Electroshock Therapy

The hospital is recommending electroshock therapy for my brother.  We are trying to educate ourselves on what was once considered a barbaric treatment.  Of course I have found groups that are very positive about the treatment and others who are not.  It is hard to reach an informed conclusion.  We watched a video with Mike today on the actual  procedure and saw interviews with patients who have received the treatment.  It is estimated that there is an 80% success rate with the treatment.  They want to give it to Mike because they don't feel he is stabilizing as well as they would like.  It will be to treat his depression and to try and prevent a reoccurence of his psychosis.  Right now they believe he will have another episode in the near future.  This would definitely prohibit Ron and I from taking care of him at home. 

I haven't formed an opinion yet.  I've read some possible side effects and though none of them sound too horrible individually, combined they don't sound like fun.  Of course the grand mall seizure that is induced doesn't sound like fun but he would be sedated and isn't supposed to have any memory of the event afterward.  There may be memory loss, severe headaches (duh) confusion..... but overall it doesn't sound like he has much to lose by trying.  There would be 12 treatments.  In the end the decision is Mike's to make.  We are just trying to be supportive.

A Christmas Story

One Christmas Eve, a frenzied young man ran into a pet shop looking for an unusual Christmas gift for his wife. The shop owner suggested a parrot, named Chet, which could sing famous Christmas carols. This seemed like the perfect gift.

"How do I get him to sing?" The young man asked, excitedly.
"Simply hold a lighted match directly under his feet." was the shop owner's reply.
The shop owner held a lighted match under the parrot's left foot. Chet began to sing: "Jingle Bells! Jingle Bells! ..." The shop owner then held another match under the parrot's right foot. Then Chet's tune changed, and the air was filled with: " Silent Night, Holy Night..."
The young man was so impressed that he paid the shop-keeper and ran home as quickly as he could with Chet under his arm. When the wife saw her gift she was overwhelmed.
"How beautiful!" She exclaimed, "Can he talk?"
"No," the young man replied, "But he can sing. Let me show you."
So the young man whipped out his lighter and placed it under Chet's left foot, as the shop-keeper had shown him, and Chet crooned: "Jingle Bells! Jingle bells!..." The man then moved the lighter to Chet's right foot, and out came: "Silent Night, Holy night..."
The wife, her face filled with curiosity, then asked, "What if we hold the lighter between his legs?"
The man did not know. "Let's try it," he answered, eager to please his wife. So they held the lighter between Chet's legs. Chet twisted his face, cleared his throat, and the little parrot sang out loudly like it was the performance of his life:

 

 "Chet's nuts roasting on an open fire’

 

There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me.

What in the world do leaping lords, French hens,

swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come

out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?  This week, I found out.

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were

not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone

during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.

It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning

plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church.

Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality

which the children could remember.

-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.

-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.

-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.

-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.

-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.

-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.

-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching,  Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.

-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.

-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness,  Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.

         -The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.

-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.

-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.

So there is your history for today.  This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.'

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Believe

Saturday the psychologist at St. Anthony's called me at home and talked about her evaluation of my brother.  She indicated her testing showed he has brain damage to the left side of his brain, cause unknown.  She believes it is causing dementia and impacting his cognitive abilities.  I have to admit I have some skepticism about her diagnosis.  They came to some of this conclusion because Mike gave his UPS account number to a patient who told him she wanted to have something shipped.  I know my brother and doing that wasn't out of the ordinary for Mike.  He is an extremely generous person who would give anyone the shirt off his back.  I realize that isn't always a good thing and it can get him into trouble at times however that alone is hardly cause for a nursing home.  We received conflicting recommendations from the psychiatrist and the psychologist.  The psychiatrist believes Mike needs to be placed in a facility and the psychologist believes he can live alone with assistance.  

After calling a few places and looking at what is available it appears that getting him on a waiting list may be all we can do right now.  Ron and I talked and we think if we stay with Mike (Ron would move in with him and I'd be there most of the time as well) we could hopefully keep him at home until something opens.  Of course that depends on Ron's health but either way I'd have them both close enough for me to take care of them.  It's the only plan we can come up with immediately and I just hope we can pull it off.  I still have hope that Mike will continue to improve in spite of what we are being told.  I may be unrealistic but I know my brother better than anyone else and I have to see for myself.


Mike actually cracked a funny yesterday when we saw him.  I took him a Christmas T-Shirt that had a huge picture of Santa on the front with the word "BELIEVE" under it.  When I gave it to Mike he said, "Whoa....this might be shock therapy for some of these patients."
Ahhhhhhhhh you gotta love him!

