A Housing Possibility

Hi Everyone

Thanks so much for your support and prayers over what has been a very tough week for me.

Anyway yesterday I went to see my case manager and she said that Mental Health Services had put my name down for a designated Mental Health Unit. I am the only one who they put forward to get it so it seems to be a real possibility.

The next step is to see whether Housing Management will approve me going in. My Case Manager is fairly positive that they will but, just in case, please, please pray that they do.

Also please pray that I can take my beautiful cat Jessie with me.

I went yesterday to see the unit and it is lovely. They are painting it. It is larger than my current unit and closer to amenities.

I will know next week so stay tuned.

God Bless

Amber

An allergic reaction

Hi Everyone

It's been sooo long and I've missed you all. Thanks heaps to those who dropped by even when I was out of credit.

I had almost recovered recovered from my nasty voices yesterday and went to my doctor for a routine flu vaccination. I have these every year so I just went in, the nurse jabbed me in the arm and then I left.

I was at the Polytechnic (where I study) and I went to the toilet. I noticed that my neck was red raw and I felt a little dizzy. I asked the receptionist if I could ring my doctor and she said yes.

The doctor told me to come in right away which scared me so I went into prayer overload. Eg "Please God let me be Ok. Don't let me die" etc etc.

The doctor gave me an anti inflammatory medication and some chocolate to keep my sugar levels up. My pulse was up to about 140 and my blood pressure was really high too. I was scared.

Thankfully everything was OK in the end and I left the surgery and was told to go to bed for the rest of the day which I did.

Anyway I am OK now - physically and mentally. Please continue to pray for my housing situation.

Also coming up tomorrow is my special ''Mothers Day" Interview with my very own mother.

God Bless

Amber

Another crap day

Hi Everyone

Today I found out that the people who were going to look after my cat while I'm away won't be here to be able to do it.

I rang my Pastor and he's going to organise something I think.

I'm feeling pretty terrible - headaches, anxiety, depression - not a good omen for the start of my holidays.

Tomorrow I go to Burnie to spend Easter with my family and then on Tuesday I go to Melbourne for the comedy festival.

I hope these things cheer me up. It's only about 5 pm and I have had enough of today so I'm going to bed.

Please, please pray for me.

God Bless

Amber

I go to the doctor

Hi Everyone

Today I went to the doctor. Because...I was physically sick twice in March and I still feel pretty run down and, of course, because I am feeling very stressed and depressed. I have even had my menstrual period twice in four weeks which I think is probably due to stress.

My doctor is really lovely. She is thorough, kind and patient. She did a physical examination and then quizzed me a little about my lifestyle and psychological state.

In the end she told me to:

1. Keep doing my studies because it distracts me from my problems and, besides, I'm good at it.
2. Take a multivitamin every day
3. Get lots of rest
4. Don't exercise or overdo activities
5. Go to the Melbourne comedy festival as planned because humour is healing
6. Take valium when needed
7. Stay out of hospital if at all possible

She said I suffered from a post viral syndrome with depression and anxiety (which are pre existing).

Tomorrow I go to the psychiatrist for my monthly check up and blood test.

Please continue to pray for my physical and mental health and for my beautiful cat.

God Bless

Amber

Physical Illness

Hi Everyone

I am just getting over a really horrible physical illness which started suddenly on Sunday afternoon.

I had a really awful fever and heart palpitations. I was scared I was going to die and became quite anxious. I asked people to pray and took some valium to settle my anxiety.

All of the rest of Sunday I sat on my bed with the fan next to me, in my underwear with a moist towel. I also took some paracetomal.

The next day I was still weak and feverish so I stayed home from school. Today I am a little better but I'm weak so I decided to take another day off.

I feel a bit depressed which always happens when I get sick physically.

For all those reading please pray that I return to school tomorrow and don't get worse physically or mentally.

Thanks and God Bless

Amber

Like Wow - I've co-written a play

Hi Everyone

Yesterday my friend Heather and I finished the first draft of our play.

The play doesn't have a title as yet - if anyone can think of one please let me know.

It is a black comedy set in the psych ward.

It starts with the death of a patient who had been let out on leave.

The rest of the play details the responses of staff and patients to his death.

The play opens with the dead person's friend, Will, reciting a poem about the incident.

We then move onto the 'smoking area' of the ward where Will informs the other patients of David's death.

Chrissie, who was in love with David, is distraught and goes psychotic. Jude wants to raise him from the dead. Sara is disappointed she didn't get to have sex with him before he died. And Nicky, lastly, has seen many such deaths.

