=>PLEASE FORWARD TO FRIENDS, FAMILY AND LOVED ONES <=
Hi,
What’s new?
I hope you are doing well.
I was food shopping–yes I do
my own food shopping like everyone
else.
I was buying some chicken. Why? Well
because I eat a lot of chicken.
Anyway, I was in the chicken isle.
I was standing there.
I was super confused because the
sign said 50% off but it was totally
confusing as to what. Was it on
the chicken? The beef? The chicken
and the beef? Was the price already
marked down?
So a guy was standing next to me.
We both were looking at the chicken
and sign. After about 7 minutes he
looked at me and said, “am I a moron
or does that sign really confuse you. What’s
50% off and what isn’t?”
I said, “I have no idea.”
The guy said, “If I call my wife, she
will yell at me and maybe divorce me
for being incompetent.” I said, “well
you probably shouldn’t call her.”
So then an older lady walked
by (75+). I said, “Excuse me Ms.”
She said, “you going to ask me out
on a date?”
I said, “umm, no not really, but I was
wondering if you knew if the chicken
was 50% off.” She said, “just read the
sign.”
I said, “well, umm, I didn’t the sign
is confusing…see?” She said, “it says
50% off.” I said, “well I know but it doesn’t
say off what?”
Both the guy and myself explained
how the sign makes no sense. She insisted
that it did.
FINALLY she agreed. So then she said why
don’t you ask someone. I said, “well umm,
we tried but there is no one back in the
meat section.”
She said, “Honey, God gave you feet so use
them.” She then said, that the other guy should
go and ask because he was younger than her.
He was like, “Hey, I am 63 years old.” She said,
“I am 72.” I said, “I guess I am going since I am
the youngest.”
So I walked up and looked for a manager. The store has
like 1 manager for a store the size of a city—which
makes no sense.
So I asked him. He talked about 1000 words per second
and basically called me a dummy. I was so super mad
that I went into super mad mode and said, “look, I have
wasted a lot of time with this nonsense. I want you
to come back here NOW please and look at the darn
sign.”
So then he came back and I showed him how the sign
was totally flawed.
It was in the wrong spot
It didn’t really say what was on sale
It didn’t say if it was for beef and/or chicken
It didn’t say if the price on the label was marked down
He agreed. I said, “SEE everyone.” The older lady said,
“Shame on you.” The other guy was checking with his
wife and I could tell she was yelling at him, he kept
saying, “Honey, the sign isn’t clear. There is a gentleman
trying to figure it out. I’m sorry. Yes I read the sign.
Yes I know how to shop. I can do things without you. I will
be home really soon.”
It was funny. Anyway, we found out the deal. It was on
chicken/beef. The prices were marked down. So the
other guy got a bunch and went on his way.
What the heck does this have to do with bipolar disorder?
Nothing. Just kidding. Seriously it does.
After driving home I was thinking about the following
important concept.
MANY times with bipolar disorder you are going to
get really, really, really, really vague instructions
on stuff.
For example, “take a bunch of these.” These meaning
medications but with no real instruction. You have
to go back and get clarification. Either you the
bipolar supporter or the person with bipolar disorder.
I think it’s totally unfair that some doctors throw
medication at a person with little to know instruction
and expect them to understand.
If you are a bipolar supporter, you have to watch
out for this. You should know how to take the medication
so you can help your loved one.
When my mom was in the outpatient program in the first
week, they made her take a bunch of medication. I remember
thinking, “how in the world do you take this stuff? It doesn’t
make sense to me?” I was super confused. Then we called
the doctor and asked. He talked about 500 words a second.
I was like, “SLOW DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I was super annoyed.
I was like “what the heck is wrong with these people?”
Finally we got instructions and my mom began to understand.
I asked the doctor over the phone for a system to keep
track of everything. He said and I quote, “I don’t know,
I gotta go.” I was thinking, “what a doctor.”
So then I went to Walmart and asked about 40 people how
to take lots of medication. I took all the ideas and
combined them into a system that I bought my mom back
home.
Sometimes I think about how much work I did to figure
this out and it’s amazing? Geeze I had to walk around
Walmart bumping into people and asking, “hi, my name
is David. My mom has to take a bunch of medications for
an illness and we were trying to create a system
to help her manage it. I was wondering if you had
and ideas?”
A normal human wouldn’t even be able to do such a
thing because they would get made fun of, people
would run away, and it was like sales. Well all those
things happen to me. Since I was in sales, it didn’t
even really phase me. I think some people thought
I was out of my mind.
In my courses/systems I talk about how bipolar
supporters have to help their loved ones take their medication.
SUPPORTING AN ADULT WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarsupporter.com/report11
SUPPORTING A CHILD/TEEN WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.bipolarparenting.com
HAVE BIPOLAR DISORDER?
