depression

Thursday, August 26, 2010

I wrote Dr. Ahmed Sadek today

Dr. Ahmed Sadek

I received a VNS implant in March 2008 for depression. I had been on medications for sixteen years and found no relief. In the past two years I have come a long way. I have been able through diet and exercise to gain back some use of my brain, rescuing it from the severe depression that I was in. I am now off of all medications, but need to have my VNS device monitored. Dr. Rivera, the psychiatrist that I was seeing, was Orange City, Florida, 35 miles to the northeast of Orlando, Florida. As I came up out of the depression I have noticed just how inconvenient that trip was and, just how badly he treated his waiting patients. Up to two hour waits. This was on a constant basis. As my life opened up, I have begun to notice this type of thing and with my new non-depressed brain, I have begun to ask and expect a different patient to doctor relationship.
I was told by Cyberonics, who made the implant, that the other nearest psychiatrists are in Tampa and Coral Springs. Even further than Orange City.( But I did not ask about epileptic doctors who deal with this device as well, and one was just two miles from me-editor)
The last time I had the implant adjusted was in November of 2009. Now I need to locate a doctor who will help me monitor it and adjust it if necessary.
If you can’t could help me, could you refer me to one?

Janet Matthews

August 26, 2010

Just to keep track of how I am managing my health care.
Also now I have varicose veins in the left leg. Could chiropractic help this? It helped depression.

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Called Rivera Again, Then Cheryl Cisernos

Dr.Rivera still has not replaced the device that was lost, missed placed during storms. It is now the 4th of Dec. I called Cheryl of Cyberonics to see if she could help with this problem and this call was on the first of Dec. She said she would take care of it. I have started taking the paxil again on 12/3. 15mg a day. The migraines and muscle pain went down a tiny bit. Perhaps I should talk to Dr Figeuroa to see if I can convince him to help out. At least I can approach him and start the process.

Thursday, November 27, 2008

The Reason for the Migraines

Spoke to a pharmacist last night and found out that migraines are caused by a lack of serotonin. So I need an adjustment to the device or go back up on the medications. This is only logical. I will contact Dr. Riveria, and if necessary, Cyberonics to see what we can do to get relief from the headaches and a small amount of depression.
Another thing that is causing the stress is the amount of illnesses that I have had.
First the teeth and then the water in the ears thing. Since July I have had issues of the teeth and then the infection in the ears.
The teeth are healed, but I will go back to the dentist in Jan. to have the crown put on the tooth. The tooth that I am speaking of is the second one since July. It is drawn out do to healing time and money. I will need perhaps two more teeth fixed in the coming year. (It ended up being my entire set of teeth, upper and lower were filed down and capped with porcelain crown.-editor)
Doctor Rudiman, my gastro person, has seen blood work that he is concerned about and wants me in to take a CT of the liver. The liver enzymes again.We will work on this in Jan. (The antidepressants were constantly causing the liver enzymes to fluctuate.-editor)

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Support Group conference call

I dialed in to the support line at Cyberonics and now I have questions that I did not have before. Do I have to come off of the drugs before hand? because that is impossible. But it also gave me hope as well.
The interviewee was questioned very well, and I think the questions that I have can be answered by Cheryl.
I am still taking the drugs in a rather haphazzard kind of way. Just to get through until I see Dr. Rivera, the guy in Orange City.

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

No, we don't take that insurance

Why would a company,in this case, Aetna, approve a procedure and not have a doctor in the area to follow through. I guess that is the way of things. Just because it is approved, does not mean the doctors in the area care to get certified to do it. So I may have the implant but not have the doctor to adjust it. Right now I have given my insurance information to a doctor in Orange City. That is about 30 miles north of here.
In reality,if I go even once a month, big deal. I go 48 round trip miles to work 5 days a week. I am glad that I thought to try to set up this follow up visit now. The information that I got from Cyberonics as to which doctor to call was old and out dated. The office help did not even know what VNS therapy was, or if they did they would not take the insurance that I have. O.K. time to roll up the ol' sleeves and, like a pitbull, hold on tight. That means if I have to educate, plead and beg, I will.
I must take that tack for now. Yesterday I melted to tears after four negative phone calls. Dr Fig will not get certified, so he's out. In a way good. Start anew.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Getting through the Holidays

It has been a stressful two or three weeks. Mom went into the hospital because she did not feel right. Good thing too, for she found out that she has a problem in her kidneys and the veins in her neck are too narrow for good health. She would not have found this had she just gone to the doctor. So, it was a stressful new year. She is back home today.
Now the billing supervisor for the Deland branch of the Florida Hospital still has not called back. It has been two weeks. Ann Stefurak, the regional Cyberonics person has called me today and left a message. I called back and told her the story, once again, about no information from the Hospital.
I am having problems getting my Cymbalta. Usually the doctors office has had it when needed, but not this time, so I requested a scrip for the med. I must have it or in two days time I probably can't work. I feel crippled by the need for this med, but I can not do without the stability that it gives me. That is the life I lead, and I feel if I make to much of it, the people around me feel that my problem is self administered. That if I were strong enough that I could just make myself stop crying, make my depression go away. I get that feeling from that lack of concern that prevades the relationships around me. Perhaps that part is all in my mind. Don't know for sure. Maybe the meds, when they work, allow me to be very near to normal, and in so doing the seriousness of the problem is not readily seen. But long term kidney and liver function is in question and the quality of life is not there.
Hey the medical office of Dr. Fig has just called, and the Cymbalta is waiting for me. The drama continues.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

More Letters

Hi Janet,
The only assistance program available at Cyberonics is for indigent patients
who do not have insurance. I am currently working with Dr. Figueroa to find
a surgeon and hospital. Once we have that information for you, you may
certainly speak with the surgeon to see if a rate can be negotiated or if
there is a payment plan at that office. You can also speak with the
hospital's business office regarding a payment plan if you desire. I will
call you as soon as I have the surgeon information.

