The Answers Bring More Questions … and Hope

I am a bit overwhelmed today. So overwhelmed that I wasn’t sure I’d want to write. However, I feel I need to.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, I had a doctor visit to discuss the results of all of the ADHD testing. I will tell you that it was about as thorough as you can get. Some of the tests seemed silly, but I guess the tests are very scientific and really do give accurate results.

The doctor visit went over the results with me and we discussed the diagnosis and plan of action. She also sent me a copy of the full report, which I couldn’t read until long after the phone call because I couldn’t read it on my phone. I printed it at work and read it in its entirety.

Now that I think about it, overwhelmed may be an understatement. The break down of the various things that the tests showed were accurate and made me realize that there were things I knew I did, but never ever connected it with ADHD, dopamine or other neurotransmitters and how they played into my daily life.

So I officially have a diagnosis. Two of them actually. First, yes, I have ADHD – the combined type. Second, I have Dysthymic Disorder, which is basically long term depression. That was a shock, because I really felt like I was over that. I have good days and bad days, but never felt as though it was a problem anymore. Apparently, it is.

So now, we have a plan of action. I have another appointment at the end of the month to put it all in place and move forward. Based on our discussion today, this plan should really help me in many ways. That makes me look ahead with the hope that things get better and life is a bit more controlled and … normal.

So, there it is. I’ll keep you posted.

Closer to Answers?

This morning, I had a telemedicine visit to discuss whether or not I qualified for ADHD testing. You may recall a few months ago, there was some discussion with my PCP and my therapist about whether or not this is something I am dealing with. I blogged about it here:

In the 45 minute call the doctor asked me many questions and by the end of it all, I was told that I was to come in next week for about 3 hours worth of testing. It looks like it is very probable that this is an issue for me.

She asked me about things I had really no idea were ADHD related:

Do I often misplace things?

Am I disorganized?

Am I quick to anger?

Do I often zone out when people are talking to me?

Do I have a problem with motivation?

Do I sometimes hyper-focus?

Am I easily distracted?

Do I drink a lot of caffeine?

Do I have time management issues?

Am I forgetful?

Am I impulsive?

Do I have trouble falling asleep?

Do I have mood swings?

Do I have issues multi-tasking?

Do I get frustrated easily?

Do I cope with stress well?

Do I worry?

The questions kept coming and almost all of my answers were “yes!”

She asked about my relationships with my folks, my wife, my brother, and my kids. She asked about family history and more. It was eye opening. I am sure that the testing and questionnaires that I will be working with next week will help further some sort of diagnosis.

She stated that in most cases a simple medication change can help with things. I certainly hope so.

It seems like it took forever to finally talk with someone. I’ll be glad to have some sort of answers in the near future.

In the meantime, I wanted to tell you … (head turns quickly) …. Squirrel!