The Pops and I left my Mom in the hospital. When you faint for no reason ,they generally want to check out all your vitals and find out why you fainted. Around 7pm, a knock on the door. Mom’s home! Weirdness, b.c I just spoke to someone at the hospital who said she was still being monitored. Technically, she didn’t flee the scene. She just got tired of being there and demanded to be discharged. Then Mom took a cab home w/o letting us know she was coming home. The part that worries me is that the woman doesn’t seem quite ‘with it.’ Isn’t not knowing what day it is grounds to stay at the hospital? Should be an interesting Sunday in the house with Mom. In an ordinary family this would not be a huge deal. But my Mom, in addition to the numerous health failings, has schizoaffective disorder. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizoaffective_disorder
Of the things to have, mental illness is up there on my gripes with the Lord. It’s the cruelest category of disease b/c there’s so much uncertainty attached to it. My Mom has had several breaks from reality in my lifetime but was ‘fine’ for a decade. Schizoaffective disorder is mood disorder (those ups and downs) combined with very scary schizophrenia symptoms like hallucinations and hearing voices. Since 2001, Mom has been to the hospital twice, each time I had to be the one to decide it was time. Horrible but necessary. Now, the oddness of her behavior is making me worry that there may be another break with reality. BTW, It’s a huge deal for me even to WRITE about this. For years, only a handful of friends have been privy. But as I get older, am starting to see that the secrecy is shame based and there IS nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a more serious disease that others but it’s still a disease.
