An emergency of flesh, spirit, finances: Falling with Parkinson’s
Just how prepared were we for a middle-of-the-night crisis?
I thought I was prepared for an emergency — until I found myself in an emergency situation and realized how unprepared I actually was.
When I started writing this column, I was sitting next to my husband, Arman, in his hospital room. We arrived at the hospital at about 4:30 a.m. after the worst Parkinson’s-related fall he’s ever had.
I became aware of it when I was awakened in the middle of the night by a loud thud, followed by pain-searing, blood-curdling screams. I raced out of bed, unsure where or what the sounds were coming from. Was there a monster in the house? I found Arman in our den, writhing in pain after he’d just fallen onto the coffee table.
As I approached him, he was delirious, almost as if he were possessed. I immediately froze, feeling completely overwhelmed and having no idea what to do. Who do I call? 911? A family member, a friend, a neighbor? Or do I just curl into the fetal position, cry, and hope that I’m having a nightmare?
Essential actions
My head immediately felt like it was about to burst with my own pain, but I had to get it together and make a plan. I took a few deep breaths and called a few family members and friends, but everyone was asleep since it was still the middle of the night. Arman didn’t want me to call 911, so I managed to get him into the car somehow. I ran back into the house and packed us a bag of essentials and his medication. And we were off to the emergency room at a nearby hospital.
A few minutes into our drive, we realized that we’d forgotten the programmer for his deep-brain stimulator. I made a swift U-turn, and back home we went. When we eventually pulled into the hospital parking lot, we realized we’d forgotten his wallet. Thankfully, Arman’s sister lives nearby and was able to bring it to us. As I said earlier: unprepared.
The emergency room was nearly empty; luck was on our side with that. We were seen by the emergency room’s physician, who ordered diagnostic testing. We soon learned that Arman had multiple broken ribs and several displacements.
The next few days were a blur of long hours, shared hospital rooms, heavy-duty pain medications, visits from family, takeout meals, and overall exhaustion. Adding six broken ribs to the game of Parkinson’s disease felt like a devastating blow.
As I sat in the uncomfortable hospital room chairs for seven long days, my mind was constantly racing. I pondered how I’d get through this time as his caregiver. Was I mentally strong enough to add this boulder to my already heavy load? Would I be physically able to care for him safely at home by myself?
As we approached the time for his release, his physicians and therapists unanimously recommended an acute rehabilitation hospital to help him recover safely. Unfortunately, our health insurance company had other plans. They denied multiple appeals to cover the necessary rehabilitation.
The additional stress that the insurance denials added to my already overflowing plate was almost too much to handle. I’m not one to shed tears often, but feeling so blatantly abandoned by a company that’s supposed to take care of us brought me to tears — actually, more like hyperventilating sobs.
We knew that going home wasn’t an option, as he was simply not ready, nor was I. As per the recommendations of his medical team, we ultimately decided to go to the rehabilitation hospital anyway while we worked on another appeal with the insurance company. We’re hoping it’ll reconsider and cover his stay in rehab.
I’m hopeful that his time there will help; as I write this, he’s now been there a few days. He’ll have three hours of therapy per day, and the goal is to build back some of the strength that he lost during the hospital stay, in addition to learning more about how to keep him safe.
I’m cautiously optimistic about getting him home. I’m doing my best to keep up a positive attitude and continue to look for the bright side.
Note: Parkinson’s News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Parkinson’s News Today or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to Parkinson’s disease.
About the Author
Leave a comment
Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published.