Surgery and MAOIs

So it turns out that until something was definite Dr.  Brain has been giving me the watered-down version of MAOIs and surgery.  It's a lot worse than I thought.  I thought I just stopped using the patch for 5 days then after surgery resumed, feeling better in a few days.  I should have thought harder about this.  One benefit of MAOIs is that they stick around in your body forever, like 2-4 weeks post stopping.  So in reality I can't just stop a few days before surgery and wait out my 5 days.  Instead I have to taper off, starting in 2 weeks.  I will probably feel fine for the first few weeks, but  am likely to have to deal with some significant depression by surgery time.  I will have to wait 1-3 days after surgery to restart, and then gradually increase to a regular dose and get stabilized. So, chances are very good that I am going to be off work 3-4, maybe 5 weeks.  No way to be certain but it is probable that I'll get depressed by the end.

The good thing is that my short term disability coverage is excellent and will kick in after 7 missed days, so the financial hit won't be as bad. And I will be seeing Dr. Brain just about the time it should be really bad, so that also will help.  I called and left a message that I'll need to see Dr. Mind for extra visits through August.  So that's all going to be in place and ready, and I'm hoping work will be flexible and let me work until I'm not able to handle it and then come back when I'm ready instead of pushing this.

The thing is that this surgery is very complicated.  It's simple enough procedures, but the MAOI makes things a thousand times more complex because it has severe interactions with anesthetics.  My asthma also will complicate things and from what I've read may even cause me to be admitted at least overnight although I hope not.  I see Dr. Lungs in a few weeks and will know more then.  I think I'm going to try to move that up a little so I see him before I start getting crazy.

I hate complications.  I'm so embarrassed about the work thing.  While since I actually started working for this company I have had very few days off that I did not make up and Saturday makeups are considered to be fine, I have been sick a lot, and now have to admit that what I thought was 2 weeks off is more like double that or a bit longer.  I also hate not having a very efficient way to communicate with Dr. Gyn. since she is so far away and I can't easily just go see her (although as I think of it I may try to get in to see her in a few weeks and then see if I can combine that with an allergist visit, then work a Saturday afterward, problem being how crappy I'll feel if I have to work that day since that means no 2 day weekends for a very long time-my niece's birthday party is one weekend and I really, really want to be there and have a feeling I won't be).  I guess I can also send a letter and she can answer via the computer system that lets her give me information like test results.  I also need to ask Dr. Brain to talk to her to see if there is a diagnosis from her end that will cover the early part of my disability as depression may not as it's pre-existing.  I need more details on my short term disability too as the thing I have does not mention pre-existing and may have eliminated it in preparation for the new laws.

Ack, just too much stress.  And physically I'm not good either so physically disability is probably good too.  My belly appears to be 4 months pregnant and if there is one thing I know for sure it is that I am not pregnant.

Basically, my friends, I am scared.