We have had our run in with Salvia and Wild Dagga in the past when my son first came to live with me April 2013. It seems we were destined to have another run in with it yesterday.
DrugFacts: Salvia
I wrote about it in my first chapter here: http://schizophreniamomsjourney.blogspot.ca/p/1-my-big-boy-is-home.html
It produces hallucinogenic experiences that mimic psychosis. I had forgotten this and my son had already talked about wanting to get some on the plane ride home. I just told him not in the home so of course off he went to the corner store and came home with it and a pipe. I looked it up again and informed that it was a no go and why. He didn't argue and said ok to throwing it out and didn't put up a fight about me throwing out the pipe as well stating whatever didn't cause an argument between us. I would have to say I'm really liking the Invega :)
I'm not sure how much of what happened between us before he was taken to the shelter is playing a role here however he is still wanting to be out on his own. I think he still wants to do what he wants when he wants however without the attitude and since he can't do that here I think it is motivating him to want his own place. The reality is that him wanting his own place right now is not a good thing. He is not capable of taking care of himself. We are in agreement that a group home will help to teach him the necessary skills to take care of himself. He will always have people to talk to and will never be alone. He will be a part of that community and the things that they do. I assured him that this happening does not stop me from being mom that he will never lose this. I will always be a part of his life no matter where he is.
I did take a peak at some notes on the laptop yesterday... There is one dated July 30 stating not to worry that he would soon be moving to a place where he could live in peace. Kind of telling that perhaps the whole scenario was partially orchestrated by him to get what he wanted. Him telling me that he wanted me to kick him out because he didn't want to be here seems to support this. He had a goal in mind and he made sure it happened. I guess I will have to have my own guards up to make sure I don't get pulled into this type of thinking again since my son is very good at knowing what buttons to push.
My son seems to be doing much better. Yesterday there was no obvious signs of voices. No laughing for no reason. He went to the corner store by himself and he also biked to Walmart by himself to get a new PS4 game. He also came back with a speaker. Oh joy! Definitely have to get him out to buy enough cigarettes to last him awhile before his money is all gone as I gave him his bank card yesterday, letting him know that that money may have to last him 3 months since I still don't know the status of his disability file here.
When he got up yesterday the first thing he did was to walk out and pat me on the head. He does this sometimes and I think it's his way of showing me affection. He set his PS4 up in the living room and I let him know that is fine however in the evenings when my husband is home then he can't have control over the living room TV. He had trouble getting the PS4 screen to fit the TV screen so I looked it up and fixed it. He commented how I seem to be able to fix these things when he can't just like I have in the past for him. Hubby commented along the lines that I'm more then a pretty face. Yup I'm all that! ;) It felt good to have this banter happening with my son.
I made fish, rice and vegetables for dinner since I know my son likes rice and the fish is good for his brain, especially right now. He ate all of his rice and vegetables and over half of his fish. I was impressed! He even took 2 Omega 3-6-9 supplements and a multivitamin. We had discussed the Omega 3 on the plane as being part his 'very healthy life' note. While there doesn't seem to be conclusive evidence that Omega 3 helps or prevents schizophrenia there are still a lot of studies and testimonials showing that it can help with symptoms.
Omega 3 fish oils tested as preventative approach to schizophrenia with positive results
I'm really hoping that I can get him started on some healthy routines and habits now so that as he gains stability there will be less resistance to following through on them.
We discussed an appropriate bedtime. I wanted 11 however he asked for somewhere between 12:15 and 12:45 and I agreed. My son is pretty consistent in not following through or following rules... He was still up at 3 so I shooed him off to bed. Of course there was the usual me getting up to ask him to turn things down as it was keeping me awake. I'm guessing my insomnia is going to love this! As I was finally getting it under control...
His psychiatrist was here this morning. He will be doing a prescription for Trazodone that my son can take as needed. He suggested other ones like Seroquel which is a sedating antipsychotic however I said no as I know my son didn't like it the last time he was put him on it. I suggested the Trazodone as I know that he never had a problem with taking it other then not wanting to take 200 mg. He didn't mind taking 100 mg when he did take it. He agreed when the psychiatrist asked him about it. I asked the psychiatrist about his Gabapentin/Neurontin since I still have them and he said it's probably best to limit the number of medications he is taking for now. I have always appreciated the approach of his psychiatrists here to not have him on more medications than is necessary. I was worried that the amount of his Invega shot may not be high enough however he is doing better now so hopefully we can keep it at 75 mg. It appears that a Community Treatment Order is a no go for now. Even though he was inpatient for over 30 days in British Columbia, he has not been inpatient for over 30 days here in Ontario so he doesn't meet the criteria here. He has to have been inpatient for 30 days within the last 3 years here in Ontario or a previous CTO in Ontario, which hasn't happened.
