Thursday, April 30, 2009

My Therapist, Fred

Fred returned my call yesterday evening just as President Obama was starting his press conference. As you might have guessed, when the phone rang, I checked caller ID and seeing that it was an "unknown caller," I picked up and hung up since it was the hour of day most nuisance calls are made--telemarketers, insurance companies trying to tell me I MUST have insurance coverage to get the most out of my medicare coverage (lying, opportunistic bastards). I wonder why they think calling while most people are sitting down to dinner is a smart idea? If I'm not watching something that's really important to me, I like to tell them what asswipes I think they are. I try to keep them on the phone as long as possible while I tell them the truth about their smarmy business. But last night I was watching the President, so I just hit on and then off so it was obvious that I was not just ignoring the call but actually hanging up. The phone rang again almost instantly, so I thought I was going to have to yell at someone.

Turns out it was Fred calling from The Masters Program where discretion is important, so no caller ID. Since this was a call I really needed to take, I cranked down the volume on the TV and Fred and I talked about my appointment with my internist yesterday. In my conversation with her while she was checking my clotting factor, I told her I'd figured out that what had begun as a mild upper respiratory infection has turned into a mild case of mood disorder heading toward depression. We talked about the specific drugs I'm on for bipolar disorder and she suggested that rather than switch to another antidepressant I might just need an increase in the dosage of my major antidepressant. I like this idea, since the antidepressant I'm on (Doxepin Hydrochloride) doesn't usually interfere with my sleep cycle and allows me to dream. It does add weight. So far it's put 30 pounds on my normally slender frame. If I were still modeling this would be a deal breaker, but now I don't really give a shit about an extra thirty pounds. What I do care about is this volatility, this whipping around of my moods, this creeping downturn into cottony dumbness and drifting off to sleep in the middle of the afternoon. A half hour nap in the mid afternoon would be terrific, but once asleep, I can't wake up. And whether or not I take that three hour "nap," I'm waking up at 4:30 in the morning with a killer headache. For a woman who was never a morning person, this is way out of character for me. I hate being wide awake when it's still dark outside. I hate Morning Joe. I was raised by a person who thought early morning was the best time of the day, and anyone who disagreed with her was an idiot. I guess we already know I'm an idiot. But the dark before dawn is highly overrated in my opinion.

Anyway, I have an appointment next Wednesday early afternoon. Fred is a civilized man. He may have some serious image problems (that I could fix if he'd only listen to me) but even though he looks stupid, he's smart. He used to be my Group leader. I was skeptical at first, because how could anyone with a combover and scraggly shoulder length dingy gray hair, wearing a really ugly Hawaiian shirt, black polyester pants, a belt with a big round buckle (almost covered by a pot belly) and cowboy boots be smart? If this sounds familiar to anyone reading it you know this thread in my relationships with men marks me as shallow in the extreme. Come to think of it, every man I've loved and left got a makeover.

8 comments:

darkblack said...

You're just death on them ponytails, aren't you?
Randal better keep his hippie hair tucked in his Cavs cap if he comes a'callin'.

;>)

Utah Savage said...

Well... I did admit I was shallow didn't I?

darkblack said...

I would use the term 'stylish'...A much more genteel euphemism, no?.

Shallow people don't give a fuck about much that isn't reflected back at them from a mirror, in my experience.

;>)

Utah Savage said...

Did I ever tell you I write in a southern accent? I acted in a couple of Tennessee Williams plays when I was young and I think I might be channeling Carson McCullers sometimes. But then that could be the psychosis talking. How could I be gentile enough to call myself stylish, that would be so shallow wouldn't it?

PENolan said...

I gained 30 lbs when I first went on meds. After a while, I figured it was better to be pudgy than dead, although at first I wasn't so sure since being dead seemed like a good idea.

Joe annoys the living shit out of me. So do comb-overs.

Utah Savage said...

PEN we are damn near twins. Any Kinghorns or Savages in your family tree?

giggles said...

Sounds like Fred may be pretty secure with his appearance. Secure is good. Smart is good, too. (Image isn't everything.) (Although I wish I were 50 lbs lighter! ;-)

D.K. Raed said...

I'm back from vaca now and will wish you good luck at the doc's!

ps, I thought it incredibly funny that your #1 label for this blog was "bad hair"!