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Welcome to my blog. I hope we can help each other endure the pain of the addiction of a daughter or son.

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Fleeting Glory

The day after my last post Beth got kicked out of her not the boyfriend's house for smoking crack. She said that everyone was making too much of a big deal about a little slip up. I have only texted a few words with her since that time.

My father became the main focus of our concerns as he spent the last 6 days in the hospital. Five of those days were in the ICU. I knew he wasn't right because he was sitting in his chair for the past few weeks with no desire to eat or participate in any activities. I took him to my house and the Dr. when he told me that he tried to call me during the night as he felt so sick but could not figure out how to use the phone. (It was a new smart phone and he is 77.) The Dr. gave him an antidepressant but he kept getting worse.

My husband started to complain that I should put my foot down and take him to the emergency room against his will if necessary because his change in mental status was sudden and alarming. The man who could fix everything including the equipment that keeps aircraft apart in the sky could not figure out how to make a call on a new cell phone though I explained it over 20 times.

We were on our way to the ER when our Dr. called. She said his blood work had come back very low in sodium. It was a life threatening reaction that could cause seasure, brain damage or death. He felt better almost imediately but the confusion lasted until the last day in the hospital. FYI :  He was on Benacar with a diuretic added right to the pill. The kidney Dr. at the hospital said it was not advisable for older patients.

Thank God that he seems pretty normal now. My sister who lives right next door will keep a good eye on him while I go on vacation starting Wed. My Dad was supposed to come along but he does not feel confident to go to a third world country right now. Can't say I blame him.

I will be off to Colombia SA on Wed by way of Panama. Looking forward to 15 days of total imersion in Spanish and renewal of friendships which are over 40 years old.

7 comments:

  1. Oh gosh about your dad. Very scary. I'm glad things are settling down and you get to go on your trip. I'm also dad decided to stay home this time.

    As to Beth...that is just typical addict talk...this is nothing, its not as a big a deal as everyone is making it out to be. That kind of denial always makes me crazy and wonder if I am the one over reacting. "Is it a big deal? Was she really smoking crack?" Round and round we go. Be strong Anna.

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  2. I'm glad your dad is home and doing ok. That had to be scary. Enjoy your trip.

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  3. Anna, enjoy your trip. SA is one of the few places I've never been.
    My husband is tutoring a woman from Venezuela right now. Her and her husband fled the Chavez government. She is extremely smart, with a masters, but does not do well with conversational English.

    The nice thing for my husband is she is helping him with conversational Spanish.

    As for me, I start Hebrew..uhmm, well that was supposed to be yesterday!

    Glad your dad got out of the woods before your trip. As for Beth, she can find her own way out of the woods when she is ready.

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  4. the key words there are: 'when shes ready'
    closet-junkie101.blogspot.com

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  5. Have a wonderful trip Anna.

    Thank goodness your Dad is better.

    As for Beth, I really don't have any words except I am sorry.

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  6. I am still reading! So glad your Dad got the help he needed in the hospital. How is Beth now?

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  7. In case this helps ... my sister is bipolar and was a serious drug addict including crack/heroin - she is no longer an addict and is relatively happy - we never totally withdrew from her we were always there for her but we used common sense to encourage her towards a happier life and we didnt let her mistakes dominate our short lives - if you believe in an afterlife then u have the luxury of thinking you can withdraw now for a better hereafter - I dont have that luxury so have to make the best of this life and its imperfect relationships - even when my sister was climbing the wall with withdrawal and mania there still were intense moments of love, fun and understanding - thats what made it worthwhile.

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