Proverbs 13:12

7:45 am - Mike still sleeping.

OK, more information.

Thursday, May 2, spoke with Dr. Sommers and Tom Watkins the case manager/social worker. Dr. Sommers said throughout the course of the week, he had ascertained that Mike was quite sensitive to the psych medication and that it disinhibited him. So he decided to try a mild medication that he uses with children called Vistaril or Atarax or hydroxyzine. This is a sedating antihistamine. Look it up, the different uses are quite interesting. Dr. Sommers started Mike on that on Wednesday along with a small dosage of the psych medication, ZyPrexa, and he is still taking the Neurontin. Wednesday went very well. Thursday I spoke with Mike twice during the day and he was so clear and MUCH calmer.  Dr. Sommers felt that some of the remaining anxiety was probably due to the environment and being cooped up, but wanted me to come visit Thursday night and see if I was comfortable bringing him home on Friday.

My cousin, PJ, was available to ride with me that night, so we enjoyed visiting with each other and then had a really great visit with Mike. He started out a bit agitated and antsy, but as we asked questions and started telling him different things, he calmed down and then started asking his own questions.  I told him about Keegan’s new job, car, and move to Charlotte and when I was done, he asked me to repeat what I had said.  When I did, he was really concentrating and would repeat some of the things I said.  Later, he was able to tell us the information.  PJ told him about her job and he would recall some of that information also. We were sitting on either side of him and started pressing his fingers flat while stretching his wrists backwards and he would sit there, eyes closed, listening to us talk and seemingly really enjoying having us work on his hands. He might get a little antsy and we’d stop, but in a few minutes, he’d stick his hands back out and relax again. We were there for probably 1 ½ hours and both came away amazed. God is so good!

Sometimes it is good to take a risk, move, switch doctors, and get new perspectives. I have no doubt in my mind that God has orchestrated all of the above. I am so thankful for Dr. Sommers’ “attacking” the problem, getting to the root of the issue, and going right on and trying different medications. I also don’t believe it was an accident that Dr. Sommers was Mike’s psychiatrist while in the hospital. I learned from some very dear friends, who know Dr. Sommers, that he is a believer in Jesus and a wonderful person. He is not in private practice so cannot be Mike’s psychiatrist now that he is out of the hospital, but I know God orchestrated having him there for us and gave him the wisdom to know what to do. Our God is AWESOME!

I am also very thankful for the 10 day respite that God gave me.  It is the longest period of rest I’ve had since April 25, 2012 and I sorely needed it.  I probably should have done some other things, but I spent a lot of time planting, weeding, working with my Dad, organizing, cleaning out refrigerators, and basically doing what I wanted to do. PLUS, I was able to spend more time in God’s word and in fellowship with Him and not feeling totally distracted. Spending relaxed and quiet time with the Lord really energized and renewed me.

10:55pm

Proverbs 13:12a “Hope deferred makes the heart sick…”

That verse should tell you a lot.  The Mike we saw yesterday was only visible for about 2 hours after breakfast this morning.  Heavy sigh… There was lots of pacing and repeating. I was unable to distract him or engage him in anything else either. After he finished his lunch, he abruptly got up from the table and said he was going to his room. He went into the laundry room and sat down at the table there with his chin on his hands.  When I finished eating, he said he wanted to go to bed so I let him take a nap, a long nap, while I helped Daddy with the nesting boxes for the chickens.  Maybe that was the mistake.  When I got him up, the old struggles began.  I was given an extra prescription of ZyPrexa to use in cases of high agitation and had to resort to giving it to him after about 20 minutes of trying to work with him.  He sat for a little while this evening and watched the Kentucky Derby, but otherwise was repeating, repeating, repeating. 

Proverbs 13:12b “…but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”  Am heartsick tonight, but still hoping for that tree of life.