Spouses of Bipolar in Active Relationships

That was meant to grab your attention and to be funny...I know you would never! But I wanted to let you all know that we believe my husband to have been suffering from CTE instead of being Bipolar. www.bu.edu/cste/about/what-is-cte/ This link will describe what CTE is in more detail than I can, but overall it is caused by many TBI's (traumatic brain injuries). And my husband did play football for many years, as well as been beaten about the head with a ball bat and left for dead. Also when he had his accident at work in 2005 and injured his back, he also hit his head on each floor on the way down. And this idea was brought on by that football player that killed himself. Which got us to thinking and discussing it with his therapist. We have been referred to NCNeuropsychiatry. We go this Monday and again next Monday for a 5 hour series of tests. It cannot really be diagnosed until after death, in which they look for an identifier in the brain during autopsy.

But, what we are looking at now, is the great possibility of dementia in the not so far future.

I'm so very scared. I'm already showing major signs of Care-giver burnout. Even he is concerned that I'll just get tired of him, and cut out.

His disability hearing is in August, so we are hoping to have a decent diagnosis by then...Which may be better for out case than him just being BP.

However, I am not leaving this group. Even if you DO throw me out. (haha)

Because the symptoms of BP are practically identical to this CTE, I am sticking around...you all give the best advice! No matter what the illness, symptoms are symptoms. And treating them at home with diet, exercise, and so on...should probably be about the same.

I love you all.

Post edited by: sewnup, at: 06/08/2012 08:06 AM

I'm sorry to hear that your husband has CTE. I'm glad you're going to stay in our group, I think you're right- the symptoms are similar- AND you are a veteran of this group, so of course you'll stay!!!

So glad you checked in, at least you know now what the diagnosis is. I am so glad you are getting him help for this and he is acceptive to it. Also glad you are sticking around

Well Friends, the CTE is not diagnosed until after death. BUT...he can be part of a research study....there is a lot of that going on about the CTE right now because not much is known about people who have had more that one concussion. Only data available is for those who have had only one concussion.

AND----we are OFFICIALLY BIPOLAR!!!

5 Hours worth of testing this past Monday confirms...severely BP. More testing to come, such as MRI and PET scans.

On the right track and want to thank you ALL for being so supportive to me.

Will keep you updated!

Post edited by: sewnup, at: 06/19/2012 10:22 PM

I am not quite sure what to say. I don't think "Great news that he is bipolar" is right! But since he IS bipolar, we DO know a ton about it here, so that's positive. (I think????)

Research studies are SOO important. My husband, after he had bad reactions to Lamictal and Lithium (yes, God, thank you for the two most common mood stabilizers not working for him) participated in two studies. In one of them, he started to have some of the same reactions (congenital heart condition is largely the why of all this), and they kicked him out of the study. In the other study, he was likely given a placebo. We never saw a single thing positive or negative from that one. But maybe this helped somebody in the future!!!

How are you holding up? Is he being nice to you while under all this stress?

Welcome back Sewn, at least now you know for sure and as Married said, there is a lot of experience, strength and hope on here. How is he taking all of this change? I hope he is handling all of this well and is accepting of this diagnosis.