I’d like to call this the “final” post of my series on The Black Hole.
But I also know that would be a big mistake.
It is ten months after the ordeal that was my spring, summer and part of fall of last year.
I have since found a new holistic gynecologist. He dropped obstetrics some years ago and his focus is on women and hormone balance.
You can check out his website. He has a lot of excellent information on the site. I found the “Resources” page very helpful and printed out a lot of reading material even before my first appointment. It has been a fresh starting point for me and you may find some information that could help you or someone you love.
Having a doctor who is proactive and orders blood work and actually schedules an appointment to go over the results is a welcome change. Sending a postcard or telling you “someone will call” if there is anything to discuss just doesn’t meet my needs.
A annual exam, a pat on the back and a bill to pay is no longer enough for me. Maybe it shouldn’t be enough for any of us.
I can tell you that having a doctor who sits down with you and goes over lab work with you personally and actually listens to you is a giant step in the right direction.
Yesterday was my third appointment with him since September. I will see him again in four months. It is an amazingly good feeling when you know you are headed in the right direction and you have a doctor on your side.
It’s like we’re managing my care together. Frankly, that is what is suppose to happen when you go to the doctor!
Some people might even refer to this as excellent customer service. What a rare thing to find in the medical industry these days.
I don’t have a solution or a cure. I know I’m still prone to depression especially if a boulder gets in my way. I’m not offering medical advice to anyone. You will have to do your own research and find treatment that works for you.
Key words: Don’t miss them – for you.
I’m just one woman who wants to tell the truth and stay real.
I’m feeling so much better. About once a month or so, The Black Hole calls my name and sometimes I still crawl into bed for the day. But it is nothing like last year.
I’m getting back “the me I used to know” which is not necessarily “the me before the head injury” but rather; it is “the me who is in a much better place.”
Depression is an insidious, real disease. It can creep into your life and try to slowly strangle you.
Maybe your family misses the signs.
Maybe your mother and father grew up in the generation where they weren’t allowed to “be depressed” and they were expected to “get over it” and you were taught the same thing.
Maybe you don’t have a Luci or Ann or a friend who will rescue you.
Maybe you think it’s a sign of weakness and you keep telling yourself you just have to “snap out of it.”
I’m here to tell you it is real. And sometimes you can’t just “snap out of it.”
I really want women to not feel so alone. I want them to know we are so much more alike than we are different. I want us to stop hiding from the truth about life and coping so we can help each other when one of us slips into The Black Hole.
Let’s help each other move boulders.
Let’s throw each other a rope.
Let’s save each other.
The End…for now.
P.S. My heartfelt thanks to all of you who have read through each post on this *depressing* subject and for all the comments and personal emails. It really means a lot to me. Stay tuned for a new series next week I’m calling “Little Lessons.” This series should be a lot more FUN than The Black Hole.
If you missed parts one through six here they are…
The Black Hole, Part One
The Black Hole, Part Two
The Black Hole, Part Three
The Black Hole, Part Four
The Black Hole, Part Five
The Black Hole, Part Six
I’m still considering condensing it all into an ebook 