Starting tomorrow

sooxie:

I am not sure about wisdom, but a few ideas about starting treatment:
Everyone’s experience, is similar in some ways, but also very different in others. In lieu of this, it is important to communicate continually with your Dr. and TMS Technician. It is a medical procedure that you are undergoing and it has challenges like any other that with guidance and support from the staff and your diligence are manageable.
Your emotional response to TMS may fluctuate from feeling better to feeling worse (the dip), to maintaining, etc. It can be somewhat like a roller coaster ride. Try not to project the outcome based on 2, 10 or even 30 treatments. Response time is different for everyone so keeping connected to your Dr. and TMS Technician again is important. TMS takes time to work in the brain. Sometimes we can get discouraged through the course of treatment, use your supports and Dr.’s guidance. Let her/him assist you in assessing the outcome. Try not to do that yourself.
Good luck and keep connected.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  colleencasey.

sooxie:
You are welcome. I find in the TMS Patient community, many patients who have had success with the treatment are enthusiastic about supporting those considering TMS, going through the treatment and adjusting to a new life as a result of a positive response.
First, I think attitude, persistence and perseverance are essential elements when dealing with depression. Owning the fact that this is our illness and we need to figure out with the medical community how to manage it is an important goal.
Many of us entered TMS treatment with a desperate desire for a quick fix. Know that you are in good company. The treatment needs time, patience and consistency to work. Keep as positive and hopeful as possible and use your supports when needed as often as needed. They can bring clarity when we are experiencing the ups and downs. Again stay connected to your treatment team and to this sight. There are offerings from many supportive, insightful and intelligent people here. There are also resources here you may want to browse through that may give you additional information.
There are several depression scales that TMS Treatment Teams use to assess the depth of depression and a patient’s response to the treatment. I found those helpful, (not so much during the dip – as I did not understand at the time that the dip can be a normal course during some patients’ treatment), in allowing me to concretely observe my eventual positive response to treatment, especially after treatment ended. They usually are administered throughout the course of treatment as well.
If you find helpful tips during treatment too, please share as you will find you have a lot to offer too!

I’m a broken record here, but I required 70 treatments to get better. If you have any inklings of feeling better, even if it’s for an hour here and there, that’s a sign than TMS will work for you. Keep going until you get there.

Good luck Sooxie. I’m on session 12 and I agree with you that I wouldn’t describe it as a gental tapping. It’s usually fairly painful, I just grit my teeth and look forward to the end of the session. I don’t regret starting TMS. Everyone isn’t receiving the same in intensity. It depends on the Motor Threshold that the Doctor found in the first session. The higher your calculated Motor Threshold will determine the higher intensity of the pulses.

Sooxie:
Hopefully the degree of discomfort lessens to a more tolerable level as treatment proceeds. This lessening has been reported by many patients. Stay connected to your treatment team with any and all issues. They may choose to make adjustments.
This is a challenging medical treatment for many. Try to keep your eye on your purpose and goal for choosing TMS treatment when discouraged. Graffin and Patrick have offered important information. As challenging as treatment may be for each of us individually, we are all worth the efforts for an improved life.

Sooxie,

Just wanted to suggest some Advil for the head tapping.

It gets easier for sure,
Wishing you all the best on your journey.

Sooxie:
Thought I would just past this along. I slept through some treatments. One of the reps from the company who made the TMS machine I had treatment from told me last summer that staying awake is what is recommended so the brain is as active as possible during treatment. Not sure of the source of his info but he is a resourceful rep. Your response sounds hopeful.

Sooxie,

I can relate so much to your feelings and they are perfectly normal.
Keep the faith and try to stay positive and don’t worry you will not Jinx yourself.

Keep in mind that your brain is still doing good stuff on the rest days. Now that I’m on boosters, it takes me a week after a treatment for everything to settle down. But yeah, I hated weekends too 🙂

My mood has been consistently good, motivation, sleep, appetite. My family tells me they notice a huge difference in me. When I started treatment it was hard to walk around the block with my dog, I’m now back to running long distances and hitting the gym regularly.

I was the one who mentioned the tiredness and fog still being there, I’ve been told this can take some months to resolve. But everyone is different and I was essentially not functional before I started treatment.

I’m not back to 100%, but I’m in a tolerable place where I’m able to do the things that make life worthwhile for me, and I’m not in emotional pain. Hopefully the rest will come later.

Depression is an “invisible” illness, as there are no visible signs to the naked eye that the brain isn’t working with a balanced chemistry. Lethargy, depressed feelings, etc., are symptoms that often are not given credibility to validate the illness. To the non-scientific community, the effects of TMS treatment in the brain are invisible also as we cannot see what is happening to our brain chemistry during and after treatment. Therefore there is a long period dealing with the unknown.

Graffin could not have stated it more accurately. This is a long process so figuring out how to manage this reality can help support patience and tolerability throughout this challenging time. Meditating and mindful gratitude may be tools that could assist you in managing your emotions. Talk with your Treatment team. Their work with past and present patients could be a rich resource for coping strategies.

• This reply was modified 9 years, 9 months ago by  colleencasey.

Sooxie:
Loading the dishwasher as you describe may be a hopeful sign. Two weeks into treatment is a major victory! Sending continued support.

Sooxie,

Hang in there.It started slow for me and then flew once I got to the half way point.

Wishing relief for you!

Sooxie:
I was on Adderal for ADHD and it helped with organizational skills but not with lethargy. I had TMS on the right side and in corrected the ADHD so I don’t need any meds for it now.

Sooxie:
I hope you experience an uplift soon, but try not to fall into discouragement. You have more than 1/2 of your treatments ahead of you and the effects may surface during but possible not till after treatment. Sending my best.

Wow that is fantastic you are feeling some results Sooxie!
I am so happy for you.

Needmore, mind if I ask how many treatments you had on the first go around and how many you are getting now?

I am also thrilled to hear you are having some positive results.

Very interesting and thanks for sharing.