The glorious reign of Shadow the cab driver has come to an end

[shadowknows69]

I worked yesterday and because I started having a bad reaction to some of my meds, migraines and a panic attack to be exact, I had to take myself off the road early. I've had to do this many times unfortunately in the last few months because of adjusting to all these new pills, many of which make me super drowsy. Well yesterday must have been the last straw because the owner pretty much fired me. I called my psychiatrist to tell him that my anti anxiety meds weren't working well enough anymore if I was having panic attacks again and that I wanted to be on something else and I just lost my job because of it and he basically told me to go get some Benadryl. "Benadryl? For allergies Benadryl"

"Yeah you can buy it right over the counter"

No shit Dr. Sherlock, I paid you 225 an hour for you to suggest I buy Benadryl and refuse to scrip me anything different until I come in for another office visit at a couple hundred clams?

I'm firing my doctors for not giving a shit that their "treatment" got me fired.

[TomInTib]

1. Man, I hate to hear that.

But if there is a bright side to this, maybe some time off the road will reduce your stress levels to a point where you can get back on top of your situation.

Good luck, Shadow.

Tom

[shadowknows69]

15. Yeah and it will be good for me

but in the meantime my wife and I are fighting to make bills and losing.

[Dora]

2. And your doc said the Benadryl was supposed to perk you up?

:wtf:

[ThomCat]

3. You're doctor is a total quack!

Benadryl to counter panic attacks and migraines? He's blowing you off. That's not just wrong, that's unethical. x(

:wtf:

[shadowknows69]

17. He kept making it a point to keep mentioning that we could

"talk" about my meds, but it needed to be a visit and he needed to get paid. No shit Dr. Sherlock but I thought that first 200 dollars would have included at least one 5 minute phone consultation.

[peace13]

4. I am sorry to hear that.

I send you peace, love and energy with hope that things will get better for you. Don't give up on the Doc. It may be worth one more look in his eyes. Peace, Kim

[Disturbed]

6. Report this Asshole Doctor to the State Medical Board!

Sorry that you are having such a horrible time, man.

[northzax]

28. why, because he won't prescribe over the phone?

if he did prescribe over the phone to someone who wasn't a long term patient, I would be much more concerned.

[shadowknows69]

33. Actually that was kind of the deal we had set up

Because he wasn't seeing me again until mid october and most of my scrips run out in mid september, but that's a long time to wait if somethings not working for me so now I have to schedulke a sooner appointment that I can't afford and don't know if he'll see me anyway because now I have an outstanding bill that I'm yet to pay on. Just saw him last week for the first time but he's a referral from my regular GP who is having him take over my scrips.

[northzax]

35. so you saw a doctor

didn't intend to pay the bill, and want him to prescribe more medication over the phone a week later? not being harsh, simply stating facts, from his perspective. It would be flatly unethical for him to change your scrip without another visit, only one week in. you aren't asking for a different dose, right? just a completely different medication?

[shadowknows69]

37. Um, I have every intention of paying the bill

he hasn't even sent it yet. Actually I had cash on hand the day of my appointment and they told me to wait for an invoice.

[northzax]

39. well then I am sure he will see you again

since it's only been a week. the invoice must be for 30 days or something, right?

[shadowknows69]

40. unknown

30 days would be cool.

[lonestarnot]

5. Sounds like you need an employment lawyer re FMLA, disability.

[hashibabba]

7. I'm sorry to hear you're having such problems, Shadow.

I've been in a battle for years trying to get meds to help me that don't mess me up in other ways! It seems most of them don't give me side effects any more. Except the two that make me drowy. I take them right before I go to bed and sleep like a baby.

When I was having back problems years ago, they gave me Benadryl to help me SLEEP! Its certainly not going to help your drowsiness!!! Unbelievable.

I hope you can get a better doctor and can find a new job quickly.

My thoughts go with you....

[alfredo]

8. What are you taking for your migraines? Imitrex doesn't make me drowsy,

but Zomig does.

If you are having so much problems, maybe you could be eligible for disability. My migraines, depression, and arthritis got me put on disability.

find a doctor you can trust. A family doctor can find a migraine treatment that is suitable. They might be able to help you with your panic attacks.


Good luck.

[shadowknows69]

9. Kicking

post your fond memories of my taxi career here. I don't have too many but ask me anything!! I have a lot of weird, twilight zone type memories but I honestly can't say I'm sad to go.

[shadowknows69]

10. Will DU still love me without taxi reports?

;( I can write other stuff really I can.

[Ghost in the Machine]

11. I was asked to forward this to you

Emailing: duboard
Muffi to me
show details 5:06 pm (39 minutes ago)

doug please send this guy an e-mail if you can or post on democratic underground i pay but never joined he should buy vitamin b-2 its also called ribflavin the neurologist has me do this and it gets rid of the migraines the neurologist said it has worked for him for several years this week is 1st ive been headache free for over a month he must take 400 mg and they only make it in 100 mg so 4 pills there is research to back it i will e-mail later today or tomorrow have another dr appt love muff


Try this out and see if it helps you...

