Psych Meds or Not

This morning, Angela talked nearly nonstop, all rambling, but she was, at least for the most part, not agitated.       She was also refusing all medications and all food.  Her doctor wanted to give her some psych meds.  These scare me, and even those trying to get me to consent couldn't say with any confidence that they would help her.  They were considering two - Geodon and Invega.  Geodon has the advantage of being able to be given in a shot, so Angela wouldn't have to do anything.  However, it is metabolized through the liver - not a plus.  Invega is not metabolized through the liver, but it is a time release oral pill, so Angela has to voluntarily swallow it.  Early in the afternoon, I consented to the Geodon in an effort to get her to take the Lactulose, which still seems the only avenue to recovery for her.  And it worked.  Twenty minutes after the shot, she was conversing normally, agreeing to take her meds, and eating a little lunch.  Then she fell asleep, which was expected.  However, she only slept three hours and then resumed her rambling.  The plan is for them to repeat this 12 hours later, around 2 am, and if possible give her one of the Invega tablets.  They only have to be taken every 24 hours, and the hope is that they will keep her amenable to taking the Lactulose until it can bring down her ammonia levels and she can think straight.

Her doctor wants to release her tomorrow, saying that they can't do anything for her at the hospital that can't be done at home.  They have also offered a nursing home as an alternative.  I can't imagine sending her to a nursing home to be ignored!  I made arrangements with the social worker to have in place what she will need at home.

Then, in the evening, Debbie--the owner of the company that provides her supported living services--came to visit and said she did not feel Angela was ready to go home.  I had previously told her doctor I would feel much more comfortable if she stayed in the hospital until it could be figured out just which psych meds would be beneficial and the appropriate amounts.  The doctor said that could be done at home.  Anyway, Debbie is going to go to bat for us tomorrow morning in an effort to stay in the hospital a little longer.  We are blessed because she has fought this kind of battle before and knows who to enlist and what steps to take.

We continue to pray for peace for Angela and wisdom to make some very difficult decisions and are so thankful for all those who are praying with us.