Comments for The Borderland of Mental Illness http://stewyoungmemorial.com or, what Stew Young wanted you to know Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:02:31 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on As an aside, a cancer anecdote by mcolver http://stewyoungmemorial.com/2009/03/06/as-an-aside-a-cancer-anecdote/#comment-10 mcolver Tue, 10 Mar 2009 04:02:31 +0000 http://stewyoungmemorial.com/?p=88#comment-10 Meds are tricky things, aren't they? And it's okay -- it's not catching. I hope your life continues to be unaffected. Meds are tricky things, aren’t they? And it’s okay — it’s not catching. I hope your life continues to be unaffected.

]]> Comment on As an aside, a cancer anecdote by ann patrykus http://stewyoungmemorial.com/2009/03/06/as-an-aside-a-cancer-anecdote/#comment-7 ann patrykus Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:32:06 +0000 http://stewyoungmemorial.com/?p=88#comment-7 Hi Monique, It makes me slightly nervous to even be around this here site, since my personal planet really has not been affected by this ugliness. I will say that when I have changed meds for epilepsy, I have had interesting convos with doctors. Now, they have been treating e. for a long time too. And some of the drugs they have been using have been around for a long time, and some of the "newer" drugs have been trialed for 1o years and on the market for several. So...The reeeeeeeeeeeeeally old drug I was on, mysoline, dr. park said could have permanently damaged my brain. The dr. mithcell said, he doesn't know that. When I changed meds, tegretol, park said you wont' gain as much weight, but it could attack your kidneys. "Why do we gain weight on drugs?" Noone knows. On Depakote you will gain more weight, but it won't attack kidneys. So I took the Tegratol, and 6 weeks later my body was broken out in itchy hives. So I ent on Depakote. It was like I had to feed the Grand Canyon. Never ending. I could never get full. I can still feel the feeling. It's a horrible pitiful ache. So I'm transitioning off mysoling off tegratol and on to Depakot AND I AM FULL OF DRUGS ON MY WEDDING DAY. To say my day was fuzzy is a wee bit of an understatement. Also, I gained 30 lbs before the wedding. And I couldn't care. And the doctors say that noone knows why meds trigger weight gain, but they insidiously imply that it's really not about the meds. You know what I told the doctor? Well, you can guess. THEN I told him to give me Zonegran, cuz it's the first anti-convulsant to actually stimulate weight loss. He said "but it might only be 10 lbs". I said "that 10 lbs is hope for me". And the 10 turned into 50 almost immediately. So there. And I've kept it off. It's Zonegran for me, baby. Sorry i hijacked. Hello again! Hi Monique,

It makes me slightly nervous to even be around this here site, since my personal planet really has not been affected by this ugliness. I will say that when I have changed meds for epilepsy, I have had interesting convos with doctors. Now, they have been treating e. for a long time too. And some of the drugs they have been using have been around for a long time, and some of the “newer” drugs have been trialed for 1o years and on the market for several. So…The reeeeeeeeeeeeeally old drug I was on, mysoline, dr. park said could have permanently damaged my brain. The dr. mithcell said, he doesn’t know that. When I changed meds, tegretol, park said you wont’ gain as much weight, but it could attack your kidneys. “Why do we gain weight on drugs?” Noone knows. On Depakote you will gain more weight, but it won’t attack kidneys. So I took the Tegratol, and 6 weeks later my body was broken out in itchy hives. So I ent on Depakote. It was like I had to feed the Grand Canyon. Never ending. I could never get full. I can still feel the feeling. It’s a horrible pitiful ache. So I’m transitioning off mysoling off tegratol and on to Depakot AND I AM FULL OF DRUGS ON MY WEDDING DAY. To say my day was fuzzy is a wee bit of an understatement. Also, I gained 30 lbs before the wedding. And I couldn’t care. And the doctors say that noone knows why meds trigger weight gain, but they insidiously imply that it’s really not about the meds. You know what I told the doctor? Well, you can guess. THEN I told him to give me Zonegran, cuz it’s the first anti-convulsant to actually stimulate weight loss. He said “but it might only be 10 lbs”. I said “that 10 lbs is hope for me”. And the 10 turned into 50 almost immediately. So there. And I’ve kept it off. It’s Zonegran for me, baby.

