Apr 04, 2002 11:47 PM
2619 Views
(Updated Jun 18, 2002 07:15 AM)
I have been clinical diagnosed as having a bi-polar disease.
It took the Doctors to realize I was this ill until I was almost 60.
It was not their fault as the symptoms are similar to someone who suffers from'hypo', (low), and thyroid. I have had that for 20 years.
This disease use to be called'manic depression' and people were often put into Hospitals meant for insane people. They don't do that any more.
Today you see a phychologist, (in my case it was for 7 months), every week until they'balanced' my medication. Each person is different and so they need to find out what combination is best for you.
There was always a phychologist at the end of a 24-hour phone number in case I became too depressed to cope.
A year ago I saw an add from John Hopkins's Hospital who looking for'Ashkenazi', (European), Jews who had 2 bi-polar people in their family, 2 schizophrenic people in their family or one of each. Jewish people are not different they are average but they are easier to find because our population is so small.
In my family there are 2 of us who are bi-polar. They interviewed each of us over the phone and then we each received an e-mail telling us we would be hearing from them soon to have our blood tested and have a three hour interview.
My Husband was asked to have a blood test done so they could see if I was the only person the damaged genes were coming from. The lady took his blood first and he went shopping for a few hours.
I told the doctor that although she was going to see a lot of veins the one in my left arm was the only one that she should try. She told me that she had taken blood from thousands of people and never hurt one or hand to try a second site. She thought I had used my left arm too much so she insisted she would use my right one. Right then and there I knew this was going to be a long session.
The vein in the right arm was a'mover', (this means it moves away from the needle). She tried my left arm with a tiny needle and it would not give blood. Then she tried my right arm with the tiny needle and the vein moved away. Next she tried veins on the top of both my feet.
By this time I was lying on the floor as I was feeling
'whoozy'. She finally listened to me and took a regular needle and used the vein on the inside of my left elbow and got enough blood from it, (she was on the floor laying next to me as she did this).
The interview went along nicely and I am now part of the John Hopkins's'family'. I receive updates from them at least once a year. They have isolated 3 damaged genes for schizophrenic and should be able to repair the damaged genes within a few years.
The Hospital only has been working on bi-polar people for four years. They have tested over 4, 000 people and have 6 possible genes. It will take them at least 10 years to come up with the correct ones.
HOW TO KNOW IF YOU ARE BI-POLAR, (the word means'sharing 2 poles'):
You will have wide mood swings with periods of both depression and mania.
You will be a person who is a high achiever and the work that they are doing can become an obsession to them.
Many bi-polar people are artists or writers.
When you have stress you get so depressed. When you have too much stress at one time you get so depressed you consider committing suicide.
WHAT CAN YOU DO:
Please have your Doctor refer you to a Clinic in your City to be tested. There are wonderful medicines that had help keep your moods balanced.
SOME THOUGHTS:
In my case I have fewer mood swings. I also am not so obsessed with writing, (my'work'), for MouthShut every day.
©LL
