Depression

[JMyrtle]

Hi there
Is there anyone out there,
Diagnosed six months ago, reading at 58, reduced to 53 at three months and now normal ( receptionist cannot give me the test result by ' phone and I cannot see the GP because my notes are marked no follow up needed)
Some days I wake up with the most terrible depression, no need for it, I live a charmed life with nothing to worry about only diabetes!
I had breast cancer five years ago and and am about to finish a course of hormone chemotherapy and wonder if that could be the reason but some times I feel so low all I want to do is just sit all day.
Does anyone else suffer the same way?

 

[Martin Canty]

Sorry to hear this Jackie.... Perhaps this is a reason to visit your GP (and get your test results at the same time)

 

[Mark T]

"receptionist cannot give me the test result by ' phone and I cannot see the GP because my notes are marked no follow up needed"

Actually they can't refuse. You might want to quote the Data Protection Act at them and say they have to let you see your results. However, the Act allows them to make a reasonable charge for doing so.

But, back to your main question. I don't often feel low, but sometimes it does happen. It's not unknown to happen to Diabetics. My GP tends to try to cheer me up by pointing out that, other then the diabetes, I'm actually in very good health because I'm taking care of myself (which is nice of her).

I guess it depends what can help you, sometimes it's finding a hobby (especially one that gets you out and meeting people). Other friends find the mindfulness books help. If your GP isn't being helpful I guess it's a case of trying a few things.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Hello Jackie

So sorry you are struggling with depression. This is something you should talk to your GP/clinic about to make sure you can get the support you need.

While diabetes and depression are frequently associated, there can be many other routes to mental-health difficulties, but the most important thing is to seek advice and help - so it’s great that you have raised this here.

Really hope you can get some positive support and work through to better health. We will be here for you whenever you need us.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Actually they can't refuse. You might want to quote the Data Protection Act at them and say they have to let you see your results. However, the Act allows them to make a reasonable charge for doing so.

This is what I have - I ask the GP receptionist for a printout of the numbers (so that I have them for my records) and they charge a nominal amount - a few pence per sheet.

 

[Mark T]

This is what I have - I ask the GP receptionist for a printout of the numbers (so that I have them for my records) and they charge a nominal amount - a few pence per sheet.

According to my Nurse, per the policy of the surgery they are supposed to charge for records, but she will print them anyway. It doesn't matter so much now that they have moved to an online system which lets me check the records myself.

 

[Maz2]

Sorry to hear you are suffering from depression. I have a couple of friends who have it and it is awful for them.

Posters are correct that you can ask for a print out of your results. GP receptionist should not give out results over phone unless GP has written to say it is OK. If he has written on the notes "no further action" she can tell you that. When I worked at the hospital we were not allowed to discuss results but if the surgeon had sent an email to say what they were or what you could tell the patient then we were allowed to do so.

Normal I believe is under 42. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[JMyrtle]

Thanks everyone

It's very difficult because we are very rural here with no village hall or anything like that so no local clubs etc.

I have raised pressure in my eyes so driving at night is not possible because of the effect the eye drops have so going out at night isn't possible as the last ' bus is very early although you wouldn't want to be in "the wicked city" after dark anyway.

I also have the problem that many people of my age have is that my older friends are either dying off or being put into care by their families which makes me more alone than ever.

My McMillan nurse organised some councelling for me but in the end my only options were either ceasing the hormone therapy or anti depressants, neither of which I fancied.

The G.P. is underfunded and trying to run a practise in a building built many years ago that is no longer fit for purpose, we have no specialist clinics available to us.

When I was first diagnosed in September my GP put my name forward for a course but apparently the waiting time is about a year.

Living in the country has its downside you know.

 

[Maz2]

Oh dear JMyrtle, no wonder you are miserable. I have always wanted to live rurally, being a townie. My hubby and I were saying though that it is probably not a good idea now we are getting older being away from public transport and our friends. He still works full-time anyway so not possible and we cannot afford the property anyway. We have a car but you don't know how long you are going to be able to carry on driving. I am hoping a long time yet but you never know.

Could you go out in the daytime? Are there activities that you could get to? My neighbour is 87 and, although she lives on a good public transport route, she does not drive and so does all her activities in the daytime as she does not want to go out in the evenings.

 

[JMyrtle]

Hi Mazz

I did find a TWG that meets one afternoon a month and joined that but both the local WIs are evenings and of those one meets the same evening as the Parish Council I sit on.

We have a village pub but of course diabetes makes it difficult because I drink beer or fruit juice rather than spirits and mixers so there isn't much point going as there is little I can drink.

Still we are away again next week so hopefully the "black dog" will be gone by then.

