A sigh of relief

Alan has been in the hospital now for a little over two weeks.  At first, he was angry and paranoid.  He ranted at us, walked away, and was generally agitated when we went to see him.  The last few times we have been there, however, he has been his old self - smiling, happy to see us - and the paranoia has been lessened.

Medication changes have worked their magic.  For now, the hallucinations, agitation, and demands for people to be arrested have receded.  Today, we had a meeting with the doctor, social worker from the behavioral unit, Alan's case manager, a care worker, and the director from his assisted living home.  This is truly a wonderful pairing of people to make plans for Alan, and assist us in the transition back to his apartment.

I cannot say enough about how important it is to find a group home or assisted living facility that is committed to the residents, and willing to work with families to make the living situation as appropriate as it can be.  We have been so fortunate to have found this assisted living program, and are extremely grateful for their commitment to Alan.

For now, we are breathing a sigh of relief, a spring has returned to our step, and we have hope of having more time with the delightful young man we have always known.  The doctor tempered his remarks today by telling us that we would likely have more hospitalizations to adjust medications.  This is our new reality as we deal with continued cognitive decline.  We are so thankful to have weathered this storm of anger, paranoia, and confusion.

Alan will be coming home tomorrow or the next day.  We've put in place some changes to help him.  He needs a strict schedule, fewer choices throughout his day, and 24 hour awake staff.  All these will be in place.  As his disease progresses, the schedule we institute now will give him a sense of security, and maybe he won't be as anxious.

I can't help but feel that we are living out the 23rd Psalm.  Some verses that speak to me today:

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He mades me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul.

We are feeling the restorative power of resting in the peace of God today.


Comments

  1. love2readDecember 14, 2011 at 6:06 PM

    You are the most amazing person; hands down.

    ReplyDelete
  2. bonesong1@gmail.comDecember 15, 2011 at 12:14 AM

    Wow, praying the calm will remain and the storm blow over for now. May this be a really great Christmas tide for all of your family.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Suddenly...It's Spring

Spring comes without warning, it seems.  Suddenly everything is green, flowers are blooming, and the world is waking up.  New life is everywhere.  Robins are hopping around our backyard, some are building nests in nearby trees and shrubs.  There is an expectancy in the air. The cycle of grief is a recursive one.  Back and forth it seems to go for months on end.  Great sadness, numbness, depression, exhaustion; until one day a memory comes and it is not painful but poignant.  Rather than a tear falling, a smile comes and with it a hint of joy and a lightness of spirit. Ten months have passed since we lost our Lacy.  We made it through some big firsts; birthday, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas.  The anniversary date of his home-going is not far away. In these ten months, Kenny and I have begun to find our way into new patterns and traditions. Sunday afternoons have become a time for visiting friends, enjoying walks, or just relaxing...
Read more

Countdown

Four weeks from today will be two years since we lost Lacy. I keep getting reminders on my Facebook feed of the last few weeks of Lacy's life.  The last year, I took a picture of him every week.  I wanted to make sure I could remember him, and the good - and bad - times we had together. I feel a sense of dread about May 28.  I am thankful that it falls on Memorial Day, so we will not have to go to work.  I am also thankful that we took every opportunity to spend time with him.  The last time was 5pm on May 27, 2016.  Nine hours later, he was gone. As I drove away from the nursing home that evening, a scripture popped into my head:  ...that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection... (Philippians 3:10) That power has sustained us for nearly two years.
Read more

Day by Day

Alan is doing better since his hospitalization.  His outbursts are fewer, and are less "pitched" than before his med changes.  The staff assigned to him at his group home are doing well with him.  They have to pick their battles, as we all do, and are trying to keep him to a schedule. We took Alan to his neurology appointment this week.  Usually when someone asks Alan how he is doing, he just says "fine," but on this day he answered, "My knees are weak, and I have to lean over and hold on to things." After examination, Alan's doctor recommended physical therapy, as Alan is perilously close to falling.  While we don't know if Alan will be able to follow a therapists directions, or will even want to cooperate, we will arrange for a consultation. I can deal with the nuts and bolts of being an advocate and sometimes caregiver for my son, but I find it hard to maintain the focus I need when I hear his say that he is having trouble walking.  It is ...
Read more