I'm wondering how the TMS is going. I think you said it would be 5 days a week for a few weeks. Just interested to know how soon you'll start feeling the effect.

This is cowboy! This is my 2nd week but said it would be at least 4th week before I see big difference! Big commitment to go everyday but hope it will be worth it! Make sure the person is Certified. They tried switching me to training a lady and I let them know I didn't like that! You have to speak up! So I'm having same Tech everyday. Ask lots of questions? It's your brain they are messing with!

I've learned the importance of paying attention to what's being said and done in the medical setting. I was going to have ECT last year, but I gave up on it because trying to arrange all the travel (120+ miles away), housing - motel expense, riding public transportation from motel to hospital every day (no animals on bus, and we'd have my service dog and my wife's small dog), or parking a travel trailer at the hospital...It was all just too much for me to deal with, so I dropped it. With depression, etc., it's hard for me to deal with decisions and organizing logistics. I had gone through all the approval process through the hospital, and their social services director was doing a lot to try to facilitate the procedure. My wife didn't want me to do ECT, which made it a further challenge.

I don't know if TMS is available any closer to home. After I hear how it works for you, maybe I'll investigate it.

Did social worker make arrangements for your housing? You need someone to guide you until your therapy gets you feeling more control.<br><br>

The hospital social services director had found a motel close to the hospital, and I think had said I would get a special low rate. But I don't know if I'll ever be able to have that treatment because it's so far from home.

By now, a year later, the therapist I was seeing took a position somewhere else, and the local hospital, where she was working, hasn't replaced her. So, I haven't seen a therapist or psychologist for nearly a year, mainly because I don't know of any locally who bill Medicare. I stopped seeing the psychiatrist, as well, who monitored my meds. Of the 6 or 7 therapists/lcsw's/ psychiatrists/psychologists I've seen over the past 11 years, there's really only one to whom I really opened up. And he moved on, just like all the others. Our small town doesn't adequately support a good professional counselor, and I don't want to drive an hour each way to go where there are good ones. I did that for a short time.

I've strayed from the subject you brought up. Sorry. I tend to wander off and write about what the subject reminds me of.

One of the issues with ECT is that the patient can't leave each treatment alone, and especially can't drive. So, someone would have to stay with me, and my wife really wouldn't want to be away from home for up to 6 weeks, even if we came home on the weekends. I don't know anyone who could take on that job.

I'm stopping before I get distracted and wander off again. Did I address your question?

If it was going to help me I would make the two hour trip. I used to see a doctor that was a two hour trip one way. It wasn't because I couldn't find one near my home it was because I wanted the best therefore I drove to The Bipolar Clinic in Boston. The good thing was once I was stabilized I only had to drive in every three months.
I have since found a doctor near my home but won't see her until November.
Also, if you think it's going to help you I would bite the bullet, take your wife and go have ECT treatments. It's only six weeks out of your lives which is a drop in the bucket and it will be over before you know it. It seems like your putting all these obstacals in the way, perhaps you really don't want to have the treatment. I'm not trying to be hard on you just practical.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Hi: Try & find a doctor that does TMS or try a holistic DR. It may help than going through ECT. Manysilver<br><br>

I've been pretty stable for a year now, and at this point, I don't know that I need ECT. I just try to take one day at a time, as far as depression is concerned. I may talk with the psychiatrist about the appropriateness of TMS. Thanks for the observations. I don't know if I have said, but I also have chronic pain and burning in my feet, due to peripheral neuropathy, non diabetic. The constant pain does affect the depression. I don't know if I'll ever be able to be free of the pain. I've tried every medication available for peripheral neuropathy, and one (Lyrica) put me in the hospital, while none of the others have had any effect on the pain. Right now I'm trying Cymbalta, and I've weaned off morphine sulfate contin a couple of weeks ago.

Let me know how you come out also. My meds don't se to help, been on many different ones, in psych ward due to not being able to stop crying due to life situations. I would rather be dead than feel like I do

Thank you for trusting this group as much by expressing your frustration on how you feel. Have you gotten your own therapist and psychiatrist that monitors your medication. There are so many reasons why your meds are not working. IT could be physical change in your body, body resistance to medication or mood change do to environment, family, work or anything that goes on in your life. It is really important to talk to a therapist regularly about your moods and medication because of how your everyday life experiences can effect your mood. So do not take anything for granted and do not think for one minute that this depression is your problem alone. Be proactive and keep in touch