This is what I hand over to doctors to get them up to speed on my health history and current issues:
Apparent from early age I was very under-developed physically. Pediatric doctor convinced my family to put me on Nutropin AQ (human growth hormone). Administered it everyday from age 14 to 16. I decided to stop treatment because I did not want to take shots anymore and didn’t see much difference. Age 18 (2003) finally had a growth spurt.
Lead a very active lifestyle until recently due to fatigue. Skiing, hiking, biking, fishing, Skydiving. Have a great group of friends,Supportive family, Decent diet (enjoy my snacks and treats), Meditate few times a week.
2008 – Noticing symptoms of brain fog, constant anxiety, stress, slight depression, stuck in constant state of FIGHT OR FLIGHT mode
2012 – Started to see doctors about issues. Family docs prescribed anti-anxiety and anti-depressants. Didn’t really take the anti-depressants, just didn’t feel that depressed.
Symptoms kept getting worse and worse despite being very active and successful.
2014- Left job to return home to NY for a year. Lived with parents to concentrate on mental and physical health issues. Tried EMDR, CBT, took ADHD test (negative) Nothing helped. One psychologist finally diagnosed GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and Depression. Went on Venlafaxine up to 187.5mg. Started to have relief from constant feelings on anxiety and tightness in Chest. Also started meditation techniques and mindfulness. Became very progressive about physical and mental health.
2016 -Had every blood test done, every hormone checked, MRI of brain. Everything came back normal.
2020- Homeopathic doc put me on multiple supplements to try. PCP prescribed many many different medications to help and try to find relief. Will list them below.
2021- Finished going through TMS (Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation) therapy. Unfortunately no benefits from this either. Paid $6600 out of pocket. Anxiety and depression getting worse. Getting worried, scared. Still confused about the root of my problem.
2022 – Diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea and a very narrow, high vaulted palate. CT scan reveals extremely narrow airway. Try expensive custom oral appliance ($5000) and CPAP. Still no improvement. Tried Ketamine infusion in Grand Junction, no relief. In-hospital sleep study (Durango, CO) showed no sleep apnea, also no REM recorded. At-home sleep study shows moderate sleep apnea.
2023 – Palate expansion surgery done in CA (April 3rd 2023), helped nasal breathing but still no improvement in Sleep. Start of braces and orthodontic work.
10/11/23 -Drug Induced Sleep Endoscopy (DISE) reveals very severe obstruction of airway at base of tongue, surgical intervention recommended ASAP. Specifically Maxillomandibular advancement surgery (MMA)
12/21/23 – Trachesotomy performed in Grand Junction, CO. Last resort option.
1/23/24 – Latest sleep study using sleep image ring, still shows sleep apnea despite tracheostomy. Study can’t quite determine if events are obstructive or central.
MMA surgery scheduled to be performed on 8/19/24.
Everyday is a struggle. Anxiety and depression have become very severe and debilitating. Getting mild to moderate panic attacks. Barely any sleep. Physically and mentally completely drained. Feeling frustrated, hopeless, fatigued physically and mentally, no joy or excitement towards the things I love to do. Constant tension headache everyday, poor sleep, feel fatigued no matter how much sleep I get. Get bouts of very severe fatigue. Pretty positive personality but tough to maintain positive attitude these days. Specialist doctors have mentioned this has probably been an issue since childhood and could very well have caused delayed growth as a kid.
Current medication:
Auvelity – 2x day
Lunesta 3mg at night
Medications that were previously effective:
Lunesta – 3mg, gets me a few hours of sleep.
Venlafaxine 187.5mg
Lorazepam 2mg
Past medications:
Escitalopram, Citalopram, Sertraline, Paroxetine, Mirtazapine, Cymbalta, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Amitryptiline, Trazodone, Fluoxetine, Diazepam, Lorazepam, Hydroxyzine, Ambien, Buspirone, cyclobenzaprine, Modafinil, Adderall, Seroquel, Gabapentin, Desavenlafaxine