[shadowknows69]

12. thanks ghost

actually I don't have regular migraines. I suspect it was the heat yesterday but my anxiety levels are at redline.

[Ghost in the Machine]

13. I use regular ol' nasal spray for mine. I get them periodically and it

works better than anything I've tried, even prescriptions. A couple blasts of nasal spray and my migraines are gone in about 20 - 30 mins.

***This is not medical advice and should in no way be considered as such.****

[The Straight Story]

14. You have plenty to write about my friend

there is a lot about life to share and put into words.

Just look at me, I never shut up here even if no one is listening :rofl:

Keep writing and I will keep reading.

[shadowknows69]

16. Hey since we had a good bunch of fans for the taxi reports

anyone want to start an angry phone call campaign? I assure you they don't have caller ID so just say you're from this area and you were very upset to hear that your favorite cabbie isn't driving anymore.




















Ok, actually please don't

[Canuckistanian]

18. Are you kidding?

I always like reading what you post, even if it's not the 'cab reports'.

Actually, i have a suggestion for you.

You should gather all your reports together, write an introduction and publish a book about your experiences.

Hell, I might even buy it!

[shadowknows69]

19. But I don't own a printing press

and you'd better buy it. Even though you read them all for free lol.

If it ever becomes a NY Times Bestseller (yeah right) I should do a preface similar to what Matt Groening did on the first season Simpsons DVD. He basically said "Thanks for buying something that you've probably been watching and taping for free for years now. SUCKERS!!!"

"....To any Duers who have purchased this....SUCKERS!!!"

Just kidding. There are more stories than have been told here and many more details and contemplations. Who knows. Rather write a regular column any magazine editors that might be reading this.

[Subdivisions]

32. I loved your taxi reports, shadow. And I'm sure you'll be just as

good a read as ever as you continue to tell us of your daily adventures!

[Hekate]

41. Hey. You'll meet people to write about wherever you go.

And get better soon.
:hug:

Hekate

[DemoTex]

20. Shadow ..

I hope you have been compiling your great Taxi Reports. You have the stuff of a damn good compendium, sir. And believe me, stuff takes talent.

Mac

[shadowknows69]

21. I don't know how to tie them together though

in a coherent narrative. Efforts of me trying might still be in my journal. Is it enough to just print them nearly verbatim as a compliation? Will that be a marketable property for a publisher to look at?

[shadowknows69]

22. I'd really rather do a book of poetry too actually

My poems are as pain ridden as these reports usually but at least it's my pain. I need to find my pain and deal with it before absorbing anyone else's. Don't know if that makes any sense.

[Canuckistanian]

24. Compilations are great!

I like reading them because they're like a series of short stories.

See? You're getting the idea now.

[intheflow]

30. Why tie them together in a coherent narrative?

Coherency is in the eye of the beholder, er, reader--and somewhat overrated, imo. Your posts would be like a book of essays. I haven't caught all of your posts, but the ones I have read of your encounters with service members are worthy of being published. Your commentaries are poignant and timely and unique from your cabbie perspective. I urge you to at least submit them to some of the smaller, progressive publishing houses, like Orbis (mostly a religious publisher, but they also do a lot of social commnetary books) or Beacon Press.

Good luck to both you and your wife from a fellow unemployed DUer. :hi:

Edted to add re: your actual firing...

I have a friend who always says "Rejection is perfection." Which I take to mean in this context that the job sucked anyway and there is something more that you are meant to do than work for that company. On with ye, to bigger and better things! :)

[AZBlue]

34. I would think you could just journalize them!

Do you have dates? That might help, but I'm sure it's not necessary. A publisher would know what would need to be done - if anything - to put it out as a book.

Oh, I hope they want to publish it!! That's a great idea. I haven't seen anything else like that out there and you know how popular Taxicab Confessions is! Quick, do it before someone else does!! :D

[sandnsea]

45. That's what an editor is for

Think of a theme - what do you want people to take away from what you learned driving a taxi. Life is to be lived, life takes strange turns, strange people say the wisest things - all sorts of loose themes to base your writings around. You're good. The book will sell.

Maybe you can submit some of them around for a column. That would be fun too. People are looking for authenticity, connection to what is truly real.

[sanskritwarrior]

48. Verbatim would be excellent

also invest in a fact checker.........too many Jesse Macbeth's in the world.......

[shadowknows69]

50. I've been thinking about that Skrit

and obviously I will put in my preface that these conversations could all be complete bullshit but they are as I heard them. I think I can write around any specific innacurate numbers by not even stating them exactly. These have always been intended to be more of an oral history of these guys, myths and exagerations included. For me to write any of these as a full journalist instead of essentially an eavesdropper then I would have had to identify myself as such and we wouldn't have been told half these stories. The nature of these columns and any book based on them would be intentionally anonymous in respect to the sources and the "facts" dubious.