Thanks for the support everyone it has helped

 

[Amigo]

Hi JMyrtle and sorry to hear you’re suffering with the ‘black dog’. It’s a miserable feeling but I suspect it may be connected to the well documented effects of your hormone chemotherapy.

‘An often-overlooked, and also understudied, side effect of hormone therapy is its negative impact on the brain. Research has shown that estrogen-blocking treatments may have a variety of side effects on the brain including possibly increasing the likelihood of depression and anxiety and decreasing verbal memory and fluency.’

http://blogs.cancer.org/expertvoice...e-therapy-for-breast-cancer-affect-the-brain/

Obviously, your oncologist may not want you to take any anti-depressive medication which could impact on your treatment but it could very well be that what you’re experiencing (compounded by the diabetes), is contributing to the depression.
So many anti cancer oral therapies exact a price but are necessary to control or eradicate the disease,

Just be kind to yourself and hopefully this will run it’s course but discuss it with your doctor and if necessary, reach out to the many breast cancer support sites (like Macmillan and Maggies). I bet there are other women who share and can support you through this experience. Best wishes, Amigo

 

[Pine Marten]

Hi Jackie, not much to add except to add a few virtual {{{hugs}}} and to say that I have a sniff by the black dog now and again, so I'm sorry to hear this. I hope your week away will be refreshing and happy, and remember, you can always come here and have a good old moan 🙂

All the best to you - take care of yourself xx

 

[JMyrtle]

The week away has stresses of itself?
We go back to Malta after ten years and I am very apprehensive as I am sure " my Malta" will have gone for ever.
And I know this will sound crazy but we have to check in on line twenty four hours before we travel, something I have never done before as we haven't flown for ten years either and the angsiety is overwhelming.
What happens if the flight is full because everyone else has beaten me to it, what if I get it wrong and delete our booking, what if I need to print boarding cards as I have no printer, and but and but.
The worry is endless, I never used to be like this , I just seem to be too scared and anxious to do anything any more. Pathetic!

 

[Amigo]

The week away has stresses of itself?
We go back to Malta after ten years and I am very apprehensive as I am sure " my Malta" will have gone for ever.
And I know this will sound crazy but we have to check in on line twenty four hours before we travel, something I have never done before as we haven't flown for ten years either and the angsiety is overwhelming.
What happens if the flight is full because everyone else has beaten me to it, what if I get it wrong and delete our booking, what if I need to print boarding cards as I have no printer, and but and but.
The worry is endless, I never used to be like this , I just seem to be too scared and anxious to do anything any more. Pathetic!

Actually it doesn’t sound at all pathetic Jackie. It sounds very human and symptomatic of somebody who has lived under immense pressure and worry for a long time. Something has to give and anxiety over details is your reaction to how you’re feeling and what you’ve coped with.
Is there anyone to help you with these details? Of course the plane won’t be full because you’ve booked seats. The check in before may be because you’re flight only? You can put your boarding details on your phone and I’m sure you know someone with a printer.

A cancer diagnosis followed by a diabetes diagnosis rocked my equilibrium too (the second cancer in between didn’t help matters) and it affects confidence and certainty. As I said in my previous post, it could be your meds are messing with your head temporarily too.

Malta is still beautiful and whilst you may feel you’ve changed, it won’t have. I bet you’re stressing about what to pack too! Holidays are stressful at the best of times but you’re not operating at full capacity at the moment and everything seems overwhelming. Get some help, make a list and rationalise that these fears are not real ones, they’re just the content of your presently tortured mind! 🙄

Oh how I can identify with this! 😉

 

[Davein]

The week away has stresses of itself?
We go back to Malta after ten years and I am very apprehensive as I am sure " my Malta" will have gone for ever.
And I know this will sound crazy but we have to check in on line twenty four hours before we travel, something I have never done before as we haven't flown for ten years either and the angsiety is overwhelming.
What happens if the flight is full because everyone else has beaten me to it, what if I get it wrong and delete our booking, what if I need to print boarding cards as I have no printer, and but and but.
The worry is endless, I never used to be like this , I just seem to be too scared and anxious to do anything any more. Pathetic!

