups at a local women's resource center.
The center has been a great help to me. All of the
classes are free and for women only. The center is
there to help empower women. The classes I have
taken are: Healthy Boundaries, Women's Group,
Courage To Change, Mobil Empowerment on Sexual Health,
Self Esteem, Abuse, Guilt and Advocacy.
I am enrolled in two programs that offer classes and
workshops and support groups in my city. I have
participated in classes about Positive Affirmations,
Women's Boundaries, and Alternative Realities,
to name a few. This next week I am even signed
up for some "field trips" that are offered by the
programs too. I am going out for pizza one day
with a group of my peers and another day we
will be going out to eat Mexican food. And then
on another day I will be visiting a local museum.
Transportation is provided.
I was in a Partial Hospitalization Program for
six weeks last year and after I graduated from
the program I qualified to participate in
an aftercare support group every Monday
afternoon. I attend every Monday afternoon
from 2:30pm until 4:30pm. A group of my
peers that also graduated from the PHP
also attend. It is so nice to talk to folks
that are going through some things that I
am going through too. We all have our
different issues and we suffer from different
conditions, but we can still relate to one
another. I have met so many great people
at this PHP and the aftercare program.
I have exchanged phone numbers and
addresses and I am finally starting to
forge some friendships. I have not had any
friendships for quite some time. I love
to hear all of everyone's life stories.
So many of the folks that I have met
are very, very intelligent. Some have
college degrees and even masters degrees.
I have had some issues with chronic pain
since March and I definitely believe that this
has had a negative effect on my mental health.
I just HAVE to get to an Orthopedic doctor
about my right shoulder pain. I have limited
mobility in that shoulder and it really impacts my life
in a negative way. I am so sick of being in pain.
I have been going to the dentist a lot the past
six months. I have found out that I have something
called "dry mouth" and it can be caused by
medications and that dry mouth causes a lot
of cavities. I have severe panic when I visit the
dentist so this does not make me happy about
the dry mouth. This means a lot more visits
to the dentist, a lot more anxiety and a lot
more money flying out of my wallet. I might
as well have an automatic payment plan with
my dentist and have regular monthly payments
taken out of my checking account to them.
The amount of money I have spent is just too much.
I am a poor person. Someday I will not be able
to afford to go back at all.
Mark, OMG, I did finally get to see my new
Primary Care Physician ( I had been having a lot
of trouble with my new insurance company).
I only saw him one time. He used inappropriate
touch and unprofessional language. That is
pretty much all I am going to say about him.
I signed up for a new, new primary care and
I saw the new, new doctor on April 8th.
I think the new, new doctor will work out fine,
although he and his entire staff seem all just
"down to business" and nothing else. Maybe I
can teach them all to smile a bit and at least
LOOK like they enjoy their jobs. Well, at least
they did their jobs thoroughly and effectively.
I will be referred to a kidney doctor about
a cyst in my right kidney and I will be referred
to a thyroid doctor about my thyroid.
PS: I still hate my new health insurance company.
I am on the phone with them all the time for
one thing or another.
I have been keeping very busy in April 2014.
I applied for some free medication assistance
and I was told by my Gastroenterologists office
that I was denied. I will now have to call the
drug manufacturer to find out the reason for
the denial and what I can do to appeal it.
I take one very expensive name brand drug
for my physical health and I need the
assistance very badly.
The best part about April is that I am
starting to find some friends. I got an e-mail
address from someone in one of my workshops
and we are now writing to each other.
I met a gal at my Partial Hospitalization Program
last year and we finally met for lunch the other day.
Then I contacted another gal from my
Partial Hospitalization Program the other day
and we are going out to lunch next week.
This is a very big step for me because I have
not had any friends since I lost my job five years
ago. So I am hoping that I can continue to
keep in contact with these folks on a regular
basis. I also have met a lady at one of my
support groups and we chat on the phone.
I have one other gal that I call about once a month
to see how she is doing just to check in on her.
And I have a phone number for a lady that is in
one of my programs that I attend but I have not
called her yet. Whew, I am out of breath !
I have had more anxiety lately and so my
psychiatrist gave me a little Clonazepam.
I am taking a very low dose but it has
really been working out. I am going to need
that Clonazepam this Friday because I
have agreed to have lunch with some
relatives that are visiting from the Stress
and I am really dreading going to see them.
But I myself chose the restaurant, the day,
and the time for the lunch ! So, I have
had control of the whole affair so far.
Hopefully it will just be a one hour lunch
and then they will all be one their way. I just
don't want them asking me a million
questions about my recovery. I know that
they know NOTHING about mental illness
and so why should I go on and on talking
about all of it if they are just never going
to "get it". Maybe they can talk about
THEIR lives and then leave MY life alone.
Well, it is very late and I am very hyped
up now. I am sorry I wrote my whole
life story on here. No one will probably
read it, but at least I got it out of my
system.
I will see you all next month.
Lynda Lu