Depression Understood Forums

It has been about 8 or ten years since i start taking lithium ,at that time i was not able to function as a normal human being .
I would just lay on the settee wondering were it would all end ,i have fought this illness all my life and at this stage i was exhausted and just could not carry on ,
So lithium was prescribed and after a few weeks i was on my feet ,not well ,but able to carry on with life in a dark and miserable fashion ,lithium has never lifted me and to this day only keeps me from the depths of despair .
Im lucky ive learnt much from deppression and i have had to evolve with my own coping mehcanisams, i have all the love in the world given to me by my wife and two daughters ,my wife Fran and i were brought together from two broken childhoods miles apart from each other but brought together in youth to form a bond far greater than i have seen in any other married couple ,
So even when the darkness makes me blind and my mind tells me those terrible things ,i know that i have much to live for ,this love will drive me forward forever.
Finally today i attended my first lithium clinic ,the nurse sat with myself and Fran and answered all our questions ,this really helped Fran as she had been so worried about many aspects of this toxic drug ,my weight and blood pressure was taken and i was weighed and my lithium level tested ,i feel like ive finally got the care i need now ,and maybe the future will be a little better .Frans main concern was that my face always looks so grey with a little tint of yellow , this unfortunatly is normal ,and while we were sat in the waiting room we did notice all the people who came in had this sorry look .
lithium causes quite bad tremours but i seem to be free of these altough i do loose my balance a lot ,more good news is that i have been given a support worker now ,its been a long long journey and i know there will be those of you who will feel hopeless as i have felt ,maybe reading this will let you see that there can be hope but it may take a while to find it . Deppression is a cunning creature and it will make you blind ,
you must look beyond it . Best wishes Ken and Fran. Goodnight All

Hi everyone hope your doing ok ,
carrying on with the lithium thing ,i didnt really know it was a big deal ,my doctor had never really showed much interest ,in fact it was my local chemist who asked me if i carryed a lithium therepy card ,i told him id never heard of it ,he told me to go and see my doctor as i should carry one and it was important .
when i saw my doctor he said the chemist was being over protective and i shouldent worry ,
having been to the lithium clinic i now know how this drug can and will cause damage to the major organs in my body if not closely managed the clinic nurse was appalled by the doctors attitude and assurred me that i must keep visiting this clinic on a regular basis .
Well i have my card now so all should be well ,its in case i need medical attention it alerts the medics to the fact i use lithium and it can cause problems if mixed with other drugs .
It was the nurse who made me aware that i suffer so greatly with my arthritic pain because i cannot use anti inflamitry drugs .
OK i hope this may have been of interest to other lith users and i will keep updating my progress here ,warm wishes Ken and Fran ,,goodnight

Hi everyone ,got my lithium level back today ,it was 0.7 thats fine its
within the limit so thats good,
Ok not much else to add just now ,,take it easy ,,,Ken

Hi Ken. It really does make me sad to see the long struggly you have had to endure over the years. I'm so glad you have someone in your life like Fran.

Thankyou Obayan for your kind comments ,no need to be sad ,there are times when the clouds clear and i can see all i have before me ,so much love and warmth from Fran and the girls .
all these things carry me thru the dark times ,so dont feel sadness for me im so very lucky and i could not wish for anything more ,best wishes ,
Ken and Fran ,