Monthly Archives: January 2011

Undrugging: Antidepressants to Fat

Posted on January 31, 2011 by annecwoodlen

The Joslin Center has a reputation for really evil patient relations, so I went on a search and found a better dietician, quite possibly someone Dr. Steve Wechsler sent me to.  We met every month or two—not half as often as I … Continue reading →

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Doctor-Controlled Diabetes

Posted on January 30, 2011 by annecwoodlen

During the drugging years I had been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, type II; the doctor had said, “Over weight and over forty.”  It was diet controlled, that is, I progressively kept eliminating from my diet all the things that were pushing … Continue reading →

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Doctors with Potent Alternatives: The Chiropractor

Posted on January 29, 2011 by annecwoodlen

There’s a green space in the Valley where your spirit can rest.  The sign out front says Network Chiropractic and the doctor inside is Stephen Wechsler. I pop the front door open, tilt my head past the doorway into the treatment … Continue reading →

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CPEP: Syracuse’s Gitmo (Part II)

Posted on January 28, 2011 by annecwoodlen

            Next, after you walk into CPEP (Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program) everything you have is taken away from you.  Your cell phone, telephone/address book, sweatshirt and Weekly Reader—all taken away from you and locked up.             You are now, unequivocally, in … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, advocacy, American medical industry, Health Care, Inpatient psychiatry, Medical care, Mental Illness & Health, Power, Powerlessness | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

CPEP: Syracuse’s Gitmo

Posted on January 27, 2011 by annecwoodlen

            On February 5, 2009, the Post-Standard published a letter that read in part “[CPEP]was filled way beyond capacity, with patients lying on chairs, floors, anywhere they could find space. It was quickly clear to us that it was understaffed, dealing … Continue reading →

Posted in advocacy, American medical industry, Depression, disability, Government Services, Health Care, Inpatient psychiatry, Medicaid, Medical care, Mental Illness & Health, Pharmaceuticals | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Inventing “Citizen Power”

Posted on January 26, 2011 by annecwoodlen

            “The Civic Literacy Project was begun in September 1976 to assist citizens in addressing their concerns regarding the future of metropolitan Syracuse.  This pilot project was funded for twenty-four months by the . . . Department of Health, Education and Welfare, and … Continue reading →

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Sex, Drugs, and Pheromones: What’s Wrong with Your Love Life?

Posted on January 25, 2011 by annecwoodlen

What would you do if the drugs you are taking are the cause of your lousy love life? I was socially and sexually active from the ages of 18 to 28.  From age 28 until 54, I didn’t have a … Continue reading →

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Wheelin’ to the Brass (Part II)

Posted on January 24, 2011 by annecwoodlen

            The bell ringers are randomly wearing red, white or black, depending on their mood and wardrobe.  In the back row, wearing a red turtle neck shirt, is a fine fellow—tall, slender, gray haired and with a wonderful handlebar moustache, waxed … Continue reading →

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Wheelin’ to the Brass

Posted on January 23, 2011 by annecwoodlen

A crossing guard halts traffic in front of the church so I can safely wheel across the street.  He starts to tell me that the wheelchair entrance is—then he just shouts, “Bob!” and the fellow in the driveway comes to … Continue reading →

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Kathy Urschel, Bedbugs, and Chronic Fatigue: Answers to More Questions

Posted on January 22, 2011 by annecwoodlen

  How did Kathy Urschel die? Kath was visiting a friend out of town.  She was blind, got up in the morning and thought she was stepping into the bathroom when actually she was stepping onto the stairs.  A sighted … Continue reading →

Posted in activism, advocacy, American medical industry, Depression, disability, disability rights, Government Services, Housing, Inpatient psychiatry, Medicaid, Medical care, Medicare, Mental Illness & Health, Pharmaceuticals, Poverty, Sex, Values | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment