A Year Later

I am reminded of the value of keeping track. Even though I do not want to I believe this will have value later. Our son has spent four days in the ICU, three days on 5150 hold, and is now on a two-week 5250 hold. That ends tomorrow and the clinicians would like him to continue treatment. I had called him the day after his admission to acute care and I had told him and his case worker I wanted to be present for the 5250 conversation, just to bear witness. He did not seem to remember that I had been at his first 5250 meeting, last year. It feels important to have someone who cares for you present at such a moment, when you are vulnerable, when important decisions are being made about your care, when you could be committed to a course of interventions that may feel very intrusive. I told him he could call me if he had questions or wanted to talk. I went to the facility and sat for hours, waiting to be part of the conversation. I was not allowed in. He hasn't called.