synergy

Improvements

The pain of the past week is starting to ebb for K and for myself. Last night, K began to feel better and we were able to go out to Polly's for dinner. Polly's has finally installed air conditioning, so despite the miserable heat and humidity, we were cool and comfortable inside. My favorite hamburger has smoked mozzarella and avocado on it, yum!

K is continuing to improve this morning. She has an appointment with Dr. X, the psychiatrist. I'm not sure if he will make any changes despite the pain of the past week. My guess is that the lithium may need to be raised a bit, but nothing more. Any changes are a challenge, due to the number of medications she takes and the risk of interactions between the medications and the heart disease and menopause and so forth. She takes an Excel spreadsheet of her latest medications with her for every doctor's visit.

I go with her to the psychiatric visits due to the memory loss from the electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) or shock treatment. Between ECT and the drugs of the past nine months, K's memory can be spotty. My presence helps provide a perspective on how she is doing as well and to remember what's happened to tell the doctor, and I am reassured by hearing everything first hand.

We have been fortunate that none of her doctors or hospitals have given us any problems about our relationship being a same-sex relationship. Even before they had the formal medical power of attorney given to them, I was never prevented from seeing her in the hospital. Beyond not giving us problems, there is respect for our relationship and the doctors share information with us both. I've heard a number of stories from heterosexual couples and other caretakers where the doctor won't tell them anything. I couldn't take care of K if that were the case. We would be switching doctors.

posted by synergy @ 9:46 AM