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Old 12-02-2007, 01:20 PM
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RisibleGirl RisibleGirl is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: I live in the rainy Northwest
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15 yr Member
RisibleGirl RisibleGirl is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: I live in the rainy Northwest
Posts: 135
15 yr Member
Default Lynlee- LONNNNNG answer

Yep, I'm taking both the Seroquel and Provigil. I'm also taking Klonopin.

RE: Seroquel
The Seroquel was prescribed because I was getting little to no productive sleep after I hit my head because I started sleep-walking, sleep 'watching tv' (I call it that because as I slept, I'd lay on my stomach, with my head propped in my hands trying to balance all night), LOTS of awful dreams, etc. every night.

My Neurologist explained that I was doing this because it was something I've always done when under stress (but not to this degree, of course). She said that with some people after hitting their head, their ability to handle stress diminished. She said that she couldn't prescribe me Ambien (I think that's the one) because that drug causes people to do weird things in their sleep even though they're not prone to it), so she gave me Seroquel, starting back in July.

RE Provigil
The Provigil is new to me and I've taken it twice now. She prescribed that because she asked me what was bothering me the most after I cried in her office last week. I told her that it was my inability to concentrate and I felt that it was affecting my work. She said that Provigil was mainly prescribed to narcoleptics, but it has an added benefit of giving clarity of mind and more focus. So, I said "sign me up!"

It really DOES work well for me. I thoroughly enjoyed working the day I took it, because I didn't feel 'stuck' so often. It is great stuff.

RE: Work
I started a new job in the same company two months after I hit my head. Thankfully, the hiring manager has known me for years and knew what I'm capable of, so when I was totally flubbing the interview (I couldn't even remember my job title and things like that), she was understanding. I told her about the head injury and what was going on. She hired me anyway.

As for the rest of the team, I've told one other person that works closely with me because he sees a lot of the head fog (hopefully no more, now with the Provigil). Since he didn't know the 'old' me, I wanted him to know that I was not usually like this. I also told my manager's manager because my manager is out on medical leave at this time. I gave her permission to tell anyone that might ask her why I'm acting like a loon. Seriously, I got lost on my floor the other day and someone caught me and chuckled at me. I also jerk around sometimes and I'm fairly certain that it's noticeable.

Yes, I'm working full time, and have been since I hit my head. I've taken two days off (the day I went to the ER with seizures and the day I had a bunch of tests all in the same day). I'm afraid that I'm hard-wired that way, but I do NOT push myself the way I used to. I couldn't if I wanted to.

I think of it this way, all of my previous managers have commented that having me is like having 3-5 employees because I was able to accomplish so much. Now? I think I'm like having one employee- and I'm OK with that. I've given 18 years to my company (times that by 3 to 5 if you want....). I plan to retire in January 2015- so they get one employee until then. The other 2-4 retired when I hit my head.

I'm fortunate in that I've always telecommuted 3 days a week (it's an ADA thing because of my liver condition), so I'm in the office for two days and home for three. I leave the house at 5:20 a.m. and am at home at 6:00 pm on those days. I sleep on the train going to work and coming home and pretty much zombie out the minute I get home. The days I'm at home, I work just as hard- I'm just a heck of a lot more comfortable in my sweats and I don't have the commute. Sometimes I'll even have a nap

Noise
Crowd noise doesn't bother me a bit, unless someone screams or something. Surprise noises (surprise anything- lights, touch, noise) are what set me off into myoclonic jerks. Hence the Klonopin.

Yay! End of the novel!
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