Planned an Unstoppable Decluttering, Processed Paperwork, and Yes: Drank More Metamucil.

Today I processed a herd of work-related paperwork, and updated my work to-do list. I also went on a phone journey, guided by a set of e-mails I had marked as 'to do' e-mails. I found that by phoning, I was able to get a lot of them done, by responding in person. I was able to clarify, ask questions, see if the item was still a concern etcetera. Phones are useful that way. I should use them more often.

I planned on decluttering my basement office room. My plan was to start off by making a small area for sorting: assembling several construction-grade garbage bags so that I could a) throw out stuff, b) donate stuff, and c) prepare clothes and blankets for washing or folding and putting away etcetera. Suffice it to say, it did not come to pass. The evening went by like a low-flying sparrow just missing your head.

I used to say that clutter made me feel comfortable, like a nice comfy nest. Now I realize I had been deluding myself for years. I cluttered and did not like the clutter. I was unable to not clutter in the first place. This is a big symptom of my ADHD. I put stuff down and get distracted. Soon the piles are intimidatingly hefty. They watch me as I walk by and taunt me. I get bummed out. And soon learn to selectively 'not see them'. They thrive, and form their own little collective city-states, with basic services, standing armies, and some basic agriculture. They then become quite difficult to conquer.

So tomorrow - having made a plan - I will begin in chunks. Perhaps it was unreasonable for me to expect to get it all done in one go.

I guess I should expect to have some good days and some bad days. I was productive, I'll say that. And forgetting items wasn't as pronounced today as it has been. But I am now at the point that I am looking forward to my next doctor's appointment when he will start (well, he'd better) titrating the dosage of Strattera. Titration is the process where you gradually add something to a mixture until some kind of endpoint is reached - in chemistry class, it was when the fluid suddenly turned blue (because the threshold pH level had been achieved) - but in the case of pharmacology, titration is the effort to gradually raise the dosage of a medication until you reach the optimal dose of medication - one in which daily function is significantly improved and side effects are minimized.

You might have thought this blog post would stop just about here. But look at the title. It mentions something about Metamucil. I drank some more, after two days of all-quiet-on-the-western-front. Nothing is happening. NOTHING. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. My fear is that I will be whistling a tune, driving to work on the highway tomorrow morning, wondering about the difference between Coke and Pepsi, when all of a sudden I will vanish in an explosion that leaves the radio announcer crying "Oh the humanity, the humanity". I will leave the details out.

Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not an expert on laxatives. But I think something ought to happen at some point. But the good news is that other than a little bit of dry mouth at times, the side-effect are not really all that negative. I guess the immature side of me just likes to prattle on about poop (or lack thereof).

Cheers,

Mungo

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