So, Jay's been in the hospital since Tuesday. So far, he's had a CT scan, EEG, MRI, spinal tap and the usual blood and urine tests. Everything has come back negative but there are a few results pending from the spinal tap. Since this is a process of elimination they "think" he "might" have Hashimoto's Encephalopathy. They began treating him yesterday with an IV of steroids and they'll do that for three days. Once we go home, he can take it orally while being monitored weekly by the neurological team. Naturally, there are side effects - agitation, confusion - and about two hours after his first IV of steroids yesterdays, he was very agitated and confused. I'd left around two o'clock to get some chores done around the house but he call around four in quite a state, so I came back for a couple of hours to try to calm him.
When I got to his room, it was empty. I checked the bathroom - no Jay. Since his room is right next to the nurses' station, I got a nurse to help me search for him - she went one way an I went another. I found him wandering the halls. When Dr. Flippo arrived and I told her about it, she was not a happy person. She talked to all the nurses and aides and said she was going to escalate the incident as she wants me to feel comfortable in his care and treatment here. She was worried he might get on the elevator and try to walk home.
I left for home around six thirty and got two more calls from a nurse telling me (1) he wouldn't take his meds and (2) he didn't think he was in his room and wanted to go back to his right room. Talking to him helped a little but when I got here this morning, I was told he woke up confused about once an hour all night. The nurses were able to refocus him and he'd sleep again for another hour.
When I got here around eight this morning, he was anxious to tell me about his "travels" during the night - he went to Oklahoma and then to Rockford. I tried to explain they were more than likely dreams but he said they seemed so real.
Just a few minutes ago, we had a "tele-psych" conference with a psychiatrist. It lasted less than thirty minutes but seemed to give Jay encouragement. The doctor confirmed what I've been telling him - his brain didn't get scrambled overnight so it's going to take a little time to unscramble it. He took a lot of hope from the meeting and I'm encouraged by his hope!
He's been eating pretty good - for him - but since today is Cinco de Mayo, I'm going to run across the street and get him some tacos from Taco Bell. I'm going to get some for the staff here as well as they're going above and beyond the call of duty in taking care of him. This is a cancer floor and they have to deal with his memory issues. They're Angels!
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