[stopchewinggum]

Well this ended poorly........

1. Was driven to the ER by SO. Ended up "Happy Shotted"
2. Taken IP where I was actually woken up to be "happy shotted" again
3. Lost my job duh! They had previously taken away all of my off time
4. Found out my outpatient pdoc was my inpatient pdoc. He explained why I couldn't get a hold of him, and that he had fired the receptionist that was the problem child. He assured me I did the right thing by coming. He said I'd probably be going home in a few days.
5. Pdoc had some vacation scheduled. He left other pdocs to look after my case.
6. Even though I was doing better. They kept telling me it would be one more day until they would release me for 5 days, after what my pdoc said was my target date. I started asking for AMA papers, which they refused to give me, or they tried to tell my I didn't understand AMA laws. (Uh yes, I do would you like me to recite the law for you?)
7. Argued with new pdoc. He said I would be going home next week? I said no. He said Friday, then? I said no. He said tomorrow, if you behave. I said no, that what you've been saying for five days. Let's just say I my husband plus me ended up talking to administration. The big problem was that couldn't figure out how to schedule an outpatient appointment with my pdoc, who works there, and was on vacation. () You know he's on vacation right.......They kept reciting regulations. So I recited the human rights regulations they were violating to the administration.
8. I'm home. Jobless. I will be getting a second degree, so that I can work more in the math/computer field, which will be less stress for me. I'm going to try to pick up something part time. I have the math degree. I just need some comp certs.

9. Finally a Diagnosis I was under the impression that schizophrenia and bipolar disorder ruled each other out. One could either have schizoaffective bipolar disorder or bipolar disorder (I or II) with psychotic features. Apparently, my pdoc decided it was Schizophrenia and Bipoloar I, which is apparently possible just not the usual.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I'm sorry the hospital was such a mess and that you lost your job. I once left and my pdoc had gone on an emergency medical leave. Not being able to schedule me had everyone stressed out. Ultimately my family doctor took care of me until my pdoc was back.

Did they at least get some meds that help started?

[stopchewinggum]

Originally Posted by BeyondtheRainbow

I'm sorry the hospital was such a mess and that you lost your job. I once left and my pdoc had gone on an emergency medical leave. Not being able to schedule me had everyone stressed out. Ultimately my family doctor took care of me until my pdoc was back.

Did they at least get some meds that help started?

Oh yes, that's why I started telling them I wanted to leave. I was finally balanced out and longer facing the issues that brought me there. I swear my pdoc was the only sane one their. The pdoc I argued with should have been admitted. He even tried to say "he didn't know my case" I had seen him more than once already. Here' the real clincher by the way: he was also my admitting pdoc.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

That's good you got the right meds. The point of the IP stay after all...

Some pdocs are ridiculous. Many years ago I went to one who decided I was too manic and needed to be admitted. Instead of gently approaching this she started demanding I be admitted. At the time I didn't have insurance for psych stays, I knew I was fine since I'd been just as mixed (I just didn't know that term yet) for 2 months and was doing fine at work even if I was agitated. It turned into me yelling at her, her pulling out involuntary paperwork and starting it while telling me she was calling the police to take me in if I didn't calm down. Finally she realized I was yelling the rules for a 72 hour hold and how I did not meet them so she backed off. I'm not a yeller by any means but that was one time it was necessary.

My hospital is generally pretty good but I've run into a nurse or two who were out there. One hated me after my first admission when she got in trouble for giving me my entire dose of PM meds at 6:30 and then dragging out of a sound sleep to attend a group at 8 when I'd been taught by my pdoc and therapist to always go to bed after taking those meds and go to sleep immediately to not miss my window. So on a later stay she was my nurse nearly every night for 2 weeks. I was one of, at most, 5 patients for her. Yet the night before I went home she asked "Lisa" to get another patient for dinner. That is not my name so I ignored her. Turns out after all that time she didn't know my name or was trying to make me feel she didn't because she hated me. Thank God she has moved on since then.

I hope you are able to put the bad experience behind you and start to really heal.

[stopchewinggum]

My husband told them he didn't want me in that unit any longer because we had multiple violent people. I actually had guarded him from. They told, that that particular patient wasn't harmful towards other. He had actually ran straight towards me, and I pushed me and my fiance away.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

That's so scary. I am really fortunate because my hospital has a mood disorder unit and while I've seen some people get pretty agitated and security escort a few people out (to home? other units?) it's usually not scary. I'm often the scariest because I'm usually the only bipolar person an I'm generally mixed so I am all over the place and the mania tends to scare people a bit.

I did spend 30 hours in the ER waiting for a bed once with people who were agitated and violent and it was really hard. I wound up in tears after they put this really scary man next door to me; he sounded like he was going to tear the whole pysch er apart. I think he got some meds and eventually quit screaming and trying to throw things but I was too afraid to leave my room after that.

[stopchewinggum]

We had two VERY violent men. They weren't even restrained/medicated. There was me and another girl on the unit. (Thus they wouldn't move me.) She could get violent. I was worried about her at one point. I suspected she might have been sneaking self-harming in the bathroom. Eventually, after snacks the aids decided it was, finally, time to check on my warning. Well, then this turned into a brawl. I asked an aid after a while if it was safe to use the bathroom. (I had been holding my bladder) The aid was like oh of course it is. Do you need an escort? Me: hears pounding sounds. Also me: Yes, yes, I do. Let's not start on the guys who who would literally poo intentionally in the common area. I was willing to deal with this to get my meds straight, but after my meds were straight, I was ready to GO! Then, they lying by the staff? Nope unacceptable. Yes, btw we did start talking to lawyers, and yes, one said it sounded like he might take the case. I did have a little bit of cash flow at the time, and I was willing to pay.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

That's horrible. It doesn't sound like they were getting close to the needed treatment and they deserved that. Putting you in that position is also awful.

Is there another hospital nearby if you need to go again? Mine is 2.5 hours from here because it is where my pdoc is affiliated but it's worth the trip to have mood disorders.

[stopchewinggum]

My husband and I are having talks about what to do next time. He's not exactly down with "psych hospital" scene around the area. Plus, I find out the hard way there's a "severe" and "recurrent" label next to my diagnosis now, so some of the hospitals that have seen me before want me to go residential instead of just adjusting my meds......it's a long story. I can't even get most of the pdocs in the area to even prescribe to me anymore, and I've NEVER been violent. Go figure.