According to my neurologist, I'm to report any new neurological symptoms. It's difficult to report anything to my neurologist considering the next available appointment for existing patients is not until November. How f'ing ridiculous is that?

Anyhow, the past few days I've noticed, and this is hard to describe, that my chin and the portion underneath my lower lip seem to quiver for no reason when I relax my face. I use the word "relax" because I typically have some sort of facial expression and rarely have a totally relaxed face. Even when I'm in deep thought, reading, or doing something on my iPhone, I always have a facial expression that requires the use of muscles to generate a facial expression. Granted, it doesn't happen every time I relax my face, but still.

Although this may seem minor, it's still disconcerting. I had a stroke to the left side of my cerebellum resulting in about 50% damage to the left side. So if this is stroke related, why is it affecting both the left and right sides of my chin/lower lip? I'd like to chalk it up to the latest change in my psych meds.

Is this considered a neurological symptom? Do I want to know? I'm thinking the answers may be possibly yes and probably no respectively.

In other news on the negative news front, I received a statement of benefits from my insurance company regarding my ER visit. The cost for my ER visit, including three CAT scans - $12,658! Of that, I'll have to pay 20%. Yay! Add that to the other $12,000 some odd dollars I already owe the same hospital from my ICU stay last year. Unfortunately, the latter balance is 100% my responsibility.

Meanwhile, on the good news front, I won a copy of Stephen King's latest novel, Mr. Mercedes. I had forgotten I entered a contest on his website. I arrived home today and found a package from Simon and Schuster. I knew there was a book inside but had no idea why one would have been sent to me. It's not a signed copy, but hey, I won something! It's the little things that make me happy these days.

My Insurance Company Dictates My Bipolar Meds Options

I've recently changed health insurance companies. The new one provides awesome prescription benefits - with one major exception - they will only cover generic psych meds.

Needless to say this is frustrating as hell! I now have to switch from a brand medication that's worked wonderfully for a couple years. Unfortunately, there's not a generic available. Hopefully whatever I change to will work just as well.

I've taken several meds for bipolar disorder over the years but none that have worked as well what I'm having to switch from. So, back to my doc I'll go. It's never fun changing meds; it's like a giant chemistry experiment. Ho hum. Stupid insurance companies.