Let the T-Day drama commence.

[1footouttadefog]

This is a common behaviour.  Pds love holidays as a time to escalate. They love attention opportunities to act out.  And we all know the kitchen is the best place for drama. 

TDay offers the perfect blend of circumstances for PDness to shine.  We got to start early this year.  PD H has post nasal drip and thick mucus in his throat.  It's apparently fatal or nearly so.  A couple days before he was scheduled to see a doc anyway, He could not wait any longer and started attention seeking behaviour and drama. All I could think was this was all going to escalate until he ruined all weekend for everyone.  I took him to the drug store to see if there was yet something else he could try.  Before we could even get there he started choking himself and gouging his fingers into his throat saying he could feel a limp and it needed cut out.  Then he went in an inhenged rant about how his sinus surgeon from years ago was all wrong and did nothing for him.  He needed a new surgery.  He was saying he could just puncture his throat and get the stuff to drain or could vacuum it out.

At this point he has been several nights without sleep and that is a dangerous situation for he and I both in that a bad mix manic episode can come on due to a lack of sleep.   

I took him back home fed and walked the dog then took him to the VA hospital.  Fortunately they were not busy at all, I would have felt horrible if it had been full of people with injuries or chest pains. 

We had a good talk with the doc about what we had tried and what other options were available given the meds he is on and other conditions.  The doc made a useful suggestion and also had a talk about sleep hygiene and some other things. 

Of course it's all brilliant coming from the doc.  The over the counter med he suggested cured the problem instantly when we got our hands on some this afternoon, even though it's not a fast acting med. Today he decided to try a wedge pillow that I have been trying to get him to try for months because the doc mentioned sleeping slightly elevated and using pillows to do so helped last night.

Maybe just maybe he got his share of drama and attention and the holiday can proceed peacefully. 

I am not sure he has ever been sick when it was not a holiday. 

[bloomie]

1footouttadefog - what a miraculous and swift recovery!  The link between holidays, and in my case, vacations as well and drama of some sort is so frustrating. I truly hope the attention from a doctor calmed this all down for you both. I have seen this rapid response to 'medical attention' as well. You are not alone!

[1footouttadefog]

The attention fix seems lasting, the medical fix only partially so. 

At least it was a win in that there was a new option we had not tried. As a care taker, I do not have to judge of its medical or psychological, I do my best then bring in the professionals. That is there job, and fortunately the folks at the VA are uniquely equipt and experienced to handle both at once. At twice in 5 years I cannot say we over use this resource, and it's better than the local hospital psyche ward where things would be more apt to escalate.  The time 5 years ago was a full on situation, I know to move earlier now.  I ha e accepted that these things will come along and don't own them outside of getting him to professional help.