Visit:
http://www.survivebipolar.net
I also talk about how those with bipolar disorder need to
create an effective system to remember which mediations
they took and when.
Another thing you’ll hear is
Find a good doctor (but they don’t tell you how)
Find a good therapist (but they don’t tell you how)
Find a job (but the don’t tell you how)
Get on disability (but they don’t tell you how to survive
with such little money
on and on.
Luckily ALL of that is covered in my courses/systems.
I have learned the hard way.
Wow, just I totally forgot about walking around the
Walmart bumping into random people trying to invent
a bipolar medication management system. Wow that
wasn’t a lot of fun.
Hey I have to take off. I’ll catch you tomorrow.
Your Friend,
Dave
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I know how important my medication is and I take it every morning, throughout the day, and at night. Sometimes in the morning, I forget whether I have taken my medication or not. I don’t have a system so there’s no way for me to know whether I’ve taken it or not. I usually just assume that I have. I’ve missed doses in the morning and I’ve missed doses at night when I fall asleep early but one missed dose doesn’t cause a problem, usually. The only sign that I get that makes me think that I missed a dose is an increase in anxiety. But caffeine and smoking too much can do that to me too. So, I try to stay away from caffeine and I’m trying to quit smoking. Fortunately, I have never had a doctor, since being diagnosed with Bipolar, that hasn’t given me specific instructions on how to take my medication. The main thing I worry about is my doctor retiring and finding another doctor as good as him and someone who will allow me to keep my medications the way they are, as I’ve been stable on them for over 3 years. I know a lot of doctors that would take me off of my Klonopin which I’ve been taking for almost 15 years. I don’t know what I would do without it. It really helps to keep my anxiety under control.
DEAR DAVID,
MY pharcist places my medications is a bubble wrap tye of thingy with the days marked on them,
They are a fantasic thing and you cant take three days worth of medifcation if you read what is written.
The doses and placed in a spot for breakfast lunch and dinner.
I love it because I no longer make mistakes with my meds
Brilliantly funny post today! Fortunately, we don’t have any problems with how to take the medication in the UK. If anything, it sounds like our system is less flexible; I mean, we are not encouraged to change the dose of the meds if the moods get out of balance, just to keep with them unless the moods get really bad, in which case we’re supposed to contact one of our docs – family or pDoc. But I sooo relate!
Oh, David. My chicken sends to a message: “Why the hell can’t you eat more pork?!!!”
My question after today’s post is , “why did that guy call his wife!?”
LOL Ana! She wife is smarter.
Hi Dave I found your chicken story a riot sorry *o* HAR HAR! I would have just taken my chances & asked at the cheakout mindfull not to spend the exstra 50% incase it didn’t apply to the chook. Then it would have turn out as it seem’d to be a nice little bonnus cos I hate dealing with unhelpfull, unfriendly staff & most of them are, but I get your connection with it & the similarity with bipolar conffussion.
Also that ( confussion) so callled carers can give in the name of caring . like male cares, just down right taking addvantage of the submissive simptoms of bipolar. This includs so called proffessionals as well eg: pyc nurese, advicates etc… Some I,ve encounted personaly & that wasn’t a riot of a funny nature >_<. BOO HOO! & mum cares can be a little toooo protective, but you'd expect mums to be like that. Not that it's a good thing some mums just love to well. Keep up the good work more power to you. Donna.
LMAO, Dave – love your chicken story. Apart from your helpful emails you have a great way of cheering people up with your funny stories. I could picture the whole scene clearly. I don’t know how old you are Dave, 27? 72 is definitely a typo.
It’s true that shop signs can be really confusing. It reminds me of a sign I saw outside a clothes shop about a year ago, which read: “Massive Ladies Clearance.” Well, the way my mind works it conjured up hilarious pictures. The way it was written it didn’t tell you that they meant “massive clearance of ladies clothes.” Literally it meant “clearance of massive ladies” or possibly “massive clearance of ladies.”
On a more serious note, my boyfriend told me that when he was first diagnosed, 7 years ago, the doctor in the psych ward wrote a prescription for half a dozen different pills and when and how often he needs to take them. Not mentioning what each of them was for or what the side effects may be. It took another couple of hospitalisations and all in all 5 years for doctors to work out the right cocktail of medicine to stabilise him.
Keep up the good work, Dave, and keep telling us funny stories.
Im pretty fortunate that me and my fiance Grady go to a great pharmacist who wants to help out as much as they can. If Grady needs to take lots of different meds at lots of different times then they will put a months worth of meds in those bubble packs that keeps them very organized. After we found that system taking meds has never been so easy.
Cluck cluck, funny story! I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall.
Bubble packs? Never heard of them. Thanks for the idea. My fiance uses the two sided plastic case for AM and PM but when he is working he has to take a single dose at lunch and usually misses it. I have found pills in the washing machine even! What about the nooners and bubble wrap?