The Grinch Who Stole My Christmas!

With all the things that are happening in my life right now I believe the Grinch has successfully stolen my Christmas!  I'm glad I got my house decorated and I'm enjoying sitting by the tree and watching the lights each night but that's about as much Christmas spirit as I have been able to muster.  I haven't purchased one gift or even thought about it.  I wish for only one thing this Christmas and that is for my brother to return to us happy and at peace.

Sunday Night

We went to St. Anthony's to visit Mike this afternoon.  He looked haggard but he was coherent.  He came out of the catatonic state sometime Friday morning.  The psychiatrist called me Friday night but it was really hard to understand him because of his thick accent.  It was frustrating but I was so impressed that he called.  He did say that he was changing Mike's medication and offered an explanation for what may have contributed to this relapse.  The drug Mike takes can causes severe weight gain and Mike has steadily gained weight over the past few years.  He got up to 310 pounds but his medication dosage didn't change to accommodate the extra weight.  Finally it was just ineffective.  So now it has to be increased.  Mike is down to 287 but that's due to being so sick.  The weight gain is a real problem with Resperdol but the drug really works for Mike.  It's a catch twenty-two. 

Mike is still very depressed but I tried to reassure him and told him that it will just take time and to have patience.  I've been trying to rest this weekend and just get my own emotions under control.  I have so much work to catch up on and hope tomorrow I can get some of it done.  I am so appreciative of all the encouragement and support I have received.  It has meant so much!!!!!!!!!

HOW ABOUT A LITTLE HUMOR FOR A CHANGE?

Walking can add minutes to your life. This enables you at 85 years old to spend an additional 5 months in a nursing home
at $7000 per month.
My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60.  Now he's 97 years old and we don't know where the hell he is.
I like long walks, especially when they are taken by people who annoy me.
The only reason I would take up walking is so that I could hear heavy breathing again.
I have to walk early in the morning, before my brain figures out what I'm doing.
I joined a health club last year ... spent about 400 bucks. Haven't lost a pound. Apparently you have to go there.
Every time I hear the dirty word 'exercise', I wash my mouth out with chocolate.
I do have flabby thighs, but fortunately my stomach covers them.
The advantage of exercising every day is so when you die, they'll say, 'Well, she looks good doesn't she.'
If you are going to try cross-country skiing, start with a small country.
I know I got a lot of exercise the last few years just getting over the hill.
We all get heavier as we get older, because there's a lot more information in our heads. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
.... and
Every time I start thinking too much about how I look, I just find a Happy Hour, and by the time I leave, I look just fine.

OK...not whining just updating!

On Wednesday my older brother contacted a private psychiatric hospital in Okla. City.  They indicated they had a bed and if Mike met their criteria they would accept him for treatment.  I explained this to Mike and he seemed to understand that Butch and I couldn't keep staying with him 24/7 and that he still needed further treatment.  He was willing to go and was very agreeable.  He was going to have to go through the emergency department at St. Anthony's to be evaluated so I packed a bag (of what few clothes he has left) and we headed to Okla. City which is about 27 miles north of us.  Mike started getting very anxious and after we hit the interstate he started going psychotic on us trying to open the car and jump out and reaching for the steering wheel.  I had to just throw my body over him and try to restrain him but he's a big guy at 290 pounds and strong as a bull.  


Butch managed to get us off the interstate and we finally got Mike quieter and kept heading for St. Anthony's.  By the time we got there Mike was complete psychotic, screaming and grabbing at me.  Two security guards assisted us in getting him into the ER where after he was placed on the bed Mike went completely catatonic.  That was about 2pm on Wednesday and he has not been responsive since.  He was admitted and taken to a geriatric psych. unit.  The entire process took about 8 hours from beginning to end.  We were exhausted both physically and emotionally.  I hope we hear something soon from the psychiatrist.  We were told he would actually call us.  If he does he will be the first doctor who has ever spoken to a family member about my brother's mental illness in 40 years!!!!!!!  No one ever spoke to our parents in all that time even after 6 hospitalizations.  It's unbelievable!  Of course I won't believe it until it actually happens!

I am trying to remain hopeful and they will be able to help Mike.  We will do everything possible to prevent him from going to a state hospital again.  I'd gladly die if it would just give my brother one day of peace and happiness.  I wouldn't wish what he is going through on my worst enemy.