Seroquel (quetiapine) dosage

I was sleepy all day... partially having something to do with the discomfort all over my body... and... might also have something to do with the fact that the Seroquel I took last night might have been one of the larger fourth of da 25 mg Seroquel pill.

I finally became more awake later in the evening and that was when the discussion about the Seroquel dosage came up in a conversation with my friend tonight...

One more of the biggest challenges in my life... I need my meds but I can only handle around 25/4 mg of Seroquel each day.

If the dosage is a bit too much more than 1/4 of the pill... I am like a walking zombie during the day time...

If the dosage is a bit too less than 1/4 of the pill... I could sense that psychotic symptoms are on their way out for a field trip.

Unfortunately, unfortunately, the 25 mg pill is the smallest pill they offer by the pharmaceutical company and it isn't so easy to cut a 25 mg pill into 4 equal parts.

How much exactly is the effective dosage suggested by scientifically based and empirically tested studies?

Not too much consensus... sort of like... from 150 mg up to 700 mg... depending on the patients' condition...

Dillon's Danny Boy

Had a brunch with this old friend of mine.

During our conversation, we talked about Dillon McCartney-- a tenor we both know.

I might have heard the song Danny Boy sung by others but, for me, my favorite is Dillon's Danny Boy...

Some people might have wondered the appropriateness of having a tenor singing this song... funny enough... this is how this song shall be sung.

Dillon McCartney, Tenor

How to get jailed not for thy blog

My friend forwarded me this piece of news about a blogger in Taiwan... Blogger jailed over critical restaurant review, which motivated me to come up with the top 3 reasons why Ratprincess might not be jailed for her blog:

1. Might not have gotten 60,000 hits yet throughout her blogging span
2. Can't quite ID her among the line up because all rats seem to look alike 
3. Insufficient direct evidence linking her to her real identity

Most important of all, who gives a rat's behind? 8-O lol

The upside of having a nil profile and nil existence. 8-X

Embodied cognition

They speak of embodied cognition.... to a certain degree, you can say that the nature of your head is dependent on your body.

Or, the body gives you your thoughts... in my words.

(Thus... the body = that goddess of da fountain of speech? 8-O)

Let me give you an example or two...

Tried to do some grocery shopping tonight.

As I was moving down Broadway, I had this curious observation again... despite my effort to tell my body to move faster, it moves at its own speed--- completely ignoring the commends my head attempted to issue... pursuits so very futile....

In the form of a question, which I have no answer to... my head asked with an extreme sense of bewilderment,  "Why does my body move so slow?"

After quite a bit of walking, my body was getting tired and started to ache here and there as perceived by my brain...

Upon the completion of my shopping goal, I tried to keep on moving on to get home....

Then, when I was crossing Broadway and after I stepped on the median, my body stopped moving further and this though came to my mind--- voila, time for a complete stop.

I did eventually make it home though moving at a rapid cycling between slow and stop as authorized by my body.

It was then when the thought of embodied cognition occurred.... the thoughts arose surely have been granted by the body and so are them existentially critical dasein moments... 8-O lol

While, what the mind can afford to exert-- limited contribution, if not nil.

(And... lord, this body of mine really is too eloquent in expressing itself... 8-O lol 8-X)

P.S., BTW, all that I did was walking while my mom was the one carrying the groceries.  8-O lol oops..

The upside of getting old: People going to places

Been trying to hook up with people through facebook these past few days... while having also bumped into some old pals on the street...

Then, I had this realization...

The upside of getting old...

Many people I used to hang out with are now going to places... some are now leading singers in major opera productions...

Waiting for the day to come when I can say... "Ya... I used to hang with one of the 3 tenors/sopranos/baritones at Cafe Taci and they are my mentors to the world of Opera!"



Wonderful and good luck to them all!

Following are some of them..

Marc Heller, Tenor

Tiffany Abban, Soprano

If the above player doesn't work, click to listen to Tiffany sing "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca

Scott Bearden, Baritone

Click to view the live recordings of Scott's performance on his website.

