TMS: A New Adventure



Yesterday I drove across the state to the Seattle area, where I will be starting TMS therapy in about 1.5 hours.  The basic principle of TMS, which stands for Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, is to create a magnetic field within a specific section of my brain that will increase the production of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin, the lack of which is thought to be the primary cause of major depression.  For the next 6 weeks I will be receiving 45-minute treatments 5 days a week.  The goal is that my brain will not realize it is being cleverly tricked and will begin to produce more of those sweet, sweet neurotransmitters on its own, thus lessening my depression symptoms and allowing me to experience a somewhat less exhausting existence.

During my time here, I will be staying with my bio dad and his lovely wife, hereafter referred to as Papa and Mama.  They are safe, supportive people who are also a lot of fun.  I'm also hoping to spend more time with other biological relatives with whom I haven't had much contact since finding my bio parents in 2012.  I am anxious about being away from my support system (or my "care team," as my shrink calls them - sorry guys) but incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

Whelp, I'm leaving in 7 minutes so I'm off to brush my teeth, put on an extra layer of deodorant, pop a Xanax, and meet the team that has a 40% chance of changing my life.  Update on the flip side.

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