I know I have said numerous times in the past as well as a target post on the effects of prescribed medications and how they will work differently on persons who have ANS disorders. This certainly is, based on my research, will be the largest issue that I will contend with for the entire ride I have dealing with this syndrome. The average doctor doesnt have time to sit down and really go over each and every medication over a patients lifetime to see how it worked, side effects, interactions with other drugs etc... Its up to each one of us to keep a mental journal so when a drug is offered we can offer input as to whether its a good thing or a bad thing to have it prescribed. Now take into consideration your mental capacity for recall is variable. Doesnt that just make things a whole bunch of fun and a barrel of monkeys? Thats the bonus part of this syndrome, the selective recall, (not to be confused with "SIMRS (Spouse Initiated Mental Recall Syndome)" thats entirely different and usually effects males that live with women that could talk the ear off an iron jack ass, but have the ability to nag like a team of thorobreds.
This is a bit different. Its kinda like getting the same list handed to you everyday of things to do and you review it, by the end of day you realize you forgot #7 so you become frustrated. So all you think about that night is not forgetting #7 and you show up the next day ready for that list. You repeat the same exact routine and this time you hit the mark, you complete #7 however, you bypassed #3. Now you followed the identical path you did the day before, even got out of the car and walked to the area where #3 was to be completed. When someone asks you to repeat your exact steps you recall the day before verbatim for #3 but can only remember heading towards the area of #3 on day two. Lets pretend a hidden camera was watching your every move. The reason you never made it to #3 is because right next door to that location was a Walmart and you remembered you were out of shampoo & Twinkies at home. That simple but extremely distracting thought came just as you should have focused for entry into #3 location so you walked right by and headed to Walmart. Finished at Walmart but not exactly as planned. You leave there with shampoo & potatoe chips because you knew there was a specific food item at home you needed but it slipped your mind as to which one it was when you got in there. You see how frustrating my day can be at times? I actually have a pill reminder so that I can keep track of my 9 prescriptions for evening and 4 morning doses. Sad part is I cant remember to fill it up.
So for people with ANS that suffer the short term or have the issues with familiarization recall like I do, its important to have journals of the meds on a cell phone or something you are sure to travel with daily to the doctors office. Because my doctor knows me so well and knows my OCD is so off the charts with following proper medication dosage, her only concerns are that I remember to take the pills. Which takes me back to the overall problem with taking the pills.
When you have pills designed to offer a control of a medical issue and your body is capable of reversing that property whats the answer for properly medicating? I know from experience I can go from one medical condition to another in a day and maintain that for unspecified time. So I couldnt imagine being my doctor, it would be a nightmare.
I took the time tonight to look up drug interactions with what I am currently on and when you get the red box marked MAJOR on three of your drugs used in conjunction, you tend to read up a bit on them. Well the good news is two of the interactions may cause ANS, wouldnt that be horrible? I wonder if by combining the drugs if I can reverse the propers of the interaction and cause something simple like a hang nail. Its worth a shot.
The other two drugs that mingle badly together, well thats a different story. I have been experiencing side effects that are a bit out of the ordinary and I make notes of them on my phone. I had also shared them with a close friend of mine because a few of the symptoms were a bit off the wall for me so I just felt the need to share. Well right there in the interactions its like text book reactions as if I wrote it. I had to kind of giggle a bit thinking to myself that here is a new drug designed to "help" me and in the end may end up doing more harm than good. But as you read on the pros and cons are weighed evenly so its a toss up. I feel better on the new drug then I had before, not by any means cured or ready to sign up for the olympics but I can endure a bit more daily now with the pills help. However, the side effects are starting to interfere and as my doctor has said, shes waiting for another three weaks for the drug to peak for the beneficial part so that means I have another three weaks of it potentially gaining strength in the side effects area as well. This drug interaction was missing only the skull and cross bones. So I am a gambling man, and right now I am currently dancing with the devil having this syndrome as it is. In its progressive state, I am a here today, gone tomorrow candidate so giving my doctor a chance to see if she can try and reverse some of the damage seems like a valid futuristic move for me. When I look at the severe drug interaction its also a here today, gone tomorrow scenario. So either way, I am either betting it all on black or on red. You really can't have this kind of fun playing Wii.
I have to joke around about all of this, no way in the world I am letting this crap bring me down. I sat there and watched the YouTube video for John Rich's release of "For the Kids" and with tears in my eyes I realized how precious life truly is. I have my goal set, educate everyone I can about what I have and what I go through so early detection can save someone from traveling the same path I have traveled. Secondly, St. Judes Childrens Hospital, I intend to be a Partner in Hope as well as an advocate for bringing more peoples attention to the wonders that hospital do for those children and familes of the children. Third, Project LadyBug, a close to home charity I had just learned about. Once I get back on my feet financially I will make my efforts to join forces there as well, also devoted to helping the children. Obviously above all else, I have my own family to spend time with and cherish as the days go by. Each birthday the children have that I attend will be another knotch in my belt of survival. I like beating the odds.
In closing I'd like to point out that even when things seem to be unevenly stacked against you, theres always some ray of hope. A small glimmer of salvation that keeps you positive that you'll defy all odds and prove all medical evidence wrong and prevail to live life to the fullest. I'd love to look back on all of this 40 years from now and laugh. Question is, at 84 will I remember what I am laughing about? I am having trouble remember now so I guess I'll just be happy with still breathing at 84, gumming a banana in a rocking chair somewhere. Thanks for reading.
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