Hi Jackie
I was in a similar situation a couple of years ago. I think it was due to a combination of the drugs I was on and the fact that I came close to death a couple of times through serious illness. It was difficult to break free from the constant anxiety. I did not want to drive, frightened that the car would break down and I would have no means of getting home even though I had breakdown cover. I didn't want to open the mail in case it contained an unexpected bill even though I have no money worries. Yes it does seem pathetic but not when you are experiencing real anxiety. Like you I imagined worst case scenario about the smallest thing.
I did manage to shake myself free eventually by realizing that if the worst happened there would be nothing I could do to stop it anyway so better to just get on with it. I still get anxious when I'm doing a transaction on the internet. I check and double check each step, each number I put in. I do it in my own time I don't rush. I'm sure your confidence will improve if you take one step at a time, calmly and try not to panic. If you come up against a problem then try and find an alternative solution.
I wish you well. Dave

 

[Sally W]

Hi there
Is there anyone out there,
Diagnosed six months ago, reading at 58, reduced to 53 at three months and now normal ( receptionist cannot give me the test result by ' phone and I cannot see the GP because my notes are marked no follow up needed)
Some days I wake up with the most terrible depression, no need for it, I live a charmed life with nothing to worry about only diabetes!
I had breast cancer five years ago and and am about to finish a course of hormone chemotherapy and wonder if that could be the reason but some times I feel so low all I want to do is just sit all day.
Does anyone else suffer the same way?

Sorry to read this and having additional issues as if diabetes isn’t enough to contend with. I understand what depression is. I work from home and it is isolating. Have you tried meditation or mindfulness? It can be really helpful and whilst I go to classes it can be learnt from a book. If you would like more info just message me. I hope you soon feel better

 

[JMyrtle]

I so understand about the car, I am afraid to drive for the same reason, same with the post.

The problem with the flying thing is that we are booked with Saga and flying Air Malta, becausethe on line check in is only twenty four hours before flying Saga cannot do the on line booking for me and post the boarding cards as they would usually.do.

I don't have a mobile 'phone only a laptop but no printer but I am sure it will all work out.

To compound things even more I fell in the garden last week and sprained my right wrist and it jolly well hurts!

Still as Julian of Norwich said " all will be well, all will be well and all is well, I wish it would hurry up that's all.

 

[Davein]

I so understand about the car, I am afraid to drive for the same reason, same with the post.

The problem with the flying thing is that we are booked with Saga and flying Air Malta, becausethe on line check in is only twenty four hours before flying Saga cannot do the on line booking for me and post the boarding cards as they would usually.do.

I don't have a mobile 'phone only a laptop but no printer but I am sure it will all work out.

To compound things even more I fell in the garden last week and sprained my right wrist and it jolly well hurts!

Still as Julian of Norwich said " all will be well, all will be well and all is well, I wish it would hurry up that's all.

Good Morning Jackie,
Jackie, we are the masters of our own destiny.
I overcame my fear of driving by 'biting the bullet' and going on a 650 mile return journey. It was not as simple as that though. I put a spare battery,a large jack, a tyre inflator a can of that stuff that inflates the tyre and seals a puncture, provisions for a week and anything else 'just in case' that I might need if the car broke down. I planned my route, looked up online to see any road works etc. I travelled at night to avoid traffic jams. Do you know what Jackie, the journey went like clockwork and that gave me the confidence to it again and again when I realized that my worst fears were very unlikely to come true.
You clearly recognise you have a problem, so plan to resolve any issues you have in advance. A pay as you go mobile will cost very little (and a mobile is very handy in an emergency). A new printer can be purchased for less than £30 or you can organise to go to a library or a friend to get any documents printed, Pack all your suitcases well in advance and make sure you keep all your documents safe. You can do this, my ghosh, you're showing the big C where it can go, I hope I have the same courage you have displayed.
Jackie, at our time of life we should be able to enjoy ourselves, so plan your trip, enjoy Malta, and come back refreshed and don't forget to send us a postcard🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

I completely understand your anxiety over the flight check-in @JMyrtle - something which you are being forced to leave to the last minute. However, 24 hours is quite a long time in a sense. Most flights seem to need this kind of last minute activity, and it is more than likely because to ‘check in’ earlier than that is probably a bit counter-productive for the airlines. People might check-in a week in advance and then circumstances could change and they may not want the flight. Just like all the empty ‘reserved’ train seats I always see. People reserve them - and then cannot make the train for whatever reason.

I suppose the closer to flight time the fewer people will have a change of plans and it will only be those prevented from flying by some sort of emergency.

Do you have a neighbour or local library with a printer and internet connection that you could use to print your boarding pass?

 

[Drummer]

I do urge you to make it a point to open mail - two of the saddest things I've ever heard about were to do with unopened mail. The first was a woman who was made homeless and lost her children when a relative had written to her offering her a home if she ever was in need - she did not find out until years later when at a family funeral and someone asked why she had not taken up the offer.
The second was a man who lost his home, car, job and was separated from his family even though there was a letter from a solicitor looking to give him an inheritance which would have paid off all his debts and made him financially secure.