I had a similar experience today, but it wasn’t a bipolar medication. My DR told me to take this liquid for my constipation, but he didn’t tell me WHEN to take it or HOW to take it. I HAD to know, so the nurse brought him out of the examining room for another patient, and all he said was – “Take half with water, and then take the other half.”
Do you see how confusing this is? How MUCH water? WHEN do I take the other half? When I got home, I took half of the liquid in a cup of water – and it put me to sleep! When I woke up, I took the other half – and, well, “all hell broke loose,” if you get my drift:)
He also told me to take a “sippy” diet – but didn’t tell me how LONG to stay on it. That’s basically liquids ONLY, with a little jello, as long as it’s CLEAR liquid. So – I’m drinking coffee, tea, broth, and jello!
I STILL have the pain, but my boyfriend said I probably would even AFTER I’m over the constipation. I learned something today, though. Don’t eat grilled cheese&ham sandwiches for three+ months! It’ll bind you up sooo bad!!
Dave, like you, I wish doctors would take the time to explain their prescriptions in DETAIL, so we’re not floudering around, trying to second-guess them at every turn.
BIG HUGS to all bipolar survivors and those who love us. Please keep Susan in your prayers, and may God bless you real good.
Hi…After reading your email,I thought of another incident that can be an important lesson in one’s daily dealings with bp…”Honey, God gave you feet so use them” can be thought of as that you will have to cover alot of ground, you will walk alot of miles towards your goal, and using the God given gift of mobility only works when we move (figuritivly and literally speaking). Thanks David and all of your team for continuously bringing me insight into what a loved one deals with.
i tried getting a job at a calll center but my doctor strongly advised me against it. he said it would be stressfull and with the the tiem differnce of here(philippines) and usa my slepping pattern would be disturebed, so finding ajob isnt really easy…especially when your social skills suck,,,,im still afraid tio socialize a bit…as for my medications.,. i have no problem because m,y helper reminds me every day what to take during and after meals…i know i cant take coffee so i take dedcaf…what i rememeber my doctor saying is never ever skip taking the medications for this could lead to an epsiode…when my anxiety level is hi i just pop a xanor and im fine it helps keep me relaexed in a huge crowd…i hate mingling im fat and singel and in my thirties so when reunions come up the usual questions come up…why re u still single? when will you lose weight? got a boy freind?…it drives my up the wall..so someitmes instead of attending id rather not go to avoid these stresses …so i get left behind in the comforts of my room and i saty happy there…
amanda b vera cruz
Hi Dave, Sometimes the tags come down wrong and nightcrew will hang the tag anyway. Like one time I walked into my store and all through the candy the tags said buy one get three free, WTF??? What the manager should have done is apoligized, gave you 50% off of the chicken, pulled the sign, made a new sign that was clear. I think the easyist way to read those tags is to look at the upc on the tag and match it with the product, The signs should have a upc on the sign, that will match the shelf tag upc- however the price will not match because the sign should have a sale price. Ok enough of signage in a grocery store. Thanks Dave.,
Karen
Grahamn m,
Ok I hate this story but this is why we keep the pork at the store. One day a man brought me a pork roast he bought at my store, he was going to bar b que it he cut into it and oh snap he throws this piece of meat on the counter, it was oozing, like fizzing this yellowish fluid out of it. I call the employee working in my meat dept. he comes up he says no clue, I am looking at the receipt I see lard on there i am thinking the lard leaked on it.I said get my meat manager on the phone now, milten calls me and says pigs get tumors just like people, when they cut this meat they hit the tumer and it was oozing out of the meat. True story. I believe my customer went home with a fat steak-on us.All my grocery store stories that was the sickest- it still makes me sick.karen
Get three weekly medication separators, each a different color. For example, Yellow morning meds, Green afternoon meds, and Red evening meds. I sometimes forget if I’ve taken something, if the compartment is empty I know I’ve taken them, if not I take them, if it’s not too late. (I’ve never encountered the bubble things, I’ll have to look into it.)
Thanks for the color idea Sara and how much does caffine affect reguatlation of moods in BP people out there? My fiance does drink a lot of coffee. He is still trying to get his levels straight after his runin with alcohol and 3-5 Zanax a day for a week. My faith has suffered a great deal and he can see that, which doesn’t help him get back up. I get the repeated questioning about, “are we going to make it at all cost?” If you love me…..
Hi Dave
I had the same issue. I approached my pharmacist and set up “Bubble Packing” of my medications. They take all your meds and put them in order by day and times of day to be taken. All you do is pop out the appropriate time and day and that is it! Where I am there is no charge for this extra service. Really great if you are on multiple medications to manage your Bipolar as well as other conditions.