Neanderthals

Nick has been very, very frustrated & consequently the rest of us have been too. His verbal communication skills are very compromised. I don't know if it's his meds, or not. He's been on topamax for years, so why should the short term memory become so bad??? Yet, he had been on depakote for quite a while & he was taken off because he developed toxicity to it.

A lady in the ward gave me the name of a psychiatrist in Pocatello that she goes to. I keep forgetting to call to see if he takes Idaho Medicaid. I'd like to get Nick off topamax.

Last night Don ended up sitting in the car, just to get away from Nick. This morning when Don-Mike came in, I could hear he was not his normal cheerful self. Soon Nick was having a meltdown & called Don-Mike a neanderthal. Don-Mike said thank you, he took that as a compliment. Not all of us could be as smart as Nick. That set Nick off even more & called us all neanderthals. Don-Mike commented that he doesn't even like to come over here anymore. I told him that I don't like to come home either. It's become a prison. Mother & Don-Mike are fortunate not to have to live with Nick all the time.

I told Don that maybe I should change my user name to Neanderthal Mom. I used to have a modicum of intelligence, but now I discover I don't even have that.

Nick's psychosocial rehabilitation plan expired in September, I think. Medicaid is changing the goals for PSR, grrr. Yesterday, Karen Talbot from Priestley Mental Health came by & we spent an hour and a half revamping his plan. I sure wish we still had Bill Salerno on board as Nick's counselor. Since the PSR plan expired, we haven't had that service for about 6 weeks. Sure hope it kicks in again SOON.

Typing psychiatrist made me think of the massacre at Fort Hood, Texas. How horrifying it is that this would happen on a US Army base, but even more horrifying that it was a psychiatrist that perpetrated it.

Potassium still low

Dr. Broadbent called today about 4:45 to tell me my potassium is low. I told him I was feeling great. I was, it was late afternoon & after my usual slow start, I was finally getting something done. I asked him what it was & he said it was 3.1. I told him that was good, for me. A lot better than it was 2 weeks ago when he scared me so badly.

No, he wants it at 3.6 when I have my surgery on Monday. He wanted to know what I'd been doing to raise my potassium level. I told him I was taking my normal potassium dosage, 40 meqs a day. He wants me to up it to 80 meqs for the weekend & that should bring it up to normal limits by Monday.

I need to drink lots of water between now & Monday so they can get an IV in. I absolutely dread IVs. It takes several pokes for them to finally get one in.

I also asked about the red blood count. It was a little low, as is normal, but nothing to worry about.

Nick paid his speeding ticket today. Bill, his psychosocial rehabilitation (PSR) counselor came over today. I heard them talking about road rage, so I came back in, took my hearing aid out & made some telephone calls.