Comments on: From Amanda’s friend– Amanda is in the hospital

By: ballastexistenz

ballastexistenz — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:10:01 +0000

Yeah, it’s serious, but by the time she’d written this, it was already being treated, I’d been catheterized and given enemas and laxatives and all that other crap (pun semi-intended), and was getting anti-convulsants and other meds through IV since I couldn’t eat (so I wouldn’t experience much trouble with rapid discontinuation of two anti-convulsants, which was already starting to cause problems before they caught it). I was no longer in any huge immediate danger of anything, and I was coming out of the weird delirium I was in when I got there. I was extremely uncomfortable, but I was already getting better.

The paper you cite reminds me of what happened to me on Clozaril, though. When I was taken to the emergency room for vomiting, they gave me Ativan and crackers and sent me home, even though my belly looked pregnant by then. It was a nightmare getting it addressed as anything other than psychiatric, because once you’re considered crazy, then somehow you cease to have a body, everything’s in your mind, even if your body’s clearly way out of whack. I don’t even want to know how many people have died of neglect that way. I’ve “just” come close to death a few times and ended up with severe untreated pain for long periods because of crap like that, I can easily see real deaths coming of that kind of thing. I remember there was a paper about people with intellectual disabilities developing impacted bowels with “no symptoms”, the research was carried out through group homes, and I was thinking from my own experiences that it probably wasn’t “no symptoms”, it’s that in the DD and psych worlds there’s often a degree of medical neglect that’s stunning in its breadth and depth.

By: mark p.s.

mark p.s. — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:24:53 +0000

impacted bowl IS serious.

Click to access 71.pdf

PDF LINK

By: Debbie

Debbie — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:24:31 +0000

Laura…

Thanks for telling us where Amanda was. I appreciate your help. Take care of yourself.

talk to you later,
Debbie

By: Joshua (pthalogreen)

Joshua (pthalogreen) — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:13:44 +0000

Sending get well wishes.

By: Evonne

Evonne — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:47:45 +0000

Thanks, Muskie. Love you, Amanda!

By: dinah murray

dinah murray — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:36:00 +0000

thanks for the heads-up Laura

By: hj

hj — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 05:50:25 +0000

Thanks for letting us know. Please let her know we’re thinking of her.

By: postpaleo

postpaleo — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 02:52:56 +0000

Perhaps this would be a good time and place for me to send a thank you. I do have a problem because I’m not sure how to thank someone for being themselves. I will try.

Amanda, I was attempting sleep with the TV on as white noise and had it on CNN. As sometimes happens my white noise suddenly grabbed my attention, it was you. I came into the interview part way through and as I recall some different forms of autism were mentioned at the end. I was left thinking why couldn’t there be something a bit less/more? then what was mentioned. Upon waking I mentioned what I had heard and my question, my wife said Asperger’s. Upon looking into it, it fit, my life suddenly made sense, a huge gulp of fresh air. In my case a couple of co-morbids along for the ride but still what an AHA!! moment. 50 plus years of not knowing, the trials and tribulations I am sure you know well. So how do I thank you for being brave, for being a strong voice, being who you are? I don’t think I can, but I just tried. Thank you for being you.

By: Estee

Estee — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 01:04:13 +0000

Wish her well from me.

Estee

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:29:02 +0000

Sorry Amanda, I didn’t mean to keep refering to you in the third person.

Anyways, the sentiment is the same. Feel better!