From lingo

People with different kind of health condition have different lingo...

When chatting with people familiar with back problems, the conversation might be something like...

A: "My back is killing me..."
B: "Lumbar?"
A: "Ya..."
B: "4-5?"
A: "ya..."
B: "What do you take?"
A: "Naproxen."
B: "Hard on the stomach."
A agreed.

Then, after my friend got a broken foot, I decided to look up some online forum-- thinking... perhaps it might be of some help for her to get in contact of people with similar condition.

Came across this online forum for people recovering from their foot surgery... a public journal capturing many people's life after a broken foot since July 25th, 2007...

At the first sight, I saw the different lingo used... the number of screws and the plate...

Then, as I started going through more of the writing, I thought... there is some intriguing similarity in the way people speak of their unspeakable predicament-- be it the foot or back problem.... although some speak of the number of bones broken or ligaments torn while, for others, the counts of their discs and stenoses.

Not to mention... at some point, some of us might starts singing the Diva's lament... or Brian's song...





And... from a comedy-like perspective if possible...

Humidity, pressure change and pain

I knew something was different in the air... pain signals in the entire body on a field trip...

Oh... I was in pain while... I knew... the humidity was high and bad.

It was as if all tissues in my body were bloated like them balloons and all so very jammed up that the Qi found no path to move--- a bad traffic jam so it is.

Right after I got home, I took my pain med and vitamins, and, rested in bed... lying there like a really beaten down piece of dead meat...

Then, there was the thunder, there was the lightening and, it finally rained down.... a whole lot of rain for quite some time...

Interestingly, as it started to pour and pour some more, I started to feel better and better... as if... some kinda pressure was off... I could feel that qi started to flow... (all right... I now I am very strange...)

Of course, one can claim it to be the sole doing of the meds and vitamins.

Ain't quite matter as long as the pains and discomfort could go away....

Then, as I sat down to type out this posting.... I decided to do some googling around with "humidity and pain" as the keywords...

Voila, apparently, many more people out there have been pondering about the impacts of humidity and pressure change on their health status as well....

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/archive/index.php/t-441.html

Also, in case you wonder, some plausible theories concerning the effects of barometric pressure:

http://www.livestrong.com/article/35066-humidity-causes-joint-pain/

The article in the following link also summarizes some studies concerning the impact of weather on our health status:

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NAH/is_5_32/ai_87854525/

Haven't I been telling you since the era of Ratology Down with Meds that... I actually do a pretty good job as well in predicting the changes in weather with the sudden changes of my mood...

Sort of like, all of a sudden, all depressed... think either the pressure or the weather will change soon... somehow...

Going through hell

It is my unfounded belief that... each of us have our idiosyncratic version of hell... and... hopefully.. one only has to go through with it once in a blue moon or less frequent than that.

Came across this quote that I shared with you back awhile ago and think I would share it again:

“If you are going through hell, keep going.” Winston Churchill

Good advise by Mr. Churchill, I think...  since... unless you are fond of being in hell, what else can you do other than keep on trying to walk out, if not climb out, of it?  And... even if you don't seem to be going anywhere, what the hell since already in hell?! lol

That eclipse on June 15 2011

Man... isn't that so unfair?  No eclipse to be viewed ici...

The face of Mr. Plastcizer

This is the face of Mr. Plasticizer...

Today I enabled adsense

Today I enabled adsense on Ratology Reloaded blog... because... why not?

What is Fibromyalgia?

Fibromyalgia one of the additional diagnoses the neurologist gave me in recent time.

Well, t ain't like it is really a shocker since I have been talking about my chronic pain all over the entire body since the accident in 2007.... duh....

What is the official definition of fibromyalgia? 

According to PubMed Health,

"Fibromyalgia is a common syndrome in which people experience long-term, body-wide pain and tender points in joints, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues.  
Fibromyalgia has also been linked to fatigue, sleep problems, headaches, depression, anxiety, and other symptoms."

