November 22, 2011
Gabriela had arrived at Huntington on November 10th, we were now nearly 13 days into her stay on Ward 400.
Initially, things had deteriorated quickly. After she was admitted she hadn’t eaten, drank, slept, sat down, taken her medications, or spoken for days. She’d also had visual, auditory and tactile hallucinations for more than a week.
It had been terrifying at the time, but after the first three days she’d showed small signs of progress each day; first drinking water on day four, then eating on day five. On day six was the big break when Gabriela had attempted to hit one of the staff. She was given a shot of an anti-psychotic which was just enough to help her turn the corner and make her way toward recovering.
After nearly 13 days, Gabriela was no longer suffering hallucinations. She was enjoying the safety and supportive environment of the ward and she participated in the daily activities, which included group and individual therapies. As odd as it may sound, given that Gabriela was on an acute psychiatric ward, she was making friends with both patients and staff.
Gabriela didn’t remember the events that led up to her hospitalization, or the events of the first week, and she had no desire to hear about them.
The progress in this, the second week of her hospitalization, had brought Gabriela back to a fragile normal. I felt a sense of relief that she was doing better but at the same time I was terrified, because I was struggling to find a residential program that fit all of Gabriela’s needs and that my insurance covered.