Difficult week

We got back in the wee early hours this morning from an emergency trip downstate about my dad.

He has not yet been diagnosed - the type and origin of his brain infection is still unknown. His brain biopsy from Christmas eve has made the rounds from his regional Hospital, to U of M pathology, and is currently still at the University of Washington for specialized testing. His high volume lumbar puncture revealed massive amounts of white blood cells indicating infection, but not what type of infection. Cultures are being run for fungal infections, which take 6-8 weeks, believe it or not.

My dad was released from U of M about 2 weeks ago, when his mental confusion and erratic behavior caused by the brain infection seemed to subside, as they awaited the results of these specialized tests. He was very weak and could hardly walk so he went to stay with his brother temporarily- just a month ago he was a strong and vibrant active 62 year old who ran his own construction business.

After he recovered his physical strength a bit, he refused to stay at his brothers and returned home where he lives alone. He did ok for a few days with my uncle and his wife checking up on him, but his behavior started falling apart again. No one could reach him - he had apparently thrown away both his cell phone and his home phone because "they didn't work". He put his mattresses from his bed out in front of his house, in the snow. He broke the TV's in his house because he couldn't get the remotes to work. He bundled up his trash, and threw it down the basement stairs. He went to a car dealership and purchased a new car (even though he already has a newer car). It was a stick shift, and he would take out the car and "forget" how to drive it or where he put it. He walked home 2 miles in the freezing cold without a jacket because he couldn't remember how to unlock the car.

Last Sat night, his neighbors (with whom his is on very good terms) called the police about his increasingly bizarre behavior. The police took him to a psychiatric hospital who refused to admit him because he doesn't meet any criteria of mental illness and his issues result from a medical condition.

On Sunday, my dad was trying to get into his new car which was parked in the driveway. When he couldn't immediatly open the door (it was locked) he began pounding on the door with a mallet. When that failed to produce the desired results, he got into his other car, which was in his garage, and repeatedly rammed the new car with his other vehicle, in an attempt to move it out of the driveway. The neighbors called the police again. The police took him to the regional medical center and petitioned to have him admitted against his will. He was.

We drove down, as well as 2 of my three sisters, one from Mobile Al, and the other from Nashville TN. We met with the hospital social worker who explained that my dad needed an immediate guardian appointed to safeguard his physical and financial well being until he could hopefully be treated for the brain infection after the cause is diagnosed. The hospital has provided documentation from it's physicians that my dad's executive funtion was significantly impaired and he was incapable of making decisions. We went as a group, us three sisters, Wood, my uncle and his wife to probate court that same day to petition for emergency guardianship for my dad.

The court, in its infinite wisdom, refused to grant emergency guardianship. Because he isn't in immediate need of a life saving medical procedure, like a ventilator or something. The fact that he can't be released from the hospital, no medical decisions can be made, and none of his bills have been paid since early december is apparently no concern to them. They assigned a court date of March 2nd to hear the case. Yes, March 2nd, over a month from now. At which time they may, or may not, assign a guardian for my father. My dad will be "warehoused" in the hospital until then, as he cannot be released for his own and the safety of others. For an entire month. He is receiving no medical treatment, as no one can seem to decide how to treat him. The hospital, recognizing his current limited faculties will not allow him to check himself out AMA. We cannot move him into a skilled care facility, which would be more appropriate, because we don't have guardianship. We can't pay his bills. But the court deems this not an emergency.

Wood and I had to leave to return home to work. I'm the closest daughter, and I'm 8 hours away. The entire situation is completely unreal. I hadn't ever realized that someone completely capable, independent and competant could literally lose control of their mental capacity literally overnight, short of a huge brain trauma, like a car accident. This is not a slow decline, a part of the aging process - my dad is a relatively young, very active and healthy guy. I fear that if they don't begin SOME sort of treatment soon, the damage done could be permenent. I never imagined it would take this long to identify what he has and how to treat it. With his compromised immune system, a month in a germ filled hospital seems completely unacceptable if he is not receiving any treatment whatsoever. My dad is lucid and isn't "out of it", so he knows what is happening to a certain extent. He doesn't understand why he is in the hospital and seems defeated that he can't go home. He seems to me like he has given up the fight and given up. I cried a good deal of the way home - I feel completely powerless.