Family & Friends of Bipolar Support Group

Today my 20 year old daughter was finally admitted for inpatient hospitalization.
She has been in a Partial Hosp. Program at the same hospital since the end of November. Her insurance company, Aetna, in mid nov. refused to cover inpatient treatment, inspite of being told of her history of serious suicide attempt, and fathers family history of suicides. Apparently with the Aetna plan she has, you have to actually attempt suicide to get inpatient.
She was weaned off seroquel (too sedating, starting visual hallucinations) and just started lithium when she entered the program (after a 2 week wait for an appt. anywhere in my state following the refusal of inpatient) They put her on Geodon and weaned off the lithium. She was doing well in the program and more herself, when she started getting *black spots and ribbony images* in her peripheral vision. They changed her to Zyprexa shortly before xmas. It was too sedating at first, then lowered. Lowered dose brought out raging episode, reupped it a bit. Then cam the crash into severe depression. Both she, her live in BF and I kept reporting that this med was making her worse. Each week, she was prgressively in more despair, feeling no interest in anything, and could only cry and smoke cigarettes. Every night for 3 weeks has been trying to give her pep talks to hang in there, while she cried without knowing why.
In her program, I dont think she could open up and express the despair, or cry in front of others, but we were reporting it to her case manager. The CM and pdoc kept telling her to give the Zyprexa another week.
Finally, Tues. night I sent a detailed email to the CM and pdoc saying Kristine had expressed that she did not want to continue to live if this was how she was going to have to be. They kept her on the Zyprexa and added Wellbutrin.
Two more days of despair. Finally last night I promised her she would not go another 24 hours on this medication, I was doing something. I left messages for CM, pdoc, called the oncall pdoc to leave a message, and sent another detailed email to one of the department heads (its a teaching hosp. at a state univ.) who is a friend of my neighbor. I was sure to spell out that I was not complaining, just grasping at straws to get my daughter the help she needs, as she last night said she didnt think she could hold on through the weekend.
That seemed to get some attention. the CM asked me to come in to program w/K, Now the pdoc (nicknamed Doogie Houser he is so young) and everbody else is paying all kinds of attention to me and my daughter. Somebody finally managed to convince Aetna to cover the inpatient. They are immediately taking her off the Zyprexa, putting her on the lithium and Geodon again, and keeping her there to monitor the med changes, since normally they would wean her off one and wean on to the other. Once she is stable for a bit, they want to tritrate (?) her slowly on to Lamictal and wean off the Geodon.
She is having a bit of a hard time with the no smoking (not even outside) policy, but got a patch.
A few minutes ago she called, and already sounded more like herself.
So, after going up to hosp. to drop off some things this evening, I then came back home to bring my 5 year old to her school for *Family Fun Folk Dance Night* Talk about switching gears. The little one had been looking forward to it all week, and I just couldnt make her go without.
It just so frustrating that a) the insurance co. wouldnt pay for inpatient to begin with, so we did this process backward, partial hosp. first, and b) the PHP wouldnt listen to the patient and family saying a med was making her condition worse, until she wound up inpatient and suicidal.
Im exhausted.
Posted on 01/25/08, 09:01 pm