Well, my second doctors appointment didn't go as planned either. The good news is I now know the mystery skin funk is keratosis pilaris. There's no cure for it, but it doesn't really do anything except make my skin look gross. I'm on the hunt for more Summer weight cardigans now to help cover it up.
Blood was taken for thyroid tests and various other things. The LPN realized that I'd been blowing my physical off for over 5 years and made me promise to come back in a week. She looked over my diagnosis letter from the geneticist and can do some of the required tests without me having to shell out for several appointments or specialists. I'm still not happy about it. I really don't want to get hit with another list or sent to a ton of specialists.
I also failed a mini psych eval. Normally, I pick up on them right off, but not this time. They usually give you a sheet of paper with some questions (usually provided by a pharmaceutical co.) and anyone can figure out how to answer them to not get put on whatever medication is advertised on the sheet. This LPN is smart and changed the way the questions were asked. Had I been in a better state of mind, I would have caught it. I ended up telling her all of the bad stuff that has been going on and she was shocked. I also started my case against going back on anti-depressants.
She agreed to wait until we got the thyroid results back since that could be making it worse for me. The Ehlers Danlos can contribute too. I've started putting together my "case" against going back on meds. I don't want to stay depressed, but the pills are awful. I always gain weight and I'm already heavier than I should be. I don't need another 10-20 lbs. I also feel terrible when I'm on them.
The first time I had to take anti-depressants was a combination of a terrible work situation & a terrible husband. I got married because I thought that's what you did when you graduated college. He was awful. When I started having an anxiety attack, he'd egg it on until it got so bad I blacked out. My doctor gave me meds and sent me to several psychologists, who said it was my fault. I tried to leave & he faked a suicide attempt, blaming me. Somehow, I got my meds changed & he was still med free. We were both sent to therapy and the doctor realized it wasn't me at all. Unfortunately, he retired due to medical problems, but he did get me to the point where I could leave my ex. He dropped a few hints since he couldn't tell me directly what was going on. Without the unnecessary medication, my head was clear enough to figure it out. I was depressed then, but the medication made things worse for me. I couldn't think straight, I lost a job because of it, fought with my family & ended up stuck living with a psycho.
I told the LPN some of that & she told me this situation is different & there are new medications. I don't handle newer medications well at all. I have a week to make my case. I'm hoping the test results will come back with something useful that will help me avoid any horrible medications. I try to stay positive, but it's always good to be prepared for the worst.
On a happier note, tomorrow I'll be going out to eat with friends and checking out the sale at a used bookstore. It's an outdoor shopping area and it might rain, but at least it's not going to be 100 degrees like it has been.
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