The doctor, Dr Woo, reacts in an agorant manner. The more experienced nurse, Karen, is concerned about the ripple effect of such an incident. And the inexperienced nurse, Jen, tries to be sympathetic to the patients but is met with aggression and distrust.

The play is, like all first drafts, a bit rough and patchy and needs work. It was fun doing it though and I hope we can hone it to perfection.

This is the first time I've co-authored anything and its been great fun.

God Bless

Amber

Amber's Update

Hi Everyone


Sorry I haven't been in contact much. I've been quite busy, and also quite tired. Anyway, just so you know, this is an update of how I'm going.


Polytechnic (aka TAFE) I am finding most of my classes stimulating. I like group work the best. Our group is 'Divine Pantomime' and we work really well together.

We have a really bad teacher for our accounting class which I find frustrating. I can do the work so I won't fail but many others can't. Last lesson about ten people walked out of class in despair.

Socially I am getting on fairly well with the other mature age students. There are a couple of younger ones who talk to us and a few that don't. I have become less worried about this.


Jessie (the cat) Jessie is settling in to her new home. She is very affectionate to me but susses visitors out a lot more than Kaffy did.

Jessie would really like to go outside and hopefully I'll have the chicken wire up in about a week so she can.

Jessie coped well with me being away for the conference.


Mental Health Basically I am coping extremely well in terms of my mental health. Occasionally I get a bit stressed or paranoid but I haven't got depressed or psychotic at all since I've been on my new medication (clozapine).

Please pray that I will continue to be healthy mentally.


Physical Health and Exercise Although I am eating more healthily and exercising more regularly my physical health continues to be a problem.

I have vitamin deficiencies, a fast pulse rate and asthma. I really need to give up smoking.

I am also exhausted at the end of each day and need about 10-12 hours sleep.

Please pray for me in this area.


Spirituality/Religion I am attending church and praying regularly but I want to do my personal Bible study each day. On many days I don't get around to it.

Please pray that I will do my daily Bible Study and that I will enjoy it.

I am enjoying serving the church in the position of secretary and I am gradually getting the hang of it.


Cleanliness I have been able to clean at least once a week which is a vast improvement. Pray that I will continue this and gradually move to 2-3 times a week as I get more energy.

Anyway that's all from me for now.

God Bless

Amber

An Aspiring Day

Hi Everyone

Today I am going to write a little bit about my rehabilition provider Aspire. I joined Aspire about a year or so ago as I wanted some support with daily living, studying and working. I had previously been with the Commonwealth Rehabilition Service (CRS) but found that they pushed me too hard and set off my stress levels. I was without a rehab provider for a while but one day at the church office I looked up Aspire on the internet and, in a likely coincidence, they were having an information session that afternoon.

At the information session I met Travis, who is now my support worker. We discussed writing and I told him one of my long term goals was to write a novel and do some post-graduate study in creative writing. As most of you know I do have a degree majoring in English but that was mainly critical analysis of other people's work (ie essays) not my own imaginative work.

It was not long after I had started work with Travis that I was hospitalised for four months. Travis came in to see me regularly during my hospitalisation, even though he was scared of all the security. I appreciated his honesty in admitting he was scared!

Once I was well Travis introduced me to NanoWrimo, an American competition to write a novel in a month. He said he'd do it too. I didn't have a computer at the time and I nearly wore their computer out getting that novel done! But I did it! Aspire staff are now reading the novel - I hope you all like it.

This year Travis came with me to an appointment with Jan (the disability officer at the Polytechnic - formerly TAFE) and we discussed ways Jan and Travis could support me during my studies this year.

Anyway the reason I am featuring Aspire today (Ok it sometimes takes me a long time to get to the point!) is that a group of we 'mental health consumers' had to review their progress. We were mainly positive and a fair few of us commented on the support and encouragement and enhanced self esteem that has come from being involved with Aspire - not to mention friendships with other participants.

After the review we had yummy sandwiches and cakes and then we had the 'Book Club' - I reviewed Seven Ways to Change the World by Jim Wallis (see previous post for the sort of things I said).

We then read a short story by the much loved Australian author Tim Winton. The story was called 'The Defender'. I thought the story was fantastic - it used some of the techniques used in 'Whodunits' to unveil the character of Vic, and his past and his relationships. It has an ending with a twist (but I'll let you read it).

All in all I had a great day.

If you want to find out more about Aspire their website is: http://www.aspire.org.au.

God Bless you all

Amber