Author Topic: Morpheus  (Read 64354 times)

Offline Captain Virgil Hilts

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #510 on: February 05, 2010, 07:33:28 PM »
I agree with just about everything you said except this part, which I feel is being a bit unfair to the people working at the facility. yes, in some cases the person is just there to collect a check. But in a lot of other cases, the person wishes they could do more, but because of how the system has been completely twisted legally, they cannot. Not to mention how often these people are trying to make a living caring for someone, getting a thanks of families no longer coming to visit their bed ridden relatives, punched, pulled, prodded, pooped, and puked on while trying to help. Add to the fact that most of these places are insanely too low staffed because the place is not making enough, and that sometimes places like nursing homes are home to people who are severely mis-diagnosed, and you've got a lot of reasons for the care not to be all that great beyond the employees not caring. Yes, our heathcare system can use a lot of help, but it's not always as simple as other people not caring.

Plus, no one will ever care for someone more than the friends and family of the individual. I'm with Humble... if you're unsure, there's no shame in asking for other opinions or trying to find "another way".


Sorry, I'm just not buying it. We went through this with 5 different facilities with my father. In the vast majority of the cases, it is true. It got so bad that at one point, my wife, who works for the state health related boards, went to the ombudsman and had one of the facilities shut down and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. They damned near killed Dad outright, and the damage they did ruined any quality of life he had, and set him on a rapid downhill decline that eventually killed him. There were three facilities that she had to deal harshly with before it was over. Dad has been gone just over six years. And just last year, my wife had to do the same thing again, over my hunting buddy's mother, who was sedated to the point she nearly slipped into a coma, simply because she was a bit contrary, and troublesome. While I'd love to think that nursing homes and rehabilitation centers are staffed by mostly good people as a rule, direct experience, as well as my wife's experience at her job, tells me that is quite far from true. And it is a damned shame.
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Offline betty

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #511 on: February 05, 2010, 07:46:36 PM »
snappy,

i wonder if when morphy's parents take him back home with them that they could let him stay at home with them and screen the nurses and aides that come to help him, have all his PT there at their home so it is monitored. its just a thought. atleast they would know he would be safe and i know its got to be frustrating for them seeing their son go thru this, it might be better for them to do it this way and get him out of that rehab place all together.


i dont trust doctors much and i still think that morphy's docs are giving up on him too soon and aren't making sure he gets what needs to be done so he can recover faster.

let us know if u look into things more snappy, i would like to know how it goes and would still like to know how morphy is doin after the move home. not sure if there is a way for u to keep in touch with them but u have been a great friend and i trust they know this and will keep u informed on how he is doing. <<S>> snappy and all u guys that keep us up to  date i know its hard whether its bad or good we all still care about him. thank you all again!
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Offline Delirium

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #512 on: February 06, 2010, 02:19:11 AM »
If he doesn't eat fast enough, they feed him and most times they just flat out feed him ... personally, I think that they have made him "lazy" ... our stance would be ... put that food in your mouth yourself or go hungry. He is still wearing a diaper because he will forget to ask to go to the bathroom ... I would have thought that they would take the same approach one would take while potty training a toddler ... ask every hour or more if he has to go to the bathroom or just get him up every hour and walk him to the bathroom and see if he will go.

The average staff member is only going to do what they have to; the bare minimum. From the way it sounds he has been combative (which can further alienate the staff) and they are keeping him sedated because of it. The only way anything is going to improve is if the administration lights a fire under the routine staff to do go the extra step with documentation as proof.

To be blunt, the only way anything will change is if his family (preferably a Power of Attorney) complains to the administration. They do need to keep their complaints as a list of defined events and they also need to season them with future realistic goals. If no change happens after a month or two, they need to consider moving him to a facility that may be more successful or at least more attentive to his needs.

For goals, I'd push for a weekly list. For example;

---------------------
Week one: patient will feed himself lunch (I'm guessing he is most coherent at this time). If necessary, foods he can pick up with his hands (like sandwiches) will be provided. He will be allowed to take as long as he needs to finish his meal, provided he has the ability to finish.

Week two: He will continue to feed himself lunch, with a few meals consisting of articles he has to use silverware for (like pasta/shells). He will begin to dress his upper torso in the mornings with assistance.
-------------------

Granted, I don't know where he is at as far as his functioning. Regardless, make those goals reasonable and known to the family, the staff, and most of all to Morpheus.
« Last Edit: February 06, 2010, 02:23:08 AM by Delirium »
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Offline RobMo68

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #513 on: February 06, 2010, 05:06:48 AM »
:( Let's hope something will change, beyond doctors' ability of prediction....

Loop de Lupo, long time no pwn bro! <S>


I was saddened to hear of what happened to Morph (got an e-mail from another forum about it, recently)!

And while I'm not a "religious" person, my thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff, and to his family and friends (epsecially to them, as Jeff will need them around him, to help him recover).

