A Day in the ER

Yesterday, I received a rejection letter from the clinic I was trying to set up "after care" with -- so .. not only do I receive rejection letters from every job I've applied for, but now I am receiving rejection letters from shrinks! This means that I have no way to obtain the meds that I am supposed to take, which means I get to go through some really serious withdrawal symptoms or I can set out on a special adventure to the ER obtain a few days of these drugs. Going to a city hospital ER means I get to;

  1. spend 26 hours in the psych ER
  2. be strip-searched
  3. be searched with a metal detector while nude
  4. spend 26 hours in the psych ER
  5. answer 10 million personal questions -- repeatedly
  6. starve my birds all day because I had no idea this would take so long
  7. learn that my blood sugar is high, meaning that I might be developing diabetes, no doubt because of that fucking zyprexa, since there are no diabetics in my family, nor am I fat and zyprexa is known to cause diabetes in 30% of everyone who takes it -- even though Eli Lily denies it
  8. spend 26 hours in the psych ER
  9. wear jammies for 26 hours in public
  10. go without a shower for 2 days
  11. spend 26 hours in the psych ER
  12. deal with my own thoughts of suicide -- which are never far away these days -- while keeping my mouth shut about that
  13. spend 26 hours in the psych ER

All this hassle for a script for 5 measley days of my meds. I hope I never have to do this again, but something tells me that .. I will either have to do this again, or I will have to wean myself off all these drugs to minimize withdrawal syptoms -- which include seizures among other things. I really wish I had medical insurance, it would make things so much easier and simpler. and less humiliating.

And then I got to come back home to an apartment that is crawling with mice, cockroaches and some tiny flies that mysteriously appeared out of nowhere.

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If you haven't read the front page (above the fold) of today's NY Times, well, take a peek: it's a rather long story about Eli Lilly's antipsychotic "wonder drug", Zyprexa (one of the drugs I am supposed to take but often don't because of its excruciating expense). Apparently, it causes nearly 1/3…

You don't know me from Adam, but I am a regular reader of your blog and I'm sincerely sorry to hear about your difficulties. I hope that you are able to fight through these tough times and eventually start to enjoy yourself more than you are now.
Perhaps you could consider selling your little flies to some lab for research purposes. I'm afraid you're stuck with the cockroaches though. Perhaps grinding them underfoot could prove therapeutic. ;)
Now, like a cockroach I shall scurry back under the cover of my anonymity.

Whaaaaaaat?? What happened to the "release plan"? Where is your release advocate? Have you followed up on the game plan set up before your hospital release? State/County Health dept.,etc., ect., S.S.I,and legal aide ... something ain't right in deadwood and you DON'T/shouldn't have to go thru withdraws!!!!! Get on the horn and make those calls NOW! ;o/

By Diane in Ohio (not verified) on 27 Jan 2007 #permalink

Hedwig:

That is crazy. Crazy and wrong!

Listen: You are a highly respected contributor to the ScienceBlogs community. Isn't there someone out there or connected to ScienceBlogs who could "act" as your primary care physician and just write you the scripts you need? Christ, my best friend is going through Effexor withdrawl and that alone is harrowing. Come on, reality-based community!! Step up and help a sister out!!

Best and bon courage,

L

OK, I've got nothing positive to contribute other than this. There are many of us willing to help. Please keep us informed.

Like Diane said, got on the phone make calls until you find your release advocate, someone responsible, and describe to them in no uncertain terms what you must go through just to get 5 days of drugs from ER.

I am totally p***** off for you. I had problems getting my meds too. In a fortunate twist of fate my father is epiletic and he is given a high dose of depakote, but he is symptom free with a low dose. I just took his extras.

As much as my heart breaks, I would say accept all the bull**** to get your meds. Not to overstate, but meds for BPs like us are a way to a better life. If I still lived in NYC I would take care of your birds.

Please let your audience, especially me ;) , know how you are doing. I will recommend MDSG again, probably someone there has had a similar experience and can give you some advice :)

A note about the flies - keep a close eye on all the fruit you bring into your home, and rmember where you got it from.
I've discovered that fruit from certain sources always comes with fruit flies.

