waiting

Ok, so two weeks after appointment, still waiting to hear back about getting a prescription. I got told on the day (Wednesday) that I might hear something over the next couple days, and if not to call on Monday. Thursday, Friday, I hear nothing. Monday, I don’t call, still waiting. Tuesday I call, leave a message. Wednesday I call again, reception guy tell me yes he got my message yesterday and passed it on. Ok, great. Back to waiting I guess. Another week passes… Wednesday again I call, and this time I get told that the approval has been sent, or requested, or something. So that’s good news I guess. Things are happening. No idea when I might actually be able to come in and pick up a script. I don’t want to hassle them, but I’d like to know what’s going on. I want to seem proactive, not like a junkie, gimme my drugs man! I’ve been asked to take on a new role at work, on a temporary basis. It’s a really good opportunity to prove myself, and learn some new skills and show them what I can be capable of. But I’ll need to be at my best to do well. Not disorganised and scruffy and underslept. I’ll need to be as productive as possible. I don’t want all this red tape standing in the way of that. I hope they call me back soon, because you know what will happen next? I’ll get to the pharmacy and they’ll say, oh, we don’t keep that in stock… and then I’ll have to wait another week. Ten bucks says that’s what happens.

Finally saw the Dr

So… Good news, doctor is not useless. It’s pretty hard to become a psychiatrist I guess, the idiots would get weeded out. I’m always paranoid, what do they know? What if they are wrong? Dr has a beard, feel slightly reassured. So judgey. Did the initial consultation thing, talked about school, family, medical history. Discussed future strategies. I was stressing out a lot because I had forgotten that the opinions of nutters on the internet and the opinions of medical professionals are a completely different thing. Just because there are people online (and in real life) who have no idea what they are talking about saying “OMG drugs are bad!” doesn’t mean that any doctors actually think that way. I’m pleased to realise that once again, anyone with half a brain realises that if something helps, it’s a good thing. So discussed medication with Dr, explained when it helped, when it didn’t. He thinks taking it will be the best thing. I’m relived because I know that I cannot do this job without it. I get a lot more work done on days when I take the medication. Since I had about 2 weeks worth and three months to wait for the appointment, I’ve been rationing it out and trying to work out what days might be more important than others to get more done, or which tasks are more important to do in a timely fashion. It’s been pretty stressful. I also have things that have been neglected at home, washing, cleaning, TAXES! (I’m only 4 years behind…) Slight setback, in this state you need approval before a script can be printed out. Which takes a few days. Weird! What if it get’s denied? It is technically possible, but unlikely in my case. Here you need two opinions as well. Which means possibly having to pay (and wait) to see a second Dr, to agree with the first one. As I had a piece of paper in my possession listing my previous Doctor’s name and the medication he prescribed, that should count. It was just luck that I found that when I was moving, and put in it the ‘psych’ section of my file. And more luck again that I happened to take it with me. It was actually given to me to keep in the car, in case I got given a random drug test and got a reading. So hopefully they call me in a few days and I can go in and pick up a script. Then try this new dosage at my new job and see what happens. I hope I don’t have to see a second Dr, my old one retired, so it’s going to be hard to get evidence out of him! Though we may be able to contact the old clinic and I give permission for records to be sent over. Well, I’ll cross that bridge if I come to it. For now, feeling relief!

Appointment today

I’ve been really nervous about this appointment for about, well three months now I guess! I’m really worried they are going to tell me I can’t have any medication, to suck it up and start making lists or something. I’ve heard there is a reluctance to prescribe meds from doctors in this town. I don’t know what I’d do in that situation, wait three months and pay another $500 for an appointment in the city? No point dwelling on it I suppose I’ll find out soon enough… I have medication left over and have been taking it at work on some days and not on others. I want to get to a stage when I don’t have to take it anymore, but for now it really does make a big difference. I don’t want to get paid to sit here and do nothing, I want to be a productive and valuable staff member. The medication helps me get more work done. I’m worried I’ll have to work hard to convince new Dr of that. Ultimately these have the professional opinion but I know what works for me and what doesn’t.