<S> to SlapShot and others for the updates!
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Offline ROX

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #514 on: February 06, 2010, 12:47:40 PM »
Please my friends, never underestimate the power of prayers.  I don't want to get Skuzzinated for a religious post because that's not my intention.  Just please keep Morph in your thoughts.  Amazing things have happened.

Keep fighting Morph!  It's a fight pure and simple.  KEEP FIGHTING!  We're all pulling for you!




ROX

Offline W7LPNRICK

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #515 on: February 06, 2010, 01:18:31 PM »
If I may ask ... how long was that process ? What type of therapy was used ? How long was she in the PT hospital ?

The reason that I ask is that Morph is supposedly in a very fine hospital but of all the times that we have visited him, we have seen him out of his room/bed once. They only allow 2 of us in the room at one time and he is constantly drugged. If he doesn't eat fast enough, they feed him and most times they just flat out feed him ... personally, I think that they have made him "lazy" ... our stance would be ... put that food in your mouth yourself or go hungry. He is still wearing a diaper because he will forget to ask to go to the bathroom ... I would have thought that they would take the same approach one would take while potty training a toddler ... ask every hour or more if he has to go to the bathroom or just get him up every hour and walk him to the bathroom and see if he will go.

This has frustrated the crap out of us. I am no brain specialist, but I would think that the more interaction along with changing venues would only stimulate him.

2 months in ICU, then a few days in TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) step-down unit. Then 7-8 Months in Elks rehab hospital where she arrived still in a coma, learned how to speak, eat, and worked on fine motor skills. Then a few months of Out Patient therapy. Unfortunately every TBI patient is different. There are as many variables as there are neurons in the human brain.  
Often, there is a sudden awakening and things begin to improve. Remember that when the brain is injured, there is a decrease in the chemicals that help with alertness, concentration, learning etc. If he is very young that works in his favor. Young brains are still building new "Wiring" anyway, so they are able to compensate. The more damage the more months to relearn everything, just like it did the first time he learned to "Potty", or eat independently. My wife, standing behind me reading, says she "Had to go through all this".  It's tough! Hang in there. Prayers for him from Boise.  :aok
P.S. After reading the remaining posts (Many were good) I agree that progress can often be very slow like baby steps, 2 steps today, 3 tomorrow, etc. & his mind HAS TO BE STIMULATED! He will only gain what he has to have because it's required of him. Hope that helps.  :pray
« Last Edit: February 06, 2010, 01:23:59 PM by W7LPNRICK »
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Offline W7LPNRICK

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #516 on: February 06, 2010, 08:49:44 PM »

Sorry, I'm just not buying it. We went through this with 5 different facilities with my father. In the vast majority of the cases, it is true. It got so bad that at one point, my wife, who works for the state health related boards, went to the ombudsman and had one of the facilities shut down and fined hundreds of thousands of dollars. They damned near killed Dad outright, and the damage they did ruined any quality of life he had, and set him on a rapid downhill decline that eventually killed him. There were three facilities that she had to deal harshly with before it was over. Dad has been gone just over six years. And just last year, my wife had to do the same thing again, over my hunting buddy's mother, who was sedated to the point she nearly slipped into a coma, simply because she was a bit contrary, and troublesome. While I'd love to think that nursing homes and rehabilitation centers are staffed by mostly good people as a rule, direct experience, as well as my wife's experience at her job, tells me that is quite far from true. And it is a damned shame.

This does happen and caregivers/nurses get caught in the middle between Gov't funding cutback & greedy companies not happy with the same 2% profit everyone else is living on, & some still expect to make the same money they did when the Medicare/Medicaid machine was in high gear. In recent years, the fed has stopped reimbursements for physical/occupational therapy after xxx amount of days, under specific circumstances because there was a lot of graft going on, billing 85y/o gramma that hasn't participated with the therapist for 6 months, but the bill keeps coming. Everyone suffers, including honest facilities & caregivers, because of the greed of a few, or sometimes several. The caregivers feel just as cheated as you did when this happened to you. IMO :salute
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Offline tassos

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #517 on: February 07, 2010, 11:05:33 AM »
What happen if we send him something that he remebered like a P51 Model ore a AH t-shirt?
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Offline Simaril

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #518 on: February 08, 2010, 06:47:30 AM »
Attention to meds, meds, meds!

Just can't assess what's happening when people are on substantial doses of sedating meds. He may not be making progress BECAUSE of the ativan - which is a long acting relative of valium. Especially when coupled with meds used to prevent muscle spasms, help with sleep, help with pain, help with depression - the sedation effects can add up tremendously.

There is a time and a place for meds like Ativan, but all too often they get added to a med list and are left on board permanently. Some places will let med lists grow until even young healthy people are on 15-20 medications in extended care facilities. Specific advice for the family - if it hasnt been tried lately, would really be worth trial of tapered dose reduction. Can't know where is brain is really at when its being doped up.

