Saturday, April 12, 2008

Justa number

100_0897 Indy is always smiling. It must be great to be a dog. Or is it that we just spoil him?

That's what I felt like justa

sitting in the waiting room and waiting and waiting and waiting.I hope to finish up the CPEP journey today. I left you off with me having been through only one of the three steps to getting my medications adjusted and hitting the road to freedom. I say it like this because after awhile it got to feeling like a prison camp. It was about 6:00 pm at this time and some people (me amongst them) were getting hungry.

Some one suggested I go up and ask about

getting fed as they'd been there before and they knew they brought sandwiches and such in a container out like on the airliners. Being the shy, withdrawn and scared to say any thing kind of person that I'm not. I went up to the window and asked the girl behind her Strongly fortified cubby hole. When me and my new found best buds, could be expecting the dinner bell to ring. The girl told me that someone would be out to feed us soon. Ok, soon is good right? 5 or 10 minutes, that's soon in my book.

Well soon in her book must have

been much later. Some one had noticed the stack of containers of food on the desk in the back and told me about them. So when 7:00 pm came and we still didn't have our food. I took it upon my self to ask for permission to use the Bathroom. It just happens to be back near where the food was stacked waiting for delivery to us. You guessed it! I became a delivery man. I brought one for me and another one for some one else back with me to the waiting room. Every one else motivated by the look of the Peanut Butter and Jam sandwich or was it the stale chocolate cake, soon went out on their own and got one and brought it back in. Had we not done that, we'd still be sitting there waiting for "a little while" to get there. 

See I'm taking to long to tell the story

After we ate the delicious gourmet meal. I ,after going up and asking how much longer it was going to be to see the counselor was called into the back again to see said counselor. Some more discussions of why I was there and my medical and mental history were discussed. Here I thought I was seeing the Doctor, so I opened up enough to explain to him my situation, thinking that he would understand my need, fill it and we would part our ways, and live happily ever after. No, No, this was only step two of three. Back out into the waiting room again. A new cast of characters was mixed in with some of the older ones that had been there awhile. 

Now we're to about hour nine of my journey into absurdity!

It goes quick after this about 10:00 pm I'm called into the back for the final step. I now get to talk to Dr.Whoever. I'm about the 30th person she has seen on her nearly, 6 hours into her shift(She's into I just want to go home and take my shoes off, put me feet up and watch Dave Eicorn tell me what the weather is going to be tomorrow mode)We did have an interesting discussion that lasted maybe 20 minutes. She gave me two medicines. The first ones being Abilify 10mg (which would knock a horse out) I know because it sure hit me pretty hard when I took it. It only took about 1 hour for it to start working. The second one is Lorazepam 1 mg which is to be taken when the first one gives me anxiety. Great system right. I can't argue, they work. The problem for me is The Abilify cost me $78.00 even with my Pomco insurance.(They paid $300.00 something) The second one is relatively inexpensive. And yeah, I discontinued the Rispedal I was on. No problem I only spent $90.00 for that about 2 weeks ago.

Now, for as quick as an exit as I can make on this post. If you or a loved one have need to go to CPEP, in my opinion, DON'T, go to one of the other emergency rooms in the area. I believe Community Hospital and University Hospital takes Mental emergency patients. From what I understand CPEP is for acute cases. There is nothing cute about having a mental disorder. Believe me I know. Join the discussion. Leave a comment. Do you or a love one suffer from a mental disorder? Do you know someone who does? Do you work in the social work field and can share some insight into this disorder, Or into the blight of Mental health in today's budgeting cutbacks?

2 comments:

ladyinred1953 said...

The trouble with the system and mental illness, is that some of the folks who make the rules and fund money, do not take mental illness seriously. We need more faacilities for mental health patients, where they can be helped. Anyone who has a menatl condition, and anyone who lives with or loves a person with a mental condition, know how very real it is. Love , Cin

Mark Krusen said...

Thanks for all your support dear.And thanks for taking the time to comment. I don't know what I did to deserve you. I love ya babe!