Hey everybody out there in Troutnation! It’s World Mental Health Day! This would be a great time for one of my candid posts about mental illness, but I’m having a rough week coping. I’m just kicking back and trying to maintain, but I didn’t want to let the day go by without contributing somehow. So, I made a really grainy, awful looking webcam video about a neat invention I picked up at the pharmacy today. I think it can be helpful to people whose mental illness makes it difficult to keep track of the day-to-day routine.
A lot of you lovely weirdos have created fanworks about 50 Shades of Grey, and they’re often shared in the comments and beloved by all. But last night, I received this jem via twitter and I would hate for anyone to miss it: Bic McPenlamperson by Bookjunk. You might recall Bic McPenlamperson from the 50 Shades Freed chapter nine recap:
Seriously, have you guys noticed how conveniently “lunatics” pop up in their lives, causing these dramatic and unavoidable threats that mean Ana absolutely must stay at home or under Christian’s surveillance all the time? First it was Leila, now it’s Jack Hyde and the mystery woman driving the Dodge. I’m going to guess that this will become a regular thing. “Honey, don’t forget, I have Kate’s bachelorette party to go to.” “Oh, um, you can’t, because, uh, um, huh… uh… Bic… Mcpen… lamp…erson, yeah, that’s right! Bic McPenlamperson! My old nemesis Bic McPenlamperson is out to destroy us. So you can’t go.”
I’m not sure how to properly express just how charmingly bizarre I find it to have someone write fan fiction of my work. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I’m always super flattered. This time, it’s also hilarious; this is fanfic of something I wrote about somebody else’s book. See also: the recursion photo in that chapter nine recap. That about sums it up.
Coming soon: the next Buffy recap!
I could so use that contraption. I really need to keep an eye out for it. I always forget whether I’ve taken my Ritalin or not. (and I ALWAYS forget to take my second dose.) Thank you so much for the video!
Also, that fanfic was brilliant and everyone should read it. Seriously. Bic Mcpenlamperson needs to be a thing in 50 Shades fanfic.
I’m lucky that Prozac/Fluoxetine doesn’t cause awful side effects, and I take it every night when I brush my teeth. I have a harder time remembering to take the pills I have to store in the fridge and only take with food. At least they’re just supplements, so if I skip a dose it’s not a terrible thing!
Wow am I glad I clicked on Bic Mcpenlamperson. “All of our stalkers are either locked up or at art school.” Bahahaha.
Also, last night I dreamed that you (Jenny) and I were dating. We were laying around watching a weird game show my brain made up that I don’t even want to start to explain. You almost fell out of the bed, which in the dream was pretty much the funniest thing ever. It was all very weird. Aaaanyway.
Bic Mcpenlamperson cracked me up. and I can’t wait for Buffy.
Also, good luck with your health, Jenny:-D
Wow. You posted a link to my fanfic. I’m super honoured. I fucking love your blog. The only way I’m getting through the 50 shades trilogy is by virtue of your (and Snarksquad’s) wonderful recaps. Thank you so much!
I already gave you a review on ff, but I must gush again. That fic was pure brilliance. I don’t literally laugh out loud often when I read, but I was guffawing constantly at your story. Thank you for making my morning!
Aw, thanks. It was so much fun to write. I just exorcised all my 50 shades frustration in one go.
Your fanfic is the single most greatest thing my little eyes have ever witnessed.
I bet you wouldn’t say that if you’d ever seen… Christian Grey! #sarcasm
Seriously, thank you.
Jenny, Thank You So Much for sharing this with us! So much fun!
Lieke, Thank You So Much for writing this! So PERFECT!!
: D
“this is fanfic of something I wrote about somebody else’s book” – not to forget, that book also started out as fanfic!
Happy world mental health day Jenny and to everyone else who has a mental health problem or loves someone with one!
I have suffered from Depression and Anxiety since I was 10 and right now I’m not doing so well. My older brother has Schizophrenia, he developed it in his teens. Right now he is under a section and in hospital for the first time in 7 years. Living with your brain lying to you is hard, as is accepting that you will be living with it that way for the rest of your life. That struggle is not helped by other people misunderstanding mental illness, by sensationalist headlines or funding cuts to mental health services. Raising awareness that 1 in 4 people has a mental health problem, that it could be your best friend, your spouse, your boss or anyone, that we look like everyone else (no blood splattered straight jackets or Hannibal face masks) – these are the things that will help reduce stigma, dispel stereotypes and make it easier for people to be honest about their diagnosis. I hope for a world when disclosing a diagnosis of Schizophrenia or Bipolar will have no more impact that saying you have diabetes or heart disease.
Girl, you’re just plain awesome. If your fancy ever takes you to Stockholm, Sweden, please drop in at my place, I reckon we could kill some red.
thanks for being an open and honest voice! as someone still processing a recent diagnosis, i find it very inspiring. you (and your blog) are like a parfait of awesomeness.
Funny enough, I was just about to post the same thing as the poster above! I was recently diagnosed as epileptic as a 27 yr old and have gone through a couple different version of Keppra. Of course, when I did forget once I had a seizure, which is awful knowing I could have easily prevented it. I’ll keep my eye out at the pharmacy for one of those pill bottle timers! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you sooo much for that video. While I do deal with mental illness (mostly anxiety disorders), I am pretty good about taking my meds on time. The thing is I also suffer from a few chronic pain disorders. I use pill sorters to remember to take my morning and night once and twice a day meds, but no matter what I try I seem to forget when or if I’ve taken my “as needed” pain meds.
I’m in pain constantly and that combined with a couple of my meds means I’m pretty much always foggy, flighty and forgetful. Taking just one too many Hydrocodone/Vicodin/Lortab on accident could be really, really bad as could messing up on my muscle relaxers or my ‘as needed’ anxiety meds like Xanax. Plus, since I’m on Hydrocodone and the other eight or so meds I take regularly long term rather than just over the course of two weeks or something like one would be post-surgery, taking them too often because I’ve forgotten on a regular basis can mean really bad things for me down the road.
Getting a timer like that would be amazing! It wouldn’t solve the problem of whether or not I’ve taken one of my meds too many times over a 24 hour period (though, that seriously needs to be a thing! Have a timer that tells you how long it’s been since you opened the bottle AND how many times you’ve opened it in the last 24 hours. Get on that, someone more clever than me!) but being able to remember that I took a pill an hour-and-a-half ago even when I don’t remember taking it at all will be so incredibly helpful. It means I’ll be less likely to accidentally take too many AND it means I can tell my doctor things like, “hey, the last two weeks my pain flares and/or panic attacks have been so bad the past month that I often go to take a pill to ease a flare or attack only to find it’s just been an hour since I last took it when I feel no different. Can we add something else that might work better for the time being?”
I would love to hear your response to this: http://themattwalshblog.com/2013/10/28/help-doc-im-bored-by-boring-things-i-think-ive-got-the-adhd/ I found it lacking in knowledge and insulting.
I’ve been reading your blog constantly for days (because I love to hate 50SoG and have stuck around for the writing advice and other anecdotes and Buffy).
Anyway, the Bic McPenlamperson fanfic really made my night.