Pam,

Have you thought about discussing this problem with Jackie's doctor?

befuddled2

That might be what the trouble is, I will talk to his P-Doc and see what she thinks. It could be its just worn off by three am.

I think the fluid restriction is going to help alot!
hang in there sweetie!
and I wish your husband helped you more....ugh!
bizi

He does a lot of chores but he does not help when it comes to giving me a break. Nope he thinks my break is school. *sigh* We just cleaned like we always do on the weekend and jackie just dumped pop corn on the floor, not a LOT mind you, but the bottom of the bag and made a mess with it. Grinding it in, well I had to sit on the floor and scoot around to clean it up because he just got the broom and tried to sweep it everywhere. God help me I hate this...I am so angry I could spit. How many times have I changed the mood thing this weekend? ten yet? Sheesh!

Pam

You really need a appointment for you both with his therapist it sounds like.

I think you also need a appointment for the hubby with the therapist all by himself on how he can help too.

It sounds like there might be some things he can do to help with this at home
that he isn't doing.

Also is there anyway that you could maybe have some respite too.

It sounds like you need some.

Donna

I might look into the respite idea but I doubt dh would go with me to the T appt although I will look into that too. Because it might help him understand me and my situation a little better.

That's a good idea to get you husband to go to the T with you.

I also think it would help.

Good Luck, Nikko

Dear Pam,
My therapist asked me to bring hubby to an appointment.
She asked him if he thought that he could be on the team to help me -- not the coach or the manager (he's bossy sometimes), but a team member.

She tried to explain to him how harder it is for a bipolar person to do things that other people can do -- like get out of bed, think through something in their head, get work done...

I'm not sure what he remembers about the visit (I guess I didn't followup real well.) But he does get the general idea that I need help more. And he gives it to me. Sometimes I remind him and tell him I can't explain what is happening in a particular moment but I need him on the team, as he promised.

So the visit ended up working.

Mari

I am definitely going to look into it then, thanks Mari, I appreciate you sharing your experience with your dh and how you took him with you to an appt and how it helped. Thanks for the encouragement Nikko & Mari, I hope it will help him understand the situtation better.

Pam

You also need to look at this from another angle. You can look at this
from the angle that your doing this to get some help for working with Jackie
too. This is to help figure out some stratigies for when Jackie is way off
board.

Maybe the hubby can help brainstorm with the therapist and you. On how
things might work. Let him realize that he is going to be a team player,
not just there to be given the look over.

Let him realize he is going to be helping make things work better so that
Jackie fits in better as he gets older. This might make him really want to
be part of the team too.

He also might want to work on how the medicine seems to be helping, maybe start with the melantonin, say like with why its not keeping Jackie asleep
as long as he needs to be.

Donna