My Sister Joyce

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone.

I really don't know where to begin but I will try. Joyce went on the roller

coaster ride. After coming off the Abilify and Xanax, she was like a new

person. She could carry on a sensible conversation and walk real well. Around

the first of July, her doctor took her off Zoloft and she went ballistic. I

think I told you that she couldn't be still. She walked around calling Clyde

(her husband) and me. She cried all the time and told us she was going to die.

I called her doc and he said he would restart the Zoloft and add back the

Seroquel. Well - it took forever to get this done. In the meantime, one of the

CNAs told me that Joyce had a hint of blood on her underpants and that she had

told the head nurse. The next day when I visited - nothing had been done to

verify if she had a UTI. The head nurse told me the day before that she was

getting a home health nurse to come and get a catherized specimen of Joyce's

urine. It took TWO days for the home health to come and get the specimen. She

said she would take it to Joyce's doctor and he would let us know. By this

time, I was totally frustrated so I asked for a meeting with the Director and

the Head Nurse. They saw how upset I was. The Director had seen how bad Joyce

was several days earlier and told me that she really needed something for her

depression and hallucinations (slight). If I have learned one thing from our

group it is to be diligent about advocating for our LO. I learned this lesson

well because I was so angry. The head nurse told me they had not gotten the

results from the specimen and that it would take four or five days. I told her

that was UNACCEPTABLE. I told her to call the doctor's office and get a

prescription phoned in to the drug store and that I would go and pick it up

myself and not wait for them to deliver it. She called the doctor and he said

she did have a UTI and that he would phone in the prescription. I went to the

drug store and picked it up. I found out that they had not started Joyce back on

the Zoloft that the doc ordered around the first of July. I raised a fuss about

that with the druggist and he said the Zoloft was delivered that very afternoon.

The Seroquel was started also. What a nightmare!

In the midst of all of this, my husband's brother passed away and we were at

Wesley Woods part of everyday and in Atlanta at his brother's house the other

half. I can't wait until I see Joyce today to see if there is any noticeable

change. Lin - if you read this, all the while I was talking with the Director

and the head nurse, I could almost hear you in the background saying, " YOU, GO

GIRL! " Thanks to all of you.

Love,

June Keebler