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Open Alzheimer's Disease
Stage: Early Onset

I live with my mother and father (ex-in-laws) to help take care of mom who has Alzeimers according to the last dx.

Treatments

Aricept Somewhat Helpful

It's worse if she doesn't take it but still not great if she does.

Namenda Somewhat Helpful

It's worse if she doesn't take it but still not great if she does.

Open Physical & Emotional Abuse

Between bio father John, mom's later boyfriend Vale, and then her husband Ray, I was abused in every way possible - emotionally, physically and sexually.. Ray was the worst and though I've worked out a lot in therapy and with friends, I still have some issues that I'm working on.

Treatments

Abuse Counseling Working / Worked

This helped a great deal as issues arose.

Art Working / Worked

This worked a great deal - maybe more than talk therapy.

Forgiveness Working / Worked

I did this for me and it really does help. I couldn't forgive until I told the secret to my mother and after years of being angry with her for her reaction. Now it's on them and I forgive them their trespasses.

Leave Working / Worked

This really helped. I would stay away for years and not even call for the longest time. I am finally able to go there again for one or two days and stay in my power without getting triggered. Dad is on his very best behavior with me now.

Music Working / Worked

This helps keep me where I want to be emotionally.

Psychotherapy Working / Worked

This helped a great deal in teaching me that it wasn't my fault and teaching me methods of grounding myself for when I needed to go back there. It also taught me to recognize my feelings because I never knew what I was feeling before and acted out with sideways anger. Now I can express my feelings without reacting much.

Talking Working / Worked

Talking with friends, most of whom have had some of the same experiences helped a great deal - especially to know that I'm not alone and that my friends really do get me.

Open Bisexuality

Came out as bi when I was 20 and have been with both genders. I tend to be with women for longer term relationships and now that I'm single (my ex went back to men), I'm waiting to see who I'll choose next - man or woman.

Open Hypothyroidism

I was born with a thyroid gland that did not work. At first I appeared healthy because I got what I needed from my mother. I got sick pretty fast after that and it took them 3 months to figure out that it was my thyroid gland. It was pretty rare back in 1964 to be born this way. Been on meds ever since. Since my complete hysterectomy 6 years ago, it's been hard to stabilize my levels.

Treatments

Armour Thyroid Somewhat Helpful

It seemed better at first because the hot flashes from the surgical menopause went away as did other symptoms. However, over about a year, my levels got further off than ever in my life and it took a year to find the correct dose of synthetic thyroxine. I stopped the armour all together and the sweats came back though the hot flashes have remained gone.

Synthroid Working / Worked

Synthroid works the best for me though right now, I've been on levothroid for the past 18 months. It took about 12 months to find the right dose and now we are experimenting again. It is so difficult when my levels get off. The fibromyalgia gets really bad when the levels are too low or too high and the depression worsens then too.

Open Migraine Headaches

I remember having terrible headaches as a kid but since the broken neck and further injuries to my neck, the headaches come every day or so. Sometimes I'm lucky and will skip a week and that tends to be followed by a 3-4 day headache - which I have right now (day 3). I get all the typical migraine symptoms with it. Some docs are calling them migraines. other docs don't but then don't follow up.

Treatments

Avoid Certain Foods / Chemicals Somewhat Helpful

Avoiding chocolate and coffee helps the caffeine withdrawal type of headaches.

Caffeine Somewhat Helpful

It helps if the headache isn't too bad. It can give me a caffeine withdrawal headache though if I continue using caffeine.

Excedrin Working / Worked

This used to work very well and very fast. Now it takes up to 2 or more hours to help and it doesn't do the entire job any longer.

Maxalt Working / Worked

I used to work really fast and then it didn't work at all for about a year. I tried it again recently and the first couple of times, it worked fast. This last time, it didn't touch the headache except to take the worst part of the edge off.

Tylenol Not Working

Never worked for any kind of pain for me.

Stress Management Somewhat Helpful

This helps reduce the stress induced migraines from the neck and shoulders. It also helps take the edge of the headache. I use this alongside the medicine or when I choose to try and get rid of the headache without the medicine. I rarely can achieve that but at least the edge is reduced.

Open Pet Bereavement

I had to put my 14 yo beagle, Lucy, down tonight. She began having violent seizures out of nowhere last night and they got worse today. My friend, Lucy's other human mate, came with her boyfriend to say goodbye while she left this life. It was so sad. I can hardly stand to have her gone right now and the bed is so empty without her scratching to find the best place to lay down. The tears just continue to flow.