Bug problems? Use 5% Sevin dust - NOT the 10%!!! If its' good enough for Parrot breeding boxes in Florida and doesn't harm them then it will also be safe for you & the birds. I use it & is a great product,kills 60+ type of bugs.Get it at Walmart/farm & Fleet/TSC stores for about 7$ a lb. bag.Active ingredient is carbaryl. Sprinkle behind stove and areas unseen - using sm. containers in cubbards or places a pet might be able to get to.(or child) I use it on the dog for fleas. I recently had itty bitty bugs show up and found them in my bird seed bag bought at Walmart.Thought that stuff was sterilized,hmmmmm.

By Diane in Ohio (not verified) on 28 Jan 2007 #permalink

I know nothing about the health care processes in New York for people hwo are not insured, but like your other reader, I ask that bloggers who read this blog and who know or may be related to a medical professional come forward with some longterm advice and solutions....please.

Regarding the flies, if they're fruit flies, if you put some apple cider vinegar in a container and leave it somewhere, the flies are attracted to it and will fall in and drown. Cheap, effective and non-toxic. Might even work for other insects as well.
As for the clinic stuff -- as Tabor has just said, I hope anyone who might be able to suggest a solution will come forward.
That sucks about the zyprexa and diabetes. Is there a possible alternative med that could be taken?

Sorry to hear about your sucky day! This does sound ridiculous, and frankly, abusive. Trying to optain your medication should not get you treated like an F-ing violent arrestee! Not only should you have an easier way, but you theoretically could sue. (Pragmatically, is another question, unfortunately.)

In bev's spirit, Try putting duct tape sticky-side-up under dressers etc to trap the cockroaches. Or try setting up some Vegas roach traps. (A possible addendum; I've heard to use mineral oil on the inside of the jar.)

I've heard that you can make cockroach traps out of bowls/cups treated with sticky tape http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegas_roach_trapand mineral oil.... &ltgoogle>

By David Harmon (not verified) on 28 Jan 2007 #permalink

Bah, that was careless of me. The last paragraph above was of course an editing error.

By David Harmon (not verified) on 28 Jan 2007 #permalink

Ghastly set of hoops, but do what you gotta do for now to survive (and I do mean SURVIVE) as you try to work out a better way to get the meds you need... don't know about details of release in NY, but this "release advocate" sounds like a promising concept--if it's more actual than concept, that is??
Best wishes & blessings; wish I were closer than just west of the Mississippi.

That's horrible! What is wrong with the medical system?? Well, I honestly don't know anything about medications or getting rid of insects, but I can tell you a cute little story about a bird that might cheer you up.

My mom's friend in India had a pet mynah bird. There were a lot of people in the house, and they would always be bustling around, talking, laughing, etc.

So this mynah, of course, learned to talk. Well, it imitated speech, anyway. When the lady selling eggplants walked down the street yelling "Eggplants, eggplants" (I'm translating this, btw), the mynah would also yell, "eggplants, eggplants!"

One day, when almost everybody had gone out to a movie, somebody came by. Only one person was left, and she told the friend that "There's nobody at home. Everybody's gone to a movie."

The next day, everybody was at home, again, bustling in and out when the same friend stopped by. The friend thought everybody was supposed to be home today. So he was confused when a little voice told him "There's nobody at home. Everybody's gone to a movie." He almost believed the voice too, until he heard it saying "eggplants, eggplants!" When he walked inside, guess who the voice turned out to be? The mynah.

Jesus H. Christ! I wish I had something to offer, I know zip about negotiating the shoals of public health. All I can say is my heart's with you.

cockroaches- I had an apartment with cockroaches once that I almost set on fire trying to kill the little bastards. I had blocked every conceivable crevice through which they could enter but one: the hole behind the stove where the gas pipe went through. One morning upon awakening, I leaned my head in the sink to get a drink from the faucet and the first thing I saw was a roach. Enraged, I grabbed a can of bug spray that foams up like shaving cream, reached around the stove and filled the gap with poison froth. Then I remembered the flammable carrier and the pilot light were probably not a good mix. Just then a giant flame shot out from under the stove, across the floor and up the opposite wall, coiling into a big orange jellyroll on the ceiling. Had an exiting time putting the fire out.

I'm glad to see you got the science magazines you liked to read on the other post. Maybe your readers can start a PayPal account that you can use to get your meds!

Please ring Dan and ask for his help. You have his number and email me straight away if you have mislaid it.
G.