I have this friend, liz. Back in high school she was this awesome punk rock chick who took me under her wing. We lost contact after graduation.
Around 2001, she slipped in her bathroom and hit her head. Then started hearing voices and seeing things. She was put on antipsychotics. Ran into her again and started hanging out around 2005.
Fast forward to 2007. Liz calls to ask me for a ride to her doctor. I pick her up at her mom's. She is pacing and chainsmoking and hadn't slept for a few days. I take her to the clinic (Mercy Franklin in Des Moines. I hate that place and you will soon see why), and by the time we get there, I know something is really really wrong. She said she can't go home because her dad is outside her window. Her dad died when she was 16 and she lives on the 3rd floor.
The doctor thought I was her "caseworker". Every nurse there acted like I was her worker despite me telling them I was just a friend who gave her a ride. SLiz got more erratic. I sat in the waiting room while she talked to a nurse. Suddenly I hear Liz scream "No! FUCK YOU!" The nurse comes out and tells me to "control your client". I ask Liz what's wrong "the table is round. Its gonna hurt me". The nurse hands me papers and tells me to take her home. I continue to tell them I am not her worker, just a friend who gave her a ride. They didn't listen to me. I said "look these meds aren't working. She is seeing her Dad who is dead. I'm not leaving her alone." They told me to get her out of the clinic because she was "freaking out the patients". By this time, Liz wants to leave so I start driving.
Zach was with us (maybe they assumed since I had a blind guy with me, I was a worker). I also had to get my kid from school. We go to her apartment. I notice her caseworker in the parking lot. We get up to her apartment and I say "oh shit. Look at the time. I need to get Zee. Zach, why don't you wait here with Liz while I go get Zee from school?" Thankfully, Zach picked up on what I was going to do and agreed.
I run downstairs and go up to her worker who is eating lunch in his car. I explain to him the events of the day and that my boyfriend was up in the apartment with her. I said she needed to go "anywhere but Mercy". I then called the school and told them a friend is "having a medical emergency" and I had to get her to the hospital so I would be late picking her up. I then drove around the block while the caseworker went to her apartment.
I came back and the worker was there and making a list of her meds. Liz agreed to go to Lutheran Hospital. I asked her to call me as soon as she was able to. I ask the caseworker to have Liz's mom call me so I can give her the paperwork I was given. Her mom calls me crying that evening.
Two days later Liz calls and asks me to come visit. We spent about 40 mins in the dayroom having coffee and donuts and chitchatting. She says they are going to do a "brain scan". I tell her that is prolly a a good idea.
Get this shit. The brain scan showed that the fall she had in 2001 caused the damage leading to the psychosis. All this time Mercy just acted like she was a schizophrenic when they could've just done a damn scan.
It took awhile to figure out the right meds. She is a real trooper dealing with the side effects. She gained a lot of weight and she chainsmokes constantly and has trouble sleeping. She has been with this guy named Mikey for 3 years and him moving into her apartment has helped her. If she thinks someone is in the place, she just checks with Mikey and he tells her if it is real or not.
Current Thoughts