296.65

I've been so anxious to get to a computer for the past 9 hours. Guess that tells you how crazily I'm attracted to this blog thing. But this is where there are people who understand what this feels like too.

I have been diagnosed with bipolar for 4 1/2 years now. I started lithium close to 5 years ago and have had severe symptoms nearly constantly since March of 2000.

During that time I've learned a bunch of ways to guage how I'm doing, from what others tell me, to how fast I read, to what I watch on tv, to what I have written to others. Another thing I have learned to check is the diagnostic codes on my lab sheets because part of the coding tells the severity from the psychiatrist's perspective, something I choose not to routinely ask. I discussed this a little here.

My severity is generally moderate, sometimes severe. I remember it being mild for a little bit 2 years ago.

Today it was a totally new number that I would have had to look up if the new hospital didn't kindly spell it out "bipolar I, last episode mixed, partial remission".

Me. Remission.