Well, I haven't been depressed or in pain either for that matter since I
stopped taking it 4 years ago. I figured I was originally put on it because
someone assumed I would be depressed. I can honestly say there have only
been a few days in the past 8 years when I have been truly depressed. Sure
ATM made me a quadriplegic and dependent on a respirator to breathe but I'm
still alive and able to do the things I enjoy. Before this happened my
hobbies were computers, watching movies and listening to music; I can still
do those things.
The hardest thing for me to cope with was not being able to go back to my
job, I really enjoyed going to work everyday. I started working at
Biophysics International (which became Heart Technology) when I was 19. It
was my first job after 1 year of college. I started as an
assembler/technician buliding an angioplasty device. After 1 year I was
promotted to assembly supervior in charge of the clean room and assembly
lab. I was still the youngest person in the company and had 4 people
working under me. I enjoyed the responsibilty, and the fact that I was
building a medical device that helped people. Well, maybe the stress of
work caused my "attack" of TM but I still missed at first.
When I was in rehab the doctors had me on a pain cocktail that I had been
taking while in ICU. After a few weeks I told the doctors I didn't think I
needed it anymore because I was no longer feeling the same pain. They told
me I wasn't feeling the pain because I was taking it, so left me on it. I
finally just refused to take it. Like _I_ knew I didn't need it anymore and
the doctors were wrong. In fact although my condition had not changed I
actually felt better not being so drugged up.
----
Jim Lubin jlubin(AT)eskimo.com
Bothell, WA, USA <http://www.eskimo.com/~jlubin>
disAbility Resources: <http://www.eskimo.com/~jlubin/disabled>