While the really proper kinda definition such as above makes me feel like to stand up and salute, my favorite definition is one given to me by an acquaintance-- a nurse in the insurance business....

It must be back in 2007 or 2008 when I was at a friend's house party and we were having some discussion about my sorry state of being.

I asked, "Could what I have be fibromyalgia?"

So she replied, "Fibromyalgia is a catch-all term used when they have no idea what the problem is.  That's Fibromyalgia."

Sort of pretty useful in insurance claim... for instance... 8-O lol

Also... So ist das... Fibromyalgia... 8-O lol sigh

Monetize

Was pondering about whether I want to put adsense in this blog or to monitize it...

How much would I get paid for?

1 cent for 1000 page impressions....

Wow... would take a long long time till I become a millionaire... 8-O lol

Inglourious Basterds

Just finished watching the film the Inglourious Basterds....

Thought it was supposed to be light entertainment... not knowing it is actually so bloody brutal... and surely not the best choice for a bedtime story... 8-X

It is a well done movie except for one thing that I can't get out of my mind...

In my short-living career as a projectionist, or, the apprentice, and, if I recall it correctly, you start running the second projector when the first circle appears on the screen.  When the second circle appears on the screen, you switch the light on for the second projector and turn the light off for the first one off while letting the first projector finish running.  That seems to be one of the biggest role of the projectionist...

That was the equipment used in the mid 1990's....

So what is the question?

Unless it was automatic back in the 1940's, who performed the light switching shall the lady projectionist be dead?

The only thing I have to say about a otherwise good script.

Plasticizer 塑化劑

One big scandal these days in Taiwan is the use of plasticizer in food....

I love bubble milk tea... wonder whether my love has made me any more plastic-ish than others?  At the same time, since I don't really find bubble milk tea in the list, maybe this is the reason why I am having such difficulties regaining my flexibility? 8-O

Lord... oh... lord... how on earth would you have created people without conscience and can you possibly make them be without conscience even more?

Justice

When hanging out with some of my old pals tonight, workers' com came into our conversation.

At some point, I got all enthusiastic and said, "They compensate only for the permanent damages to your shoulder and your knees.  But the injuries to your back and your spine are permanent and you are screwed!  It is injustice!  Injustice!"

My friend, a worker's com lawyer, who have seen many a similar case couldn't agree more.

"But something has to be done because there is something wrong in the system and in the law itself.  You don't know it until you fall victim to it."

On a second thought, a Taiwanese sojourner in New York.... How is it my business anyways-- the justice or injustice in the American law? 8-O lol 8-X

At the entrance of 110 street subway station

My friend witha broken foot was supposed to have her stitches taken out yesterday.  So I came over to keep her company the day before.

To get to her place, I had to take the number 1 train all the way from 110th and Broadway to 131 street where there is disability access available.

Though I usually avoid getting in and out of public transportation during rush hour, I made it to take off from home around 5:30-6 o'clock-- the worst time possible.

While the stops surrounding 110th and Broadway do not have either escalator or elevators, I didn't have the intention to take a bus to reach another train station, which might or might not grant me with functional disability access.

So, just as Mrs. dalloway decided to get the flowers herself, Ratprincess decided to get the body down to the platform herself... though it ain't like there is anyone else who could really get this body of mine down... 

As I was at the entrance, I saw an army of people climbing up from the station to reach the street level....

I hesitated for a second or two before taking the first step down... 

People were nice and smiling though in a steamy hot day as such ...

Two steps later, I thought to myself again... and might have stopped for a bit on that particular stair...

"Well, maybe I shall wait till all these people have gotten out before I start attempting to move down so that I won't cause a traffic jam?"

Yet, on a second thought, well, by the time all these people cleared up, another train would have arrived--- unloading a different group of people trying to get out of the station.

Might as well keep on trying to move myself down?

Alhough I have kept the majority of my thinking internal, there was some memory leak and I heard these few words out of my mouth... in auditory format...

"Na.... by the time I get down...."

This nice lady heard my murmuring and commented as she continued to move up, "It will come again (and there will be one for you)."

I tried to explain to her what exactly I meant while continuing to move down... only to find that...

By the time the explanation came out of my mouth, I was already facing more and more new faces trying to get out of the station.

Though I could have spare some part of my cognitive processing to stop the words from coming out, I dedicated the entire bandwidth to handling my movements and pain control instead.

For them, who knew not of what had happened moments earlier, they saw a woman with a cane moving slowly downstairs talking to God knows what...

"Just that by the time everyone gets out, there will be another train and more people trying to get out."

In my imagination, each every of them heard a word or two as they passed me by.  Nobody knew exactly what I was talking about though, for those who had my existence entered their consciousness, such would be the experience shared by them.... encoded into the long term memory or not...

"On the way out of the subway station at 110th, a self-talking Asian female on a cane trying to get down to the subway station at the speed of slow and stop passed me by."

So it concludes: "At the entrance of 110 street subway station" where something happened or not though quite a few words came out of it. 8-O lol

The end of Ratology Reloaded?

Woke up in the morning with this genius idea... I think I am done with this Ratology Reloaded blog...

I started Ratology Down with Meds in 2005 or 2006 and took it down in Feb of 2008 right before I went into the psychiatric ward again... and it was thereafter did I start this Ratology Reloaded blog.

On a second thought... oops... I surely shall not take this Ratology Reloaded blog down for fear that the history might repeat itself again... 8-X

May simply start something else... again... I guess...

What should it be called?  Surely not Ratology Revolution.... 8-O lol 8-X

Men are strange

In the wake of all these sex-related scandals these days, I have a conclusion-- men are strange.

Reminding me of this old french film... Trop belle pour toi....

Celebrex, Tofranil or zoloft?

My orthopaedic doctor prescribed Celebrex for my pain.

My neurologist prescribed Tofranil and he told me to take it if the pain gets too bad.

My psychiatrist kept on telling me to take Zoloft though I did manage to come out of one of the worst major depression in my life so far-- the last few months.
My friend, an anesthesiologist, told me to take antidepressant because, based on his past work with pain, antidepressant at low dosage seems to help alleviating pain-- while, seeing my happy face, he thought I must be loaded with a whole lot of antidepressant.... 8-O lol

In light of all them experts' opinion, so I think...

Having come out of depression without antidepressant, maybe I will get back on antidepressant... for the pain...

Especially since, after these past 3 days of experimentation with Celebrex, I think Celebrex is not very agreeable with that stomach of mine, which has not been in much of, if any, agreement with me for some time-- to the extend that, given the nauseous feeling that simply won't go away,  I am starting to wonder whether I am pregnant---  a manifestation of an immaculate conception, again...  8-O lol

Not to mention... everybody is telling me about the whole thing concerning... them Celebrex and them failing kidneys...

As a result, Tofranil or zoloft?  That's the question?  8-O lol sigh

Home sweet home

Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I found myself to be more disabled than the friend I was caring for these past two days... lol

Oops...

Since my friend is now much capable of caring for herself, I decided to get back to my apartment to do my rehab again....

I could barely move yesterday and the day before, and, slept for the majority of the day yesterday since early in the evening the night before.

Felt much better today both in my ability to move and the pain level although one block still seems to be too many today.... 111th seemed to be a block too hard too reach from 110th.

Don't feel miserable though when I was trying to get to 111th street... More exactly, the was one and only one thing going through my mind...

"How interesting... my body seems to be in a really crappy state... crappier than I knew."  8-O lol

All that I can do is to try to move one block more and some more each everyday since it ain't like there is any other way.  lol

Regardless, although I haven't had the chance to start clearing things up yet.... Home sweet home...