Community Treatment Orders - Ontario
He wanted to call his friend to go see him however I let him know that I am saying no to that happening right now as he is unable to say no to drugs and alcohol on his own so for now I get to be the bad one and say no for him. He wanted to know why it's such a bad thing so I asked him how many breaks would he like to have? And explained that each break causes brain damage so how much damage does he want to do? If he wants to become retarded (sorry if that offends anyone) then keep going... He can't remember how to sign into online banking or how to use his visa bank card and I explained that's because his last break seems to have caused some damage. He seems fairly accepting of letting me think for him right now however I'm not sure how long that is going to last. He also seems agreeable to participating more with PACT and their group programs as I told him that that is another area that he can become a part of that community. This came up when he asked me for ideas on how to fill in his morning routines. He actually just talked to his case worker as he asked about having someone to talk to do about his personal problems so I suggested he talk to PACT. I'm hoping to further his bound with them so that he knows that they are always there to help him and support him. She is coming to see him tomorrow and they may be going for coffee!
PACT is trying to get his Trazodone prescription done and have it delivered to us by the pharmacy. Sometimes I get a little tired of having to explain how thing work to people :) I asked who was going to pay for it? The pharmacy should have his last ODSP (disability) card... Yes and they get a new card every month so the one sent out for September will not cover November. *sigh* They haven't been able to get a hold of ODSP either. We were given a number to call for medical coverage outside of ODSP and they should be calling us back tomorrow as his file was marked as urgent. *fingers crossed* they approve him. I wish I had known about this the last time as I might not have had to pay for his medications for 3 months. Oh well... Live and learn right? His case worker may even go to ODSP in person tomorrow if they can't get anywhere. I told her it's really nice to have someone do something for me for a change!
Hubby is on his way home from work and it's off to get cigarettes... Knowing my son he will also get some chewing tobacco. Yes ewww... Although he said it's better then satisfying his other addictions which I have to agree :)
Mom
BarbieBF
Showing posts with label Community Treatment Order. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community Treatment Order. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
You're real?!
Friday was the first time I had seen my son since September and obviously since his last full psychotic break. This break has a different feel about it then the one I saw him go through September of last year. A lot of it is the same of course however I don't recall the disorganization and word salad. I find myself having to ask him what certain words mean and once he describes it then I fill in the appropriate word. On the plane ride home he was tapping the tray and arm rest with a knuckle. When I asked him why he said he was testing the bandwidth of the carriage. I asked if he meant the density of the airplane and he said yes. Once he told me I was his limbo which meant I was like his left arm.
I didn't realize just how much he was still in psychosis until we were in the cafeteria at the hospital and he asked me how to tell if something was real or not. I asked him he was unsure about being in the cafeteria and he said yes and was concerned that the cafeteria would be scary to me. I can only guess at what he must have been seeing or hallucinating to think I would find it scary. He had denied hearing voices with the hospital psychiatrist however he knew better. I usually refer to them as entities as voices to me just don't give them justice. They are not just the sound of a voice. Clearly these entities were with us in the cafeteria so I told my son to not be afraid to try some reality checking by walking up to and touching what he is seeing to see if they are real. I toke his hand and had him touch my shoulder and after a couple of seconds he squeezed my shoulder and either asked or stated: You are real?!. Yes hun I'm real. Then I had him do the same with his sister so that he could know that we were both really there. It was sad to think that up until then he must have questioned that he was walking and talking with hallucinations. The severity of how sick he was struck me at that instance.
I questioned if I should have had him released when I did and I very much question if he should be out of the hospital yet. He is still too unstable. He wrote some notes on the plane and his thoughts are messed up. Some are good however the others are about sex and weapons. He actually asked me if he could have a gun... I added to his notes by changing his good thought of having a 'somewhat health life' to a 'very healthy life' and adding love, hope, family and that I love him very much. He seemed to like this. He did spend some time playing Mahjong, a matching tile game, on my phone for a bit. I was impressed to see that he could multitask to a certain degree. He still matched tiles even while he was laughing at his voices or intrusive thoughts :) I did ask him what they (voices) thought about me or if they had anything to say about me and apparently not so that is a good thing. I tried a couple of times to ask what was so funny that they must be saying something fairly funny however he couldn't or wouldn't tell me other then one comment about a dog's penis... Not sure I want to know more then that. He seems to have a fascination with animals during these times and not in a good way.
I did call disability again and left a message that he is here. I just called the pharmacy here to find out if they can bill another province for medications and was told 'sometimes it works'. I was really hoping for a yes as I'm hoping to get a sleep aide prescribed since getting him to bed last night was pretty much a no go and he needs his sleep to recover.