Thank you,
Cheryl

Sunday, November 11, 2007

A letter to Edna, my Sister

Hi from Orlando!
the weather here in town is very enjoyable and refreshing. 70's during the days and 50's at night. Dry and crisp.
Please have me in your prayers. I am making a decision to have a VNS implant to fight the depression. It is like a pace maker for the brain. The insurance from work will cover most of it ( 70%) but I need to come up with the remaining cost. This could be up to 10,000 dollars. My IRA will most likely to be used. If it works, it could slow down the parade of drugs through the system, thus good for the liver. Good for the pocket book, and good for the over all income level, for I could have more energy to work a 40 hour week. I can only work 32 hours. Any over that and I have a break down. Anxiety and depression attacks. Migraines come and stay for weeks. And this is for an average 40 hour week, not a hugely busy week either. I am presently on 4 drugs. two that I can afford and the two that I can't, the doctor gives me from his samples. I can't go on like this for ever. But what ever works for the time being I am willing to try. I have turn it over to the Lord and it is a great peace of mind to do so. Also I am writing about what I am going through. It is on a blog www.mylifemyreflections.blogspot.com . I write when something new occurs in the VNS side of the treatment. But it helps me to see how I am doing on a month to month basis with the treatment with the drugs, and exercise and diet program that I try adhere to. I crave Reeses Peanutbutter cups and the machines at work have them a plenty. It is a comfort food and I find that the more comfort I have the tighter my clothes fit.
When the medications work I don't crave the comfort, for I don't need it. I am more confident, self assured, I remember happy memories. The memories are in and of themselves images and when depressed the memory images are not complete and are not as saturated with color as when I recall the same memory when I am "up". Some times the memories can't be recalled at all. I have to work on the recall and manually change the saturation of the image in order to help change the depression to a more "up" state.
However there are depressions that this will not work. I have tried to fill the bleak images with color, when it works I feel a little relieved.
I am trying a new way to fight this disease. I am using photographs to help me remember the good times. When I look at the photos I can recapture the feeling of the moment, and can try to concentrate on every detail, to magnify the effect. This phenomenon is from NLP tapes that I ran across years ago when I studied hypnosis. Training the brain to avert attacks. Or fight back.
Right now I am waiting for more info from the Cyberonics folks. They are getting a surgeon lined up for my procedure. Neurologist I believe. I will be in touch with the insurance specialist nurse that the Cyberonics folks use as a way to deal with the prospective implanted patient.
So all for now.

Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Cheryl takes a vacation

I have to wait to talk to my contact at Cyberonics, for she is taking some time to be off. What has occurred is that I have contacted the insurance company and I will have to, if my estimate of the charges is right, have to come up with $10,000 for the procedure. I have released the need to the universe. God, help me now. We will see what comes of this. Several things come to mind. My IRA. A new refinance of the house. Perhaps a better job, that has better benefits.
A better job, is what Dr. Figeuroa has suggested. Easy for him to say. But we will look for what we can. This would happen to anyone that is facing a high cost medical procedure.
Thank God that it is not life threatening, quality of life threatening, yes. It is a wake up call about the high cost of insurance and the fact that I can not make much more money at the job that I am at, I am topped out. I am beginning to look at options.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Dr. Figueroa and VNS

I have been to Dr. Figueroa, and he tells me that my insurance will not cover the VNS procedure. I had prepared myself for this and I am now going to work with the insurance specialist at Cyberonics.I signed a medical release form yesterday and faxed it to Dr. Figueroa. Now he will release the records to Cyberonics so that the insurance specialist will have a starting point to work with to get the ball rolling. I have been feeling better. It has been seven weeks since Dr. Figueroa upped the medications. I now look forward to work, I can remember happy times. I have been over to a friends house, something I would not have interest in before the medications were increased. I will enjoy the moments now, because in the future they will be hard to find. but if I write about it, I will remember how long I remain up and when I go down.

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Trying to connect with Cyberonics

I have some interesting things to note about trying to connect to the Cyberonics company.These are the people that have the Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) Therapy that I have been investigating. I called the number off the internet and constantly the message would ask me to redial the number that I had just called. When I looked up the company's main number and got in touch with an operator, I found out that the person responsible for my part of Orlando was on vacation. Then I left a message on a another representative's voice mail. The voice mail promised me a return call in 48 hours. That did not happen either. The phone number I got from my doctor turned out to be answered by a "Rachel", not a Cyberonics company rep. Now, just minutes ago I tried to contact the Cyberonics people again and the phone system just shuts off. Meanwhile the extra dosage of Cymbalta (now 90 mil),which the doctor gave me is making me a bit more creative and "floaty".