My husband gets out of the hospital tomorrow. The last 24 hours have been topsy turvy. He was given a roommate who tried to start a fight with him. It didn’t get beyond words that I can tell, but my husband was furious last night and had told the Dr that he wanted to kill the guy. The Dr apparently told my husband given what had happened that was understandable (WHAT?!) so when I go today I hope one of the chatty nurses are on duty so I can find out what happened. It must not have been too bad bcz if it had been my husband would have had a 24 hour escort and he did not. He was transferred to a new room.
He’s very frustrated that he wants help but there is no inpatient help available and they want him to go to some groups at our local VA. That’s a waste. He has been before and it was not helpful. He found a friend in the hospital though, that lives in our town and has agreed to take him to meetings with her. Yes, you heard that right. With her. She must be 10 or 15 years older than us because of when she served. I’m a little freaked out by that but I can’t show it. Gotta have faith, I guess.
Anyway, I can’t see that much has changed in the week he has been there. Still no medications. The only real improvements that I see are that he seems to have accepted his delusions about me. I’m sure he has them but he has able to move past them while in the hospital anyway. Another improvement is that one of the nurses (he is friendly with the staff and the nurses love him) told me that she can see a huge HUGE improvement in his functioning this stay and the last stay. The last improvement I see is the one that makes me feel weird… finding the local friend who will take him to meetings. At least he kind of almost has a plan.
I’m so worried about tomorrow. Since substance abuse is a big part of his picture, I’m afraid that he will go buy or get drugs when he gets back. That sends him down a delusional rabbit hole. He says he is not interested in that, but he said that last time. I don’t want to be his mother and quiz him “where are you going?did you buy drugs?” Etc etc. He has severe chronic pain as a result of his military career- he’s mentioned about 100 times how the narcotics helped the pain and now it’s killing him. Strangly, the VA has talked to him about medical marijuana but we don’t live in a state where that is possible. I’m not sure why on earth that would come up with his Dr when he wants to go to rehab for narcotics. His earlier involvement in the VA left him addicted to opiates, so you can see why I’m scared.
All I can do is hope and pray. I have such high hopes. Sorry this is so long…again…