warm climate; psychosis

[Guest guest]

Speaking purely for myself, with MSA I don't tolerate warm rooms much

less warm climates, think I'd prefer Alaska (Vancouver works for me

too). It all comes down to functioning, the warm climate would be

nice enough but my functioning would take a sharp dip, not a happy

sacrifice. Even at home I keep my room at 65 and dress lightly, I

may have goose flesh but cannot feel it, and this way I think clearly,

react faster and can get on with the basic housekeeping etc. My

in-laws offered me a trip to Florida (they have a condo in Naples) but

turned it down and went to Toronto in the winter instead. There was

a time I enjoyed nothing more than hot sun and sauna. From one day

to the next (Aug 29) I stopped being able to tolerate warm places.

I don't worry much about psychosis. I've been around a lot of it

and have been told by those who were psychotic, that the positive

psychosis (fairies, happy stuff) was lovely and they would go back

there. My mother told me if it should happen to her again (she is

74) just to leave her there. If you do feel cared for, and you can

get past the fear chances are it won't be any more unpleasant than a

lovely dream. If you've never had a psychotic break and you are

over forty, it likely won't happen, some people are predisposed. I

do see things, last night walking the dog, I had one hell of a startle as

I turned and faced a dark figure very close to me, a second later I

recognized it as my own shadow. I've learned never to trust a first

sight just wait a moment and look again, if it was not rational, it is

likely just your brain filling in the blanks wrongly when the brain

processes too slowly. When tired I also often feel disembodied, if

you let yourself believe what you feel and go with it, to others you

would display all the signs of psychosis. For the most part I am

very well-adjusted to my life and certainly not depressed, not since

sleep and pain were well-addressed. Fortunately I come equipped

with curiosity and a sense of adventure, which is for me what this

is. In any case, to live optimistically, I think has you living

longer and better, the more a chance you get to see a cure.

North America has sadly begun to see people as either winners or losers

in life, losers don't warrant empathy, just sympathy. someone mentioned

not wanting to wait 6 months for an MRI. It took a year for my

first MRI, eight months for an emergency MRI ordered while in

hospital. My daughter waited a year and two months. The only

way to make an HMO worse is to let a government run it. I've also

waited over a year to see a Rheumatologist (for ruling things out),

couldn't get and appointment with an endocrinologist and am now waiting

till June to see a Gynecologist. Many hospitals here only have a

neurologist on call a couple of days a week. Of course if you have

the bucks you can go to the states. Can't blame doctors for leaving

in droves either. I can imagine the days are rough when you have a

patient who needs certain services, tests, procedures or referrals and

you can't offer them any timely help. Should the doctor settle for

giving second rate care or leave for a place he/she can do their chosen

profession well?

aletta mes, vancouver, bc canada

http://www.aletta.0catch.com