[shadowknows69]

23. Any ghost writers out there want the job?

Not sure I want my real name on this anyway. DHS man come callin.

[blogslut]

25. Can you talk to your boss?

You said "pretty much" fired you. Is there a chance that you can work it out and maybe keep your job?

As for your meds, I know that finding the right one takes a long time. Sometimes years. Each body reacts differently. Prozac was too strong and made me too excitable to sleep. Paxil did as well but then I started taking it in the morning instead of at night. Sometimes the best adviser for medication is not your doctor but instead, the pharmacist. They can't prescribe but they most certainly are qualified to give you advice about ways to deal with your meds.

Another thing I found with seratonin uptake inhibitors, they remove the feeling of guilt. This is good when one is clinically depressed but not so great when one has passes the powerless/helpless stage. I went off my meds many times because I simply felt I did not "need" them. That was a mistake and I paid for it with a few replapses.

I am sorry you have to pay so much for your counseling. I wish you had a facility that let you go free and pay for meds based on your income. I was lucky and sadly, that option is no longer available in my area either as the county no longer considers mental illness to be part of its aid to low income/poor folk.

But please, please do not give up. If you need to beg your boss, then beg. You're going to do a lot of pride swallowing in order to bring your illness to a manageable state. I do hope that you are getting counseling and not just prescriptions, especially for the money you pay. Meds alone will not cut it.

My thoughts and hopes are with you.

[Greyskye]

26. Good luck Shadow!

I love your writing - I hope you can keep doing it in some kind of form.

Keep the faith. :yourock:

[femrap]

27. Sorry you're having

a hard time. Hope you find a great doctor and meds that work for you.

[midnight]

29. Sad to say this is more common than people know.....

Doctors spend on an average with their patients- 7 minutes. I will be thinking about you Shadow. Only good things from this very awful experience for you.

[Subdivisions]

31. I am so sorry, shadow. Please do get well soon. Sending good

vibrations your way.

[Wiley50]

36. Remember a few weeks ago, you were offered a semi-permanent house sitting job in Arkansas?

Crack heads in the downstairs apt?

Every ending is a new beginning

Maybe you might should think about a change of scene

It's usually quite rejuvenating

Good Luck!

[nadinbrzezinski]

38. I'm sorry to hear that Shadow

[Drum]

42. Ouch.

That's rough in so many ways. I've gone through that -iatrist mill here in nyc, and it's quite pricey indeed. And driving a cab is no bargain either...lots of restrictions and long hours, and the job seems to be 12 hours of people jumping into your car and shouting that they have to get to X "nowwww!!!" Ugh.

I hope that things shake out better for you from here on, shadowknows69...good luck to you. :hi:

[shenmue]

43. My meds make me sick to my stomach

Welcome to the wonderful world of anti-depressants. :(

[sandnsea]

44. sweetie, it's time to finish your book

:) You're too good a writer to be financially struggling anyway.

Have you tried Effexor? It's about $60 a month. I've hard quite a few people say it works really well. You might try taking it before you go to sleep, if you're already on it.

Things will get better. You'll see. Or maybe you can get togeher with the Ultimate Taxi guy and start one up in Vegas, he's a DUer. http://www.ultimatetaxi.com

[dave29]

46. are you taking a benzodiazepene?

I found that very quickly, these make you less tolerant to stress unless you take more, and then cycle continues, until you are just angry all the time. They have ruined my mother's life, because some crazy doctor gave her a ridiculous amount to help her deal with all of her issues, including raising a special needs child.

Be careful, and take care.

-Dave

[knitter4democracy]

47. Definitely time for a new doctor.

Oh, Hon, I wish I could get you in to see Hubby. That non-treatment is crap. Write a letter to the doctor telling him you're firing him and why. His non-answer is no good.

See if there's a lawyer in your county Dem party. We have one who's pretty powerful, and he often takes on cases for Dems here who need an advocate. You have a known medical disability, so they shouldn't fire you for it. A good lawyer could get this settled for you.

[FormerOstrich]

49. Shadowknows....

I always read your posts and love them! I don't post replies on them (but I tend to be a thread killer so your probably better off) but that doesn't mean I haven't savored them.

I am so sorry about what is going on. I'm in IT and have had some really rough spots through the Bush years so I really do understand.

Benadryl!!! It knocks me out and fast! I cannot believe he told you that.

After much denial about being depressed (in the Bush world) it was hard to deny a couple of years ago when I started crying and couldn't quit. My Doc put my on ativan and effexor. I quit taking them about a year ago but recently I started getting that overwhelmed feeling and asked them to put me back on it (at least this time I didn't wait until I couldn't quit crying). I'm sure others here are much more knowledgeable but that's what's worked for me.

I take Benadryl when I get out of control hives (which happens about twice in five years) and it knocks me out!

Please, please don't quit writing!!

I wish I could help.