I have talked to his case worker at PACT today and she has already set up an appointment for his psychiatrist to come see him tomorrow. I have to talk to him about the amount of Invega he is on as 75 mg seems low to me. I also have to talk to him about putting my son on a Community Treatment Order (CTO) for medications. Hopefully the number of hospitalizations, now 8 of them, will be enough to have one put into place. I forgot to ask his case worker if she had prepared any releases for him to sign. Maybe PACT can have better luck getting disability to respond if they have a release signed. I think the psychiatrist will assess if my son needs to be hospitalized or not. He was left on Lithium as the psychiatrist was concerned there may be a mood component and didn't want to take any chances. I'm guessing that means he could be schizoaffective?
We got home around 1:30 last night... I had hoped that I would get him to bed at a reasonable time. Nope! Having the laptop and PSP4 set up was the first priority. Then it was the TV blaring at around 5 AM as he was watching Constantine. He said after that episode. Then it was calling Nana. Then it was not being able to sleep. Then I was being woken up as he wanted his bank card, then his glasses cause he was playing his PSP... I think he finally went to sleep after my husband left for work. Not sure how to fix this as this can't keep happening, him getting his nights and days mixed up, as it can contribute to psychosis.
It's 2:50 PM and my son just got up! I was thinking I would have to drag him out of bed if I wanted him sleeping tonight. Now that he is up I will put away his cloths.
Mom
BarbieBF
I didn't realize just how much he was still in psychosis until we were in the cafeteria at the hospital and he asked me how to tell if something was real or not. I asked him he was unsure about being in the cafeteria and he said yes and was concerned that the cafeteria would be scary to me. I can only guess at what he must have been seeing or hallucinating to think I would find it scary. He had denied hearing voices with the hospital psychiatrist however he knew better. I usually refer to them as entities as voices to me just don't give them justice. They are not just the sound of a voice. Clearly these entities were with us in the cafeteria so I told my son to not be afraid to try some reality checking by walking up to and touching what he is seeing to see if they are real. I toke his hand and had him touch my shoulder and after a couple of seconds he squeezed my shoulder and either asked or stated: You are real?!. Yes hun I'm real. Then I had him do the same with his sister so that he could know that we were both really there. It was sad to think that up until then he must have questioned that he was walking and talking with hallucinations. The severity of how sick he was struck me at that instance.
I questioned if I should have had him released when I did and I very much question if he should be out of the hospital yet. He is still too unstable. He wrote some notes on the plane and his thoughts are messed up. Some are good however the others are about sex and weapons. He actually asked me if he could have a gun... I added to his notes by changing his good thought of having a 'somewhat health life' to a 'very healthy life' and adding love, hope, family and that I love him very much. He seemed to like this. He did spend some time playing Mahjong, a matching tile game, on my phone for a bit. I was impressed to see that he could multitask to a certain degree. He still matched tiles even while he was laughing at his voices or intrusive thoughts :) I did ask him what they (voices) thought about me or if they had anything to say about me and apparently not so that is a good thing. I tried a couple of times to ask what was so funny that they must be saying something fairly funny however he couldn't or wouldn't tell me other then one comment about a dog's penis... Not sure I want to know more then that. He seems to have a fascination with animals during these times and not in a good way.
I did call disability again and left a message that he is here. I just called the pharmacy here to find out if they can bill another province for medications and was told 'sometimes it works'. I was really hoping for a yes as I'm hoping to get a sleep aide prescribed since getting him to bed last night was pretty much a no go and he needs his sleep to recover.
I have talked to his case worker at PACT today and she has already set up an appointment for his psychiatrist to come see him tomorrow. I have to talk to him about the amount of Invega he is on as 75 mg seems low to me. I also have to talk to him about putting my son on a Community Treatment Order (CTO) for medications. Hopefully the number of hospitalizations, now 8 of them, will be enough to have one put into place. I forgot to ask his case worker if she had prepared any releases for him to sign. Maybe PACT can have better luck getting disability to respond if they have a release signed. I think the psychiatrist will assess if my son needs to be hospitalized or not. He was left on Lithium as the psychiatrist was concerned there may be a mood component and didn't want to take any chances. I'm guessing that means he could be schizoaffective?
We got home around 1:30 last night... I had hoped that I would get him to bed at a reasonable time. Nope! Having the laptop and PSP4 set up was the first priority. Then it was the TV blaring at around 5 AM as he was watching Constantine. He said after that episode. Then it was calling Nana. Then it was not being able to sleep. Then I was being woken up as he wanted his bank card, then his glasses cause he was playing his PSP... I think he finally went to sleep after my husband left for work. Not sure how to fix this as this can't keep happening, him getting his nights and days mixed up, as it can contribute to psychosis.
It's 2:50 PM and my son just got up! I was thinking I would have to drag him out of bed if I wanted him sleeping tonight. Now that he is up I will put away his cloths.
Mom
BarbieBF
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)