Catching up. Life is busy.

I've needed to do an updated post for a bit now but things have just been a bit crazy.

To start, Ringo was brought back home with a positive diagnosis of Aspergers after about two weeks. They were pretty sure the first day, but had questions for Osaka, who took him home on the Thursday of the week following his initial hospitalization. While Osaka was there they also confirmed that she has Aspergers, and that Ringo has the same potential for being high functioning like she is.

I reached a level of fed up with my physical side effects, from my meds, and my inability to find an adequate replacement for Dr T. I spoke with my medical doctor, after about a week of research and pondering, about stepping down the doses and getting off the psych meds.

The Saphis I was able to stop cold turkey because I'd only been on it about a month. The Lithium we are stepping down 300gm every two weeks. I started at 1200mg daily, and have been on 900mg daily for a week with noticeable improvement. I'll be at 900mg for the rest of this week and will start 600mg on Sunday. Once I hit the end of that week I will go back in and see Dr C to make sure everything is copacetic, and then go down to 300gm daily, then maybe 100mg before stopping entirely.

My appetite is back. I gained weight on Lithium but I was nauseous ALL THE TIME. I still am right after I take my morning dose, and for part of the evening after my evening dose. To compensate I had been eating regularly and healthily but in the past I've always done better with my weight if I eat when I'm hungry and just DON'T if I'm not. Eating regularly and feeling sick, I gained back everything I had slowly and carefully lost over a couple of years. My skin is also clearing up, my headaches are getting less severe, and I feel like I am able to think clearly. I also feel more playful. I was just goofing off with Osaka and Ringo last night, just all of us in giggles, when it was pointed out that I hadn't been like this in over a year.

The medicine made me super serious all of the time, and react angrily to most input. I do have a wicked temper, but honestly, unmedicated I react and then it's over. I apologize if I've reacted out of bounds, and then it's OVER. No long term drama, no grudges, unless it's about something really important and there is a serious miscommunication.

Anyway that's enough blather. TLDR: Ringo is home safe with a diagnosis, I'm going off the Psych meds under medical supervision.