And by the way - Ativan has a half life of 14 hours, which means it will take 2 - 3 days for any dose change to reach a new baseline blood level. (Rule of thumb is 4 half lives to reach steady state.) Taking it the other way, if a med is only being given on an as needed basis the levels can still be boosted enough to keep it always in the system, never completely clear, if a dose is given inside 2-3 half lives.
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Offline Captain Virgil Hilts

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #519 on: February 08, 2010, 07:38:23 AM »
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Another winner. Over medicating is one of the biggest problems brain injury patients face. Every effort should be made to continually reduce every medication until the absolute minimum dosage to prevent problems or discomfort (for the patient) is given. All to often, medication is given to prevent problems or discomfort for the staff or the doctors and not for the benefit or in the best interest of the patient. Brain injury patients can be very demanding, time consuming, and troublesome. Especially those who are strong and otherwise healthy.
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Offline W7LPNRICK

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #520 on: February 09, 2010, 07:07:32 PM »
A lot of truth here. My wife was heavily medicated for years from fear of starting seizures. She had one Grand Mal immediately after surgery so she spent nearly 10 years over medicated (IMO) from unfounded fears. She had trouble speaking in more than 2-3 word sentences. The medication was acting as a neuro-restraint inhibiting free flow of ideas and speech patterns. They had never challenged her meds, even though she was seizure free for 10 years. (Now seizure free for 16 years) This is why state facilities require patients psychotropic meds be challenged unless justified by strong documentation. When we slowly began weaning her off her meds, her speech took off in nearly normal patterns immediately. Her mind suddenly sharp and able to relay in speech everything she had been trying to say for 10 years. Over-medication is a REAL problem and takes a strong MD to see it and do something about it without undo fear. Some seizure disorders however, never subside. That is truly sad because the must live under the constant cloud of a medicated mind/body. I do not imply my wife's experiences are typical, but if we had not tried, where would she be?  (IMO) :frown:
The a fore mentioned opinion is in no way a medical opinion related to any person other than my wife. No decisions should be made without the advice of a physician/practitioner.  
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Offline Simaril

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #521 on: February 10, 2010, 06:38:54 AM »
A lot of truth here. My wife was heavily medicated for years from fear of starting seizures. She had one Grand Mal immediately after surgery so she spent nearly 10 years over medicated (IMO) from unfounded fears. She had trouble speaking in more than 2-3 word sentences. The medication was acting as a neuro-restraint inhibiting free flow of ideas and speech patterns. They had never challenged her meds, even though she was seizure free for 10 years. (Now seizure free for 16 years) This is why state facilities require patients psychotropic meds be challenged unless justified by strong documentation. When we slowly began weaning her off her meds, her speech took off in nearly normal patterns immediately. Her mind suddenly sharp and able to relay in speech everything she had been trying to say for 10 years. Over-medication is a REAL problem and takes a strong MD to see it and do something about it without undo fear. Some seizure disorders however, never subside. That is truly sad because the must live under the constant cloud of a medicated mind/body. I do not imply my wife's experiences are typical, but if we had not tried, where would she be?  (IMO) :frown:
The a fore mentioned opinion is in no way a medical opinion related to any person other than my wife. No decisions should be made without the advice of a physician/practitioner.  

Again, don't let yourself - or someone you love - get put on medical cruise control. There have been enormous changes in medications available in the last 10 years, and while not every change is a miraculous one there are many categories where there are new treatments with fewer side effects or with greater potency.

There IS risk with any change, risk that things could get worse. But as long as folks are willing to take that risk, it can be helpful to try tinkering - especially if the current treatment program has troublesome side effects. For example, when someone's been treated for depression and has been doing well for 3-6 months, I'll often suggest a trial of lower dose to see how things go. Doesn't always work - some problems are chronic, just don't get better - but you don't know till you try.
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Offline W7LPNRICK

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #522 on: February 12, 2010, 12:18:00 AM »
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btX49lLYBoc

Had to share this. Morpheus, if there's a word that means as much to you, I'd get your family to chant it.  :salute
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Offline Traveler

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #523 on: February 12, 2010, 02:53:16 PM »
Hope his health insurance holds out or his parents are very very very very rich.  What did he do for a living?  He's a young guy I'd guess, living parents, girlfriend.  Perhaps he's covered by his parents health plan, until he's 21 or so.  then what?  There is a reason that the medical profession refers to motorcycles as donorcycles.  TBI is a horrible injury,  one that is very common to our American vets returning from war and senior citizens in old age.  It could very well be that the apparent lack of progress is due to the exact reasons given by the doctors and nurses attending morpheus.  That the damage to his brain is such that he will never progress byond this point.   
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Offline Ack-Ack

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Re: Morpheus
« Reply #524 on: February 12, 2010, 04:36:18 PM »
  It could very well be that the apparent lack of progress is due to the exact reasons given by the doctors and nurses attending morpheus.  That the damage to his brain is such that he will never progress byond this point.   

that may be very well true but why give up hope?  Miracles sometimes do happen.


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