Hate when this happens. 'Can't remember if I just took my night meds or not.
 

Hi,
At 2:00 am I went to take my night med. Then I remembered that I had not taken my day meds yet.

So I took the day meds.
Now part of me thinks that I also took the night med at the same time, but I mostly think that I did not.

I really am going to start using my pill organizer. Tomorrow. Right now I have to do something for work tomorrow that I put off about 6 weeks.
I think that I am going to take my night med now. It's a dose of Klonopin I've been on a long time. I should be ok.

Or I could wait another 15 minutes or so to see if the dose I might have taken starts to "kick in." I have to get up at 10:30 am to be at work and have to iron clothes tonight, do the dishes in the sink. I wonder if I would notice extra Klonopin in my system...or if I will feel hung over more than usual tomorrow.

I took a shower a few minutes ago -- the first in a week. More than a week. Seriously, I counted this time. The only part of my body I washed since November 21/22 was my teeth and my hair. Well, it is possible that the last time I washed my body was November 20. That day I am certain but there is the possibility that I washed on 21/22. . . . low possibility.

I need to start changing some things around here.

M.

I think you already have been changing things and they are deep changes...hooray hooray hooray..
I am ambivalent about showering....do you think people need to take them as often as they do...I think I somehow remember that June weddings became a tradition because in olden times, they hardly bathed and some thought it was unhealthy but usually a bath occurred around June.
I had trouble remembering if I took my medication yesterday too. Even if i got a pill organizer I wouldn't use it...
Bobby

Oh I hate it when I forget my meds...I have a specific med routine at night...when i brush my teeth I lay out all of my pills and supplements on a white towel that sits by the basin...then i see all of my meds, vitamins etc...then take them with water and then brush my teeth. I chew a calcium chocolate chew with my vit c chewable.
I have forgot my meds, I only take them at night, only a couple of times...when I am staring at the ceiling a couple of hours later than normal..that is how I realize that I have forgotten my meds.
Got out of my routine....
Pat yourself on the back for taking that shower!
and hopefully you were able to get some rest to make your morning appointment....semester is almost over?
bizi

rethinking not showering
 

Hi, Friends,

I am going to re-think not showering.
Maybe I have been comparing myself to my teenage self who liked showering and did it a few times a day.

But I don't need to shower that much anymore now. And who cares. It's only one part of my presentation to the world. Something to think about anyway.

I mean if I am not showering, why beat myself up. Why not just make up a new philosophy to support it? :)

M.

Forgetting the meds
 

Wow! Thank-you for reminding me to take them just now. I was browsing and immediately "Oh SH__!" I forgot mine! Now 20 minutes later I am back and I thought you may want to know what a journey I just had. It went like this........
Got up to go to the kitchen to start my "routine". Put on the water to boil for my evening cup of herbal tea. Prepped the cup with baggie, OH! The aquarium needs some water refilled too. Aquarium filled, walk to back to the kitchen....."Now what was it I needed to do?" Pace, pace pace. I need to turn on the stove! Back to Bedroom. What should I wear tommorrow? "Dang it!!!!! GET THE MEDS!" Relax, I can do this.....start the aroma therapy......Where did I put the meds? Back to kitchen. Nope not there! Back to the bedroom. Now I open the drawer with the meds - day and night meds. I see the arrangement and wonder if this is something that could help you.

[I have a small/slim organizer with day meds and one with night meds in my nightstand. I have started a very simple routine which helps me. Within the organizers I merely flip the meds as I take them. e.g. Monday they are up (with the cap on top). As I dispense them onto a little wooden plate,I turn each one upside down (now with the cap on the bottom). As I finish the row, I place a hanky - Hand embroidered by my grandmother- across them. As silly as this sounds, this gives me support and a loving thought. So when I get up in the morning Tuesday, the only bottles which are optically available, are those that are not covered. So I do the same routine by filling them upside down after I dispense them and put the hanky across them, so that the only ones visually available are those I need to take at night.]

So maybe this can help you. And maybe, if you are anything like me, you curse yourself and mentally beat yourself up for not being able to do the simplest things. THerefore, I guard myself with something that reminds/supports me that I can do this and that "this item" is a reminder of how lovable I am (even when I don't feel loved). For me this is the hanky from grandma who always encouraged me. For you it could be a photo, keepsake of any kind. Just let it be big enough to cover the meds, yet big enough to fill a emotionally repetious void.:grouphug:

Oo-oops! Got the tea forgot the meds...running to the kitchen, maybe this will help.:winky:

Hope next time I can report on how my SDIT (service dog in training) is assisting me with this.

Dear Robin Von Paul,
 

Thanks for the laugh. :)

You are so lucky to have something meaningful and helpful from your grandmother. That is such a great thing.

I have grand memories of my paternal grandmother, but no things that she passed on except for some plastic Christmas ornaments that I'm told were all the rage in the 1960s.

I know someone who did very well with the upside down system that you seem to describe.

As I type this I realize that I really COULD organize my shelves enough so that top shelf of the book case means something and second and third shelf means something else. I had a system going like that at one time.

Maybe I should just stop fighting and go with the weekly pill box thingy. My sis and a friend used to mail cool ones to me often. I used to pick them up for myself in the stores. Then every few years or so I throw them out to make room for more clutter.
Even so, I'm sure that I could find one under the plastic bags from the pharmacy if I looked.

Tell us about the dog. What kind of dog?

M.

bright shiny colors!
 

the forgotten did I/didn't I taken them pills thing drove me crazy (ha ha) until CVS drug stores came out with a new line of pill boxes that come in all sorts of bright colors. Just right for bipolar folks! They all interlock with a central pill sorter tray that helps the Befogged mind count and sort the proper meds into the pill boxes (I use little purple box for morning, big green box for night).
Honestly, with all the meds I'm on, I have no memory left so this is the only way to keep track of what and when i've put chemicals in my body!!

Hi, Molly,
When I was on lots of meds, I had a better system and made good use of the pill organizers. But I don't take as many meds as I used to and it is easy to think that I don't need to be that organized.

I've stopped taking vitamins because they are too much hassle AND because sometimes I take them instead of my meds. :eek: So I guess one good reason to make myself use the pill organizers again is to get myself back on a vitamin regime.

I've probably bought those colored CVS organizers and then thrown them out a few times. It's a little compulsion: Buy certain things that will fix my life, get annoyed by them and throw them out. Then start over again.

M.

I have a pill organizer too....4 compartments for the 4 times a day I take meds....thanks for reminding me to take mine just now!:D
Without that $10 miracle....I would forget when to take what. Thank you Walgreens!

I take my meds at night so it's a bit easier, unless I need a Klonapin or pain pill during the day. As far as vitamens, I take them when I remember.

I have a pill organizer for my mom's pills. It has morning, noon, evening and bed all in one container, yet separated into four compartments.
Although her's are only morning and bed.

Nikko:hug: