Treatment #14

Today was treatment #14. Its hard to believe that I have been anesthetized 14 times for ECT treatments. We arrived at the hospital this morning at 10:00 for an 11:30 procedure. My Beck score continues to improve. Today it was down to a 12 (down from an initial score of 40, six weeks ago.) This was bilateral treatment #8. My seizure time was 86 seconds, which is the second longest I have had. Rhythm was very good, the my brain shut the seizure down very cleanly. We seemed to be at the hospital forever to day, leaving at 2:30. Melissa says that we weren’t there any longer than usual, but it seemed like longer. For some reason, this treatment seems to have effected my memory and cognitive functioning more than any other. When I woke up, I couldn’t remember what day it was, how many treatments I had had, and I had trouble remembering several other things that should have not been any trouble to recall (and I can’t now recall what those things were, either). The post procedure headache today was significant, requiring 10mg of Fentenyl to alleviate.

Several people, whom I have come to know from the hospital (relatives of other patients), commented on how good I seem and am beginning to look. I must admit that I am beginning to feel pretty good, too. Things are beginning to look much brighter, even though I don’t know what I will do for work when I’m ready to go back. What I do won’t really matter much as long as I continue get my mood under control (and as long as I get back the cognitive function I seem to be missing after these last couple treatments.) My doc keeps assuring me that the loss of function I am noticing will come back once we end treatments.

Doc wants to finish this week and one more week of three treatments per week, then begin to taper. That will put me at 18 before the taper. I’ll be lucky to remember my name by that time.