Sorry i hijacked. Hello again!

]]> Comment on About by Bonnie Brace http://stewyoungmemorial.com#comment-5 Bonnie Brace Thu, 05 Mar 2009 17:12:14 +0000 #comment-5 Monique, Please, please don't listen to the nay sayers about not publishing this amazing story. There are people out thre who need to hear Stu's story. They need to know tat even though inthe end he died, his life had meaning. His story gives hope That is what it is all about. I'm the Executive Director of a NAMI affiliate in Berkshire County MA. I can honestly tell you that Stu's story is one that truely will give others hope and let those who sufer with mental illness know they are not alone. Please, don't stop. And when you do actually publish it, contact all the NAMI's and promote it, go on spaking tours, Tells Stus story... it is on that needs to be told. I've followed him and you on the Banyon tree for a long time...don't stop!! B. Monique, Please, please don’t listen to the nay sayers about not publishing this amazing story. There are people out thre who need to hear Stu’s story. They need to know tat even though inthe end he died, his life had meaning. His story gives hope That is what it is all about.

I’m the Executive Director of a NAMI affiliate in Berkshire County MA. I can honestly tell you that Stu’s story is one that truely will give others hope and let those who sufer with mental illness know they are not alone.

Please, don’t stop. And when you do actually publish it, contact all the NAMI’s and promote it, go on spaking tours, Tells Stus story… it is on that needs to be told.

I’ve followed him and you on the Banyon tree for a long time…don’t stop!!

B.

]]> Comment on About by ann patrykus http://stewyoungmemorial.com#comment-3 ann patrykus Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:00:15 +0000 #comment-3 I'm in awe. See you at OS. PS my wedding dress was purple. Safe to say, one of the fave colors. I’m in awe. See you at OS. PS my wedding dress was purple. Safe to say, one of the fave colors.

]]> Comment on About by Notesfromjoblessville http://stewyoungmemorial.com#comment-2 Notesfromjoblessville Thu, 26 Feb 2009 05:10:17 +0000 #comment-2 Hi. I work in a bookstore and there are a ton of non-fiction narratives about mental illness. I have a particular interest in the subject so I've read a bunch of 'em. Skeptic that I am, I waggle my eyebrows at the so called "closures" reached in many of them. From my particular mental health vantage point, "I took my meds, the sun began to shine again and now I'm the CEO!" is just a crock. "I am alive, functioning, and maybe even approaching a satisfying life" is much more like it. I am sorry that Stew passed, and more sorry that his losing bout with cancer was accompanied by the weighty struggle with mental illness but that's true life and, for me, more affecting than most of the pap I've come across. I hope you won't be discouraged by the happy-ending naysayers! I've read your work since I joined OS, and I look forward to reading "Borderland". Keep it real like you always do! - Notes Hi. I work in a bookstore and there are a ton of non-fiction narratives about mental illness. I have a particular interest in the subject so I’ve read a bunch of ‘em. Skeptic that I am, I waggle my eyebrows at the so called “closures” reached in many of them. From my particular mental health vantage point, “I took my meds, the sun began to shine again and now I’m the CEO!” is just a crock. “I am alive, functioning, and maybe even approaching a satisfying life” is much more like it.

I am sorry that Stew passed, and more sorry that his losing bout with cancer was accompanied by the weighty struggle with mental illness but that’s true life and, for me, more affecting than most of the pap I’ve come across. I hope you won’t be discouraged by the happy-ending naysayers! I’ve read your work since I joined OS, and I look forward to reading “Borderland”.

Keep it real like you always do!

– Notes

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