Answers

Years ago, my mother was given the drug ATIVAN® by one of her doctors. The drug caused major hallucinations, so she was promptly taken off the drug again. Since then, we have told healthcare providers that she is "allergic" to it, and they usually put it on a list of medications that they will not dispense for her.

When she was taking ATIVAN®, she would be sitting in her chair in the den and commenting on all the pretty birds that were flying through the house. Then, a boy and his dog would appear, stand nearby for a while, and then leave.  She thought that my brother had come home several years ago, slipped into the house, went to his old bedroom, closed the door, and had been in there for days without coming out.  And so forth...

My mother also has to take an anti-seizure medication. She was taking DEPAKOTE® before being admitted to the hospital for surgery. At the moment, her bowels have not yet "moved" since surgery and anything given to her by mouth — even sips of water — are coming back up; that is what was causing the vomiting yesterday and the subsequent order of "Nothing By Mouth" afterwards.  The DEPAKOTE® medication is only available in "pill" form, so it cannot be given to her until she is able to take food and water again.

Therefore, one of her physicians (Manship, who assisted Wheeler during the surgery) decided that ATIVAN® was a viable alternative, because it can also prevent seizures and is available in "liquid" form that is suitable for adding to IV solutions.  He realayed the message to us, via a nurse, that "hallucinations" are not an "allergic" reaction, but rather a "side-effect," (which, of course, we knew, but it has always been easier that way) and that he would rather have her having hallucinations in the hospital rather than seizures.

So, THAT is why she has been sleeping 98% of the time and is confused and loopy the little bit of time that she is awake.  At least if she is having hallucinations, I hope she will be in a "happy place" rather than a disturbing place. 

And at least we now have answers.  Why they couldn't have told us this in the beginning rather than have us watch Mom apparently go downhill after surgery and worry about her, I have no idea.



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