Depression and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

I was first prescribed antidepressant when I was 17 years of age as a way to help me cope with the challenges associated with the progression of DMD. At the time I thought little of the connection between depression and DMD, I was just not happy. My parents noticed my downward spiral before I did. Unbeknownst to me I was losing interest in my friends and things I enjoyed doing such as reading and playing video games. So, it was decided I should seek a solution to the problem at hand. I started taking a medication called Effexor, a mild antidepressant. I felt results immediately with little to no side effects. I felt care free and excited about the renewed possibilities of the human condition. It was smooth sailing until 2002 when I was hospitalized with respiratory failure, which lead to a tracheotomy in May of that year. I was confined to ICU for three months. My second downward spiral began. People were dying around me consistently and the isolation was getting to me. I was put on a higher dose of Effexor and began taking the mood stabilizer and anti-anxiety meds. Getting accustomed to a machine breathing for me was very frightening and panic inducing. I began having panic attacks once I was back home. But those where subsiding as I built up my strength.

Fast forward 6 years to late 2008, I caught pneumonia and was hospitalized again. My anxiety began to sky rocket and I was having full blown panic attacks. Pneumonia makes you extremely weak and makes breathing difficult which just added to my anxiety. As I regained my strength and health, the anxiety ebbed.

In November 2009, I had another major bout of pneumonia. My anxiety was going gang busters and I was mildly sedated most of the time. My doctor got the insane idea to take me off my antidepressant. I suffered horrible withdrawal symptoms which agitated my anxiety and depression. I was quickly put back on a powerful antidepressant med called Celexa. Unfortunately it took 2 weeks to fully begin working. But time passed and I regained my strength. As of now, I’m very happy and everything is going to quite well. My depression and anxiety are well in check.

(This post will also be available on the DMD Pioneers Web site)

Movie review: Clash of the Titans in 3D

I just returned from watching Clash of the Titans in 3D. I really enjoyed it. They told the story quite well. I would recommend this film!

Family friendly if you you don't mind monsters...

7/10 stars

Learning

I have began a training course on how to become a blogger. It's akin to a creative writing course but teaches the technical aspects of running a successful high traffic blog also. Add that to my Spanish courses I'm taking online and I should have plenty to do.

I absolutely love to learn new things, so that is what I'm doing.

Expensive PPV Events

Last night I ordered the UFC 111 pay-per-view, which was $60 for the HD showing. It was well worth the $$$, cause GSP won! Tonight is Wrestlemania 26 on ppv but in standard definition so we all can watch. Only $54. I only order the one WWE event a year so it's survivable. April 10th is the UFC 112 ppv from Abu Dhabi with a stacked card!

Caregiver's Bill of Rights

by Jo Horne
Author of Caregiving: Helping an Aging Loved One

I have the right:
To take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will enable me to take better care of my loved one.

I have the right:
To seek help from others even though my loved one may object. I recognize the limits of my own endurance and strength.

I have the right:
To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the right to do some things for myself.

I have the right:
To get angry, be depressed and express other difficult emotions occasionally.

I have the right:
To reject any attempt by my loved one (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through guilt, anger or depression.

I have the right:
To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness and acceptance from my loved one for as long as I offer these qualities in return.

I have the right:
To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it sometimes takes to meet the needs of my loved one.

I have the right:
To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me when my loved one no longer needs my full-time help.

I have the right:
To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and mentally impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made toward aiding and supporting caregivers

my weekend

I had a pretty good weekend. Saturday night, my friend Ken and I, went to the movies. We saw the 7:50 pm showing of 'The Wolfman' (7 out of 10) at Silver City in Windsor. The place was full because of 'Alice in Wonderland', 'Shutter Island', and 'the Crazies' but our theatre was practically empty which was nice. Sunday we celebrated Cody's (my youngest nephews) 3rd birthday. He had a good time and got some cool stuff. Tim (my brother-in-law) made a huge amount of penne in meat sauce for dinner, I actually stopped my tube feed to have a small plate. Only had swallowing issue once, with no major chokage. Haha! I topped the evening watching an episode of Grey's Anatomy with my friend Jon and then the Academy awards. My pick for best picture, 'The Hurt Locker' won.

Movie Reviews; quick and easy

Yesterday I watched the movie 2012. It was just okay. Sure there is a Mayan prophecy, is it going to come true, not really. There have been doomsday prophecies since the beginning history that never came to fruition, why would this one be any different. We don’t even use the Mayan calendar! I gave it 6 out of 10 stars.

Today I watched Where the Wild Things Are based on the children’s book by Maurice Sendak. It was dark and depressing and would scare most children. I gave it 5 out of 10 stars. I loved the children’s book when I was little.